There are hundreds of tips and tricks- we’ve all seen the cheesy ads – that say losing weight is simple. It can be, but the truth is there are many things at play and weight loss can be a real challenge. It isn’t always the easiest thing, and naturopathic doctors are trained in all areas of health to make a holistic weight loss plan that gets your pounds off and keeps them off!
Am I Overweight or Obese?
If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is greater than 25 but less than 30, you are considered overweight. If it’s greater than 30, you fall into the category of obese. To put it into perspective, a 5’8” person weighing between 170-200 pounds is considered overweight; anything over 200 pounds would be considered obese.
Whichever category you fall into, losing weight will help reduce risk of many potentially life-threatening illnesses…not to mention how great you’ll look and feel after shedding those extra pounds. We can help you lose weight to be healthy and happy.
What Does Being Overweight Mean for My Health?
Obesity is a risk factor for the leading causes of preventable death, like heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers. If you’re overweight and also have high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol, it’s called metabolic syndrome and your risk for heart disease and death goes up even more.
Whether you gained weight after pregnancy or menopause, or gained it slowly over several years, losing those extra pounds will improve your health and quality of life, getting you back doing the things you love. There’s no better time than now to start.
I’ve Tried to Lose Weight, and I Can’t!
We know it can be hard, we do. Even if you’ve been trying to lose weight for a long time, naturopathic medicine can help you reach your weight goals! Our holistic approach involves a detailed assessment and comprehensive testing to make sure we figure out what’s keeping your weight on. We take metabolic and lifestyle factors into account, and will choose the right diet plan, the right supplements, and the right combination of herbs and other natural therapies to get your life – and your scale – balanced.
Sometimes, trying to lose weight can seem like an insurmountable challenge. Naturopathic doctors are trained in counseling techniques to keep you motivated and to help you to reach your health and weight goals every single step of the way.
How Common is Being Overweight?
Obesity rates in Canada have tripled over the past 30 years. In 2011, the average national rate of obesity was 18.1% (which is still lower than any single US state), and there’s no sign of the epidemic ending anytime soon.
It’s time to look at things differently. What’s being done isn’t working, and naturopathic doctors have the tools and knowledge to make a change.
Research shows that proper metabolic balance is required to achieve healthy weights, and we know that food sensitivities and inflammation play a part in metabolic balance, and it’s more difficult to lose weight if inflammation is present. Stress reduction is one of the most important aspects of weight loss – high cortisol (the main stress hormone) causes fat to be deposited around the belly, and reducing stress helps reduce this fat as well.
Often, when people commit to losing weight, there is an initial high rate of weight loss followed by a plateau; this is where people stop losing weight so quickly, and it can be disheartening to have it slow down. Naturopathic doctors can help you get past this plateau by helping you set simple goals, and we can help keep you motivated with frequent follow-ups so that you can get down to a healthy weight.
Naturopathic doctors have many tools to help you with weight loss. Call and book an appointment with our clinic so we can show you how to master the trade!