5 Roadblocks to Weight Loss
Besides nutrition and activity level, there may be other things keeping you from losing weight or losing it the most efficient way. Weight Loss has become a bit more complicated in our modern day stress and toxin filled society. BUT it should be clear that good nutrition and adequate exercise program are the foundation to losing weight. There can sometimes be sub-clinical issues causing underlying problems. If you have been struggling with a plateau or slowed weight loss and have already worked with your lifestyle consultant and made some adjustments, this list is worth looking into.
It could involve your Digestion:
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Incomplete breakdown of foods will cause your bodies cells (the end “target” of your nutrients) to not get enough nutrients from your foods. This will cause them to feel like they are “starving” just like if you were not eating enough food (or went on a low-calorie/starvation diet) which we all know does NOT work. This has two effects: Your body sends out strong “cravings” messages because it thinks it is starving and it is much less likely to “release” fat while you diet for the very same reason. Some women may not even notice this on a conscious level but after the age of 25 we lose the ability to digest certain foods completely (especially proteins). This then becomes a digestive weakness and your nutrients are not broken down properly affecting the health of the cells thus the overall health of the body.
Solution: The Rejuvenation Center now offers a professional digestive enzyme, called Super Digest, to break down foods (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) in the stomach and small intestine. This digestive enzyme and a few tips on lifestyle changes you can implement (like eating slower, not getting excited at meals or walking after meals) will vastly improve the breakdown and assimilation of your foods. This will allow your cells to feel full, allowing them to release excess fat, and will “cancel out” that strong “craving” message. This side benefit will help you stick with your healthy eating plan better so you reach your goals faster!
It could involve your Hormones:
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If you are “out of balance” hormonally your body will hold on to more fat and retain more fluid by stimulating fat cells with the wrong message. This can make you gain weight and/or not be able to lose weight as efficiently. When we are under stress, the body can run out of reserves to make the stress hormone cortisol. The body then takes our female hormone progesterone and “converts it” to cortisol so the body can survive. The hormone progesterone is needed for women as a natural fat-burner and diuretic. When it is depleted the opposing hormone, estrogen, tends to become “dominant” which will cause the body to hold on to fat and retain fluid. This makes it very hard to lose weight even when on a diet. When this happens you feel bad emotionally and tend to have symptoms like bad PMS, depression, anxiety, lack of motivation and willpower which does not help with sticking to your diet or exercise plan.
Solution: We offer a complimentary Hormone Questionnaire that can be filled out in a few minutes. Based on your current symptoms we can tell if you have a hormone imbalance and what the severity of your imbalance is. This was put together by a national hormone expert from CA and is used to help women nationally with hormone issues. Slight lifestyle suggestions are given along with natural hormone balancing creams that work as quickly as a few days, or within one monthly cycle. They work on the “patch” delivery system method and clear your system in 24-36 hours (will not build up) and will not have unhealthy side effects like HRT and some of the Bio-Identical hormones out there. You can also ask for further information on them (ingredient list, etc.) as well as an informative CD or quick flipchart presentation to help you understand your body’s endocrine system even more.
It could involve your Lymphatic System:
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With all the processed food we eat and all the sodas we drink our lymphatic system can get clogged up very easily, especially with lack of exercise. This system is important to keeping our body clean since it filters toxins out of our blood. The lymph system not only protects our bodies from cancers and other diseases it keeps us looking lean (especially in the arms and legs) when it is properly removing old lymph and fluids efficiently. If you ever retain fluid or have some cellulite your lymph system is not working as efficiently as it could.
Solution: The only way to really move these cellulite-causing and dangerous toxins out of our bodies is to help drain the lymph nodes near the main drainage areas of the body (upper chest and lower groin). This can be done with a simple natural-bristled “back” brush. We carry them at The Rejuvenation Center or you may find them at the drugstore or health food store. Simple strokes moving up the legs and arms (all movements towards the heart) done very lightly for 3-5 minutes before a shower will aid in moving stale lymph and help break up cellulite. We also have Synergie which is even better. Synergie is a FDA approved vacuum massage device that will help tighten skin, move your toxic lymph and break down cellulite so you lose inches and feel move confidant in your swimsuit!
It could involve your Liver:
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Our liver is one of the most enduring organs in that it can regenerate itself up to 80%. But with the amount of toxins we take in on a daily bases, it usually cannot keep up or do its job efficiently. When this happens the job of breaking down fat and processing our hormones gets put on the back burner and can vastly impede our weight loss efforts. We need to remember food absorption as well as all the toxins we take in get to the bloodstream through the liver. They then pass through to the kidneys to be filtered out of the body via our urine. We need to lower the amount of toxins coming in or aid the liver in removing them more efficiently in order to lose weight more effectively.
Solution: Dietary changes, starting with the removal of the most toxic things, are suggested. This may mean switching, for a short while, to organic/natural dairy and meats. Organic is more expensive as the animals are fed organic food, but “natural” meat and dairy is a great alternative. These animals are not injected with hormones, steroids and antibiotics so they don't get into your body and cause problems. Most grocery stores are starting to carry these selections. Even though this seems like a small change it will “lighten” the load of toxins going into the body.
It could involve your Emotions (Built- Up Mental/Emotional Stress):
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Besides the obvious stress and pressures of the day that may cause us to “binge eat”, etc., deep-seated emotional issues can cause the body to hold onto more weight as a form of protection for us, whether it is dealing with issues from our past that are either connected to our self esteem or things done to us (teased as a child, abuse, etc.). When every other tool is being utilized to lose weight, this one needs to be considered. It is also good to do some emotional “house cleaning” with any weight loss plan as there is always some emotion attached to the reason you gained weight to begin with.
Solution: Often you alone can “pinpoint” or recognize these deep seated issues and “let them go”. Sometimes we may subconsciously want to hold on to that extra weight and we don’t realize it. Although this emotional work can be done in meditation/prayer or even visiting a therapist, we feel the best place to start is with relaxing the body and then thinking through issues from childhood, baggage from current or past relationships or reasons you may be afraid of weight loss success. Consider buying our relaxation CD and listening to it every day. This will help clear your mind and think, while lowering blood pressure and stress hormones.
