You are fabulous just the way you are. 

But that doesn’t mean losing a few pounds isn’t worth your time and effort. Your weight has a profound impact on your physical and mental health. Carrying extra weight elevates your risk for almost 200 different health issues – including cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, fatty liver disease, and depression.

At the same time, the process of losing weight can be transformative. A firmer butt and the reversal of numerous health risks aren’t the only great things that can happen when you drop a few LBs.

Benefits of Weightloss

You’ll sleep better. Excessive weight around the neck causes sleep apnea and snoring. Losing just 5% of your body weight can help snoring vanish. ⁽¹⁾

You’ll have fewer allergy symptoms. Excessive weight puts a strain on your respiratory system, which exacerbates any lung-related health issues like asthma and allergies. Lose a few, and you’ll be breathing easier. ⁽²⁾

You’ll feel smarter. Excessive weight dulls your brain’s ability to process. Conversely, a Kent State study showed that weight loss might improve focus and cognitive ability. ⁽³⁾

You’ll feel less stressed. A more laid-back mood often comes when you feel less self-conscious about your silhouette.

The first step is recognizing the hidden things holding you back.

The World We Live In

From the mid-’80s until now, the number of adults who weigh more than they should have doubled.

And it’s easy to see why. Thiry-five years ago, everyday life was very different. There were no smartphones, Candy Crush, Starbucks, Netflix, Prozak, social media, or super-sized fast-food meals.

Most adults brown-bagged their lunches, likely a cheese or tuna sandwich and a thermos of black coffee. Supper was meat, potatoes, and a vegetable – made from scratch and little of it deep-fried. We were pretty much limited to three TV channels.

I think you get the picture; many of the conveniences and pleasures of modern-day life are the driving forces behind our expanding waistlines. 

So the first step is actually to stop blaming yourself for those extra pounds and start putting your mental energy into recognizing and taking action to counteract these modern-day pitfalls.

1. The Technology Factor

Studies show that the amount of time looking at screens outside of work— cellphones, TVs, iPads, and computers — directly correlates to pounds gained. ⁽¹⁾

So be honest with yourself, how often have you missed a walk because you were online? With so many social and entertainment options, it’s understandably hard to pull yourself away. Try limiting recreational screen time to no more than 2 hours a day and replace the newly available time with physical activity. 

2. Medications

Certain widely prescribed medications are known to cause weight gain. For example, popular antidepressants like Paxil and Prozac can lead to ten extra pounds. The impact of drugs varies a great deal from person to person, so some people may not be affected.

If you suspect that your medications are adding weight or are making it more difficult to lose, speak to your doctor. They might prescribe an alternative drug that is more weight loss–friendly. ⁽¹⁾

3. Food: Availablity & Portion Size

Our bodies have evolved to store fat for times of famine. Now that was helpful when we were hunters and gathers, but today, with so much food around us, the body’s drive to pack on fat is working against us.

Calorie-heavy coffee drinks and burgers are available at every corner. But food availability is only part of the problem. The average restaurant entrée clocks in at around 1200 calories, which accounts for about half the calories most adults should eat in an entire day. No wonder our average daily intake has jumped by as much as 24% in calories in the last four decades. ⁽⁴⁾

Here, the remedies are simple: prepare more of your meals at home, treat yourself to fewer high carb, high sugar snacks and reduce your portion size.

4. Seemingly Healthy Food

Over the last few decades, we’ve been made to believe that certain foods are wholesome and nutritious when they are instead loaded with sugar, salt, fat, and processed carbs. Bran muffins, energy bars, frozen yogurt, granola, and fruit snacks are some of the most popular examples of foods people believe are healthy but aren’t always what they seem.

Stocking your home, car, and office with whole and truly nutritious foods to snack on like apples, berries, and nuts will help provide some healthier alternatives.

5. Sleep Loss

Research shows that too little sleep promotes weight gain. For starters, sleep deficiency slows your metabolism, so you burn fewer calories. And the resulting fatigue makes you more likely to hit the couch instead of the gym.

Simultaneously, lack of sleep plays havoc with your hormones leptin and ghrelin, which control your hunger and appetite, encouraging you to eat more. Recognize and reduce the things that keep you awake, like scrolling through Facebook or Instagram into the wee hours. ⁽¹⁾ Most adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

Get Moving with Turmeric

Although some aspects of modern life have made it easier than ever to gain weight, some things make it easier to lose. For instance, calorie and activity counting apps on your smartphone and watches encourage you to move your body and control what you eat. We also now know that the regular use of certain herbs like turmeric can also help you manage your weight.

Extra weight causes inflammation in your body, leading to higher cholesterol and increased blood pressure. Turmeric helps suppress inflammation, so your body functions more optimally. Turmeric also helps reduce joint inflammation, improves mobility, and reduces discomfort while exercising. Less discomfort encourages you to live a more active lifestyle. ^(5,6)

The easiest way to get the maximum benefits from turmeric is through a high-quality supplement like Stonehenge Health’s Dynamic Turmeric. It’s a powerful blend of 1,650 milligrams of turmeric curcumin complex with concentrated 95% Curcuminoids, plus BioPerine® to maximize absorption.

For most people, weight is a simple equation – Calories in minus calories burned equal calories you either put on or take off. Eating a healthy diet and committing to 30 minutes of exercise five days a week are genuinely the most effective ways to maintain or lose weight, especially as you age. Adding turmeric to your daily routine will have you moving your body with more comfort and ease for faster results.

Now, once you’ve decided it’s time to reduce, you’ll want to reach your goals as quickly as possible.

Keep Reading: In our next blog posts, we will cover behaviors that affect weight, ways to reduce the number of calories you eat every day, and supplements that help accelerate your success.

Sources:
1. Harvard Medical School “Lose Weight and Keep It Off.”
2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990395/
3. sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412171206.htm
4. businessinsider.com/american-calorie-intake-last-52-years-diet-food-eating-increase-science-2017-6
5. nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric/ataglance.htm 
6. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/