Brain Chemistry and Weight Control…

Does this sound familiar?

            “ I have struggled all my life with being fat.  I’ve tried every diet there is and nothing works.  Oh, I’ve lost weight before, but it isn’t a year before I’ve gained it all back and more.  Do I just need to accept the fact that I am always going to be fat?”

The truth is, people face two types of weight gain, metabolic and/or biochemical.  Metabolic is harder to address and people with metabolic issues need to set realistic goals for weight loss—being mean and lean is probably not a practical or realistic goal.  While a family history of obesity increases your chances of becoming obese by about 30 percent, heredity doesn’t destine you to be fat.  Genes may set the stage for being overweight, but your body weight is ultimately determined by diet, exercise and life balance and their influence on balanced brain chemicals.

Nevertheless, it is easier to address biochemical weight gain because this type of weight gain is largely caused of unbalanced brain chemicals that drive you to eat too much of the wrong things.

It is important to address weight loss in a way that will not cause more imbalances to your brain chemistry and to know your brain chemistry well enough to work with it to help you lose weight and keep it off.  You may be able to lose weight in the short term ignoring your brain chemistry, but this neglect of the whole body system can hurt your mental health in the process; possibly increasing issues of anxiety and/or depression to only name a few. 

REAL, LASTING CHANGE REQUIRES LOTS OF EFFORT.  THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES THAT LAST! 

Real success in weight management can only be measured over the long term.  We are talking about the need to make a Life-Style Change.  Wish we had better news for you, but the truth will set you free!

In the long-term fad dieting can destroy muscle mass and the weight loss is usually regained within two years.  This pattern of yo-yo dieting results in increased resistance to weight loss as the body ages, subjecting the body to increased stress on the vital organs.  In addition, fad diets seriously violate medically accepted nutritional guidelines for healthy living.  Being over weight is unhealthy, but the answer is not to implement more unhealthy patterns of eating.

Here’s some revolutionary news…..weight control is not all about will-power!

Willpower will never sustain change.  It takes internal motivation to do that and that internal motivation comes from seeing your negative symptoms change—which also means your brain chemistry is changing.  We can only do new behaviors for so long if we aren’t seeing and feeling a reward for doing them. 

Take exercise for example, you might see the benefits of exercise in a reduced waist measurement but you may not feel it.  If you don’t feel the benefit you won’t keep doing it.  In short, the willpower wears out and there is no chemical motivation to continue.  In the same way, you may see yourself dropping pounds by eating differently but if carrots and celery don’t really do it for you, no amount of visual reward will suffice for the need to feel good.  Feeling good is a brain chemistry issue.

Biochemistry of eating…

 Compulsive eating is really not a different issue than compulsive drinking or smoking.  The same chemical imbalance drives all three.  Some choose alcohol and cigarettes to feel better.  You may have learned to eat to feel better and the foods that feel best to you are probably high in fat, enriched white flour and full of sugar like donuts, cookies, ice cream, french fries and potato chips. 

Low serotonin levels drive carbohydrate cravings and are also responsible for the brain not knowing how to detect that the stomach is full in a timely manner—that is, before too much food is consumed.  It’s not the kind of food that causes weight gain as much as it is the quantity.

Diet Non-Solutions…

Avoiding carbs--Carboydrates get a bad rap and too many people with low serotonin opt for no carb diets that can magnify weight problems long term.  The problem with simple carbohydrates (sweets and foods made from refined sugars and flours) is that they have a chemical structure that can be more readily stored as fats in the body if they are eaten in quantities that are not burned off as energy. 

Complex carbohydrates (whole, unprocessed foods containing naturally occurring vitamins, minerals and fiber) require the body to work harder (burn more calories) in their digestion and are a longer lasting fuel source than simple carbohydrates.  If you think you might be sensitive to weight gain when eating carbohydrates, you should focus on those foods that are low glycemic (have a low sugar content).  Eating adequate quantities of complex carbohydrates throughout the day is an important element in the amino acid conversion process that leads to balanced brain chemistry.

When people with low serotonin levels select a high protein, no or extremely low carbohydrate diet they are basically feeding their brain gas pedal type chemicals that gives lots of energy.  The problem is that this also robs your brain of serotonin by eating all those competing chemicals and not eating sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates to help the right chemicals cross the blood brain barrier. The long term effect is that serotonin levels can be lowered even further, increasing depression along with a felt need to engage in all the behaviors that promote weight gain in order to feel better. 

Artificial Sweeteners-- Use of artificial sweeteners is not the best diet choice because some of them are derived from proteins that are known to elevate the gas pedal chemicals that can increase anxiousness.  That’s not good because feeling anxious can drive your brain to do those negative calming behaviors like eating.  In addition, some scientific studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate the appetite in the same way sugar does.   

What you need to do is gradually wean yourself away from sweetness.  Instead of drinking Coke, try carbonated water.  If that’s too blah at first, add a little bit of fruit juice for flavor but eventually get back to plain water.  Small amounts of unrefined sugar are the best alternative.

What about exercise?

Healthy levels of consistent exercise may or may not have a direct effect on weight loss depending on whether your weight issues are metabolic or biochemical, but it will help you feel better overall; more energized, less depressed and less anxious.  Remember that when you feel better, you are less likely to engage in those negative behaviors that are promoting your weight gain.  Studies also indicate that enjoying some relaxing activity every day elevates serotonin too.

Next...Brain Chemistry Plays a Role in Relationships too >