7 Surprising Factors Affecting Your Weight

Being the most popular New Year’s goal, if weight loss is your focus, you are not alone! Let’s bring light to some of the underlying causes of excess weight and why simply eating less and moving more is not the answer. 

 Refined Sugar and Processed Foods   

The average American consumes 70 pounds of added sugar each year! Refined sugars are a significant factor in weight gain and disease, found in everything from yogurt to deli meat. Eating less processed foods and more whole foods is a great place to start when trying to lose weight. Swap refined sugars for natural alternatives like raw honey, 100% maple syrup or green stevia, avoiding artificial sweeteners at all cost. White refined foods such as bread also contain high amounts of sugar; good alternatives are sprouted grain breads like Silver Hills or Ezekiel. 

Inflammatory Fats 

For decades we’ve been told that fat makes you fat. This is simply not true! Proven by countless studies and health experts, we can safely say that eating the right kind of fat will not expand your waistline, but do just the opposite. Swap inflammation-promoting, highly processed, genetically modified vegetable oils such as canola, soy, corn and safflower, for inflammation-fighters such as avocado, olive and coconut oils, and grass-fed butter or ghee, if tolerated. 

Pathogens 

While some microorganisms are beneficial, such as good gut bacteria, things can easily get out of control. Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungus and yeast, and are responsible for many health conditions, including weight gain, fatigue, pain, hormonal issues, frequent colds or flus, yeast infections and more. More studies are now connecting imbalanced gut bacteria to weight issues. Start by implementing the suggestions in this article, especially decreasing sugar, to move in the right direction. 

Leaky gut and allergies 

Chances are, if you’re dealing with a health condition or struggling to lose weight, you have allergies. Allergies or intolerances are caused by an inappropriate immune response due to damage to the intestinal lining (leaky gut). Common allergenic foods include gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy. These may cause strong immediate reactions, but more often have mild, even delayed reactions, such as a headache the following day.  

Toxicity and stress  

Can toxicity affect our weight? Absolutely! The multitude of toxins we are exposed to daily can create a backlog of harmful substances, which, if not removed get stored in fat cells. Toxins put added stress on the body, switching it into “fight-or-flight” mode, which for protection, triggers fat storage. We can’t always control our environment, but we can choose organic, non-GMO foods, and natural products to lessen our daily toxic burden. 

Activity levels  

It goes without saying that exercise is important to lose weight. High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) has been proven to burn fat for up to 24 hours after a workout, whereas long cardio sessions may keep you from shedding excess fat by increasing stress hormones. If you find yourself unable to workout due to fatigue or pain, it may be best to incorporate more gentle exercises like short walks or restorative yoga. 

Genetics  

While our genes do play a role in susceptibility to disease and obesity, these genes switch on or off depending on what we eat, how we handle stress, toxins, infections, sleep and our environment. The good news is, you have the ability to take control of your health! 

Want to hear more about how to lose weight in a healthy way? Leave me a comment!

Asher Kleiber 

Registered Holistic Nutritionist™