I see patients for a lot of different conditions, like pain, or anxiety or infertility to name a few. In the course of talking to them, many will ask half-jokingly if acupuncture can help them lose weight. The short answer is no. In and of itself acupuncture won’t make you lose weight. If it did, there would be quite a lot of people lined up to study acupuncture!
Acupuncture can, however, help in other ways to help you lose weight. You will still have to put in the work; you have to exercise and make healthy food choices, but the acupuncture can make the weight loss a little easier. It starts by addressing things that may have contributed to the weight gain in the first place. Sleep is an important part of the equation because if you’re having trouble sleeping, or sleeping poorly, chances are you will feel too exhausted at the end of the day to do any kind of exercise. Acupuncture addresses the reasons why you are sleeping poorly1. For example, whether you are having trouble falling or staying asleep, whether things like hot flashes are waking you at night, or if you are waking for no apparent reason.
Another area where it can help is stress and stress eating. If you are in a chronic state of stress, your cortisol levels will increase and make you more prone to the dreaded belly fat. Increased fat around your abdomen has been linked to increased risk of insulin resistance and type II diabetes2, as well as increased risk of heart disease3. When people stress eat, oftentimes they will turn to unhealthy snacks like cookies and candy. These snacks are loaded with added sugar that can contribute to weight gain4. Acupuncture can help control those sugar cravings to help you kick the sugar habit!
If you would like help losing weight, call our office any time at (407)732-6920 to discuss how acupuncture can be helpful for you.
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