With a new year often comes new (or renewed) goals. One of the most common? Lose that extra weight.
In essence, losing weight is simple. As Dr. Ko recommends, “Exercise moderately and eat less. It is best to eat less foods that can make you gain weight, such as carbohydrates, high calories or fat.” Overall, you want to burn more calories than you ingest each day.
But reality can be very different. Issues like insulin resistance, hormone imbalance, stress, and other hidden culprits can make losing weight feel like an uphill battle, no matter how hard you try.
This year, take a different approach to losing weight – for good. Rather than take on the latest fad diet or resort to restrictive eating plans and overly strenuous workouts, reset your body balance and metabolism with acupuncture.
Does Acupuncture Work for Weight Loss?
If you’ve struggled with your weight for a while now, you’ve probably tried it all. Trendy diets, supplements, workouts, fasting…these strategies can help you shed pounds initially, but they usually don’t get to the real reason your body is holding on to extra weight.
That’s where acupuncture and Oriental medicine come in. Acupuncture not only addresses the physical aspects of weight loss (such as low immunity, fat metabolism, and appetite), but also supports the balance of energy within the body to address the root cause of your weight gain. When the body is back in balance, your weight naturally normalizes and it’s easier to maintain your fitter figure.
To understand how acupuncture works for weight loss, think of your body like a boat. Unfortunately, there is a hole in the bottom of your boat, allowing water to seep in. You are sinking under all that water weight. Habits like diet, exercise, and supplements act as a bucket, that you can use to scoop water out of your boat and start to float again. But, without fixing that hole, more water will fill up and you’ll eventually sink again. Acupuncture is your plug. With this tool, you can plug the hole that keeps sabotaging your efforts and stop the constant struggle.
Acupuncture also helps address the mental aspects of weight management. Dr. Ko explains that to lose weight, “You must be mentally strong. Humans are born and live to eat. That is the reason it is difficult to lose weight. Humans live to eat and enjoy delicious and good things.” By supporting mental balance and reducing stress, acupuncture can help you reach your weight loss goals.
Acupuncture Benefits for Weight Loss
How does acupuncture work for weight loss? From an Oriental medicine perspective, acupuncture restores the balance of Yin and Yang, encourages healthy qi (energy) flow, and supports the elimination of “dampness,” or excess fluid and fat accumulation. From a biomedical point of view, acupuncture helps control appetite and regulate the nervous system processes that manage weight and digestion.
But what does this mean for you and your goals? Let’s explore what these benefits mean for our weight loss efforts:
Acupuncture Supports Digestion
Acupuncture plays a crucial role in enhancing the digestive process, allowing for better nutrient absorption and more regular elimination. The insertion of needles at specific points stimulates the release of digestive enzymes, promoting the efficient breakdown of food. This improved digestive efficiency means your body can absorb essential nutrients needed for energy, fat metabolism, sleep, and other factors that support a healthy weight.
Additionally, acupuncture can help you remove water weight and waste more efficiently. It works by stimulating gastrointestinal motility and improving the function of digestive organs like your large intestine, so you can avoid issues like bloating and constipation.
Acupuncture Reduces Appetite and Cravings
One of the most challenging hurdles of losing weight is the battle against cravings, especially when it comes to stress eating and sugary treats. Thankfully, acupuncture can help by targeting specific points associated with appetite control.
Certain acupuncture points are known to regulate the release of hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin, which play a key role in appetite regulation. This effectively reduces the urge to indulge in unhealthy indulgences or binge snacking. Other points have been shown to reduce cravings for sweets to help you stay on track with your healthy eating plan.
Acupuncture Improves Hormone Balance
If you’re doing everything you can to lose weight and not seeing any results, hormone imbalances are likely at play. Hormones play a pivotal role in weight management, and when they’re out of balance, it can be hard for your body to shed pounds even when you’re dieting and exercising.
The good news is that acupuncture can significantly influence hormones. Specifically, it balances hormones such as cortisol and insulin, which are closely linked to stress, blood sugar regulation, and weight management. By rebalancing your hormones, you can reverse insulin resistance and other underlying factors that could be sabotaging your efforts.
Acupuncture Speeds Up Metabolism and Fat Burn
Has your metabolism slowed down to a creep? It’s normal for metabolism to slow as we age, but if you’re struggling to lose weight, you could be dealing with a sluggish system.
Acupuncture can rev up your metabolism and enhance your body’s fat-burning mechanisms so you can make progress faster. How does acupuncture do it? By stimulating specific points, acupuncture can influence the sympathetic nervous system, which plays a role in metabolic rate regulation. Acupuncture has also been associated with increased lipolysis—the breakdown of fats—making it easier for the body ability to burn stored fat for energy.
Acupuncture Reduces Stress
Are you suffering from “stress belly?” Chronic stress does more than leave us feeling annoyed and tired. It can also make us gain weight, particularly around the abdominal area.
As one of the most effective passive stress relief practices, acupuncture can help. Acupuncture is extremely helpful for modulating the release of stress hormones, including cortisol. Over time, too-high levels of cortisol can cause the body to hold on to weight, particularly fat tissue. Therefore, through the relaxation response triggered by acupuncture, cortisol levels fall into balance, as does your weight.
Acupuncture Improves Energy and Athletic Performance
Need to burn more fat during exercise? Want to feel more energized throughout the day? Looking to live a more active lifestyle that naturally supports your ideal weight?
Acupuncture is a favorite therapy among athletes and active people alike, due to its energy-enhancing benefits. This boost in energy and endurance translates to better calorie and fat burn during physical activities and overall improved athletic performance. Studies show that acupuncture can also improve muscle recovery. This helps you avoid workout burnout and stay on track with your weight loss goals.
Lose Weight with 120 Acupuncture Clinic this Year
If losing weight is your top wellness priority this year, give your body a jumpstart with acupuncture. Not only does acupuncture make the weight loss journey easier and more effective, but it also supports your energy, mood, sleep, and other key factors that come together to create a fit and healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Ko and the team at 120 Acupuncture Clinic in Studio City, Los Angeles are here to help you lose weight safely and effectively. Book your appointment today, or call us at 1-818-980-7979 to get started on the path to feeling your best.
