Why You Can't Lose Weight

Getting on a scale is a waste of time.  I feel that scales should be used only for medical purposes to measure drastic fluctuations in body weight during times of illness.  Scales do not tell us anything about how the body is operating, or  burning fat.  Being overly concerned with how much you weigh is ridiculous.   It is not how much you weigh that counts  it is how much muscle you can activate and utilize to help burn off excess fat.  There is a known factor that contributes to how our body maintains a certain weight through out our lifetime.   This factor is called the set point.  The set point is how much muscle, fat, bone, water a person will have in adulthood.   On average most people will remain within 5 to 10 pounds of their set point through out life.   If a person remains healthy and avoids consuming junk food they will remain within their set point.  However, if a person lives an unhealthy lifestyle and consumes too much junk food they are at risk of altering their set point.  Once the set point is tampered with then the physiological systems of the body are compromised.  The immune system and muscular system are no longer able to regulate the physiological parameters of the set point.  

Here are some factors that are a result of a tampered set point.

*  Hormone imbalances:  The anabolic hormones (testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, growth hormone, insulin) are out of balance causing insufficient muscle metabolism.  Fat storage is increased.   Hunger hormones (Leptin, Ghrelin, Pyy-36)  are out of balance resulting in fat gain.

*  Lack of Vital Nutrients:  The body becomes malnourished.  The result is catabolism and increase production of free radicals.  Fat gain is prevalent. The body is in constant need of Vital nutrients; protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, water every couple of hours throughout the day.  Failure to supply proper vital nutrients will ultimately result in improper fat gain and possibly disease. 

*  Build up of toxins in the liver.  I get in arguments with doctors over the idea of toxic build up in the liver.  We are taught that the liver cleanses itself daily and that we do not need to clean it out.  I totally disagree with this way of thinking.  I believe that most of the problems associated with a persons health is associated to toxic build up in the liver.   The preservatives and the chemicals that are in foods are not supposed to be digested in  the human body and therefore the liver can't break these compounds down.  They store up in the liver, much like dust collecting in a screen of a vent.    If there is a build up of toxins in the liver then the regular enzymatic processes cannot function properly causing imbalance in the body.  Result fat gain and potential disease.  

*  Build up of pollutants and toxins in the colon.   This is another area that I argue with doctors about.  I was taught that, like the liver, the intestines do not need to be cleaned out.  That they clean themselves out everyday.  Again I disagree! I feel that the colon must be cleaned out in order to function properly and to allow proper digestion of vital nutrients.  I have witnessed many people who have lost an average of 7-10 inches off their waist just from doing a colon cleanse.  The material that comes out of the system when performing a colon cleanse is shocking.   I don't care what the medical profession says about holistic methods, I feel that they are crucial for maintaining a healthy body.  

*  Not digesting food properly.  People who inhale their food are doing more harm than good. When food is entered into the mouth it is a foreign substance.  The mouth must break it down to prepare it to enter the stomach.  It does this by mixing enzymes from the saliva into the food to help develop recognition within our internal chemistry.  Well chewed up food goes into the stomach and is broken down further with digestive enzymes.  From the stomach the food goes into the intestines and is broken down even further.  When the food compound is broken down completely it is then easily permeable into the blood stream via the liver.   When a person inhales their food they bypass the recognition phase of the mouth. When food is not broken down in the mouth it goes into the stomach and has too much air in it and is not easily recognized by the body causing the digestive system be compromised.  The food is partially digested and this can result in a malnourished state.  Chew your food until it is almost in liquid form in the mouth before swallowing.  

There are many factors that can disrupt the body's set point.  Rather than getting bogged down on how much you weigh it is important to put your focus on living a healthy life and to measure body composition (fat/muscle ratio).  A healthy body fat percentage for women is 22-28%.  and for men 4-22% is healthy.  If you are in the healthy percentage ranges and your body weight is what it is then that is what your set point is.   Trying to force your body into an ambiguous number is pointless and dangerous.  You will only be setting yourself up for failure and frustration.  Throw your scale away.  

Tags: scale, fitness, weight loss, fat, muscle, health, liver, set point, toxins, hormones, testosterone, progesterone, estrogen