We know losing weight and staying fit is a challenge for just about everyone. The reason is that our bodies and brains are optimized to live in a situation where meals are small, few, and far between. In such an environment, our biology only needs to drive us to seek out foods we can find. Naturally, with this motivation, we’re going to give in to temptation once in a while.
To make things worse, we are also creatures of habit and tend to get stuck in familiar and comfortable patterns – and lousy eating habits fall squarely into that category. But there are habits other than eating that also can lead to weight gain. As a weight loss clinic, we see it all; but for our patients, these habits can be hard to spot since not everyone necessarily relates them to their health. They have to do with when we eat, where we eat, and how we eat.
Mindless Eating
Eating in front of the television, eating in bed, eating for entertainment, and eating because everyone else is are all dangerously unconscious ways to fill your tummy. All of these tend to involve snack foods, but that isn’t the worst part. The most damaging thing about zombie eating is that it tends to erode any discipline we have.
What Can Help You? Mindful eating.
The human mind/body combination is the most complex system known to science. If you think you can feel it optimally without being aware of what you’re doing, you might not be qualified. The way to eliminate mindless eating is to discipline yourself when it comes to your meals. Eat at the table exclusively, for a start. Turn your meals into rituals and add mindfulness, which will transform mindless eating habits into healthy eating habits.
Sleep Deprivation
The body always performs protective and therapeutic functions, but never so much or so well as during sleep. During deep REM sleep, your cell’s regenerative capacity is ratcheted up. Resources are directed toward resetting neurological abnormalities and pumping replacement materials into tissues that need healing. On top of that, being tired is like being drunk, it impairs your judgment, sensory acuity, and willpower. All of this means that when you are under-rested, you do not metabolize your food as well.
What can Help? Get better sleep.
Getting a good night’s sleep is a discipline all its own, and it can take a great deal of work and experimentation to get it right for some people. If you have a busy mind that keeps you awake at night, try meditation.
Eating in Bed
Eating in bed is a terrible habit to start. But the worst thing about it is, if you are lying down, you cannot digest properly. Your digestive tract – unlike your inner ear – works best when you are upright. You need your digestive fluids to settle in the biggest part of your stomach during ingestion, which is the bottom portion. Also, if you’re eating in bed, you’re probably watching TV, leading to eating without thought.
What Can Help? Eating at the table.
We hate to be redundant, but the fact is that making this one thing into a habit will fix a lot of problems with your health.
Drop the Drink
Maybe you’re doing everything you can to lose weight – getting lots of exercises, mindfully eating healthy foods, and drinking plenty of water – but somehow, you still have that unwelcome bit of pooch around your belt line. It could be the alcoholic drinks you have been partaking in. Most body fat comes from your metabolism isolating toxins from your vital organs to protect them, and alcohol is a very harsh toxin.
What can help? Drink sparingly.
When you do drink, try skipping drinks like beer and cocktails and stick to wine. If spirits are your thing, use vodka over bourbon. Also, drinking sparingly.
Fitness Amnesty
Too many people believe that because they work out regularly, they can eat whatever they want and still be fit. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Some ways of working out and bad eating habits can cause you to gain even more weight. Putting on muscle may help you burn more fat, but it also increases your appetite, making temptations stronger and more consequential.
What can help? Make fitness a lifestyle, not a chore.
To lose weight and stay fit, you need to work as hard in the kitchen as you do at the gym. And when you eat more than you should, you erase all the work you’ve been doing.
Getting Professional Help Can Boost Your Results
When it comes to the struggle of losing weight, O’Connor Health Center in Los Altos, and San Jose, can help you with a series of proprietary products throughout your prescribed program to regain control of your metabolism.
This program is safe, natural, and has not shown to cause any side effects. Once you’ve signed up for the program, Dr. Timothy Jennings, BCAK, Dipl. A4M, DC, BCIM, BME, BCCN, will sit with you and explain how to follow your plan. With this program, you will learn how to integrate the system into your everyday life, be introduced to a variety of foods, and will have us by your side to help you along your journey to give you advice and ensure your success.