4 Simple Steps to Health and Weight Loss
Posted by Valerie Quijano on Fri, Aug 05, 2011 @ 12:43 PM
I know what you're thinking... 'yeah right, health and happiness by following 4 steps?? She's dreaming...'
First of all, ask anyone, I am not a dreamer. Once we hit our mid 30s, the cruel realities of our physical decline are thrown in our faces. The days of bouncing back from injuries, fighting off illnesses, and partying all night (and making it to work the next day) are long gone. Following these four steps can make life a lot better.
The first step is to achieve YOUR ideal body weight and maintain it:
Get to the weight you were at when you felt the most comfortable. (Our Weight Control Program can get you there both safely and quickly). If you are happy being obese, causing excessive stress on the ticker and taking all of those meds to manage the fat...go on to step two. Here is a very simple way to assess yourself right now; if your waist measures 35 inches or more, you are obese and need to lose weight.
Once you lose the weight, you have taken a huge step towards improving your health. If we lose weight, and prevent degenerative diseases that are caused by obesity we can stay out of the sickness scene... that's our goal... right??
You may not know this, but research has shown that adipose tissue (fat) is recognized as an endocrine organ see wikipedia. Adipose tissue secretes various hormones that can negatively affect our health.
The second step is manage your stress:
Our bodies easily manage small amounts of stress which are followed by reasonable periods of non-stress throughout the day. This is normal and will not hurt you. But, most of us are physically doing too much, constantly demanding our brains to work all day and night, all while eating horribly. This high-stress lifestyle, without taking adequate rest and recovery periods, increases the demand on our metabolism/adrenal glands. This can lead to hormonal and metabolic destruction. Many patients mention how great they 'physically' feel while staying busy (aka high adrenalin). Yes, the 'adrenalin high' is a feel-good state which is temporary and can eventually lead to adrenal fatigue and adrenal burnout. Keep in mind...without adrenalin the heart will not beat. Ever wonder what causes heart attacks in skinny people? and runners?
In order to manage stress, YOU need to make the necessary changes. Focused breathing, short meditations and listening to music that makes you happy can be done right now as you sit in that chair reading your happy emails.
The third step is to get at least 7 hours of solid sleep every night:
What does that mean? That means get into bed at night time to sleep, close your eyes and open them 7 hours later. That is solid sleep.
Of course there are trillions of reasons why this is impossible, but do your best. A few simple tips:
- Black-out your bedroom, not a spot of light should be visible. Studies have shown that even a tiny dot of light on the back of the leg while sleeping will disrupt sleep/cortisol function.
- Keep kids and pets away!!
- Explain to the spouse that you need to sleep.... good luck with that!
- Avoid eating or drinking 3 hours before bedtime.
Sleeping allows for prime metabolic recovery, fat burning and tissue repair. Lost sleep will accumulate and there is no way to make up for lost sleep, but to sleep. Your body will eventually force you to catch up. That explains those days off from work where all you did was sleep.
The last step is exercise:
There are three forms of exercise—stretching, strengthening and aerobic. A good program would be to implement all forms for a total maximum of 1 hour a day, for 6 days a week. We all know the benefits of exercising. Find a good time of the day that will work for you, join a gym, or get in touch with a personal trainer. Here is a list of workout places on the island.
These are the four lifestyle factors that need extra special attention to achieve an ideal body composition and an overall sense of happiness and maintained health. We do recommend getting rid of that excess fat so that you are not in a constant battle with the hormonal effects.
Our Weight Control Program can get you to the weight you want to be. Contact us if you have any questions or call to schedule your appointment today.