What’s tilting your scale?
Weight loss goes beyond counting calories.
For decades, people have been on at least one type of diet—or, shall we say, “Die it.” It 
started with the grapefruit diet and continued with the cabbage soup diet and the more popular Atkins, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig diets. Weight loss can vary from the five pounds we gained in the wintertime to the 20 pounds accumulated since high school. We have all felt the need to diet at some point in our lives, and some people seem to be on a life-long diet.
Why is it so hard to part with the pounds? Is it our daily routine, or does it all boil down to chemistry? Unfortunately, there is no magic pill—if you don’t count for wishful thinking. What works best and seems like a simple, logical solution is a healthy lifestyle that includes eating balanced meals, portion control, exercising on regular basis and resting. Math is important, too: the ratio of calories in / calories out plays a significant role. What’s also unknown to many is that muscles have memory, which implies that being fit in our younger days results in better health as adults. In addition to these changes, one also has to factor in genetics. (Having one overweight parent increases your chance of “inheriting” the same body type by 70 percent.)
What happens when you go to the gym four days a week and eat healthfully, but the scale is still not moving? inhibits weight loss. Once the body reaches its fill of this toxic chemical, your natural defense system kicks in and begins to store the mercury in the adipose tissue in an attempt to protect the organs. Speaking of chemicals, certain medications like anti-depressants can also deter weight loss as part of their side effects. In these cases, too, check with your doctor and figure out the best tests and steps to take. Third, look at DHEA, a.k.a. “the youth hormone,” produced by the adrenal glands. Low levels of DHEA, typical in early adulthood, can be associated with abdominal fat and loss of energy. I know we’re not breaking any news here, but another important factor is stress, the leading cause of disruption in our natural rhythms. Pregnancy is another reason for gaining weight. The average increase, however, should be 25 pounds and “eating for two” is no longer the norm. Studies have shown that women who go over 35 pounds during pregnancy are more likely to be overweight in their later years.
You can’t talk about weight gain without referring to the metabolic syndrome, better known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome, also a precursor of diabetes. Some of the telltale signs are high triglycerides, abdominal obesity and a high body-fat ratio “The metabolic syndrome is the single best predictor of future heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some forms of cancers.” By simply ordering blood analyses and combining the findings with a quick family history, the metabolic syndrome can be identified and the steps necessary to intervene will be clearer.
As it turns out, there is more to consider than the number of calories. Living healthy should be a part of life. Our first 25 years are a gift, but we sometimes take advantage of our youth without much thought about consequences. We then spend the next phase trying to correct the damage we’ve done. So how about going back to the basics for a change? Some simple steps might entail exercising regularly, monitoring your stress levels and keeping a food journal. Being accountable goes a long way. When the body is nutritionally sound, it works like a Swiss clock. Assume a nourishing lifestyle, and you will eventually find the answers to a healthier you.
Body Composition Analyzation
Take the guess work out of dieting. Get your BMI checked on your first visit.
WE CAN SUCCESSFULLY REACH YOUR GOALS AND MONITOR YOUR SUCCESS!
Dello Nutritionals utilizes the Tanita Body Composition Analyzer that precisely measures your:
- BMI: Body Mass Index is height to weight ratio
- BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate represents the total energy expended by the body to maintain normal functions at rest such as respiration and circulation.
- Impedance: Impedance reflects the body's inherent resistance to an electrical current. Muscle acts as a conductor of the electrical current, adipose tissue acts as a resistor.
- Fat %: The percentage of total body weight that is fat.
- Fat Mass: Total weight of fat mass in the body.
- FFM: Fat Free Mass is comprised of muscle, bone, tissue, water, and all other fat free mass in the body.
- TBW: Total Body Water is the amount of water retained in the body. TBW is said to comprise between 50%-70% of total body weight. Generally, men tend to have higher water weight than woman due to a greater amount of muscle.
- Desirable Range: Healthy range for Fat % and Fat Mass. This range is printed only when standard mode is selected.
