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The Cycle of Weight Gain

Blog, Weight Management
  • February 7, 2022

Changing behaviours is not easy. Most people are unable to keep their New Year’s resolutions, whether they pertain to getting a slimmer waistline, eating healthier, or exercising more. The cycle of weight gain is complex and driven by behaviours that you can modify, such as inactivity, poor diet, inadequate sleep, and stress, and other factors that you are less likely to change (for example, your environment and genetics).

Studies have shown that individuals that are successful in losing weight usually try several methods prior to achieving their goal. However, good nutrition and eating habits always play a key role in weight management, and focusing on meaningful long-term goals, such as improving health or living longer, is usually more effective than focusing on the number on your scale. In other words, a slimmer waistline may look good for a short period of time, but it is less likely to motivate you in the long term.

In this article, we will briefly explain the key features of the cycle of weight gain as it pertains to modifiable behaviours (healthy vs. unhealthy habits).

Summary Points:

  • Human behaviours that affect the cycle of weight gain are modifiable.
  • Nutrition is most important in weight management, followed by other lifestyle factors (e.g., exercise, sleep, and stress management).
  • A well-balanced, nutritious diet and mindful eating techniques break the cycle of weight gain.
  • Multi-ingredient supplementation with certain plant nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins may be beneficial to support weight loss.

Cycle of Weight Gain – Behavioural Aspects  

Breaking the cycle of weight gain is not easy but starts with gradually replacing unhealthy habits with behaviours that improve your health.

Unhealthy habits
The cycle of weight gain is fuelled by several factors, such as your genetics, environment, and modifiable behaviours/habits (e.g., exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management).

Unhealthy habits include poor nutrition, overeating, and physical inactivity (e.g., caloric surplus) and lead to body fat accumulation, cell damage, inflammation, and impaired metabolism (Fig. 1).

Caloric Intake > Caloric Expenditure = Caloric Surplus
Figure 1. Unhealthy habits lead to caloric surplus and weight gain, with poor nutrition and overconsumption being the key, driving factors.

What does the research say?

  • Poor nutrition and overconsumption of high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods play the biggest roles in weight gain.
  • Limit intake of processed foods, simple sugars, and saturated fats (e.g., Western diets), which are known to cause cell damage, inflammation, and obesity.
  • Counting calories and restriction diets are generally cumbersome, unsustainable, and even unhealthy if overly restrictive.

Healthy habits
In contrast, healthy habits, such as a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet, mindful eating, and regular exercise (caloric balance or deficit), replace fat with muscle, mitigate damage, dampen inflammation, and improve metabolism (Fig. 2).

 

Caloric Intake ≤ Caloric Expenditure = Caloric Balance or Deficit
Figure 2. Healthy habits lead to caloric balance and weight maintenance OR caloric deficit and weight loss.

 

What does the research say?

  • Consume a well-balanced diet and be more mindful of your eating habits, including what, how much, and when you are eating.
  • Drink water with all your meals, take time to eat, eat in company, and pay attention to your satiety cues.
  • Weight loss medications are not for everyone, should never replace healthy eating habits or exercise, and may have side effects.
  • Certain natural plant extracts, antioxidants, and vitamins may help reduce your appetite and/or the biological side effects of Western diets.
  • Knowledge is power, and if you are exploring supplement options, it is important that you are aware of what you are putting into your body – make sure that your supplement of choice is safe and effective!

At StayAbove Nutrition™, we carefully design and rigorously test our products to make sure they are safe and effective. Trim 7 has been designed to support any weight loss journey using the mitigation strategies discussed in this article. In addition, Trim 7 has been shown to support weight management in both preclinical and clinical research studies.

Trim 7 uses a multi-ingredient approach to target multiple pathways that drive the cycle of weight gain.

Read about how the various ingredients in Trim 7 work and how they can help you break the cycle of weight gain in part 2 of this blog.

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