Reaching your weight goals can be challenging, yet rewarding, and make you feel at the top of your game. And then other times it can be frustrating and feeling like you’re rolling bolder up hill and getting nowhere.
If you are experiencing the latter, before you get fed up and throw the whole thing out the window ask yourself these questions. As with most things in life, letting go of weight is a multifactorial event with lots of players contributing to the success of it (or lack there of).
It’s not necessarily only what you’re choosing to put in your mouth.
Are you hydrated?
Most of us are chronically dehydrated which you may know, but what you may not know is how dehydration slows our metabolism.
Dramatically
Also, our body has a hard time distinguishing hunger from thirst, so sometimes when your stomach is yelling at you it might be just thirsty. So drink a big ol’ glass of water and if you’re tummy is still rumbling 15 minutes later then eat something.
Another thing that hydrating with water does for us is support our kidneys in the release of unwanted material.
Our kidneys are one of the main organs that allows are body to release junk, you are doing them a huge favor by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water a day.
And what counts as water?
Right.
Water.
Are you pooping?
Ya. I said it.
As most of us are chronically dehydrated, most of us are also chronically constipated. The good news is that they go hand in hand. So when your body is hydrated its WAY more apt to eliminate both from the kidneys and the gut.
Probiotics are another super awesome way (and a must) to support healthy elimination.
So make sure you’re taking a good probiotic supplement or eating fermented foods like kombucha or kimchi on the daily…so you go…well, on the daily.
Are you sleeping?
Several studies have come out from Harvard Medical School, University of Chicago, and Columbia University showing the importance of sleep and then the impact is has on our weight. Sleep feeds the brain and when it doesn’t have enough it will crave other things…like calories.
And calories mostly in the form of sugar.
Our brain is the biggest consumer of glucose in the body so when its fatigued its gonna crave the next best thing (like a giant latte) – which unfortunately has an effect on our waistline.
So rule of thumb?
7-9 hours of sleep IN TOTAL DARKNESS.
Please.
Are you moving?
Our bodies were designed to move.
They are made up of pullies and levers and hinges all set up for us to move in all sorts of creative ways (eh-hem go watch the Olympics?)
Moving our bodies not only helps with elimination, detox, and releasing the feel good hormones, it also, (duh) burns calories.
So pick a movement and do it.
Daily.
Even if its walking up the stairs to work. Don’t draaaaag your feeeeet and waaaaaaaaalk up the staaaaairs.
Instead.
WALK. UP. THE. STAIRS.
Get the pic?
Woot!
Go play.
How happy are your hormones?
Hormones play a HUGE role in how we hold and carry our weight.
Specifically the thyroid, insulin, leptin, and adrenals (cortisol).
The thyroid plays a direct role in controlling how fast or slow our metabolism is running. And our adrenals, when under chronic stressful states, secrete cortisol, which can lead to midsection weight gain, insulin issues, and food cravings.
So if you haven’t, go get your hormones checked out to see if they are working for or against you.
And I HIGHLY encourage you to work with a functional medicine doc to walk you through this.
Are you being honest with yourself?
This one can be a bit personal and potentially triggering I know.
Aaaaaaand I will tell you more often then not someone with the-scale-not-budging-issue it is unconscious eating or consuming more sugar/inflammatory foods than they thought.
So if this is a potential issue then enrolling an accountability partner is a great place to start. Someone you trust to hold you accountable to your food choice goals.
Or keeping a one week record of everything you’re eating.
Or taking the split second BEFORE you put something in your mouth to ask yourself if this food is ADDING health to your body OR taking health AWAY?
Almonds vs an Almond Joy for example.
The more consciously you eat, chew your food (31 times please), and slow down, the more your body will thank you.
Doctors promise.
And my true hope is that you throw the dang scale away and focus on how you FEEL in this beautiful thing called your body.
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