Glance at the magazine covers while you’re waiting to check out at the grocery store and it’s likely that you’ll see dozens of headlines trying to grab your attention with the latest and greatest weight-loss tips and tricks. Spotted this week alone: “Lose Your Belly in Just 2 Weeks,” “Eat More, Weigh Less,” and “The Fast Diet Doctors Love.” We wish it were that easy. Perhaps if it were, weight struggles would not plague millions of Americans and the United States would not have one of the highest obesity rates in the world. Stress, busy schedules, depression, and more can all contribute to carrying extra weight. But just as there can be more than one cause, taking weight off requires more than one tactic.
A Three-Prong Approach
You Are What You Eat
There is no question that diet plays a major role in weight loss. Unfortunately, many of the “diets” out there today rely on the complete elimination of an entire food group(s) to see results. These plans may deliver fast results, but are not sustainable in the long-term. Each person has different nutritional needs, but the fundamentals for a healthy diet are the same:
- Control your portions; it’s okay to dip into the ice cream occasionally, but stick to one serving. Try one of the new apps or websites (such as MyFitnessPal) to help monitor your calories and stay on track.
- Keep your fridge and pantry free of processed and pre-packaged foods with many ingredients (if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it!); stock your kitchen with fresh and whole foods, most often found on the outside aisles of the grocery store.
- Stay away from gimmicky over-the-counter supplements to suppress appetite or speed up metabolism. These are often ineffective long term and may even be habit forming or dangerous.
- Drink more water. Keeping your body hydrated is vital, and often times when you think you’re hungry, it’s actually thirst you’re feeling.
- When in doubt, veg out; you can’t go wrong snacking on and filling your plate with vegetables (as long as they’re not soaked in butter or calorie-laden dressing!).
Get Moving
If your focus is optimal health, exercise is an essential component and the benefits are countless. Physical activity helps burn calories, tone muscles, keep your heart and lungs healthy, and can even help you sleep better and combat melancholy and depression. While convenient, processed foods have become more pervasive; also abundant now are gyms and specialty fitness centers. With so many options available, it’s easier than ever to start an exercise routine and stick with it. Becoming more active can be as simple as strapping on a pedometer and measuring the number of steps you take each day. Or does yoga, cycling, or weight training call your name? Whatever you choose, make it fun and do it often.
Your Qi is Key
In addition to a healthy diet and active lifestyle, also important are the mental and emotional elements of weight loss and weight management. If you are overtired, feeling stressed, or unhappy, you may be more likely to put on weight. A natural health approach such as acupuncture can complement your weight-loss efforts with very positive side effects. Acupuncture helps remove blockages in the flow of your Qi, or life energy, a central principle of traditional Chinese medicine, which helps to balance your spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health. In addition, acupuncture will improve the efficiency of your digestive system and will reduce inappropriate hunger pangs.
In addition to restored balance, a recent study from Obesity Reviews has shown that acupuncture can in fact promote weight loss. A team of researchers performed a detailed review of clinical studies looking at acupuncture and obesity, and when compared to no treatment and pharmaceutical medications, the acupuncture studies showed greater weight loss, decreased BMI, and decreased weight circumference.
Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet to take off excess weight, but a healthy approach that includes exercise, proper nutrition, and acupuncture can deliver results that last. Call us at 602-955-5444 to schedule your appointment and learn more about acupuncture and weight loss.
