So I’ve yo-yo dieted throughout my life, and one thing that all of those instances have in common was that I tried to lose weight too quickly while focusing solely on controlling food and exercise without getting to the root of my issues. When that backfired, I felt like a failure, but the problem is I was trying to sort of bandaid the issue was without going deeper.
Lately, I’ve been working with a therapist, dietician, endocrinologist, and journaling a lot about physical and emotional underlying issues around why I keep gaining weight. Here are some of my personal reasons, I suggest you do the same to really combat your specific issues! Weight is coming off slowly but surely
-I’ve got hormonal imbalances due to PCOS and thyroid issues. These cause my metabolism to slow down while increasing the hunger hormones and encouraging fat storage mode. They also cause insulin resistance. Getting on the right medications & supplements (metformin & spironolactone) intermittent fasting, low carb, and learning to eat to encourage hormonal and blood sugar balance has been a godsend
-my cortisol (stress hormone) tests came back high which is notorious for causing weight gain. I’ve decided to make sure to incorporate meditation, yoga, regular sleep, and Ashwaghanda. Journaling and cognitive behavioral therapy are also helping immensely.
-I got diagnosed with ADHD, and I read about the connection low dopamine levels have with weight gain. Food increases dopamine temporarily. I’m not medicated for it because stimulants give me anxiety, but I try to make sure to do fun stimulating things that raise my dopamine levels without turning to food, especially exercise and social activities. Boredom can be a real trigger
-My anxiety medications (Lexapro) cause carbohydrate cravings, so I’ve really been working on distinguishing between cravings and real hunger. I will honor real hunger but not cravings.
-I used to eat when I was sad/lonely. Therapy and finding other activities that help me feel better or journaling has helped a lot
-I used to eat really fast because of my guilt around eating. Making sure to eat very slowly and putting my fork down between each bite really helped. I also remind myself regularly “nothing is off limits, if you really want to eat this again when you’re hungry you can”
-Im letting go of the all or nothing thinking. This is a lifestyle change, and I need to make room for foods I enjoy as well. If I eat over my calorie limit, I just add it to myfitnesspal and move on instead of bingeing and saying that I will start again tomorrow
-I can be an impulsive person, so making sure I have structure, a schedule, and a plan is important. This helps a lot with restaurants and social eating
-I’m embracing slow change. This took a lot because I’m an impatient person. Slow change = my body is having more time to adapt to the changes and won’t fight back as hard as I lose weight. I continuously ask myself: would I be able to eat like this for the rest of my life? If not, I’m going too hard, too fast
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