By Dr. Julie Durnan • December 29th, 2011

Most people have the best of intentions when they set a goal of weight loss, but in order to avoid playing the game of yo-yo dieting, it’s important to remember some essential tips that can help you successfully reach your goal.

We want it all and we want it now.  Whether you want to lose that last 5 pounds or the stubborn 20 pounds you’ve been carrying for years, it’s important to take weight loss in stride. A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is the typical recommendation. Remember that one pound of fat contains 3,500 calories. So you need to burn 500 more calories than you eat each day to lose one pound per week. If you lose a lot of weight very quickly, it might be water or lean muscle tissue that you’re losing.

Resistance is not futile.  Resistance exercise is truly the best way to burn calories at rest and ensure that your weight loss is not simply loss of muscle mass.  If you don’t engage in resistance training, for every pound of fat that you lose half will be lean muscle tissue.  Your naturopathic physician can use a Bioimpedance Analysis (BIA) machine to calculate your body fat percentage, monitor your weight loss and ensure you’re losing only fat. 

The reality of sugar is not so sweet.  When we eat sugar, our body releases insulin to allow our cells to utilize the sugar as fuel.  Any unused sugar, is stored as fat and stimulates the liver to produce cholesterol.  In the Bogalusa Study out of New Orleans, Louisiana, it was well shown that high levels of insulin occur before the onset of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.  Avoid products that are low in cholesterol or low in fat as they are often high in sugar and can cause an unnecessary elevation of your insulin levels.  The best foods to eat are fresh, whole, and unprocessed.   

Don’t stress.  A lot of stress in life can cause the body to produce high stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones lead to fat storage around the abdomen. High stress can be caused by work or family situations, or the result of accidents and injuries.  We can alter our body’s interpretation of stress and calm frazzled nervous systems using acupuncture, herbs, vitamins, and with the regular practice of relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, or...

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Location:  West Vancouver, CA

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi I am a naturopathic physician and co-founder of Pacifica Naturopathic Clinic in West Vancouver, BC.  I have a family practice and a special...