The Best Way to Lose Weight: Four Pillars of Metabolic Health

Weight loss is most impactful and lasting when intensive lifestyle intervention is incorporated.  This is because weight is determined by the interaction of your biology, genetics, and environment. It’s the result of how your unique metabolic system responds to things like the food you eat, the amount you sleep and exercise, and even the emotional stress you’re under. 

Addressing these lifestyle factors is an essential step in targeting the root cause of weight gain and helping you to reset your metabolic system so you can achieve sustained weight loss. 

REAL RESULTS THAT LAST

If you’ve tried traditional diets and found the results frustrating and short-lived—you're not alone. When the number on your scale gets stuck, it's not because you need more willpower, it’s because your metabolic system is programmed to do everything in its power to maintain your weight.

Studies show that we each have something called a biological “set point,” which is the weight our bodies work hard to maintain—regardless of whether or not that weight is metabolically healthy. 

The biology behind set points developed as a kind of warning signal to help keep us alive in times when food might be scarce. In other words, in the modern era, we might be restricting calories to lose weight, but when the number on the scale goes below our set point, our bodies interpret this as famine and do their best to save energy, make each calorie last longer, and ultimately hold onto every pound.

But here’s the kicker—your set point isn’t permanently fixed. It can be altered through interventions that thoughtfully address the underlying biology. Calibrate’s program focuses on the Four Pillars of Metabolic Health that are proven to create the best weight health results: food, sleep, exercise, and emotional health. 

Here’s how targeting each pillar works to help you feel better, lose weight, and improve your overall metabolic health.

FOOD AND WEIGHT LOSS

We all know what it’s like to eat mindlessly. Whether you’re accustomed to eating meals in front of the TV, while staring at your phone, or in between commuting hours in your car, eating without paying attention not only distracts you from the pleasure of food—it can also make you lose touch with your body’s hunger and fullness signals.

Calibrate’s food philosophy will help you find ways to eat more mindfully, while also help establish a sustainable and flexible approach to nutrition that focuses on minimizing fast-digesting carbs and making healthier choices that include protein, fiber, and healthy fats––without restricting or counting calories. These small and sustainable changes to your meal planning won’t just work to lower your blood sugar and improve your gut health, you’ll also feel more in control of what you eat.

SLEEP AND WEIGHT LOSS

In today’s 24-hour world, it’s easy to let your to-do list get the best of your schedule. But research shows that lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your physical health. In fact, one study found that people who sleep just five hours a night tend to gain an additional two pounds per year compared to those who sleep seven to nine hours.

Getting quality sleep is crucial to our brain and metabolic health. But consistency is also key. A 2018 study found a strong correlation between irregular sleep times and an increased risk of cardiometabolic health factors. What’s more, the more irregular the sleeping schedules, the higher the risks were.

Here’s the good news: if poor sleep and inconsistent schedules are disruptive to your health and weight loss goals, that means that consistent, quality sleep can actually improve your overall and metabolic health. (Yes, there are studies to prove it.)

At Calibrate, you will learn how to develop a schedule to improve sleep quality and minimize cardiometabolic health factors with 7-9 nightly hours of restful sleep. 

EXERCISE AND WEIGHT LOSS

It’s no secret that regular exercise can have a ripple effect of benefits on your overall health. Multiple studies show that exercise can improve your heart health, bone health, reduce your risk of cancer and risk of type 2 diabetes, and boost your mood. 

Of course, exercise is also key when it comes to losing weight—and keeping it off. Specifically, exercise can help you maintain weight loss by increasing your metabolism and muscle mass and priming your brain to make healthier food choices.

Our exercise approach focuses on prioritizing 150 minutes of movement each week, making it a regular and positive part of the day, and incorporating resistance training over time to improve metabolic health.

EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WEIGHT LOSS

We all know what it feels like to be stressed—whether your muscles tense up, your throat tightens, or your heart starts to beat faster, chronic stress can have a lasting impact on your mental and physical health.

Our bodies developed stress mechanisms in order to escape from danger. This “fight or flight” mode came in handy when running from predators in the wild, but in today’s world, this process can take a toll on our nerves, blood vessels, organs, mind, and immune function.

Over time, ongoing stress can also lead to deeper health issues. Studies show that long-term stress can increase LDL (or bad cholesterol) levels, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. More significantly, stress is a leading factor in increasing the risk for most chronic conditions, including heart disease, cancer, depression, and diabetes.

Unsurprisingly, stress levels can also influence hormones that affect your eating habits, metabolism, and weight. With Calibrate’s approach to emotional health, you’ll learn how to incorporate science-backed methods to reduce stress and recognize emotional triggers that influence metabolic health.

CALIBRATE'S APPROACH TO WEIGHT LOSS

Research shows that comprehensive programs like ours create the best results and can help you lose at least 10% of your body weight. This percentage is considered to be clinically-significant because it can lower several risk factors for cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, while also reducing symptoms of depression, arthritis, and sleep apnea.

Because we use science to target the four proven pillars of metabolic health, we fight biology with biology. Join now to start building your new, healthier day-to-day.