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Old weight loss adages focused on calories in and calories out. According to this theory, you can lose or maintain a healthy weight by eating less food and exercising more. But many people who exercise daily, eat lettuce, drink endless glasses of water and still don’t lose weight can testify that it isn’t that easy. In addition to an unhealthy diet and insufficient exercise, poor gut health, hormonal imbalance, and chronic inflammation can also cause body fat gain and chronic joint pain. Women of all ages are linked to adverse health outcomes when their body fat accumulation increases. Recognizing and treating subtle signs of those imbalances is essential, but many of us need to be more balanced to remember what balance is.
The following are the advantages of maintaining a healthy weight.
A healthy weight can
- assist you in controlling or preventing diabetes and joint pain,
- balance blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar,
- lower the chance of heart disease and stroke,
- raise energy levels and overall well-being.
Here are some factors that may contribute most to body fat accumulation if you’re in your thirties and finding it difficult to lose weight.
1. The deadly side effect of inflammation.
Inflammation is the body’s defence mechanism against injury and is crucial in respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and flu. However, it can be detrimental to health, leading to chronic inflammatory disorders like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and stroke. A 2007 postgraduate nutrition symposium at Harvard University revealed findings suggesting inflammation and excess insulin contribute to the increasing rate of type 2 diabetes in North America and the obesity epidemic. Other studies showed that chronic inflammation leads to digestive problems, allergies, auto-immune diseases, arthritis, asthma, eczema, acne, and abdominal fat.
What are the causes of chronic inflammation?
We often overlook chronic inflammation until it leads to severe illnesses like multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. Causes include untreated injuries, industrial exposure, and environmental poisons. Poor lifestyles can also increase the risk of chronic inflammation, unhealthy aging, cancer and type-2 diabetes, damaging healthy cells, tissues, and organs.
2. Chronic stress
We all hear the word stress daily, but what are its symptoms, and how do they affect us? Most of us deal with stress daily because of our fast-paced lifestyles. The loss or sickness of a close relative, depression, loneliness, unreal expectations, fear, and a poor economy can bring on stress. Cortisol, a hormone critical to stress response, plays a significant role in stress levels. A healthy balance of cortisol is essential for overall health. When cortisol levels rise, insulin levels also increase, which causes all fat cells to store fat. So your body stores more fat to deal with stress. Persistent stress makes fat cells more resistant to losing weight, especially in the abdominal area. Stress can also contribute to weight gain.
What impact does stress have on you?
As a result of prolonged stress, appetite increases, metabolism declines, belly fat accumulates and active muscle tissue is lost. We become soft and look much older than we are due to chronic stress. Stress causes our bodies to release large amounts of the hormone cortisol, regardless of whether it is physical, emotional, mental, or environmental. Having a mood disorder such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, stress disorder, or fatigue, or having a digestive problem such as irritable bowel syndrome can cause your body to increase cortisol levels.
3. Hyperinsulinemia (or excess insulin) and insulin resistance.
An essential function of insulin is to process sugar in the bloodstream and transport it into cells as fuel or fat. Having hyperinsulinemia (excess insulin) is linked to insulin resistance, where the body doesn’t respond to insulin as it should. As a result, the pancreas produces more insulin to overcome the resistance, increasing blood insulin levels. Several factors may contribute to excess insulin production, including stress, eating too many simple carbohydrates in processed foods, sugary drinks and soda, packaged low-fat foods and artificial sweeteners, and not getting enough protein, fat, and fibre in your diet.
How do you know if you have insulin resistance?
High insulin levels can cause heart palpitations, sweating, poor focus, weakness, anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, and impaired thinking. Our bodies usually react to negative emotions by making us hungry, leading us to consume high-sugar foods and beverages. Over time, we find ourselves in a vicious cycle of normal dysfunction that leads to metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance, which exacerbates weight gain.
4. Let’s talk about the mighty hormone estrogen.
Estrogens play an important role in women’s sexual and reproductive development. In addition to the ovaries, the adrenal glands and fat cells also produce small amounts of estrogen hormones. Despite having a bad rap, estrogen can help with various functions: it protects the brain, increases muscular mass and bone density, and is helpful for your heart since it maintains the health of your cardiovascular tissue; it also elevates your mood and enhances sex.
What are the symptoms of high and toxic estrogen?
Evidence shows high estrogen levels can cause obesity. The body can accumulate excess estrogen by making too much or taking it in from the environment. Excess accumulates from foods containing pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, and compounds that mimic estrogen. High estrogen levels in women can cause fibroids, weight gain, irregular or heavy periods, and exhaustion. Estrogen can lead to impotence, erectile dysfunction, and breast tissue formation in men.
5. Hypothyroidism is a factor too often disregarded.
When the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones to meet your body’s needs, it is known as hypothyroidism, also known as underactive thyroid. The thyroid is a small gland in the front of your neck resembling a butterfly. The thyroid gland produces hormones that control body growth, development, and metabolism. As well as bone maintenance and brain development, it regulates the function of the heart, muscles, and digestive system. Its proper function depends on a sufficient intake of iodine in the diet. Iodine is a mineral in foods.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism to look for
Every mechanism in the body slows down when there is insufficient thyroid hormone. Hypothyroidism symptoms to be aware of include fatigue, constipation, excessive sleep, weight gain, dry skin, hair loss, slowed cognitive functions, brittle hair, splitting nails, reduced sweating during exercise, infertility, poor memory, depression, low libido, feeling cold, or an inability to lose weight. Make sure your doctor evaluates your entire spectrum of symptoms if you think you may have a thyroid disease.
Summary
The steps to achieve a healthy, manageable weight are as follows.
Various factors can cause weight gain and poor weight management. To achieve weight loss and reduce inflammation and pain, focus on good calorie-in and calorie-out foods, including complex carbs, clean protein, healthy fats, nutrient-dense foods, and antioxidants. Maintain a consistent sleep pattern and seek professional help to manage grief and mood disorders. Engage in meditation, yoga, or journaling to clear your mind and find joy in small things. Check your health for underlying conditions such as high estrogen, poor thyroid health, and gut issues.
Final thought
Remember that progress is personal, and take time to achieve your goals. Don’t doubt yourself. Each person’s body is unique.
Word of caution
This website provides information solely for educational purposes and should not substitute medical diagnosis or treatment.
