Did you have a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight in 2017? Most of us did, and way too many of us gave up in… say… February. Perhaps instead of feeling bad about ourselves and vowing to try harder next time, we should try smarter!
A couple years ago, the cover article on ACANews, the official publication of the American Chiropractic Association, was “A New View on Weight Control” by David R. Seaman, DC. Dr. Seaman lists six behaviors or issues that tend to promote weight gain:
(1) eating too quickly (which lowers the satiety of your meal),
(2) getting inadequate sleep (which leads to the development of chronic systematic inflammation),
(3) not minimizing stress (which triggers the hunger hormone ghrelin),
(4) hypothalamic inflammation (adipose tissue (i.e., fat, particularly fat around the waist) is a cause of chronic inflammation and a simultaneous promoter of hunger even when someone feels full, which can lead to an unfortunate cycle where the fatter one is, the more inflamed they become, which then promotes more weight gain)
(5) the body weight set-point (where the body will modify its chemistry to defend fat below that point and increase hunger to get to that point)
(6) refined carbohydrate addiction (some validation for those of you who think you are just weak for your cravings – the addictive powers of some foods are real!)
Knowledge is power. For instance, Dr. Seaman suggests that focusing on fullness rather than hunger can tackle hypothalamic inflammation, so you don’t get duped into eating more, and he discusses how exercise has been proven to help properly adjust the body weight set-point. Rather than feeling helpless, or wasting your time beating yourself up over past struggles, Dr. Seamen promotes mindfulness. If you are aware of why something is hard, you can outsmart it, and if you are aware of the tools that will help you reach your goals, you can use them!
Don’t give up on the idea that you can have that fun, active life you want. Dr. Michael Herb here at Absolute Wellness Center is happy to talk with you more about the above topics. Absolute Wellness Center in Eugene, OR offers chiropractic medicine, sports medicine, physical rehabilitation, acupuncture, and massage. We can answer any questions you may have us a call at 541-484-5777.