Over the past several months I have created a firestorm of backlash on posts about how to lose weight or even recently asking the question “If a child is significantly overweight, should it be considered child abuse?” First, let me say that I am more than both sympathetic and empathetic to anyone who suffers from being overweight. It is not fair to judge someone for their struggles with being overweight because we all have struggles; it’s just that those whose struggles are weight are visible to all. Being overweight is not just about calories ingested and calories burned. This article is designed to help those with weight problems and those who have a friend or family member that struggle understand what else could be going wrong and how to address the underlying issues.
I have worked closely with numerous friends and listeners who are challenged at losing weight. In all honesty, I used to be amazed at how many people really don’t get the concept of “how to lose weight”. Only recently through prayer did I come to realize that we all have health struggles. In short, I have become a lot more companionate to the struggles that many have with achieving a healthy weight. Being overweight is a major contributing risk factor for most of the diseases that shorten our lifespan and decrease our quality of life. I also realized that many people think they are doing the right thing to lose weight, yet modern marketing and advertising has most people buffaloed. Here are a few examples: eating a bowl of cereal in the morning is a great way to lose weight (this will only contribute to blood sugar dips and increased cravings). Or, that eating “low-fat” is sound advice to losing weight (low fat foods often are high in either sugar, salt or artificial ingredients which will not help with weight loss one bit). Taking it one step further: Just put this patch on your body and watch the pounds melt away. Ok, the last one might be a bit crazy, but the reality is that what we get “taught” on TV and radio via advertisements is deceiving and not always the whole story.
In June, I was touched by a gentleman who phoned into my radio program admitting that he was significantly over weight, yet acknowledged at this point he wasn’t focusing on his weight issue. He admitted he was a “food addict” and realized that traditional “dieting” was not going to work with him until he corrected his addiction.
Another great example was the woman I met on a flight who put on 100+ pounds after her divorce because “she didn’t want to be loved anymore and figured that by being overweight that no one would. (Made me cry). Or the person I met who gained 130 pounds in 7 months because of the loss of his mother suddenly. And there was the woman who put on 75 pounds in 5 months following a bad auto accident. What about the woman who gained 15 pounds the year she finished going through menopause. Or the guy who gained 15 pounds only 2 months after he stopped smoking. And I can’t forget the woman who gained 50 pounds the year after she stopped using a stimulant weight loss supplement for 2 straight years. Each one of these situations is true and the weight went on for different reasons:
- Addiction
- Emotions
- Body trauma
- Hormonal changes
- Adrenal fatigue
- Drug use
- This list can go on and on
I am not writing this article is not to endorse or give you excuses to stay overweight, but to help you realize some of the root causes of why you are overweight. I preach that we ALL need to get to the root cause of why we have what we have before we can “treat” it. I have consulted with numerous people who were realistically eating 1200 calorie/ day diets and doing 45 minutes of aerobics 4 days per week and couldn’t lose weight. It doesn’t add up (pun intended) does it? They were TRUTHFULLY consuming fewer calories than they burned and not losing weight. The body is an amazing machine and in some rare instances can do some pretty astonishing things. With these people I just mentioned, it was an emotional issue similar to the woman who’s husband cheated on her and then divorced her: Her body was subconsciously retaining weight so she couldn’t be loved. (These are not my words, but hers)
There are no supplements listed in this article, but just some sound advice if you are truly struggling with your weight: Find out why you struggle and then address it head-on.
- Addiction- Get into a counseling program with someone who deals with addiction or consider hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is one of my favorite things to use in situations like this (addiction)
- Emotions- Ditto to the above statement but maybe not the hypnotherapy component.
- Body trauma- Dig to the root of the trauma and injury and work at getting it fixed. Use other modalities of healing such as healing touch, acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, supplementation, etc. to “heal” your body from the damage done from the physical trauma.
- Hormonal changes- Work on supporting your body’s hormone levels and the process of change. Chinese medicine is great at helping assist the body through both menopause and andropause. Consuming less processed foods and animal proteins can be helpful as well. Supplementing with digestive bitters and liver support herbs will be helpful too.
- Adrenal fatigue- this can come from drugs, supplements, stress, tobacco, etc. With regards to supplements, I am referring to those that contain stimulants like kola nut, guarana, caffeine, etc. Too often people who use these weight loss supplements will slow their metabolic rate over time and when they stop using the supplements, they gain weight just looking at food. (Joking of course-but it seems like it). Getting your adrenals back in order by removing stress, certain drugs, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, etc. is critical for reducing and healing from adrenal fatigue. Energy drinks are EVIL in my opinion and will most likely lead you down this path of a slower metabolism and adrenal fatigue. Drinking plenty of water, supplementing, eating right, getting more sleep/rest are all helpful at getting you back to your old self.
- Drug use- if these are prescribed medications, you obviously need to address removal with your health care provider. Illegal drugs and OTCs are also evil here. Read your labels and ask your pharmacist if your “medication” may increase your appetite/weight or slow your metabolism down. Just because your doctor says take it doesn’t mean it is healthy for you.
Other weight loss advice:
- Keep portions smaller than your fist. It’s easy to overeat when you have too much food on your plate. Smaller portions help prevent overeating. At our house we eat off of salad plates and put all leftovers away before we sit down to eat.
- Control your hunger with filling foods that are low in calories. Eat mostly fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds and leave animal proteins to the lean cuts and small portions. Avoid starches and focus on the vegetable as being the main part of your plate. Fruits and vegetables can help fill you up without adding a lot of calories. These foods will satisfy your hunger and help you lose weight.
- Keep track of what you eat. When you keep track of what you eat, you’re more likely to meet your food goals. Studies show that keeping a food log helps people lose weight and keep it off.
- Avoid low fat and low sugar processed foods- Flavor has to come from somewhere. You may be consuming more starches and sodium (adding to your weight by retaining water) to make up for the fat or sugar they removed from the original food. Or, you may be getting a nice does of chemicals instead. Chemical toxicity could be an underlying cause of your weight issues.
- Enjoy more physical activity. As you already know, regular physical activity is important for keeping your heart healthy. Increasing physical activity may help you lose weight and strengthen your heart at the same time.
Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare: Slow and steady wins the weight loss race. Fad diets NEVER work long-term. Address the underlying issue with your weight and hit it head-on. Identify your “true” reason for being overweight and meet it head-on. Eating right, getting more activity, praying and using supplements work if you know what you are up against. I pray that the content of this article helps you or a loved one identify the specific root of why weight loss is so challenging and that you achieve the health you are seeking.