Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem…there are many products and services out there that are designed to help you lose weight.
If exercise & working out isn’t really your thing (or isn’t working), perhaps you want a company that will count calories for you and feed you pre-made meals.
If that is what you want, then there are many options available. Thousands of people use companies like the above-mentioned in order to try to lose weight. These companies are not necessarily bad, but there are pitfalls.
However, using pre-made foods from a national weight loss program can create problems when it comes to food allergies, intolerance and sensitivities. Their food products are based on calories and flavor. They very rarely take into account common food allergies and intolerances.
If you unknowingly suffer from a food allergy or intolerance, there is a very good chance that products designed specifically for weight loss will contain one or more of the ingredients that you need to avoid.
These products are not hypoallergenic. So even though you are trying to take care of yourself and eat a healthy diet, you can still end up feeling lousy and having difficulty with your weight.
When it comes to food allergies and intolerances, everyone is different. Most solutions for losing weight or gaining weight are generic recommendations that are not based on your individual needs. Just because Jared was able to lose weight eating Subway sandwiches does not mean that you will too. We enjoy Subway once in a while, but that doesn’t mean that we blindly recommend it to all of our patients.
When working with patients who are having trouble with their weight, we always evaluate them for, amongst other things, food allergies and intolerances. If we then identify a food allergy as the source of their inability to lose weight, they are often amazed at thier weight loss results simply by removing the offending allergens from their diet. Many times patients have described losing weight without even trying.
If you are struggling with a weight issue and your body isn’t responding to the usual solutions, don’t give up. Keep investigating. Be honest with yourself about your diet and your exercise level. Then consider the possibility that you may have a food allergy or intolerance that is getting in the way of you realizing your goals. If you would like to schedule an appointment for possible food allergies, contact us at Info@IBSTreatmentCenter.com or (206) 264-1111
(photo: commons.wikimedia)
Dr. Wangen is the founder and medical director of the IBS Treatment Center, the award winning author of two books, and a nationally recognized speaker on digestive disorders. He has been on ABC, NBC, and Fox as well as public radio, and was named one of Seattle’s Top Doctors by Seattle Magazine.