Weight loss fort worth: it’s not just about calories
Many people start the new year with lofty goals for weight loss. And most of us were taught that losing weight is a simple matter of counting calories. While it’s true that a calorie deficit does play a role, there’s a lot more involved in weight loss in Fort Worth.
What do we mean by that? Well, everyone burns calories differently. How many calories an individual burns depends on a variety of factors – the type of food eaten, metabolism, gut health, etc. Therefore, two individuals can consume and burn the same number of calories, and yet they’d still lose different amounts of weight.
If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t focus all your energy on consuming fewer calories than you burn. Instead, work to improve your overall diet quality and make sustainable life improvements to help you achieve your weight and health goals.
Why Weight Loss Isn’t Only About Calories
As registered nutritionists and health coaches in Fort Worth, we can attest that everyone processes calories differently. Here are some reasons why:
Gut Microbiome
The organisms in our gut microbiome impact how our bodies extract calories from food. Researchers have found that naturally thin people have different gut microbial communities than those who are overweight. Additionally, other studies have shown that transferring the gut bacteria from people with obesity into mice causes the mice to gain weight. This suggests that gut bacteria influence weight.
Metabolism
Your metabolic rate is influenced by many factors – age, genetic makeup, gender, muscle-to-fat ratio, hormones, physical activity levels, etc. And of course, many of those factors are beyond our control. However, people with high (aka fast) metabolisms burn more calories at rest and during activity than their slower metabolic counterparts.
If you’re interested in learning what your specific metabolic rate is, we encourage you to enroll in our Metabolic Meal Plan.
Type of Food Consumed
The type of food you choose to consume also influences your caloric intake – and we’re not just talking about its specific caloric content. A study published in Cell Metabolism found that people ate significantly more calories and gained more weight when they were fed a diet of ultra-processed foods. (A processed diet led the subjects to consume an additional 500 calories per day, resulting in an average of two pounds gained per week.) This is because processed foods spark an increase in hunger hormones compared to whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, grilled chicken, fish and meats, nuts, and seeds.
Holistic Weight Loss Strategies
Instead of counting calories, here are some tactics we recommend for weight loss in Fort Worth:
Diet Quality
As we mentioned, processed foods drive your body to consume more. Therefore, try to eliminate (or at least reduce) the amount of processed foods in your diet. Instead of consuming foods full of refined carbs and added sugars, fill your plate with organic, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats.
If you’re unsure where to begin, schedule a nutrition consult (virtual or in-person) with our team. During the initial appointment, we’ll take the time to get to know you, your family history, medical history, symptoms, weight and dieting history, and your feelings about food and your body. After reviewing your food preferences, likes, dislikes, schedule, knowledge, and skills, our nutritionists will construct a plan that helps you achieve your weight loss and health goals.
Regular Exercise
Moreso than how much you weigh, losing fat while gaining and maintaining muscle mass is the key to optimal health. Therefore, we recommend a combination of moderately intense aerobic exercise and strength training. Keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat, so your body composition can change without changing the number on the scale.
Sleep and Recovery
Sleep and recovery are two powerful tools for combatting weight gain and supporting weight loss. Sleep and weight loss studies reveal that nearly double the amount of calories are burned if a subject sleeps for eight hours, compared to just five and a half. Additionally, research confirms that sleep deprivation interferes with hormones that regulate appetite – increasing your caloric intake.
Make sure you’re getting seven to nine hours of quality sleep. And if you’re interested in weight loss in Fort Worth, our Revive Room can regulate your body’s energetic systems, resulting in a healthy metabolism that maximizes fat burn.
Balance Blood Sugar
If your blood sugar is constantly spiking, your body is making more insulin. And because insulin is a growth hormone, elevated levels make it easier to put on fat and harder to lose weight. To regulate your blood sugar, we recommend pairing macronutrients and consuming nutrient-dense foods (lean proteins, healthy fats, etc.). If you’d like a personalized plan to regulate your blood sugar, our practitioners would be happy to help.
Genetics
Your genetics also play a significant role in weight loss. Therefore, we recommend using genetic testing to determine the specific types of food and exercise that are most effective for you. If you’re interested in a genetic test for weight loss, reach out to our team!
Stress Management
Chronic stress can disrupt your sleep patterns, and as we mentioned, improper sleep is associated with weight gain. Not only that, but elevated cortisol levels signal your body to conserve energy (not burn as many calories) and store fat, which often leads to weight gain.
Again, our Revive Room is a fantastic resource for managing stress.
Dermashape
Dermashape is an innovative device that uses heat and vacuum suction massage to enhance the body’s lymphatic system and drain fat content. Essentially, the device manipulates your tissues to break up fat congestion. Then, the released triglycerides are transported via the lymphatic system to be metabolized by your liver.
Book a Dermashape appointment today.
Weight Loss in Fort Worth
If you’re trying to lose weight in Fort Worth, consider our Metabolic Meal Plan. Essentially, our registered nutritionist and health coach will dive deeply into your body’s unique data to create the most effective meal plan and protocol for you. That includes a body composition analysis, medical metabolic rate assessment, and individualized meal plan created just for you.
As an integrative primary care practice in Fort Worth, our integrative medicine practitioners are here to help you reach your weight loss and healthy living goals. We firmly believe there is a healthy and unhealthy way to pursue weight loss. And our mission is to help you make individualized, sustainable changes that do not compromise your overall well-being. Contact our team to get started.