This month we have four articles in our library about weight loss and we hope you will find them helpful or know someone who does. 

Does intermittent fasting really help with weight-loss?

Did you know you that chocolate is beneficial for weight-loss?

Sleep yourself slim!

What the mind has to do with weight loss
 

Weight loss has become an obsession in our culture. Up until the early 20^th century being fat was seen as something to aspire too. Culturally, for thousands of years prior to this time being fat meant that you were wealthy, affluent and successful. But with the invention and widespread use of cameras and film a different projection of success moved to the forefront. Thinner people were more photogenic.
 

 Now seeing ourselves all the time through media of all kinds has turned our society to be obsessive about weight loss. Being thin and looking like a movie star or magazine model and now social media demigod became more important.

We Spend 224 Billion per year on weight loss, compared with 20.2 billion on Cancer and 19.5 Billion on heart disease /stroke. Why is that? Is being fat more dangerous than either of these debilitating diseases?  

The myriad of weight loss treatments are vast. Here are but a few of the most popular. Keto diet, Intermittent Fasting diet. Mediterranean diet, Low-carbohydrate diet, Plant-based diet, Low-fat diet, Very-low-calorie diet, Veganism, Raw food diet, Paleo, Dukan, Atkins ,HGC, Zone Diet.
 

Weight watchers is now called WW because using the word weight in your slogan is considered a turn off for customers. In fact any reference to being fat is not good advertisement.  Using the word Fat is considered shaming and has become a reason for taking anti-depressants promoting even less well-being for people. 

Many people have been raised to believe that gaining weight is sinful or disgusting. These beliefs can contribute to obesophobia. 

I have a friend who suffers from anorexia nervosa and after she starves herself  she comes to the clinic seeking help for digestive issues. I tell her that she not only has to eat something in order for her digestion to function. But also deal with her emotional and behavioral issues around food. Her unrealistic perception of body weight and an extremely strong fear of gaining weight or becoming fat is affecting her health.

She told me that somewhere in her childhood she equated fat with ugly and ugly with not receiving love. She knows this is shallow but cannot let go of the control button. It drives her crazy and she feels chained. She says ‘If I get fat , I fear I cannot love myself nor will anyone love me back. My dieting is insane. A part of me says just let go and eat what you want but starving is better than not being loved.'

Of course this is an extreme example, but it gives me pause. I have many patients who are much larger and who are just as unhappy because they feel their bodies are too large. That said, they are much healthier than my friend with anorexia.

Everyone knows that we need to eat right. That calories matter, that our bodies process 100 calories of sugar and 100 calories of vegetables differently. That we need to move our body. Get enough rest. Create a healthy home. 

As a naturopath I think it is just as important to focus our attention on the psychological component to weight loss. Health and weight can be a part of our identity, which explains why the thought of changing those parts of us can be scary and uncomfortable.

We need to educate ourselves about anatomic functions like metabolic compensation which states that the more you work out or manage your calorie intake to lose weight, the more your metabolism wants to compensate by slowing down to maintain your current weight. It kicks in to preserve and store fat for future energy.

It is our genetic make-up which contributes to the causes of obesity in many ways, by affecting appetite, satiety (the sense of fullness), metabolism, food cravings, body-fat distribution, and the tendency to use eating as a way to cope with stress.

We need to understand the process of where the fat goes when you lose weight. How our body metabolizes fat, how fatty acid molecules are released into the bloodstream and travel to the heart, lungs, and muscles, which break them apart and use the energy stored in their chemical bonds. That the pounds you shed are essentially the by-products of that process. Knowing this is paramount to weight loss.

It is my view that self-love is the key to achieving your perfect weight. The weight that suits you, your frame. Laughter, fun, random acts of kindness are the things that make you feel good and feeling good is essential to weight loss.

There are sure to be many studies and other distractions that take you away from those thoughts but for me I believe we can achieve anything in a state of self-love.