Acupuncture and weight loss. This might not be the first weight loss method that comes to mind when you start your weight loss journey, but acupuncture has proven to be very effective as a supportive treatment for those working on losing weight. A few needles in your body and the pounds are dropping off? That's not how it works (unfortunately). So how does it work? You'll find out here!
We look at the root of the problem and tackle it with a customized treatment.
Why lose weight with acupuncture?
Research from the CBS (Central Bureau of Statistics) shows that almost half of the Dutch population struggles with being overweight. But even when there's no severe obesity, many people still want to maintain a healthy weight. Simply to feel comfortable in their own skin. And that's exactly what we strive for with our acupuncture treatments. We look at the root of the problem and tackle it with a customized treatment.
So how do I lose weight with acupuncture exactly?
As we already mentioned, we look at the cause of the problem in acupuncture. This could be the cause of the overweight, the cause of gaining a lot of weight in a short time, or the cause of not being able to lose weight. These causes are, of course, very personal and will be discussed in the first conversation with the acupuncturist so that they can be addressed with the most suitable treatment.
Problems with weight loss that can be influenced by acupuncture
Many complaints are interconnected without people realizing it. There are a few well-known factors that play a role in having trouble losing weight, including:
Acupuncture for sleep deprivation
Poor sleep can greatly affect your energy levels, but also your weight loss attempts. Poor sleep disrupts the hormones that regulate appetite. Lack of sleep thus stimulates the appetite and makes you more likely to reach for unhealthy snacks. Acupuncture restores this hormone balance, thereby resolving sleep problems.
Acupuncture for stress
If you are stressed, there's a high chance that attempts to lose weight will fail. The stress hormone cortisol plays an important role in weight gain (or inability to lose weight) because it increases appetite. Moreover, stressed people are more inclined to make unhealthy choices. Acupuncture is very effective against stress, and therefore addresses this crucial cause of inability to lose weight.
Acupuncture for a disrupted hormone balance
We just mentioned a disrupted hormone balance. A healthy hormone balance is essential if you want to lose weight. Hormones influence hunger, the storage of fat cells, energy metabolism, and much more. All these factors are important when trying to lose weight and, fortunately, all these factors can be excellently addressed by acupuncture.
Acupuncture to influence digestion
Slow digestion is one of the main causes of not being able to lose weight. Many people are therefore looking for ways to activate or speed up their digestion. Acupuncture around the digestive organs ensures that slow digestion is kick-started again. And that eventually leads to you losing weight faster.
What acupuncture cannot influence in weight loss
Acupuncture can do a lot for you when you are trying to lose weight. However, there are a few things that acupuncture cannot influence:
Acupuncture is not a diet
Acupuncture is a treatment, not a diet. If you want to lose weight, you will need to maintain a healthy diet yourself, or in some cases, follow a customized diet. We can support this with acupuncture.
The underlying cause
Some people have difficulty losing weight due to deeper causes than sleep deprivation or stress. Sometimes they are major traumas or unpleasant events that cause the weight problems. Acupuncture can help you deal with emotions, but the actual cause of such major problems often also needs to be addressed.
Exercise to lose weight
Everyone knows it: exercising helps to lose weight. In our clinic, you lie quietly and relaxed on the treatment table, but you'll have to do your daily exercise yourself. Acupuncture does not influence this.
Auricular acupuncture: often used for weight loss
Every body is different, so every acupuncture treatment is also different. Depending on your diagnosis, small needles are placed at various places in the body. The treatment varies from organ level, emotional level, and mental level. Acupuncture for weight loss is always supported with auricular acupuncture. Auricular acupuncture is very suitable for influencing the feeling of satiety and reducing appetite.
Want to know more? Make an appointment with one of our experienced acupuncturists at one of our locations in Breukelen, Hoofddorp, Nieuw-Vennep, Rijswijk / Delft, Voorburg or Wassenaar.
