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I am excited to have a guest post from my friend and colleague, Brandon Alleman. I have known Brandon about 7-8 years and he is one smart Dude! No, Really!!  I have learned a lot from him over the years and one of the main things I have learned is that every person’s physical and nutritional needs must be individually evaluated and met.  NO 2 people should have the same “diet” or exercise plan to attain health and wellness but in this list he does manage to narrow down 10 things that apply to everyone and ALL must be considered.  Some people try to exercise more to make up for a poor diet, this will not work my friend.  Or skip meals in order to make up for a big “cheat” meal.  This again is NO GOOD!!  Sleep, thoughts, hydration, etc. are all important components of health, wellness and if desired, weight loss!

If you haven’t already, check out Brandon’s website and Facebook page for always good information! Also, if you would like a more individualized approach to nutrition or even exercise and postural training (they specialize in correcting posture to eliminate joint pain), contact Brandon or Chris at Trinity Holistic Health and Training, I promise, you won’t be disappointed. ~ Melissa

10 Reasons You Won’t Lose an Ounce

There are endless roadblocks to effective weight loss.  What I would like to do in this post is to share and offer some reasons why weight loss remains a fantasy for many – in no particular order.

1. Poor nutrition.

You will never out-train bad nutrition.  Cutting calories and skipping meals actually make it easier for you to gain weight and more difficult for you to lose weight.  Eating a diet full of processed foods will prevent weight loss no matter what your exercise efforts look like.  Start eating food as close to the way Mother Nature provides it as possible.  Whole food eating is the best way to provide the body with the nutrition it needs to sustain Life.

2. Improper exercise/Overtraining.

Many people are over exposing themselves to cardiovascular exercise and are simply overtraining.  An over reliance on traditional cardiovascular exercise will actually create a hormonal environment that is not conducive to building muscle and/or losing fat. You need to bulild muscle and alo take supplements like ostarine where required to boost muscle mass.

3. You are cutting calories or skipping meals.

Within 24 hours of cutting calories you immediately deplete your brain chemistry and increase fat storing (lipogenic) enzymes in the body.  Any changes in brain chemistry will lead to cravings.  Low calorie dieting is especially damaging for anyone with a history of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or alcoholism.  Remember, all of this occurs after a single day.

4. Lack of Quiet Time.

Quiet time is necessary for introspection so that you can get very clear about what you want and why you want it. No quiet time means you have no time for your Self, which means all you are doing day in and day out is pouring yourself out.  When done chronically, this will lead to fatigue and weight gain.

5. Thyroid Dysfunction. 

The thyroid is a key regulator of metabolism. The gland is responsible for breathing at a cellular level.  That breathing produces the energy that all higher biological processes are built upon.   When dysfunctional, this gland will serve as a major roadblock to weight loss. The function of the gland is related to the function of the hypothalamus, liver, pancreas, adrenals, gonads, and digestive tract.  Without optimal thyroid function, you will not lose weight in any real sense.  Oh, and here is a little caveat…it is VERY common for individuals who have thyroid dysfunction to test perfectly normal on blood labs for thyroid function.  Keep that in mind!

6. Hormonal Imbalances.

Forget about losing weight in the presence of hormonal issues. It simply will not happen.  Nearly all hormonal issues are in some way, shape, form, or fashion related to poor food choices, poor macronutrient combining, and poor meal frequency and/or nutrient timing.

7. Poor Digestive Function.

If the digestive system is dysfunctional, it will overload the immune system, detoxification system, hormonal system, and cardiovascular system to name a few.  Nutritional deficiencies will also be likely – all of which will prevent weight loss.

8. Poor Sleep.

Poor and fragmented sleeping patterns can lead to issues in virtually any physiological system in the body.  Poor sleep can also lead to over consumption of carbohydrates and stimulants, cravings, fatigue, and poor mood. These will all sabotage your weight loss efforts.  Sleep issues can be related to poor food choices, nutritional deficiencies, emotional issues, and others.

9. Dehydration

If you are dehydrated, this is a major roadblock to health as well as weight loss.  This, in turn, can lead to just about any symptom you can think of on a daily basis, including, but not limited to an inability to lose unwanted pounds.  As well, many people drink plenty of water and are still in a dehydrated state.  It is common to see many markers for dehydration on blood labs even in people who drink a gallon of water per day.

10. Impaired Detoxification

The body stores toxins in fat.  If the detoxification is overloaded, weight loss will come to a screeching halt.  This is what happens when someone tries some new fad weight loss “program” or “diet”, they lose 10-20 pounds very quickly, and then…they hit a brick wall.  Typically, the detoxification system is at least playing a role in the cessation of weight loss.  This does not mean that you need to do a “detox” cleanse as most of those are worthless and only serve to overload the detoxification system even further.  Learning to eat in order to take the burden off of the liver is a much better idea in such cases (in all cases in my opinion).

This list is by no means exhaustive or comprehensive.  Literally any aspect of one’s physiology, if not working to optimal capacity, can prevent weight loss or at the very least, make it very difficult.

About the Author

Brandon Alleman is highly sought after Rehabilitation and Nutrition Consultant.  He is Board Certified as Holistic Health Practitioner via the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  In addition, he is a Level III (of Four) C.H.E.K Practitioner.  He has specialized in helping clients (local, national, and international) overcome chronic health issues since 1999.  You can learn more about Brandon, his programs, and his approach to health and wellness by visiting his website at www.brandonjalleman.com.

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Brandon just skimmed the surfaces of a few reasons you may be holding on the extra pounds or not obtaining optimal health.  If you suspect thyroid, hormone and impaired detoxification, contact a holistic health practitioner (like Brandon or Chris) to help take some of the guess-work out of reaching your goals!