Dubuque Chiropractor Discusses Understanding the Cause of Your Weight Gain

The chiropractic team at Ideal Chiropractic Health Center believes that attacking weight gain without knowing its root cause is like traveling in a foreign land without the help of a GPS. Sure, you might eventually reach your destination, but not before plenty of unnecessary frustration and wasted time and money.

Since the origins of weight gain are as unique as the individuals battling it, it’s imperative to first discover your specific challenges before developing a blueprint for success. Losing pounds is already a demanding enough endeavor that requires complete commitment. But you can dramatically improve your odds of achieving personal goals by initially knowing precisely what needs to be addressed.

Causes of Weight Gain in Dubuque IA

Diet
At no time in history is the American diet more reliant on processed foods and empty calories that exacerbate the current obesity epidemic. Beyond just overconsumption, imbibing in the wrong foods—and drinks—causes inflammation at a cellular level and an overproduction of insulin, which prevents fat from being burned as an energy source. Now more than ever, Americans need dietary coaching and guidance, such as that dispensed by Ideal Chiropractic Health Center. Ideal Chiropractic’s Ideal Protein Weight Loss Method is an FDA approved program that smartly reduces weight through an all-inclusive approach of education and a more balanced diet.

Inactivity
While it sounds elementary enough, the first step to reaching your ideal weight is to take more steps each day. While our technology-driven lives bringus unprecedented opportunities and comforts, it has also made us far more sedentary than our ancestors. In the simplest possible description, additional weight becomes unavoidable if you’re regularly taking in more energy than you expend. Sit less, move more and introduce a structured workout regimen that’ll pay immediate dividends at the scale.

Hormonal Imbalances
Though seemingly counterintuitive, weight increases are sometimes attributable to neither diet nor a lack of exercise. Hormones, which regulate many bodily functions, will negatively shape the physique when out of balance. As already mentioned, excess insulin in the bloodstream hinders the body’s ability to melt fat. But that’s only one of many hormonal imbalances that can lead to suddenly snug wardrobes. Resistance to leptin, the hunger-controlling hormone, makes it impossible to regulate appetite. And either low testosterone in men or excess estrogen in women results in an uphill battle in the quest for a leaner you. If you’re doing the right things, yet can’t seem to shed pounds, it could be time to have your hormone levels checked.

Emotional Issues
A wide range of emotional stressors, from depression to anxiety, can directly impact your personal fitness goals. In this regard, the mind and the body are inexorably linked. Depression, as far too many know, can derail good intentions, like exercising, socializing and avoiding snacking at inopportune times. Meanwhile, during periods of high stress, the body secretes extra cortisol, which can lead to unhealthy food cravings, fat cell retention and an increase in unsightly abdominal flab.

Inadequate Sleep
Sleep is a timeless cornerstone of good health, just like brushing and flossing are the bedrocks of sound dental hygiene. And if you’re regularly skimping at catching your zzz’s, a viscous cycle of skipped workouts and indulgent comfort foods will ensue. Plus, logging inadequate sleep, typically fewer than seven hours a night, can suppress metabolism, the rate at which we burn energy. A lethargic metabolism requires more exercise and energy expenditure to maintain normal body weight.

Gut Bacteria
An increasing number of studies are finding that the composition of microbes in the intestinal tract, both good and bad bacteria, profoundly impactsone’s predisposition to obesity. In fact, those same studies reveal that leaner individuals tend to have an abundance of healthy bacteria in their gut. Alternatively, a surplusof bad bacteria causes inflammation, which in turn equals insulin resistance and a more insatiable appetite.Adding probiotics, like yogurt or fermented vegetables, to the diet is an essential—and simple—step to improving your digestive tract’s overall health.

Genetics
Unfortunately, you can’t choose your genes, the chromosomal blueprint passed down from parents to child. But while genetic predilections to many maladies, including obesity, is real, it doesn’t constitute a guarantee. It only means that more diligence and dedication will be needed in the battle of the bulge. If heredity has dealt you a tough hand, view it as an invitation to double down on your dietary and exercise efforts. And recognize that now more than ever is the time to enlist the help of the pros at the Ideal Chiropractic Health Center.

Reaching your ideal weight—and the body you’ve dreamt about—is no small task, so don’t begin this important journey alone. Contact the experts at Ideal Chiropractic Health Center in Dubuque, IA to uncover the root cause of your weight gain as well as the best approach to shedding those stubborn remaining pounds.