Jumping on the Weight Loss Bandwagon for your New Year’s Resolution?
Beware, One Size does not Fit All
As a new year rolls around, so many people are ready to make the big change—eat the veggies and crowd the gym. However, by March the excitement seems to dwindle and once again you may find yourself disappointed at failing to keep up with that New Year’s Resolution.
Depending on the individual, many factors can contribute to this failure. With so much information available—from fad diets to exercise plans that promise to grow abs in 21 days—it can be challenging and overwhelming for anyone to make a commitment and see long lasting changes.
Most people dive into these fad diets expecting to lose a massive amount of weight but fail to realize they can’t change a lifetime of bad habits in 21 days. Although you can create positive habits in 21 days and build the foundation for a healthy eating regimen, it is important to be patient and work with someone who can guide you along the way.
That is because when it comes to nutrition, one size does not fit all. Nutrition is highly individualized and can be affected by genetic factors as well as by lifestyle choices the individual has made throughout the years.
Although it is a complicated topic, it is one worth diving into for any person who is willing to make changes that will in turn improve their quality of life—don’t let the setbacks discourage you.
As a functional medicine doctor, I look for the root of the problem and I focus on how to slow down the aging process. Through years of experience, I’ve witnessed how poor nutritional choices and lack of activity is the root cause for many of my patients’ ailments. Consuming nutrient-dense foods and adding a good exercise program is the best anti-aging prescription.
Keep in mind that as we age, we lose lean muscle mass and we start to burn less calories at rest. Although you can’t make time stop, preserving the muscle mass through exercise (such as resistance training) will keep you metabolically younger. Also, the more lean mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest.
One of the reasons many individuals fail at dieting is that they have other health imbalances that don’t allow them to meet their goals. Without the right balance of hormones even the best exercise and nutritional programs may not be enough to attain goals of health and weight loss. In addition, there may be other issues that could be hindering your weight loss efforts such as food intolerances, food allergies vitamin deficiencies and gut dysbiosis. Gut dysbiosis, meaning having inflammation and improper healthy bacteria in your intestines, can and will make it very difficult to lose weight, keep it off, and be healthy.
Eating less is not always the best thing when it comes to weight loss. Cutting out fats completely is another misconception and may not necessarily work for you.
If you are ready to make a lifestyle change and take control of your health but do not know where to begin, we can help. At Bellissimo Medical we work with patients to improve metabolic markers and optimize overall health through specialized testing, individualized nutrition, and customized exercise plans.
Call us today and schedule your free consultation at 954.384.8989. Dr. Jean-Claude Nerette is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Functional Medicine and Stephanie Muniz Nerette is a Board Certified Nurse Practitioner and a Diplomate to the Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. Bellissimo Medical is located at 2665 Executive Park Drive, Suite #3, in Weston.
