Feeling Stuck in Your Weight Journey? Let’s Explore What’s Really Going On
If you’re struggling with body fat or persistent sugar cravings, you’re not alone. It’s easy to feel frustrated when you’re surrounded by quick-fix solutions, fad diets, and weight loss promises that seem to overpromise and underdeliver. But the truth is, your body has natural, powerful systems in place to help you manage your weight, blood sugar, and cravings—you just need to understand them better.
Too often, weight-related struggles are simplified into the idea that “fat equals bad,” but this doesn’t take into account the many factors that influence our bodies and minds. The journey to a healthier, more balanced life isn’t about denying yourself pleasure or chasing unrealistic ideals. Instead, it’s about understanding how things like stress, gut health, and mental well-being play a role in our overall health, and how small, sustainable changes can have lasting effects.
Mental Health and Building a Healthy Relationship with Food
Our mental health plays a significant role in how we relate to food. Many people struggle with feelings of guilt, shame, or stress around eating, which can create an unhealthy cycle of restriction or overeating. These emotions often arise from external pressures or unrealistic expectations, rather than from a true understanding of what our bodies need.
It’s important to recognise that food isn’t the enemy—it’s an essential part of nurturing ourselves. Building a healthy relationship with food means learning to listen to our bodies, understand our hunger cues, and allow ourselves to enjoy a wide range of foods without guilt.
Food cravings and poor eating habits can stem from both stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges as well as physiological needs, like blood sugar imbalances or nutrient deficiencies. When we focus on supporting our body’s nutritional needs and managing stress in healthy ways, we can begin to create lasting, positive habits.
Calorie Deficits and Metabolism
While this is the basic principle behind weight loss, it’s not always as straightforward as simply cutting calories. Your metabolism plays a key role in how your body processes and burns energy, and restrictive dieting can actually slow down this metabolic rate. When you drastically reduce calorie intake, your body may enter a state of “starvation mode,” where it conserves energy by slowing down metabolism. This can make weight loss harder and, in some cases, lead to weight regain once you return to a normal eating pattern.
Eating More of the Right Foods
Instead of focusing solely on restriction, a more sustainable approach to weight loss involves eating more of the right foods that support your metabolism. Nutrient-dense foods, like lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and fibre-rich vegetables, can help boost your metabolism and keep you feeling fuller longer.
Health Conditions Impacting Weight
Conditions like PCOS, diabetes, and thyroid issues can affect how your body stores and burns fat. In these cases, it can make it extremely hard for someone to shift excess weight. For example, insulin resistance in diabetes or hormonal imbalances in PCOS can make weight loss more difficult. Understanding the root cause of why you are struggling with weight is extremely important in helping to achieve your goals.
Gut Health: The Hidden Factor
Did you know that your gut health plays a significant role in managing your weight? Your gut bacteria have a direct impact on how you process food, absorb nutrients, and store fat. Balancing your gut microbiome with fibre, fermented foods, and prebiotics can support better digestion and weight management.
Understanding Brown Fat vs. Visceral Fat
It’s also important to know that not all fat equals bad. Brown fat is a type of fat that helps your body burn energy, regulate your metabolism, and temperature, this is good. Unlike brown fat, visceral fat is the type of fat stored around internal organs, which can increase the risk of health issues like heart disease.
The key is to focus on maintaining a healthy balance of fat types. Brown fat is activated through regular exercise, exposure to cold temperatures (cold plunges), and adequate sleep.
Acknowledging Your Unique Set Point: We All Have Our Own Range
Everyone has a “set point”—a weight range where your body is comfortable and functions optimally. This range can fluctuate by a few kilograms, and that’s completely normal! Factors like your menstrual cycle, water retention, exercise habits, and even stool production can all cause slight variations in your weight. Understanding that your weight naturally shifts within a range helps remove the pressure to maintain a specific number on the scale.
Strategies for Supporting Your Health and Managing Weight
1. Nourish Your Body with Whole Foods
- Prioritize Fiber-Rich Foods: Fiber helps regulate blood sugar and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Include plenty of leafy greens, whole grains, legumes, and vegetables in your diet.
- Pair Carbs with Protein and Fat: always pair carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats. This helps slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream, preventing blood sugar spikes and crashes that can trigger cravings. For example, instead of having a plain apple, pair it with a handful of nuts.
- Eat Veggies First: Eating vegetables at the start of your meal helps lower the overall glycemic load of the meal, improving blood sugar regulation. This simple habit can help prevent fat storage and keep you energized.
2. Focus on Managing Blood Sugar
- Avoid Eating High-Sugar Foods on an Empty Stomach: Start your day with a balanced savoury meal containing protein, healthy fats, and fibre to stabilise your blood sugar levels from the get-go.
- Use Vinegar to Balance Blood Sugar: add a small amount of apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar before or with a meal. Studies show that vinegar can help lower post-meal blood sugar spikes. You can incorporate this in salad dressings or simply add a teaspoon to a glass of water before meals.
3. Support Gut Health
- Add Probiotics and Prebiotics: A healthy gut microbiome is essential for digestion and weight management. Include probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, tempeh and fermented vegetables.
- Eat Slowly and Mindfully: Slow down during meals to allow your digestive system to properly process food. This can help reduce bloating and improve nutrient absorption, which is key for overall health and maintaining a healthy weight.
4. Exercise for Metabolism and Stress Relief
- Strength Training: Building muscle through strength training exercises can help boost metabolism and improve insulin sensitivity, which is essential for managing weight. Aim for at least two strength training sessions per week.
- Walking After Meals: A simple but effective tip is to go for a short walk after meals. This helps lower blood sugar levels and aids digestion, promoting better nutrient absorption and reducing fat storage.
5. Prioritize Sleep and Stress Management
- Sleep Quality: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Poor sleep can disrupt hunger hormones, leading to increased appetite and cravings, particularly for sugary and high-fat foods.
- Manage Stress: Chronic stress can elevate cortisol levels, which can increase fat storage, particularly around the abdominal area. Incorporate stress-reducing practices like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises into your routine to help balance cortisol and support weight management.
6. Mindful Eating and Portion Control
- Eat Mindfully: Focus on eating without distractions, paying attention to your body’s hunger and fullness signals. This can prevent overeating and help create a healthier relationship with food.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, achieving sustainable weight management and conquering sugar cravings isn’t about restrictive diets or fleeting trends. It’s about understanding the intricate connection between your mental well-being, gut health, hormonal balance, and overall lifestyle.
By nourishing your body with the right foods, managing stress, prioritizing sleep, and listening to your body’s unique needs, you can unlock your potential for lasting health and well-being.
