Weight loss program that works – run by Brisbane Naturopaths

It’s not your fault

Have you tried weight loss programs and ‘failed’? Have you ever felt like you are in battle with your weight?  Are you frustrated with why you put on fat whilst someone else eats much more than you and doesn’t gain a kilo? I have heard these and many related statements over my years of practice and I’m here to let you in on a little secret – IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT.  The blame lies with the designers of the ‘diet’ for not taking into consideration your individual physiological makeup (and I don’t just mean your genes) and for not assessing and addressing the myriad of factors that drive a body to store fat…and that’s where Vibe is different.

So what do I mean by ‘individual physiological makeup’? Consider that from childhood you have created an internal body environment that has been impacted by anything from the age at which you had your first antibiotics through to the number of children you’ve had and the time between them.  These and a long list of factors impact your hormonal and enzymatic function, and often not in a good way.  Hormones and enzymes are key messengers that control the function of the body. The individual variability in the function of these messengers can lead you to store fat, slow your fat burning capacity and all too frequently create a combination of both – and that really makes things difficult for you to manage your weight.  I consider these the forgotten factors in weight management that negatively impact not only body composition but also your quality of life.   To achieve your healthy weight management goals these factors must be assessed and addressed in order to switch-on fat burning and slow fat storage.

Are the following impacting your body composition?

Insulin resistance – do your cells respond to the message to store sugar as energy or store it as fat?

Stress hormone (cortisol) imbalance – high or low cortisol which can be impacted from your time in the womb, acute high-impact stress and low grade chronic stress

Low thyroid hormone  – the hormone that impacts the division and growth of every cell in the body and, when well, drives our internal furnace to burn fat whilst we rest

An imbalance in the sex hormones (oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone) – found in women with menstrual and menopausal symptoms but men should not discount these important messengers

Inflammation, which may be associated with but not limited to pain, food allergies/sensitivities, and/or general toxicity

An imbalance in the microbes within the digestive tract  – drives fat storage within its own right

Nutrient deficiency especially vitamin D, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids – all with a high deficiency potential

Poor cellular energy production capacity – tired of being tired?

Poor quantity and/or quality sleep – how often are you waking? Do you rise refreshed in the morning?

An imbalance in one of these factors frequently can lead to an imbalance in others that ends in a complex web that the team at Vibe are qualified and dedicated to helping unravel.  Through consultation and the use of functional and standard pathology testing we work to assess and monitor the progress to ensure that the programme is working as it should.  

Food as a messenger

Another aspect of the weight loss industry that may have set you up to fail is the use of the old theory that quantity of food and exercise are the only determinants of weight management. The ‘calories in / calories out’ hypothesis is still touted by many in the health and fitness industry as the key.  Unless all the other factors are addressed you are left feeling like a failure as you decrease food intake and increase exercise yet not achieve the results you desire.  Though the quantity of food and movement (note that’s movement not just the gym) are important parts of the weight management puzzle it is certainly more complex than that.  Discussion also needs to happen regarding the QUALITY of food and exercise.  For example, does the food intake provide a fat storage message or a fat burning one?  Is there the combination of resistance exercise with aerobic / cardio movement that sets up the body to maintain fat burning once the goals are achieved?

So much more than weight

Body composition as a whole needs to be taken into consideration not simply the number on the scale.  Body composition sees both fat mass and lean tissue / muscle mass as two important silos need to be considered separately as they have independent impacts on weight and overall health.  Muscle, for example, is important for the way in which the body handles sugar and fats from our foods, which in turn is important for maintaining a low fat mass.  All too frequently weight loss diets result in a loss of muscle mass.  For anyone who has tried to build muscle, you would know that is not easy (especially for the ladies as we have low levels of testosterone) and therefore avoiding muscle loss should be a key focus of a healthy, long term weight management programme.  At Vibe we use Bio-Impedance Analysis (BIA) to determine the body composition and monitor the status of fat and muscle independently to ensure that things are moving in the right direction. Scales, body mass index (BMI) and tape measurements can’t offer this degree of analysis and often give the wrong message.

How’s your relationship with food?

I believe your relationship with food is equally important as the knowledge of food.   Intellectually you can have all the understanding of the impact of food on the body but if there are underlying messages around particular foods as rewards or as comfort, then you may need assistance to replace the messages and change the story for now and forever.  The Vibe team has this covered and can work with you to overcome this all too frequent scenario.

Let us set you up to succeed

So if you want to get off the weight loss treadmill and work towards long-term weight management that provides body and mind support, then Vibe Natural Health is the place to be.  We are committed to working with you to be your best by treating you as an individual and taking the time to understand your body.  So set yourself up to succeed and join us at Vibe to unravel your fat storage web.

Need help to lose weight? Book an appointment now

The Naturopaths at Vibe Natural Health offer appointments at our clinic at 210 Days Rd, Grange in Brisbane.
Visit our appointment diary on the top right of screen to book now.
If you have questions, please email us rather than commenting on the blog at info@vibenaturalhealth.com.au

Or phone us on (07) 3366 7970. We would love to help you!

Click the “book appointment tab” on our main menu to find out more.