Weight loss
 Summer is here and so many of us are feeling concerned about any excess weight we have accumulated. Weight gain is obviously a big problem today, and one that is growing at an alarming rate. Apart from not wanting to look ‘fat’, there are a lot of very good reasons to reduce weight, which can include:
* increased energy
* improved sleep and mood
* better skin and complexion
* improved digestion
* reduced PMS and menstrual problems
* reduced hot flushes
* less allergic responses
* improved health of joints
* improved cardiovascular health (such as reduced blood pressure). There is also a lower risk of developing several serious health problems, including: heart disease , diabetes, gallstones, prostate problems, osteoarthritis, fertility problems and disorders in pregnancy, several types of cancer.
On the other hand there is also the risk with trying lots of different diets or weight loss programmes of weight levels cycling up and down dramatically, which lowers metabolism and is more likely to cause health problems. There is also the danger of eating disorders becoming an issue if we become attached to looking like some idealised super model. Weight loss should always be approached in a balanced, holistic and healthy sustainable way! I think some people are also genetically prone to being a little more fat or larger than others, and in some instances a slightly fat person may have none of the health risk markers that a thinner person may have! In general however the majority of weight gain we see today is unhealthy, so the following may be relevant and useful for you or someone you know:
Healthy weight loss
I have a particular interest in healthy weight loss because I am genetically prone to being over weight myself (in Ayurvedic terms I have a lot of Kapha in my constitution). I emphasise the ‘healthy’ in relation to weight loss because weight gain is really no different than any other health problem in being the result of an imbalance of body chemistry, and therefore only a healthy form of rebalancing body chemistry (and sometimes the mind), can be sustainable without causing other problems. As part of my ongoing interest in this area I have over the last 25 years experimented with many different dietary systems, and have assessed what methods are more likely to help weight loss in a healthy way.
There is no doubt in my mind that the needs of people in this respect vary, and they benefit from individual assessment of what is more likely to support them. Having said that I have come across a few dietary programmes that and other recommendations that are more likely to be useful, some of which I have summarised below.
The Control-IT weight loss system
In order to illustrate some of the factors that I have often found involved in weight loss I would like to introduce some of the main aspects of the Control-IT programme. This programme is based upon the work of a naturopathic nutritionist similar to myself in the USA. Trials of 700 men and women using the Control-IT system resulted in an average monthly weight loss for men of 8 to 10lbs, and for women of 4 to 6lbs. People on the programme reported that they found they lost about 10lbs easily in the first month on the Control-IT programme, and then continued to lose weight at the lower rates mentioned above. There were also reports of other improvements in health at the same time on this programme.
The interesting thing about it was that this was generally found to be sustainable weight loss and to have no health problems associated with it, whereas quite often people will follow a programme for about two months and then give up, or find their weight loss soon reaches a plateau. I have been so impressed by the Control-IT weight loss system that I recently completed a seminar on it so that I could know how to offer it to my patients. I would like to emphasise however that this programme still needs an individualised approach, and some variation in the recommendations based upon testing and one to one assessment.
Some of the major blocks to weight loss
According to the Control-IT system the following represent common blocks to weight loss: there is a need to balance three hormones, insulin – as in insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome cortisol - related to adrenal function and thyroid hormones (T4 and T3). Excess oestrogen from my experience can also be a factor in weight gain. Supporting neurotransmitter balance is also considered important, and this includes: dopamine (which is related to the ‘pleasure trap’) noradrenalin , adrenaline and serotonin (related to low moods etc).
Certain nutritional deficiencies can also be significant. On the Control-IT weight loss programme there are three different nutritional/herbal supplements that are generally recommended to help balance these hormones and neurotransmitters, and to help address nutritional deficiencies and fat metabolism. I find however that they sometimes need to be altered to some extent to suit individual requirements.
The Control-IT system considers there are six major keys to weight loss that the system helps you tackle, which are:
1. It’s not how much but what you eat: there is no need to be hungry - do not restrict calories, you can eat as much as you like of a wide range of specific healthy foods, and having small meals or snacks more frequently is better than one or two large meals.
2. You need fat to lose fat: there are certain types of fats and oils that are beneficial and some that are harmful, especially when it comes to weight gain and loss.
3. Eat for fuel not for pleasure.
4. Calorie intake should follow the path of the sun: eat the most in the daytime, not evening.
5. Strive for consistency, not perfection.
6. Practice the 80/20 rule: in other words you do not have to be 100% strict with the dietary recommendations.
There is more to the Control-IT programme than I have had time to mention here, and it gives you a plenty of healthy recipes, a healthy shopping list, and several other forms of support to help you follow the guidelines, including several lifestyle guidelines that include:
Lifestyle changes that may be helpful for weight loss
* Exercise: this is important, but the kind of exercise that most suits people for weight loss varies from one person to the next
* get support, people often do much better when they have an exercise and a weight loss buddy
* drink plenty of pure water (filtered tap or spring water)
* make sure you sleep well, and get at least 7 hours a night – achieve more by doing less
* stress can contribute to weight gain, take up some form of regular relaxation such as meditation, yoga, qi kung, use flower essences or craniosacral therapy
* emotional and psychological factors can influence weight gain (for example relating to emotional or comfort eating, cravings and addictive behaviour), consider support from psychotherapy, using flower essence formulae or craniosacral therapy
Please get in touch if interested in healthy weight loss and the Control-IT programme.
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