5 Healthy Weight Management Tips & Why They’re Essential for Overall Health
“Most people assume a healthy weight can be determined by the reading on the bathroom scale,” Dr. Nicholas Perricone writes in his New York Times bestseller, “Forever Young.” He reminds us that this is not an accurate assessment because “it’s not the amount of weight you lose … but rather the kind of weight you lose.”
To better illustrate his point, he gives this example: if you gain 2 pounds of lean muscle mass and lose 2 pounds of body fat, the weight on the scale will remain unchanged. Therefore, safe and efficacious weight loss or maintenance is the preservation or formation of lean muscle and the depletion of excess body fat. By prioritizing lean muscle (healthy weight) and shedding excess body fat (unhealthy weight), you can help reduce your risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Getting Started: How to Prioritize Healthy Weight
1. Maintain stable blood sugar
Most people know high blood sugar is not good for you, but the “why” is less commonly understood. At a high level, consistently high blood sugar puts the body to work in overdrive, causing insulin spikes in an attempt to regulate blood sugar levels. With frequent spiking over time, cells can become less responsive to the insulin, leading to insulin resistance. Such resistance can start a vicious cycle that can lead to increased hunger and cravings, excess fat storage, hormone imbalances and fatigue, making healthy weight management especially difficult.
To maintain stable blood sugar levels and, therefore, help prevent spikes in insulin, it’s important to limit triggers such as stress, inactivity and sleep deprivation, plus opt for protein-rich meals with more fiber and less refined, processed sugars. Check out “Forever Young,” for healthy yet delicious recipes like this Mustard & Coriander-Crusted Salmon or this Watercress Dip With Chipotle and Lime.
If knowing stress’s impact on blood sugar levels isn’t motivating enough to get you to relax, perhaps learning that cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) can contribute to weight gain more directly will. In fact, chronic stress can elevate cortisol levels to the point of causing insatiable appetites, slowed metabolism, decreased muscle mass and even insulin resistance.
Minimize stress by prioritizing quality sleep, meditating (especially to help you unwind before bed, Dr. Perricone recommends), practicing mindfulness and making time for self-care.
Not surprisingly, the state of your gut’s microbiome is also linked to your appetite, metabolism and how your body stores fat, making it extremely difficult to lose weight if it’s imbalanced. While signs of a healthy gut include regular bowel movements, proper digestion, minimal gastrointestinal discomfort and overall wellness, an unhealthy gut reveals the opposite. Think stomach discomfort, bloating, irregular bowel movements, regularly loose stool or diarrhea, nausea and/or a weak immune system.
Whether you’re looking to improve or maintain your gut’s health, it’s important to limit stress (surprise surprise), stay hydrated, choose prebiotic- and probiotic-rich foods or supplements and limit processed foods.
There’s a reason they say “you are what you eat,” and it boils down to the fact that the food you consume directly affects your body as a whole. A nutrition plan rich in low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory foods and lean sources of protein is key. Some foods we love are wild salmon, chicken, old-fashioned oats, berries, fresh vegetables and healthy fats, like those found in avocados, nuts and olive oil.
Exercise is another vital factor in healthy body weight maintenance to prioritize muscle weight. Particularly low-impact cardio (walking, swimming, biking or dancing) and strength training (lifting, free weights or bodyweight exercises). That said, Dr. Perricone warns of overexercising, which can contribute to increases in cortisol that can potentially work against your weight management goals.
Finally, we can’t underscore the importance of nutritional supplements enough. As part of any holistic wellness plan, supplements are an essential source of nutrients that aren't always obtainable from the foods we eat.
When it comes to support for healthy weight management, lean muscle mass and improved digestion*, our Health & Weight Management Plus+ daily supplements are the clinically proven slimming sidekick you can rely on. Featuring a powerful blend of probiotics, postbiotics, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), alpha-lipoic acid, CoQ10, omega-3s and more, this nutritional formula checks off all of the above and then some. It does much of the lifting to help reduce body fat, support optimal levels of total cholesterol and blood sugar, curb cravings and alleviate abdominal discomfort.* When taken in conjunction with a balanced diet and exercise plan, they’re proven to help reduce body fat† and lower cholesterol by 19% in 8 weeks†† to have you on your way to an all-around healthy, conditioned you.
With a combination of healthy dietary choices, consistent movement, stress-relief practices, and nutritional supplements, you’ll begin to see optimal results for a noticeably healthier you from the inside-out.
