The Weight Loss Juggling Act
Do you crave sugar? Are you stressed and tired but can't fall asleep? Are you a grazer? Do you feel you are eating healthy and exercising but can’t seem to lose weight? Wondering if hormone or thyroid imbalance is a cause of your weight gain?
The human body is a complicated thing! At times you might feel like giving up because you're trying so hard but your body isn't cooperating. Below are the most common factors I see in my practice that can affect your weight and metabolism.
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Protein Intake
Building muscle mass is the best way to increase your metabolism. Getting enough protein will support muscle growth and hormone balance.
Portion Size
Macro-based eating will ensure you fuel your body with the nutrients it needs as you work to reduce your portion sizes.
Meal Timing
Intermittent fasting gives you more control over your meal times, helps avoid skipping meals and combats late evening snacking.
Movement
Knowing how much and what type of exercise will help (not hinder) your weight loss is important. These are determined by your muscle mass and cortisol levels.
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Stress & Sleep
Rest is key for repair, growth and detoxification. The stress hormone cortisol, is responsible for increased sugar cravings, abdominal fat, and the breakdown of muscle.
Gut Health
Food sensitivities causing inflammation in the gut can affect your metabolism and decrease the absorption of key energy nutrients like iron and vitamin B12.
Water
A little biochemistry lesson: water molecules are required in lipolysis - the process of breaking down and metabolizing stored fat for energy.
Hormones
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Your metabolism is a complex system regulated by key hormones such as cortisol, thyroid and insulin. So, it's important to investigate your own hormone status.
Each of these factors are taken into account when developing your unique, realistic weight loss plan. I focus on re-creating healthy eating habits, long-term weight loss ​and improving metabolism using portions based on macros (proteins, carbs, fats), intermittent fasting and anti-inflammatory foods.
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What Happens When You Book an Appointment?
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When you book a Naturopathic appointment, you learn how to take positive steps toward not just improving your body composition, but also transforming your overall health and outlook on life.
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In the initial visit we will discuss all aspects of your health and your daily schedule (i.e. work, family, exercise times, sleep habits, meal times, etc.). I will also take waist/hip/chest measurements, perform an InBody analysis, and collect a urine sample to test stress levels and acidity in the body.
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Being one of the first ND's in York Region to use this machine in a clinic setting, the InBody Advanced Body Composition Analysis is by far my favourite tool I use in practice. It's a fast and accurate way of monitoring your progress that steers my patients away from putting their focus on the number on the scale. Read more about InBody analysis here.
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I may also recommend additional testing to assess your carbohydrate metabolism, hormones (cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone), thyroid function, iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels. Read more about functional testing here.
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All of this information is used to create a carefully designed plan which includes nutrition, exercise and appropriate supplement recommendations. Bioidentical hormones and thyroid medication may also be prescribed if needed.
