5 tips for weight loss
Balancing your hormones is key for weight loss as they are important chemical messengers for regulating your metabolism, your appetite, body fat distribution and so much more!
So, where can you start? Here are 5 tips for weight loss:
1.Prioritise sleep
Sleep has been underrated for years but we now know it is the most important thing you can do for your health and if you’re trying to lose weight, it really should be your priority. Why? The less sleep you get, the more likely you are to eat.
The sleep expert Matthew Walker explains in his book ‘Why We Sleep’ that “sleeping less than seven or eight hours a night will increase your probability of gaining weight, being overweight, or being obese, and significantly increases your likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes”. Research shows that a lack of sleep will reduce your satiety hormone (leptin) and increase your hunger hormone (ghrelin). We all know that it’s not that easy to go against our brain chemistry!
If you think you’re going to bed too late, why not set an alarm in the evening to make sure you sleep at a reasonable time each night?
2. Don’t count calories
Calories aren’t made equal. Yes, an avocado is calorific but is it really the same as having a doughnut? You know it’s not. So, focus on the quality and the nutrients rather than the calories. Calorie restriction is not sustainable as it puts your body into stress mode which will slow down your metabolism and will increase your cravings. You definitely want to avoid cravings in order to lose weight.
Of course, you don’t want to eat the whole pot of almond butter or a whole pack of cashew nuts because they’re nutritious but having a little bit every day will actually help you lose weight!
3. Look after your gut microbiota
Our lovely gut bugs regulate our fat storage. They help us to digest and extract nutrients from the food we eat. They help determine how many calories we end up taking from our meals and they also regulate our appetite. So, if you’re trying to lose weight, you cannot escape looking into your digestive health!
I am giving some tips to nurture your gut microbiota in this article here.
4. Don’t snack in the evenings
Even if it is a small square of chocolate, a piece of fruit or a small bowl of granola, it is important to have a break from food. In addition to increasing your gut microbiome diversity (and I just mentioned why it’s important), fasting overnight for 12 to 13 hours will help lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation, encourage your body to burn fat and help you lose weight.
So, try to have your dinner no later than 7pm and avoid snacks in the evening if you want to lose weight.
5. Test for underlying causes
If you feel that you’re doing all the right things with your diet but your weight is still not shifting, perhaps there is an underlying cause.
Gaining weight around the hips, thighs and bottom can be an indication of hormonal imbalances. Understanding what your cortisol, insulin, oestrogen/progesterone and your thyroid are doing is important in a weight loss journey.
For instance, an underactive thyroid could be the reason for your weight gain.
What your doctor will usually test to check your thyroid is your TSH, but a TSH blood test is NOT enough for diagnosis (and treatment!).
You also want to know where your free T3 and free T4 is at and ideally check your antibodies too.
If you’re not able to lose weight and have any of these symptoms listed below, check your thyroid level. And if you’ve been told your thyroid is ok after only checking your TSH - please check again!
Symptoms showing that your thyroid is not functioning properly (besides weight gain!) are:
Fatigue
Constipation
Cold hands and feet or general sensitivity to cold
Low mood/depression
Brain fog
Irregular or heavy periods
Loss of libido
Dry skin
Brittle nails
Hair loss
If you want to know why your body is hanging on to fat stores and want to know more about testing, get in touch with me or book your free 20-minute health review here.