As a naturopathic doctor specializing in hormone health, addressing the common concern of weight gain becomes a frequent conversation. In this article, I’ll debunk prevalent myths surrounding weight loss, emphasizing the role of nutrition, the benefits of protein, the impact of stress, anxiety, insomnia, and carbohydrate consumption on the journey to a healthier weight. And make no mistake, long term sustained weight loss is a journey, not an overnight trip.
Myths about Caloric Restriction:
Myth: Caloric restriction is the key to weight loss.
Truth: Short term calorie restriction often results in short term weight loss. The lost weight is typically regained, plus some. So why is it so difficult to maintain weight loss after calorie restriction? Because starvation and malnutrition create a maladaptive process in the body. We weren’t intended to survive starvation. Now, it’s also true that we aren’t meant to be in a chronic caloric excess either. When you put your body under stress through caloric restriction, a healthy body will utilize energy stores to keep you alive. First you’ll burn through stored glucose (stored in the muscles as glycogen) and then you will burn fat stores for energy. At some point muscle wasting will occur and the body begins to utilize your muscle mass as a source of energy. The physiological stress that occurs through this adaptation affects metabolic health making it harder to shed excess caloric intake when a regular eating pattern resumes. In addition, hormone signals such as leptin, ghrelin and insulin are also impacted. Sex hormones require cholesterol to for properly and therefore are often deregulated creating abnormal menstrual cycles, infertility, fatigue, and brain fog -just to name a few.
Benefits of Protein in Weight Loss:
Myth: Protein is only for bodybuilders.
Truth: Protein is an essential nutrient needed in almost all cellular processes. Many women are not consuming adequate levels of protein to support overall health key alone weight loss. When I have the protein conversion with women, the vast majority have no idea how much they are consuming each day. And many of them are actively avoiding protein in their attempt to lose weight. The first step is to recognize how much protein you consume in a day. The next step is to calculate how much protein you should be consuming for optimal body weight. Once you know that number, then you can calculate between 0.8 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight. This should be your target protein intake each day.
Consistency in Nutrition:
Myth: Occasional dietary changes are enough.
Truth: We’ve all seen the memes about eating a salad and then questioning why we don’t have abs. They are funny. They are mostly funny because it’s true. We’ve all been frustrated after one meal, one week, one great exercise session yet the pants still don’t fit. One meal, good or bad, isn’t going to impact your weight loss efforts. But consistently eating well will bring the most effects, albeit not overnight. Same is true for exercise….one session won’t create the impact you’re looking for. But consistency will. I’ve found consistency to be my nemesis, to be honest. It’s a lot easier for me to be strict for a few weeks than it is for me to be consistent over the long term. I’ve had to ask some hard questions about that. To be honest, I wasn’t really thrilled with the answer.
For me, it came down to personal commitment and my ability to keep the promises I’ve made to myself. Under a lot of digging, the answer ended up being that the promises I make to other people take priority to the promises I make to myself. Ouch. That stung a bit. But, it’s true. I also realized that consistency was easy when I felt motivated and more difficult when I wasn’t motivated. But how many things do I do in my life when I don’t particularly feel like doing them? You don’t have to answer that to me, but maybe giving yourself an honest answer will help. Consistency isn’t about motivation, it’s about doing what you can do today even when you don’t want to do anything at all.
The Impact of Stress, Anxiety, and Insomnia:
Myth: Mental well-being doesn’t affect weight loss.
Truth: if you are anxious, stressed, or not sleeping well, chances are you’re having a difficult time maintaining a healthy weight. Many people want help to “lose the cortisol belly”, but when we start talking about stress management or anxiety causes, the conversation changes abruptly. In general, the average patient doesn’t want to do the hard, ugly, or uncomfortable work to decrease stress or heal traumas that cause anxiety. Instead of understanding the triggers around excessive cortisol production, they want a quick fix to help them lose weight without making any real changes. Now, I know that’s not you….but the other people that are likely not reading this article.
Here’s the thing, the quick fixes can work, and I recognize the value of having some quick wins because many people who are at this stage of life have tried many things resulting in many frustrations. This is a real experience. It’s important that we use tools as tools and not as crutches. It’s important to recognize and adopt sustainable lifestyle habits while utilizing the tools that help speed up weight loss. Sometimes people expect hormone therapy to be that magic pill. The truth is, I’ve had some reports of significant weight loss within 6-12 weeks of starting bHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy) with no additional alterations. But the majority of people seeking bHRT for weight loss are hoping it will be the magic pill. It’s not a “magic weight loss pill”, but what it does is allow your body to operate in an efficient and sustainable manner smoothing the way for the efforts that are put in (nutrition and movement) to produce results. In other words, hormones set the scene for healthy body weight, but without the right nutrition and movement and sleep, you’ll likely be disappointed in the results.
Carbohydrates and weight loss
Myth: All carbohydrates are bad for weight loss.
Truth: Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients necessary for health. But we, as in society, have a nasty habit of vilifying things to fit our perspectives. So here’s the deal, carbohydrates are not bad. The over consumption of carbohydrates, especially when coupled with the underconsumption of protein, creates an environment for the body to increase insulin (the fat storage hormone) and store the excess calories as fat for use as energy at a later time. Our bodies are designed to survive. So the body is doing exactly what it’s designed to do. Most people are unaware of how many carbohydrates they are consuming (same with protein). Awareness and observation takes consciousness and intention. So how intentional are you willing to be about your nutritional intake and its impact on your health? How willing are you to be honest about what you eat in spite of the emotional reward you get from consuming it? And lastly, let’s not forget to acknowledge that food (high calorie, high sugar, high fat -yummy🎂🍰🍪🍩🧁🍦) is a socially acceptable way to self medicate – which ironically brings us back to the previous point. 😊
By dispelling these myths and providing practical insights, it’s my intention to empower women to embrace a holistic approach to weight loss. Through consistent, nutritious choices, understanding the importance of protein, and addressing mental well-being, we can foster healthier lifestyles that go beyond the numbers on the scale.