Weight Management
You have probably heard people blame their weight on a slow metabolism, but is metabolism really the culprit?
It is true that metabolism is linked to weight, but contrary to common belief, a slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excess weight gain. There are many factors that contribute to weight gain including, genetics, hormones, thyroid and adrenals to name a few, in addition to how much you eat and drink in conjunction with how much physical activity you do.
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function. Even at rest, your body needs energy for all its functions such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells. The number of calories your body uses to complete these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate.
You guessed it…we are all unique and different and therefore our metabolism rates are different.
Weight Management Factors
There are several factors that determine your individual basal metabolic rate including:
Body Size and Composition
People who are larger or have more muscle burn more calories, even at rest.
Sex
Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than women do which means men burn more calories than women.
Age
As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight, slowing down the bodies ability to burn calories.
"If you are thinking, I consume about the same calories as I always did, my body size and composition are the same, and I still do the same physical activities as I used to do, BUT I have this excess weight gain," then you may be dealing with one of the other factors previously mentioned that cause weight gain. These include hormones that are out of balance, nutritional levels that are depleted, increased stress levels that are causing adrenals or thyroid to be out of whack.
If you will recall from the main page of the service menu, wellness is made up of various pieces to a puzzle and some of these topics are repeated under different categories but it is important to understand that they are all interconnected together. Below you will read how hormones, stress and nutrition all impact weight management. At Centered on Wellness, our providers aim to help you identify the root cause, create treatment plans that are achievable, resulting with solutions that make you a whole person, well person for beauty inside and out!
Hormonal imbalance can be a result of various factors, such as pregnancy, certain medications, or menopause. Imbalanced hormones impact our mental and physical health but can also lead to weight gain. Losing weight when your hormones are not in balance can be even harder. Estrogen in both high or low levels can lead to weight gain. High levels of estrogen in the body stresses the cells that produce insulin, making our body’s insulin resistant and can lead to high glucose levels, which in turn lead to weight gain. Low levels of estrogen in the body extract fatty cells and converts all energy to fat to reload glucose levels. This too can cause weight gain.
Testosterone is often considered as a male hormone, but women also have this hormone. Testosterone helps to maintain libido, burn fat and strengthen bones and muscles. A decrease in testosterone can lead to weight gain and make weight loss harder to achieve. Progesterone is also an important hormone in weight management. Various things can impact the decrease of progesterone levels including stress, menopause and taking contraceptive pills. One way to help maintain healthy progesterone levels is through medication in order to keep stress levels to a minimum. BrainTap technology can help (link to braintap)
The Thyroid gland is responsible for producing T3, T4, and calcitonin, which maintains the body’s metabolism. If these hormones are underproduced, it can lead to hypothyroidism, which is associated with weight gain. Did you know that you can help support your thyroid health by taking Vitamin D and zinc? Do you know if your body is receiving enough of these vital nutrients? The Nutritional assessment can help! (link to assessment?)
Here at Centered on Wellness, we begin our journey to wellness with each patient by conducting a Nutritional Assessment in order to determine what underlying cause(s) that is causing the weight gain.
Based on lab results, our providers determine treatment options to fit your individual needs. Our staff monitors and follows up with your progress along your journey to wellness. Give us a call to get started today 912-638-0034.
