Diabetic Kitchen
You’ve eaten salad every day, tossed your ice cream in the garbage, and got the gym membership… but you aren’t losing weight.
Sound familiar?
It’s frustrating. You feel like the only one who can’t reach their goal. You start to feel down about yourself- you should have been stricter with your diet, you should have pushed your body farther at the gym, you should have been more dedicated. Motivation is difficult to maintain without results.
There are a few reasons your body may be holding on to weight, and those reasons have likely never crossed your mind.
1. You aren’t drinking enough water
Yes, yes everyone says to drink more water. It’s true in this case, as well, and maybe not for the reason you think. Water is needed to flush the body of toxins… and fat! Water fuels every body process, but fat burning is not high on the body’s daily list of necessities. So, if you want to boost metabolism and burn fat faster, be sure to stay hydrated.
2. You’re eating too much protein
Protein is essential to a healthy body, and a healthy weight. It’s important to get enough protein, but not too much. Believe it or not, when the body receives more protein than it needs, that excess protein is stored as fat!
That excess protein can also trigger the body to release glucose into the bloodstream. For non-diabetics, this is not a serious issue, however, for individuals who do not produce enough insulin, or whose cells are resistant to insulin, this extra glucose in the blood roams free and results in high blood sugar.
So how much protein should we really be eating? According to WebMD:
- Five ounces of protein per day for children age 2 to 6, most women, and seniors
- Six ounces of protein per day for older children, teen girls, active women, and most men
- Seven ounces of protein per day for teen boys and active men
Since carbohydrates are limited, diabetics in particular often find themselves eating more protein, so it’s important to be especially conscious of your protein intake
3. You aren’t eating enough healthy fat
Like protein, fat is an essential nutrient. The body requires fat in order to function properly. For example, fat is necessary for the absorption of several vitamins like A, K, and E. Fat is critical for energy production, as well as, keeping hair and nails healthy. Even the brain needs fat in order to function!
For decades, fat was made out to be the enemy of health. However, science is now changing the way we view fat as a part of a healthy diet.
Research has shown that eating a diet rich in good fats lowers risk for heart disease, obesity and type II diabetes complications.
It is crucial to choose the right healthy fats in order to reap these benefits.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids are two “good fats.” These fats have been found to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, therefore, reducing risk of heart disease.
Fat fills you up, sugar does not. So, after you enjoy your container of low-fat yogurt, one hour later you’re hungry again and reach for another snack. The additional fat and protein in full-fat yogurt will keep your tummy feeling fuller longer.
4. You may be stressing to hard about losing weight
Heightened stress causes your hormone levels to skyrocket; your cortisol levels especially. Cortisol prompts the body to hold on to weight. By practicing relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, or prayer can help reduce your stress levels, t hereby helping you lose weight
5. You may be trying to lose too much weight
Are you basing your weight loss goals off of your physician’s recommendation, or off of the newest bikini advertisement?
It is crucial to talk about your weight loss goals with your healthcare team. They will give you feedback on a healthy weight for your height, body type, and for any medical conditions you have.
Research has found that society’s visual definition of “healthy” is a BMI of 16. This is considered a very low, or severely thin” BMI from a medical standpoint. If you are basing your health off of society’s ideals, you are far more likely to damage your health than to better it.
Sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/2017/07/24/5-surprising-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight.html
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