The Weight Loss Struggle

  There are a lot of people out there that struggle with weight loss. I have found that I am one of those people too. Watching others lose weight fast is frustrating. You think, "why can't i be like that?". It seems as if no matter what you do, the weight just doesn't come off. Well this is how i feel. Knowing i have to lose 35 lbs to be back to my "normal" size is overwhelming. Here are some things that could potentially interfere with you losing weight.

• Thyroid imbalance 
• Lack of nutrition 
• Lack of exercise
• Stress
• To much processed foods
• Not enough sunlight (Vitamin D!)
• Not getting enough sleep
• Counting calories, but not eating clean wholesome foods
• Sugar
• Food allergies you are not aware of

 Thyroid issues can be a huge cause for not losing those pounds. When your thyroid isn't functioning well, it throws your body off balance. Eating the right foods though can help. Like eating more greens to your diet. Americans today just don't eat enough vegetables (that are NOT cooked). This leads me to my next points.

 Lack of nutrition, exercise, and sunlight. These 3 things your body can NOT go without. When you cooked foods for every meal, your body is not getting the required nutrients it needs to function, which sends your body into "starvation" mode which stores fat. Now, i know it's hard to eat 100% raw fruits and veggies. I'm not asking anyone to (yet). Start out slow, change one meal to all raw. And raw doesn't have to be salads all the time. There's a huge collection of raw recipes out there! Check out Raw Loulou for a list of some great raw food blogs! Next, go outside and exercise! That way you get your sunlight and exercise at the same time!

 Reduce stress. Stress is a major factor in weight gain. Go do something that is fun. Watch a funny movie, laugh, or just sit and have some quiet time to yourself. If you still can't get stuff off of your mind that stress you out, try herbs in supplement form such as passionflower.

Eating to much processed foods can wreck havoc on your system. Not only with weight gain, but also with your general health. Try eating more whole foods. Instead of eating those lucky charms for breakfast, try a smoothie, or homemade fruit salad.

Lack of sleep can be a huge problem to your over all health. Make sure you get plenty of rest. Stress can cause sleeplessness, so when you correct the stress in your life, sleeping better normally is a side affect.

Counting calories, but still eating "garbage" can cause people to not lose that extra weight. What good is counting calories if you are still eating processed junk food? Beware of products that say "low fat" or "low calories" because they will be more processed than other foods. If you are eating good whole foods, and still want to count calories, than go ahead! You may be surprised that most fruits and vegetables have low calories anyways.

Sugar. That delicious white substance that makes everything better. The one thing that most people are addicted to and have cravings for. If you can't get away from the sweet, try some alternatives. Like local raw honey, stevia, dates, or raw agave nectar. Dates are my personal favorite. And you can make lots of raw desserts with them. Bottom line though, stay away from sugar!

Finally, make sure you don't have any hidden food allergies. You may be eating foods that your body is reacting to, which will cause weight gain, or lack of weight loss. Many people have food allergies that they don't know about.

My best advice to those who can't lose those extra pounds is to eat good clean wholesome foods, and exercise daily. It is tough, but we are in this together! For the month of May, i will be cleansing, and eating as much raw and wholesome foods as I can. Join me on my journey!