Embracing Grace & Balance for Health in 2025
January 2025 Newsletter
Welcome Back!
As we usher in the New Year, our phones have been ringing non-stop with calls from individuals eager to restart our program or have heard about the program and want to become members. Each January brings the same hopeful scenario for new patients and returning patients alike. I want to take a moment to talk about something vital—Grace.
Grace is not just a word; it's an action. Grace is the undeserved blessing that we shower on ourselves and others. Here at The Weigh Station, we extend grace to individuals returning after gaining back weight, understanding the powerful grip of food addiction—sugars, sodas, carbohydrates. They've made excuses, yes, but instead of turning them away, we offer them grace as a fresh start and hopeful new beginning. Especially with the addition of GLP-1 medications and others that address the physiologic/mental drive for poor quality, processed, weight gaining foods.
I know the grace and hopefulness of new beginnings and the struggles of repeated failures. From those failures we learn and grow and with the grace of others we can rise to achieve our goals.
We all make repeated mistakes. So, as you set your goals for 2025, remember to extend grace to yourself—that undeserved forgiveness.
Eating Too Few Calories and Over-Exercising Can Slow Weight Loss Efforts!
For our new members:
You've joined The Weigh Station, ready to exercise and embrace a healthier lifestyle. However, instead of sticking strictly to the program goals outlined by the physician, you've decided to cut back on some recommended proteins, fruits, or veggies, while upping your exercise regimen, thinking this will accelerate your progress. But why isn't your weight budging or even going in the wrong direction?
Surprisingly, sometimes less can be more with exercise, and more can be beneficial with food. Here's why:
The Science Behind It:
The explanation involves both metabolism and hormone regulation. One key player is cortisol, a stress hormone. While cortisol helps us wake up and mobilizes fat in the morning, chronic elevation, especially when combined with insulin and insulin resistance, can lead to increased visceral fat storage around the abdomen.
Stress and Cortisol: The holiday season can already be stressful, and when you add excessive cardio and calorie restriction, it's like adding fuel to the fire. This can spike your stress levels, leading to higher cortisol.
Water Retention: Elevated cortisol can cause water retention, which might mask actual fat loss. When you increase your calorie intake and reduce intense exercise, this retention might decrease as cortisol levels drop.
Leptin Resistance: Cortisol can also interfere with leptin, a hormone that signals satiety. A study showed that combining a low-calorie diet with six hours of cardio per week can lead to leptin resistance and a slowed metabolic rate, both linked to high cortisol levels.
The Psychological Impact:
Those who struggle most with this issue often feel intense pressure about losing weight quickly. They adopt an all-or-nothing approach, with little patience for slow progress. If fat loss stalls, even for a week, the response might be to cut calories further and increase cardio, driven by a "harder is better" mentality. This approach can backfire, causing the body to produce more cortisol due to stress.
The Solution:
Relax: Take a break, follow The Weigh Station’s balanced recommendations, and consider lighter activities like walking instead of intense cardio.
Moderation: Everything in moderation. Your weight wasn’t gained overnight, and it won't be lost that way either. Patience is key.
Mindset Shift: Make 2025 your year for health by setting realistic goals. Many resolutions fail because of overwhelming, unattainable targets that lead to disappointment. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.
By understanding and respecting our body's signals and the complex interplay of hormones like cortisol, you can make more informed decisions about diet and exercise. Let's make this year one of balanced, sustainable health improvements at The Weigh Station.
See you in the office,
Justin Lindsey, D.O.
