The Secret Ingredient to Stubborn Weight Loss

One of the perks of writing a book about sound medical solutions to common health complaints is that I have an opportunity to reach so many people from so many places on the globe.

In the release of my latest book, The Blood Sugar Solution, I have been inspired by countless tales of the human body's empowered healing from the debilitating effects of insulin resistance and unruly inflammation in each system of the body.

I feel such joy every time I hear feedback from a reader or a patient about his or her success on the program. It's not egotistical joy necessarily, although my passion for functional medicine certainly fills me with happiness. Rather, it's pure gratitude for your willingness to make an effort at restoring your health by honoring the most natural and basic laws of the human body.

Remove unnecessary stressors, seek balance and strive for enjoyment on your ever-changing quest for health and vitality.

While most of you will undoubtedly experience remarkable recovery for your enthusiasm of life via improved health and even complete disease reversal, some of you will get stuck. Try as hard as you might to follow my recommendations precisely, to miss not one workout, to take each supplement I suggest and even set up appointments with your local functional medicine provider, something inside of you simply won't budge.

Maybe you're still tired? Experiencing brain fog? Feeling anxious or depressed? Unable to get your blood sugars down? I've heard it all. Yet the most emotion and frustration tends to come from those people who are striving to lose weight.

Weight gain and stubborn weight loss are often symptoms of something deeper occurring beneath the surface in a body and mind miscommunication. My programs often allude to weight loss as an added benefit but not necessarily the primary task.

This is because weight is like a secret message the body uses to alert us to the inflammation burning within. While it isn't always pretty and certainly is not always healthy, there is much wisdom in its message.

If we listen carefully, our body speaks to us and provides us with the exact information we need in order to reach our individual health goals. I realize that for many of you, achieving your weight loss goal is your No. 1 priority, and until you succeed it may be difficult to see that weight, in some ways, is merely a symptom.

So let's dive into this and talk about how you can use your own body to magically transform your entire relationship with food and outlook on life!

Slow Down, Tune In and Let Go

In 1975, Herbert Benson released his groundbreaking work on the effects of stress on the body in his book called, The Relaxation Response. It's no wonder this Harvard-trained cardiologist has touched the lives of millions worldwide with his pioneering mind-body medicine.

While stress is natural, it is the way in which we handle stress that tends to predict health outcomes. Studies reveal that the more we can engage our parasympathetic nervous system, the healthier we will be. Under this state, the body can effectively rest and digest.

This time of repair and renewal allows us to automatically harmonize the systems of our body to work together and balance "The 7 Keys of UltraWellness." Conversely, when the sympathetic nervous system is chronically engaged we exist in a constant state of stress, which has ultimately led to the current epidemic of stress-related chronic diseases.

Consider there is a continuum of stress and relaxation similar to insulin resistance. We all fall somewhere on this spectrum in any given moment. Each of us has the power to modulate our experience of both by realizing the power we have to tune in to a deeper part of ourselves.

But first, let's understand how stress is the barrier between you and stubborn weight loss.

How Stress Impacts Your Metabolism

The top five factors are:

• The body shifts into survival mode under stress, and your digestive tract literally shuts down. This means that there can be a shortage of the necessary enzymes, bacteria and acids required for proper digestion, absorption and metabolism. Clearly, when the body does not receive the nutrition it needs to function properly it will remain "hungry." You might be reaching for food out of malnutrition even if your intake is excessive! Secondly, all that rancid and decaying food -- poorly-digested stuff that is sitting in your gut -- leads to gut permeability, dysbiosis (an imbalance in gut flora) and inflammation. This "leaky gut" syndrome is responsible for a plethora of conditions, running the gamut from weight gain, hormone imbalance and autoimmune conditions to bloating, cramping and socially-uncomfortable odiferous gas.
• The stress response un-regulates the sympathetic nervous system and increases the dominant stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol not only increases insulin, which can inhibit weight loss and actually increase belly fat, but also disengages your brain circuitry. An increase in cortisol dampens your ability to receive pleasure and satisfaction from food. Stress literally hijacks your brain! This makes complete sense. There are times when we need our stress hormones to protect our life from grave danger, such as running from a bear, and we certainly don't want to perceive that delectable-looking plate of savory food as being more salient than defending our life! The problem is that in this modern lifestyle we don't necessarily face blood-thirsty animals or the type of threat that warrants this chronic state of heightened reactivity.
• The stress response increases the excretion of valuable nutrients we need for our brain to tell us when we have eaten enough or that we need more or less of certain nutrients. I often see patients who complain of binge eating or out-of-control food cravings, who lack essential fats, micronutrients and certain B vitamins. While we can certainly boost our nutrition status via eating whole foods and appropriate supplementation, it is equally as important and effective to diminish our cravings by getting to the root of the issue and calling out our stress! Manage stress properly and watch as your levels of calcium, magnesium, chromium, selenium, zinc, B Vitamins stabilize, your antioxidant status improves, and your food cravings vanish. Stress washes these away but leaves disease ashore. It is no coincidence that stress goes hand in hand with osteoporosis and blood sugar imbalances -- two major conditions present in our culture that depend on proper mineral status, among other important nutrients, for healing and prevention.
• Levels of potentially inflammatory cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides, sodium and insulin increase while valuable hormones necessary for weight loss and lean body mass, such as human growth hormone and thyroid hormone, decrease under stress. If you want to get rid of that stubborn belly fat you will need to prevent oxidation and inflammation from running rampant!
• Stress can be real or perceived, which means it is solely part of our unique dispositions to interpret one thing as stressful and another as not. Another person may find that the same thing that causes you stress may not elicit the stress response for them. Because so much of our world is construed by our thoughts and judgments, it is of the utmost significance to appreciate the value our thoughts have on our health. You literally can increase your metabolism by inspiring your daily life with a positive outlook or a peaceful agreement within yourself not to speak negatively or cast judgment. Each time we say something such as "I'm too fat," or "I will never control these cravings," or "I'm never going to manage my annoying bloat," our stress hormones and cortisol flood the system and weaken our fat burning capacity.

Tune In to Let Go...

The next time you eat, ask yourself if you are about to eat under stress. Note how you feel by checking in with your breath -- is it shallow or deep? Get in touch with your heart rate and see if you can find a way to use your breath to slow it down and relax your pulse.

Is your mind racing, and do you have stressful thoughts running it? Are you excited about your food or are you feeling guilty or concerned about what is in front of you? Do you feel calm or restless?

All of these questions are the beginning of embarking on an understanding of how you relate to food. The funny thing is, how we each relate to food tells us a lot about how we approach life and what we want out of it. The next time you catch yourself eating under stress, follow these guidelines:

• Start each meal with three deep belly breaths. For a thorough explanation on how to calm your mind and relax your body, please check out my article on meditation.
• Observe your thoughts about yourself and the food you are about to eat. Remember, judging your food as good or bad essentially begs the idea that you too are either good or bad. While a diet based on whole, fresh, real, organic, local and seasonal foods is best, there will be times when you will want a treat, a "recreational food," or you will be offered a food you may think of as "bad." Imagine the difference in digestion you would experience if the next time you ate your favorite food, or any food, under a relaxed state where you savored each bite and didn't have to rush through it out of guilt, worry, or self doubt about willpower! I'd rather see you eat all food under the optimal state of digestion and absorption so that you best metabolize and utilize your nutrients.
• When you eat, do so with willing attention toward your food. In fact, do as my friend Marc David suggests and eat soulfully, not just mindfully. Marc runs the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. Learn more about this unique style of nutrition. Soulful eating allows you a whole-body experience that celebrates your innate desire to seek pleasure from food and not stop until you receive the right amount. Mentally and soulfully reap nourishment from your food before, during and even after your meal by doing this:

  . Savor the flavor: Notice the texture and aroma of each bite to get the most flavor. Is it sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy, sour, bitter, or smooth?

  . Observe: Notice your body -- is your belly gurgling with hunger? Or are you completely stuffed? Are you stressed or calm, and what could you do in that moment to increase relaxation?

  . Be Present: Sit down while you eat, turn off all media or keep it in another room and simply eat while you are eating -- nothing else!

  . Resist Judgment: Let go of the urge to engage in negative self-talk and eat with compassion, respect, and gratitude toward your body. Notice when "should" or rigid rules pop into your mind and be aware of any guilt that comes up for you around certain foods. Now is not the time to criticize -- now is the time to calm your mind, slow the chatter and be present in your body.

  . Awareness: Notice the difference the next time you drift off during a meal. Bring yourself back to the moment and taste each bite. Maximize your pleasure!

See your symptoms as hidden messages from your inner world trying to tell you to listen -- don't dismiss them. By dismissing these clues or worse, beating yourself up over them, we lose the opportunity to tune in and do the real work of unlocking the mysterious barriers to our unsolved health conditions.

These clues are, in essence, your inner doctor taking residence within each cell of your body saying "Hey you! Something isn't right with this stress you're putting on us, and I can't take it anymore -- I'm falling apart. You gotta help. I'm trying to send you some signals... please see them!"

Examining your stress and seeing its impact on your metabolism will work well for many of you. But I wouldn't be surprised if some of you are wondering about how to get out of the mind and venture to the stress taking place in the heart.

Emotional eating has become ubiquitous in our fast-paced culture, which honors quantity over quality, willpower more than pleasurable nourishment and the dollar more than humanity. How can you fully let go and tune in when your heart is desperate for a different culture but your mind is living in this one?

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Do you think you will be able to pause before a meal and take more time to savor it?

How does stress manifest in your relationship with food?

What impact on your health and well-being does awareness have on you?

Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, MD

Mark Hyman, M.D. is a practicing physician, founder of The UltraWellness Center, a four-time New York Times bestselling author, and an international leader in the field of Functional Medicine. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on YouTube, become a fan on Facebook, and subscribe to his newsletter.

For more by Mark Hyman, M.D., click here.

For more on weight loss, click here.

 

 

 

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Comments

[joanniejp]

10:10 AM on 09/13/2012

Statistically, obesity is more prevalent among the poor, which seems ironic. However, when you consider the fact that cheaper food is typically more unhealthy or more processed, it makes sense. The poor are also riddled with more survival stress, which does affect hormone levels as discussed in this article. Speaking from personal experience, I grew up poor and in a broken and dysfunctional environment. I was overweight as a child, and I kept packing on pounds no matter how little or how much I ate. As a young adult, I found a doctor who told me I had developed Metabolic Syndrome X as a result of a processed food diet and stress. Once I was able to change my diet and get the therapy I needed to reduce my stress, I began to lose weight rapidly. I also want to suggest that exercise is very important. Because I grew up with a lot of social anxiety, I tended to do activities that didn't involve me getting out of the house. Once I started exercising, I felt better emotionally,and I lost more weight and gained muscle. I even sought out a trainer who really taught me the value of physical fitness. If anyone is interested, I went to these NYC personal trainers: http://www.jgfit.com/ but you obviously don't need a trainer to be active and healthy. They help motivate and teach you to exercise, which is important if, like me, you were never exposed to healthy activity.

[matowen]

02:00 AM on 07/31/2012

Its really informative blog. Great resources Guy! Thanks for the information and additional resources.
Weight Loss Secrets

[takealoadoffnow]

01:56 AM on 07/25/2012

The part about weight gain being a symptom of something deeper going on inside the body and mind is true. http://takealoadoffnow.com/

[novelist2000]

11:34 PM on 07/24/2012

Last night I saw a docu 'Globesity', how obesity and diabetes have developed recently in Mexico, Brazil, India, and China. It struck me that they'd all be countries where they consume cane sugar in the products to which they attributed persistent weight gain. In Europe we used to have beetroot sugar, and they still use it, judging from the taste of European chocolates. Could that be a factor to tackle? There are many factors, of course, but if cane sugar is more harmful than beetroot sugar, one step of the long road could be taken. Research by an independent institute may be helpful. Where's the bloom'n UN when ou need them.

The docu painted quite a bleak picture because the costs for obesity caused diabetes will be enormous. Like most people I was much slimmer when I was a teenager - but only when I did not have three meals a day. Snacking? No, wouldn't have had the money anyway. I had two phases where I had only two meals a day and then I lost weight, but I cannot do that any more.

[NevaforLeadership]

10:31 AM on 07/25/2012

Sugar is sugar. All breaks down into the same basic molecules.

[NevaforLeadership]

10:46 AM on 07/25/2012

Here is a link about sugar:

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

A lecture by Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin. Series: UCSF Mini Medical School for the Public [7/2009] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 16717]

Have patience with the biochemistry. It's worth sticking it out to get the real truth about sugar.

[bragladish]

12:14 PM on 07/24/2012

finally an article that teaches you something new! thanks!

[bobdob]

07:21 PM on 07/23/2012

Way too complicated. Here's all you need to know: 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat. Go here:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Calculate your BMR, then apply the Harris Benedict Equation to calculate your BMI:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

Eat fewer calories than you burn and you'll lose weight. Eat more and you'll gain.

[Mama Lam]

10:46 PM on 07/23/2012

Big, fat lie.......
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4362041487661765149

[NevaforLeadership]

10:37 AM on 07/25/2012

That truth -- 3,500 calories = 1 pound -- makes one realize why it is so difficult to lose weight, once we've allowed it to build up, when pounding away on a treadmill for an hour burns up between just 300 to 500 calories, unless one is pounding away at 5 to 6 miles an hour on a steep incline for an hour -- beyond the endurance of most.

[bobdob]

06:34 PM on 07/25/2012

And ten potato chips = 150 calories. Go over your caloric needs by a small handful of chips every day, and that's over 15 pounds of weight gain in a year. Diet math can be pretty eye-opening.

[vielmannstein]

06:56 PM on 07/23/2012

One of the things I really believe helps with stress and weight loss is vitamin B12. I know it doesn't sound like anything, but as I lost 180 lbs, I found that a regular dose of the vitamin seemed to keep my nerves in check. Before I had neglected it and always failed on my diets.

[onwisconsin]

05:28 PM on 07/23/2012

Leaky gut syndrome is not a recognized condition. It's pseudoscience.

[Jackie Swenson]

04:18 PM on 07/23/2012

Be sure to check with your doctors and have a thourough physical exam if you are experiencing unsual weight change. I was 'skinny' all my life - attributed to having been born premature. My headaches was said to be 'tension-related' and one doctor even urged me to move to another state so I could avoid the headaches caused by 'allergies'!

Turned out, the skin problems (pimples on face even after teenage years, peeled skin on lips, stubborn athlete foot...) and the headaches were caused by a life-long brain tumor... So I had a brain surgery. All the problems disappeared. No longer having recurring nightmares... When they happened again, I had Gamma-knife radiosurgery to control the new growth. When other health problems happened again, I found breast cancer. It persisted - I found the recurrence that had been misdiagnosed for almost 4 years...

I'm happy and healthy right now (last major surgery/treatment was 5 years ago). Though still a little bit underweight (the remaining tumors affect my Thalamus and my appetite...) I've been feeling better than ever!

Do your homework. 'Know yourself!" Do the right things (healthy habbits). Find good doctors...

[AuGlove5]

02:37 PM on 07/23/2012

Here's an idea. It's free.

Eat whole fruits and vegetables - organic when possible. Eat antibiotic, hormone free lean meats - naturally fed when possible. Eat, high quality healthy fats with each meal. They are the key to satiety and important for transporting nutrients throughout the body as well as helping to digest protein. And finally, eliminate all the processed junk in your diet! Do this three times a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. After a short time your energy levels will even out, your cravings will go away and you'll be a much happier and healthier person.

[sunflower12]

07:37 PM on 07/23/2012

Great advice. Processed food, processed meat, sugar, they make you feel bloated, heavy, depressed. Go unprocessed as much as possible. Weight loss will follow.

[CDL1]

12:44 AM on 07/24/2012

Not exactly free. These foods cost more and take more time to prepare. Great advice though.

[solid]

08:15 AM on 07/24/2012

I won't argue the costs, but eating fresh fruits and veggies doesn't take much time. More than opening a bag of chips I guess.

[IreneAdler]

01:40 PM on 07/23/2012

Until people learn to stop eating for reasons other than true physical hunger, they will have a weight problem. How many diets advertise themselves with the phrase, "You'll never be hungry on the XYZ Diet!"? Well, duh, if you never allow yourself to get hungry, how do you know when it's time to eat and what to eat? When the clock or another person or your emotions tell you when and what to eat, it's nothing but trouble.

[hljones85]

01:31 PM on 07/23/2012

I have to agree a certain amount about the effects stress has on the body and weight loss. I suffer from Crohn's disease and stress is a MAJOR factor in when I have a flare up. I exercise daily, eat healthy (as one can with Crohn's), but when i'm stressed, regardless of how much I exercise or how little I eat I will always put on weight, even with a Crohn's flare up. Cortisol definitely has a lot to do with weight gain, having taken the drug on and off for several years (Crohn's) and observing the effects this had on my own body. I'm not sure if deep breathing before a meal will help that much though :/ Some very interesting points have been made, some valid, some maybe not quite so in my opinion.

[Natasha Deonarain]

01:02 PM on 07/23/2012

Love the comments! Here's your answer...stay the health away from doctors! And I can say that because I am one...so here me out. Dr. Hyman is correct on the first step - be present. But be present in everything. That means turn off the noise, judgment, ego, 'thou shalt do' and paradoxical blame, victimization that physicians have been taught to preach under a medical system that MUST keep you sick, poor and victimized! Since when is our health a liability? Health insurance has you believing that. Since when is life such a torture that we have to agonize over every meal. Slow down, be present, avoid the distraction - now think. Is this next meal nourishing or not? Forget the freaking health system for now.Forget your fear of disease/death or your "prevention of disease." Is - this - next - meal - nourishing? Is what I'm drinking healthful . You don't need a doctor to tell you this. You know. Practice health instead of freaking out over disease like we're trained to believe - for profit - and you'll be health, regardless of the disease label your doctor gives you. If you don't know know how; follow me to health consciousness (google)! It's not you that's the problem...it's this healthcare system! Stop going to doctors who are trained to search and destroy disease. The system forces us to practice that way. But the absence of disease does not equal the presence of health. Think about that....:)

[Scooterish]

03:33 PM on 07/23/2012

Doctors do have a place, they do. People do need to educate themselves about food and nutrition, and generally loving themselves - food being part of the puzzle. Its about taking a holistic approach and treating food like it is medicine.

[Natasha Deonarain]

04:47 PM on 07/23/2012

Here's a thought. What if doctor's were to "niche" themselves in disease, as they've been trained, and allow the patient to create their own health oriented networks, instead of trying to drive health via a disease-oriented mindset. Great business networkers know what they do best and refer to those who do other things best. Why do doctors feel they have to know disease...and health? The real health practitioners have spent careers in the paradigm of health. We understand disease. Can we not work together???

[Marty779]

11:52 AM on 07/23/2012

The way to lose weight is to lose the appetite. We need a practical, safe, accessible way to do that. What might it be?

[kalidescopemind]

02:40 PM on 07/23/2012

My mother says wormwood helps.

[Scooterish]

03:35 PM on 07/23/2012

Smaller portions, better food choices. When you make better food choices and eat throughout the day, you shrink the stomach, the blood sugar stays even and you are not hungry anymore.

[lewtag]

11:28 AM on 07/23/2012

The simple law of physics says that a surplus of 3500 calories equals one excess pound...so to lose one excess pound it is necssary to create a deficit of 3500 calories...that means 500 calories per day less than you need to lose one pound per week...what is complex is how much you need....the body has a self regulating mechanism and as you reduce calories the body adjusts its rate of burning calories ...in addition to stress a complex play of hormones also is included...after age 75 and being a stable 175 pounds all my life I jumped to 212 almost overnight with no change in healthy eating or lifestyle...at my age strenuous exercise is dangerous so what I am left with is fasting and taking some supplements...that has not worked either...stress undoubtedly is involved as I am watching friends and neighbors and classmates my age die all around me...half of Americans die by age 80...what I fear is that my body is slowing down preparing for its death... maybe weight gain is some such mechanism to avoid dying...perhaps one solution is to reduce the fear of death and its preparatory disabilities...we all want most is control and many of us are losing it...if we can let go of the desire for control perhaps the body will age naturally and die when it is time...all in God's will of course...the generator, operator, destroyer...ergo Theofatalism

[Marty779]

12:45 PM on 07/23/2012

I think you are onto something. But giving up the need for control is so difficult. I find that the more I study and observe death the better I feel toward it. Nature does seem to have a plan.

[sunflower12]

07:41 PM on 07/23/2012

We can eat less and save money at the same time. A banana, for instance, doesn't cost much, it's not processed food, but it's very rich in nutrients. This is just one example.
I have been trying to eathealthy on a $5.00 budget for one person . It's possible.

[kalidescopemind]

02:42 PM on 07/23/2012

Not all calories affect the body in the same way.