Overweight? What If It’s Not Your Fault?

My Perspective

I’ve been buying plus size clothes for a few dozen years.

I’ve tried weight loss challenges with friends. You know, the ones where if you cheat on the diet you have to clean their oven? I cleaned the oven.

I’ve tried:

—no sugar

—no grains

—no dairy

—fasting.

—carnivore.

—tapping. (Yes, you read that right. Tapping for weight loss. Google it.)

—hypnosis—the kind where you go into a resting state and listen to a voice saying, “See a table spread with nutritious things to eat. You will eat those instead of cookies and ice cream.” It successfully put me to sleep.

Where is the magic key? What am I missing? Should I try Keto? Mediterranean diet? Grapefruit diet?

Am I missing Omega 3s? Do I need a boost to my GLP-1 production? (I’m not a fan of drugs, but maybe a supplement could help.) Berberine?

I’m STILL wearing plus size clothes. I haven’t lost an ounce after years of trying. I feel like a sugaraholic!! So many good intentions, but I can’t stay on the wagon.

Can you relate?

I’m learning that you cannot lose weight if:

—you’re overloaded with toxins. (Toxins are stored in fat. It’s a protective mechanism to keep them away from internal organs. If you lose weight, your body says, “Whoa!! This is bad! All these toxins are now threatening your heart and lungs and other vital organs. We. Must. Have. Fat. It revs up your appetite and cravings. Then you’ve lost the battle.)

—your thyroid is sluggish. Then your metabolism is slooooower than molasses.

—your liver is .bogged down. Remember those toxins?

—your gut microbiome is out of whack. (Gut microbiome revs up or calms down appetite, cravings, and hunger.)

—you are under a lot of stress which amps up cortisol—a weight loss blocker.

—you’re not sleeping well. Stress!

—your nervous system is stuck in fight/flight. STRESS! (Your nervous system must be in healing mode to heal/lose weight.)

—your childhood wounds and brain patterns sabotage your attempts to lose weight by telling you, for example, that you don’t deserve to lose weight. Those old patterns will always win.

—your blood sugar is spiking like a roller coaster. It ramps up cravings like a magnet to metal.

—you are insulin resistant. Your fat becomes packed full of extra glucose and insulin that has no where else to go.

—your hormones are not balanced. (Also affects hunger and cravings.)

—you have nutrient deficiencies.

—you are a couch potato. and have no muscle. The more muscle, the higher the metabolism. The less muscle, the lower the metabolism.

On and on.

IS THERE ANY HOPE??

I’ve learned that:

Your body is trying to protect you. Your body needs the fat to store toxins, to store too much insulin, to store excess calories.

YOU MUST MAKE IT SO THAT YOUR BODY DOESN’T NEED THE FAT.

The bottom line is that being overweight IS. NOT. YOUR. Fault. It isn’t your lack of willpower. You are not lazy. It isn’t because you have the wrong diet or are eating the wrong foods. It’s more complicated than we’ve been told.

So, WHAT CAN I DO??????? Where do I start??

Do I just give up?

I’d love to find a pill or a protocol that would work for me to lose weight. Medications like Ozempic seem to be the only things that have had consistent success. But they come with a price tag—they cost mucho $$$$ and they take a toll on the body with muscle loss and other side effects. That’s not for me.

Where should I turn, then?

I know I have to ditch the Reese’s bars and hot fudge sundaes. I know it, but knowing hasn’t changed my habits or lessened my cravings.

HOW?

How can I make changes that will stick and will finally affect weight loss that stays? I’ve tried so many things! I can’t give up. I must try something else.

So, I purchased a Continuous Glucose Monitor! You can get one on Amazon. Here is one: https://a.co/d/16Fwh7z and another: https://www.signos.com › Glucose.

The information has been eye-opening!! Wow! With my usual habits of grabbing a cookie here and nibbling at some brownies there all day long, plus just an occasional small pancake with my eggs for breakfast and pasta for dinner, I must have been living in a blood glucose spike ALL Day LONG! No wonder I can’t lose weight, and I have inflammation and fatigue!

In order to heal this jittery metabolism and smooth out blood glucose levels, I need to know what foods will spike glucose levels and which ones I can safely eat. I’m finding that sugar and most fruit, breads, rice and pasta is deadly to glucose levels for me at least for now.

Guess what? It’s been the most motivating thing! When I see the glucose spike in real time, it’s disconcerting to say the least. And MOST satisfying to have a day with an even blood glucose. I can aim for better numbers when I KNOW how to do it by using the data from the glucose monitor. I can’t fool myself into thinking that ‘a little bit won’t hurt.’

The best part, though, is that there are hacks that help prevent spikes even if you do eat ice cream! Apple cider vinegar (comes in capsules if the real thing is too hard to drink,) berberine, fiber like chia or flax seeds, taking a walk or doing some squats all calm down the spike.

Will this be the ticket to leaving the plus size clothing department? Sign up for my newsletter at my website below and follow my health journey and other family life stories:

www.elevenkidslater.com

Program: Glucose Insider’s Academy On IG: @emilycorneliusnutrition www.emilycorneliusnutrition.mykajabi.com

This program is SUPER helpful in teaching how to stabilize blood sugars with very convenient hacks and tips. Get the free masterclass and see what you think.