It’s the new year! Have you promised yourself to become a healthier you? Weight loss is a big mystery to a lot of people. Maybe you’ve tried so many different ways to do it, and some worked for a while, and some didn’t at all.
Well that stops now.
Every BODY is different, and everyone’s situation is unique. What works for one person may not be the exact recipe for success for somebody else. However, there are some basic things everyone can do if they want to truly lose the excess weight from a place of healing where it will not come back later. We’ll assess why weight gains happens, and then I’ll share 3 sure-fire ways to finally lose the weight, keep it off for good, and glow with health from the inside out!
Why Do We Gain Weight?
AN OVERBURDENED LIVER
What in the world does your liver have to do with losing weight? Isn’t it the thyroid that causes all the problems?
The thyroid gets a bad rap because when it is out of balance, the metabolism is out of balance, which can cause weight issues. However, we must look at why the thyroid is out of balance. The real cause? The liver is overloaded with fat from our diets, toxins, and viruses. A liver under stress cannot support the other organs in the body, which causes them to have more problematic issues – often which include weight gain.
One of the many important jobs our livers do for us is to process fat and shield the rest of the body from toxins and viruses. When the liver is barraged by all of these – coming from our diets, our environment, and more – it begins to work in overdrive. Soon it can’t keep up, and combined with the lack of oxygen from fattier blood and low glucose it begins to go into survival mode. The liver can’t process the fat as well anymore, and fat begins to build up in the blood, in other organs in the body, and around the waist. (For incredible information regarding the liver and why it is essential we take care of it, I recommend reading Liver Rescue by Anthony William.)
“But I eat healthy!” Some of you may protest. I see many clients who eat a version of “healthy” that is certainly better than the Standard American Diet (SAD), but not in a way that will clean and support the liver. Even those who subscribe to plant-based, vegan, paleo, etc. diets often unknowingly have preservatives, chemicals, and fats in their diets that end up burdening the liver and eventually causing weight gain (and/or other health conditions).
A BODY UNDER STRESS
We’ve all heard that stress can do some incredibly damaging things to our health. Weight gain is no different – stress certainly plays a factor, but in more ways than you may think.
The liver takes the brunt of the stress that we encounter in our lives. There can be many different kinds of stressors, not just the kind we immediately think of that comes from a job or personal life. For example, you can be having a joyful life, but live next door to someone constantly spraying pesticides because of an ant or spider problem. These environmental toxins put a significant amount of stress on the body, and it begins to react to and hold onto these toxins. There is the typical emotional stress we’re aware of that comes from a job, or needing self-care, etc. The liver can also be overburdened by foreign organisms (a viral load) in the body and working hard to protect the rest of the body from the virus.
Sometimes the more you exercise, the harder it is to lose weight. Have you ever experienced this? When we run and work out, the adrenaline in our body kicks it up a notch. The liver is already so congested with hormones and adrenaline that anything else which floods the body with adrenaline will saturate the liver and leave it no room to neutralize the adrenaline. The liver starts holding on to all of this “muck-muck” and isn’t able to function at its best, causing weight gain.
A CONGESTED LYMPHATIC SYSTEM
I cover the lymphatic system and its crucial role in our health and wellbeing in detail in this video with Melissa Hanson, vegan health coach and food blogger, from Hanson’s Kitchen. The foods and fluids we eat and our activity throughout the day can either clog our lymphatic system or help it flow. When the lymph system is clogged, it’s hard for the body to get rid of toxicity – and thus, hard for the body to get rid of weight. See this post for more ways to reset lymph flow and decrease bloating.
3 Sure-Fire Ways to Lose Weight and Glow From the Inside Out
Now, for the remedy. Once we’ve taken into account our liver, our stress, and our lymphatic system, what’s next?
REEVALUATE YOUR DIET.
You might not like it, but we have to face it: processed food, dairy, wheat, eggs, soy, corn, and animal protein are inflammatory. When the liver is inflamed, fatty, backed up, and sluggish, those foods will burden the liver. Whether you’re lactose intolerant or not, dairy will clog the liver. These are the basics that everyone can cut back on.
Here is a trajectory that can help:
- Cut out animal protein if you’re having a lot of it.
- Cut out all oils – for sure “bad” oils, but even “good” oils – they are all “glue-y” and heavy on the liver.
- Cut out fats – even good fats like nuts and avocado. Avocados are amazing and super healthy, but when the liver is congested, we want to give it a break from the fats for awhile and let it breathe. For example, when you are sick you need to rest and not do your regular activities. You need to lay in bed and rest and recoup. This is what we’re going to do with the liver: give it a break.
So what can you eat?! Consuming a large amount of these foods consistently is amazing for the liver and fabulous for weight loss:
- Cranberries (of course!) 1 cup a day. See my posts below from the Cranberry Challenge for recipe ideas and nutritional info.
- Greens, greens, greens! If you’re doing one salad a day, increase it to 3-4 salads a day. Change it up and have a variety of greens – arugula, red leaf lettuce, cabbage, dandelion greens, spinach, kale, collard greens, etc. If you can only do one, do it – but the more variety, the better.
- Fruit! Don’t have fruit fear. Fruit is hydrating to the body and provides amazing minerals the body craves for health. Fruit also contains so many antioxidants which are incredible for healing the body and for longevity of life!
- Vegetables!
- Asparagus is great for the liver and for losing weight.
- Brussel sprouts
- Squashes
- Any foods high in vitamin C (artichokes, cauliflower, fennel, garlic, onions, potatoes, radishes, etc.)
- Dulse! This salty sea vegetable gets the toxins out of the body and is full of iodine that supports the thyroid. An amazing way to get this sea veggie in your diet is through the Heavy Metal Detox smoothie!
Many people get misguided into only eating 1 meal or 3 small meals a day, or not snacking. However, this is creating stress in your body! When your body is gaining weight, much of the cause is from the adrenals being stressed. The adrenals get more stressed when they’re not being taken care of. Imagine them as a brand new baby that you have to feed every 2 hours. Nurse them back to health by eating a lot of foods that have high water content and minerals in them. Snack on fruits & vegetables throughout the day. (I also love these little licorice root candies that are helpful for losing weight. They bring down the adrenals and negate the pathogen load in the body.) When the body is trying to perform its functions, it needs to have bioavailable nutrients consistently throughout the day. Worried about how to get your protein? Here’s an article that can help.
BOOST YOUR FLUID INTAKE.
Yes, we know, 8 glasses a day and all that. But really! Most of the clients I see are dehydrated. They often don’t realize how little they are drinking. A rule of thumb is to drink at least half your body weight in ounces. Eating more hydrating foods (fruits & vegetables) which will help flush the liver and lymphatic system. Here are some simple ones to give you some inspiration:
- Watermelon
- Cherries
- Berries
- Kiwi
- Celery juice
- Cucumbers & cucumber juice
I couldn’t write a post like this without sharing my favorite daily drink! I have shared this on social media before, but here it is again for those that may have missed it:
Lemon-honey-ginger water
This drink hydrates the organs on a deep level, provides amazing vitamins and minerals, and is revitalizing to the body! The ginger busts fat cells, and the optional turmeric root pulls inflammation out and heals the liver.
Ingredients:
- The juice of 3 lemons
- 3-5 tablespoons of raw organic honey
- 1-2 inch chunk of ginger, chopped small
- 50-60 ounces of pure filtered water
- 1 inch chunk of turmeric (optional)
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Strain through a sieve or nut-milk bag to remove ginger fibers (optional).
- Enjoy throughout the day!
SUPPLEMENT TO SUPPORT YOUR BODY.
If you’re wondering why supplements are necessary or worth the money, I suggest reading more in this post. Each individual’s need for supplementation varies, but these are basic ones that will help with weight loss and overall health. You can start with the recommended dosage on the bottle, but I highly recommend working with a health practitioner or setting up an appointment with me to get dosages specific to your body.
- Methylfolate
- Zinc
- B12
- Reishi and chaga mushroom
- Aloe vera – don’t skimp on this! You can do it as a supplement, but also eat it, drink it, blend it – and do it in large amounts. Aloe vera not only helps weight loss, but also pulls inflammation out, calms the adrenals, soothes the digestive tract, helps the lymphatic system – it supports the body on many levels.
Here’s a video with Melissa Hanson, vegan health coach and food blogger, where I dive into some other aspects of weight loss:
Moving forward
Everyone is different, with different bodies and different needs. For example, someone may cut out animal protein and not lose weight, then cut out oils and not lose weight, then cut out nuts and suddenly the weight just falls off. Then there could be someone who has a great diet but they are not addressing some major stressors, or not eating consistently. Also, at different times in our lives, different things work. Perhaps in the past someone has only been able to eat dinner and lose weight, but now that is not working. There can be many reasons why one way works at one time and not another: our liver and glands have been fighting us all this time and finally have gone kaput; maybe the hair dye someone has used for the last 20 years is toxic and has finally caught up to them; maybe a major life stressor happened such as a divorce, loss of a loved one, or a move, etc.
A weight loss journey can be difficult and challenging, yet full of triumph and vitality. Be compassionate to yourself throughout this process. Your body is amazing, it can heal, and it’s never failed you. It does so much for you, and allows you to do so many things. We just need to look at our lives and see how we can adjust to support our bodies more. Have patience and compassion for yourself as you move towards a body full of glowing health that will only allow you to enjoy more of life!
Blessings,
Amber
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. At no cost to you, I may earn a small commission from the sale of these products. This assists my work in supporting others on their healing journey to health.
