November is National Alzheimer's Awareness M
Weight Loss: A Waist is a terrible thing to mind...
The Reason is the Main Thing!
Since no two people are the same, why would anyone think the reasons for obesity are the same in everyone? In fact, there are many reasons why people are over-weight and we want to find that reason in you to help you get to a happier, healthier weight.
Once we find the reason for your weight gain, we will address that issue. It seems unreasonable to us to force you into a restricted diet if the real problem is a food allergy or hormone imbalance. Let's find the cause and fix it!
Dietary Obesity
A very common reason for being overweight is eating the foods we know are bad for us. In a busy society, it is much easier to run through a fast food drive-in, or order a pizza for delivery. But these foods - and drinks - are horrible for us. They have little if any nutritional value, are high in calories, and cause us to be overweight. Here's a brief rundown on what's wrong:
Fats - We love eating fats, even if we don't know it. Bacon? Fat. Cheese? Fat A burger? Lots of fat. That Bacon Cheeseburger for lunch? Fat. Add in french fries (fried in... fat) and - you get the idea. Our bodies have a difficult time processing fat from our diets, moving it into cells. The membranes around each of the several hundred trillion cells in your body is made from the fat you ate 6 months ago.
High Carbs - This part of our diet is filling and provides some immediate energy. Unfortunately, when we eat too many carbs, our body converts them to fat for storage - around the belly, on the thighs and backside and inside the body in every nook and cranny. This is cumulative - which means it adds up meal, after meal. If you overeat for breakfast, EVERYTHING you eat for lunch and dinner can be stored.
Proteins - No fat, no carbs, no storage in unsightly places.
High Fructose Corn Syrup - Despite the enticing TV images of a wholesome young mom walking through a corn field in Iowa, high fructose corn syrup is NOT natural. It may have come from corn, but it is nothing Mother Nature ever conceived. This is - without question - your biggest enemy in obesity. This forces your body to store fat on top of fat on top of fat. READ EVERY FOOD LABEL! If it contains HFCS, stay way away!
Metabolic Obesity
There are a number of medical conditions which cause or contribute to obesity. If this an imbalance in metabolism is the underlying cause of someone being overweight, no diet in the world will help - until we identify and correct the underlying cause. Here are several of the most common causes of metabolic disorder affecting weight:
Thyroid Disorder: The Thyroid gland controls many aspects of your metabolism. It is a butterfly-shaped organ located low on the front of the neck, just above the collar bone. Think of this gland as the "thermostat" for your body. A deficiency in the thyroid causes a lack of thyroid hormone and the thermostat is turned down. This is called hypothyroidism. Besides unintended weight gain, people with hypothyroidism may feel cold, sluggish, and mentally dull. We fix this by first identifying the cause, then treating it accordingly.
Adrenal Disorder: We each have two adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys. This pea-sized gland is a major player in our hormone system, producing dozens of hormones when stimulated by the brain. One such hormone is Cortisol, which has been designated by many as the "stress hormone." Cortisol is supposed to fluctuate throughout the day from a morning peak to a midnight low. When a person lives under extreme stress for a long time, the body's ability to regulate cortisol is compromised. This leads to stress eating (think of the time you ate a pint of ice cream and a bag of cookies) and weight gain. We treat adrenal disorders based on the underlying cause, which may include adrenal support supplements.
Cushing's Disease/Cushing's Syndrome: This is a complex medical condition which itself can have several factors. People with Cushing's may experience - in addition to unexplained weight gain - an accumulation of fat high on the back, near the neck (a buffalo hump). This can be treated, once it is identified.
Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): PCOS is more common than some women appreciate. It results from the follicle (or sac) which held an ovulated egg producing male hormones when it was expected to degrade. The excess hormones create an imbalance in estrogen, testosterone and progesterone and all of this creates a host of problems, including weight gain that is very challenging to control. PCOS is treatable.
Food Allergies
Most adults know an allergic reaction when they see one. Seasonal allergies cause facial swelling, watery eyes and nose, and fatigue. Yet, when we eat something and soon begin to feel nausea or indigestion, bloating or worse, we may not associate it with a food allergy. Not all food allergies cause a swollen mouth and throat - requiring immediate administration of epinephrine. Some food allergies cause bloating, loose and foul-smelling stool and exhaustion. Could a food allergy be the reason for your extra weight? The first step is a comprehensive food allergy test, followed by a change in eating habits to avoid the foods your body doesn't like.
Treatment Options
The best reason to invest in medical weight loss is to find the best plan for you, based on your circumstances. Our approaches to treatment include:
- Balancing thyroid and adrenal hormones (including Cortisol)
- Nutrition counseling
- Exercise counseling
- Lipotropic (fat-burner) injections of Vitamin B12 and a combination of Methionine, Inositol and Choline (MIC)
- Prescription medications