Eat Correctly, Exercise More, Lose the Weight

“Lose weight now!” “Use this patch!” “Burn 600 calories in 20 minutes – no dieting, no exercise”! “Eat whatever you want and still lose weight!” These are just some of the many claims about weight loss that bombard us every day. Everywhere we turn, there is some new fancy product on the market promising salvation, allowing you to miraculously shed weight without lifting a foot onto that elliptical trainer. People spend thousands of dollars buying such gimmicks with the hopes that it will “fix” their weight issues. And despite the $10+ billion weight-loss industry, diet books, sweating and slimming products, weight loss centres, retreats, surgeries, we still struggle, determined to overcome the weight challenge with minimal effort.

Here’s the hard reality. There is no magic pill to weight loss or maintenance. There are, however, two main perspectives on dealing with weight loss:

From the Western perspective, there is an extremely simple formula – it is Eat Less, Exercise More. In order to lose excess weight, the level of energy output (calories expended) must be higher than energy input (calories taken in through food and drink). Also, toxins are typically stored in fat cells. If the body cannot flush out excess toxins through its filtration organs such as liver, kidneys or lymphatic system, it will store them as fat. That growing spare tire around the middle is actually toxic excess, not aging.

Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at this formula but goes deeper. It takes a holistic approach and focuses on the underlying causes of obesity and weight gain. It not only looks at over-consumption of food, but also at the types of food ingested, personal constitution, organ dysfunction, changes in internal body environment, trauma or emotional state, all leading to energy stagnation, deficiency and ultimately weight gain. TCM treats the underlying pathological conditions of obesity and weight gain.

Like the Western concept, changing your food and exercise habits are key. However, exercise and the correct foods and amounts are what stand out in the TCM approach. The concept of “I can even eat cake on this diet” does not apply here. So constitution aside, what are some things you can you do directly?

1. Drop the greasy, spicy, rich, heavy, alcoholic, sweet and fatty foods. They all contribute to spleen, stomach, liver and kidney dysfunction. These organs cannot handle the super size, on-the-go, sugary, meat or pasta with cream sauce type meals. They become burdened under the weight of these foods, and cannot carry out their proper function of digestion and transformation. When the body is overloaded with foods it can’t digest, it creates an overheated or even overchilled internal environment much like our external weather. Food, water and fluid excesses accumulate in the middle, resulting in a dampness and sluggish qi/energy and blood.

2. Drop the White stuff. Yes, I said white. White bread, white flour, white sugar, starchy and processed food. They have little to no nutritional value, and simply burden the digestive process. Even consumption of dairy products such as milk cheese can create excess mucous or phlegm in the body. If over consumption continues, this will over time also lead to an internally damp environment with accumulation and stagnation of fluids which gets distributed all over the body.

3. Do not eat foods that are extreme in temperature – too hot or too cold. Cold salads, hot drinks or anything extreme can contribute to internal imbalance. Allow your food to warm up or briefly cool down before consuming it. Your organs will thank you for it.

4. Get moving! Get your body going – regular exercise is vital. Remember calories expended need to be greater than caloric intake in order to burn and shed excess fat. Whether it is cardio, resistance training, walking, running, Pilates, or dancing, the key is to move. At least 30-60 minutes every second day is an excellent start.

A TCM practitioner will utilize a number of approaches for treatment of weight loss. Body or Ear Acupuncture is one way to start stimulating the digestive process, regulate organ function to aid toxin removal, tonify qi/energy, increase blood circulation to remove stagnancy, and remove excess phlegm and induce diuresis (excretion). Lifestyle and dietary therapy changes are stressed. Herbs sometimes can be prescribed as well.

So remember this simple formula: Eat correctly, Exercise more consistently, and Eliminate excess weight. The ‘Three E’s’ will help you much more than gimmicks, and cost a lot less as well.

By Olena Gill