Fat. As much as most people wish to avoid it altogether, it is one of the most talked-about topics of all time. It seems as though we have continually searched for clues about why excess fat affects some people and not others. We want to know why it feels so difficult to avoid a little extra padding here and there, and we want to know what we can do to lose the extra pounds when they pile on. According to multiple sources, the answer is simple. They say that we gain weight because we are consuming more calories than we burn. Doing this for a day may be no big deal. Repeatedly consuming more than we use leads to obesity. The equation of supply and demand, they say, is simple. But, is it, really?
Very Real Challenges to Weight Loss
If we look to social media platforms like Instagram as a guide to weight loss, we may feel as if we’re the only one struggling. The reality is, the body takes our weight loss efforts personally and so it works against us to maintain what has become the norm. If too many calories are cut too quickly, the body responds by slowing metabolism down to a crawl. When we start to lose weight through any means, the body decreases production of the hormone leptin, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full. Furthermore, the body increases the production of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. This is just one of several examples of challenges we face when we attempt to achieve physical improvements.
What to Do to Love Your Body More
It may be unrealistic to drastically cut calories to get the body you want. You may also be doing yourself a disservice by buying into the idea that decreasing calories and upping calorie burn is the best way to lose weight. In addition to implementing healthy eating habits that include lean protein, healthy fats, and lots of green leafy vegetables, you may achieve long-term benefits from engaging in even low-impact exercise like walking. The best rule of thumb we have ever heard is to make exercise something to look forward to by choosing joyful activities. If yoga isn’t your thing, you won’t enjoy it and if you don’t enjoy it, you probably won’t maintain your exercise habit.
Loving your body more isn’t just about using self-discipline to lose weight. Stubborn fat is called that for a reason; it resists the efforts to slim down. This is where treatment like liposuction comes in. Liposuction is a proven, minimally-invasive procedure that extracts fat cells from a problem area to reveal smoother, slimmer contours. The procedure is not the solution in itself but icing on the cake of your healthy lifestyle.
Learn more about liposuction and what it can do for you. Call our Austin office at (512) 450-1077 to schedule a consultation.
