Weight Loss Efforts Going Nowhere?
If your weight loss efforts are going nowhere, you may need to do more than exercise more and eat less. There are many different factors that cause weight gain. Here are a few startling ways we gain weight, apart from the calories consumed vs. calories burned theory.
Not enough essential fatty acids in our diet. Essential fatty acids, also known as the omega-3 and omega-6 good fats we find in flaxseeds, fish, nuts and seeds, really are essential. In addition to providing nourishment, fats sustain the body’s metabolic rate. The higher our metabolic rate, the more calories we expend doing standard everyday activities.
Indigestion. When you don’t digest the food you feed it, that food will become body fat. Indigestion is a particular factor in weight gain, especially for those who have a conscious diet.
Allergies to foods. There are internal side effects that are known to directly and indirectly lead to the appearance of weight gain. Bloating and swelling in the digestive track does not result in fat production, but it will enlarge your belly.
Spikes in insulin. An obscure condition that affects 25% of the population, insulin resistance makes the body produce too much insulin in order for the insulin to be effective. Since the production of insulin tells the body to utilize glucose in the blood rather than fat, excess of insulin will cause the body to hold on to fat, even when the fat might otherwise be burned for energy.
Hypothyroidism. The thyroid is is involved in moderating our metabolism, the speed at which our body metabolizes calories. If you have a sluggish thyroid, your metabolism could be adversely affected.
Prescription drugs. A few prescription drugs tend to lead to weight gain. These drugs include antidepressants (particularly Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft), steroid anti-inflammatories (prednisone), drugs given for bipolar disorder, and medications prescribed for hyperthyroidism.
