Does CBD Support Weight Loss?
Here we are, knocking on summer’s door. If you’re like the rest of the human population and like warm weather and lots of action, summer is arguably the best time of year. But, what makes summer so great is its carefree nature. I mean, we are all practically raised to prefer summer when school was out and we could sleep in and play with friends all day.
But as we age and our metabolisms start to slow down, summer may not be so fun anymore. I’m talking about weight gain.
We’ve all been there before, January 1st of whatever year it is, making plans to get in better shape. We imagine ourselves flaunting our new and improved look while doing something fun in the sun. For most people, reality comes crashing in on them though. Weight loss can be a tough journey with highs and lows.
So to help people out there any way we can, we wanted to show the potential CBD has to help a person on their weight loss journey. In this article, we will cover some of the basics like what CBD is, how weight loss actually works and any synergies between the two. We’ll also look at studies being conducted around the world to give you even more insight. Personally, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
So, if you are concerned about your weight and wondering if CBD can help, let’s find out.
What is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol and is one of the major cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. CBD has been studied around the world recently because of reported health benefits users are getting. While more studies are needed to be conclusive, the results so far look promising.
Though it is sourced from cannabis, it is legal in the UK. The legality of CBD oil is a common topic many first time users think about before buying. You just have to make sure the THC levels are below 0.2%. If you stick with that rule and buy from a reputable company, there is no chance of you feeling high by using it.
The way it works is by interacting with a system called the ECS. The job of the ECS is to work hard to balance out both physical and mental sensations. Think of CBD oil as a supplement which replenishes your body’s stock of endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are natural CBD like compounds our bodies naturally produce, so taking CBD supplements this amount.
Because of its rise in popularity in the UK and around the world, CBD is now being treated as an ingredient in products. The most common are CBD oil, CBD gummies, capsules and topicals. In the case of weight loss, we will be talking about CBD oil and how it can help you in your weight loss routine.
Studies suggest that taking CBD oil daily can reduce chronic pain, give a person better sleep performance and a reduction in high blood pressure. It’s also been shown to reduce anxiety which can help people with stress when changing habits like their diet.
How does weight loss work?
On paper, weight loss sounds so basic. Just reduce the amount of calories you eat or drink per day and you’ll magically lose weight right?
The truth is, weight loss sounds simple, but millions of people across the UK say they struggle with their weight. Factors like age, genetics, work and physical activity levels play a role in your weight loss success. Other factors like stress can spike cortisol levels and make you feel hungry.
Burning calories or reducing your caloric intake is the key to stopping body weight gain. Your daily food intake can not exceed the amount of calories your body burns.
The problem is, breaking habits can be hard, especially if you’re going through a hunger induced temper tantrum. We’ll get to how CBD can help that later. To summerise, there are two major routes to weight loss:
- Consume less calories per day
- Burn more calories than you consume per day
In reality, these two methods are linked, but having a person’s mindset center around just one of these points will cause the other to fall into place. Using CBD oil can help control urges and keep you on track.
Having a Weight Loss Plan Will Help
In order to have the best chances of losing weight and cutting calories, your best to create a weight loss plan. This is what leading fitness website Fitelo.co says about having a plan:
A weight loss diet plan is important because it helps you ensure that you get all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your body needs for optimal health and also helps you lose weight fast. It also helps you stay within your calorie limits to reach your weight loss goals.
So, creating a plan for healthy eating and fitness that you can stick with over time is an excellent first step. There are plenty of resources out these the help you get started but here are some tips.
Consume less calories per day with CBD oil
Eating less seems simple enough if you can just get over some cravings right? Well, this is the part of weight loss where people struggle the most!
You see, our eating habits are exactly that, habits, and they are hard to break. That afternoon triple caramel latte may seem like a reward for a tough day at the office, but it is just piling on calories to your daily intake.
Reducing your food intake is key to losing weight, period. But did you know taking CBD oil plays a role in appetite suppression? Let me explain.
When people think of cannabis products, they associate it with classic stereotypes like getting the “munchies”. But that is the THC component of the cannabis plant, not the CBD component. CBD actually works completely opposite to THC and it can suppress a person’s appetite.
A study done by the University of Gdansk in Poland found that injecting rats with 1.1 to 2.3mg of CBD per pound of weight decreased overall weight in each rat. The study suggests that the higher doses of CBD led to more loss.
The overall findings suggest CBD plays a role reducing a subject’s appetite.
CBD May Play a Supporting Role In Changing Habits
And what about those pesky habits? We covered a similar topic where we found using CBD oil can help stop the cravings from nicotine withdrawal. In the article, we explain how CBD can help reduce anxiety between cigarettes increasing your chances of quitting. The same can be applied to eating habits.
An article about weather CBD can help you not overeat by Head Magazine covers the story of Sarah and how she lost 25 pounds over the course of a year by finding her optimum CBD to THC dosage. For anyone interested in products like what Sarah was using, here is a link to our Full Spectrum CBD oils.
How does CBD oil help burn more calories?
Now that we’ve discussed how CBD oil can help reduce food intake, what about fat loss? Let’s talk about it.
Studies have shown that CBD oil can help your body break down existing fat cells and prevent the creation of new ones by stimulating proteins and genes.
Further, CBD oil increases the amount of mitochondria in the body which has been linked to metabolism. This means that CBD plays a role to boost metabolism and there by burning more fat; amazing!
Another way to burn fat cells and calories is by exercising daily for at least 30 minutes. This doesn’t mean to run out and get that gym membership, there is plenty of activities you can do for free. Here are a few examples:
- Walking for 30 minutes a day can burn up to 175 calories. Doing it twice a day after meals can double this number and get you to hit your goals faster!
- Cleaning the house. Believe it or not, doing some basic work around your house burns a solid number of calories.
- Running for 30 minutes can burn up to 500 calories!
- Circuit training for 30 minutes can burn upto 350 calories.
- Do a 30 minute free workout on Youtube.
If you are overweight from inactivity, getting back into an exercise routine can be tough on your body and muscles. Thankfully CBD oil can help with that too by reducing pain signals and decreasing inflammation. For more info, please read our CBD oil for Athletes article.
Metabolic Health and Appetite Control
Another important aspect of weight loss that many people overlook is metabolic health. Metabolic health essentially means having healthy, insulin levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels, as well as a waist circumference. While some aspects may be predetermined by genetics, there are still several things you can do to improve your metabolism .
More research has been conducted to investigate whether the endocannabinoid system might be linked to metabolic regulation.
Cannabinoid receptors are integrated components of food and appetite-regulating networks in the brain, endocrine pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. It looks as if CB1 receptor overactivity contributes to visceral obesity (abdominal obesity).
Research shows that CBD treatment may help reduce the binding affinity of agonists to CB1 receptors, making it a potential treatment for disorders like anxiety and depression.
CBD’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties have been studied for their role in the development of metabolic syndrome. Although more research is needed, preliminary studies suggest that CBD may be a beneficial treatment for this condition.
How You Can Introduce CBD Oil into Your Weight Loss Routine
If we’ve made our case about CBD oil and how it can be beneficial in helping you lose weight, you may be asking how to get started.
Introducing CBD oil into your routine is pretty straight forward. Earlier we mentioned that CBD is should be considered a supplement where we replenish the body’s supply regularly. To do this, we recommend using it at least twice a day.
Normally a person would take a dose in the morning and one at night. But, because food cravings can creep up during the day, try spreading your dose out so you have a high CBD intake right before you typically get cravings to eat.
To use CBD oil, simply place a few drops under your tongue and hold them there for a good 2 to 3 minutes. After, move the rest around your mouth and swallow.
It takes CBD oil about 30 minutes to start working so be patient and work out the best times for you to use it.
You can also add CBD oil to food like smoothies or other uncooked foods like guacamole.
Some things to consider when trying to lose weight
Losing a few pounds, stones or kilos can be one of the best health choices a person can make. Extra fat on the body takes it toll on the heart and organs and can lower a person’s self-esteem. We are constantly being haunted by the “perfect figure” on social media, on tv or magazines. While the media in general is trying to become more inclusive of all shapes and sizes, that messaging hasn’t really stuck around long enough to change public perception.
The reason to bring these thoughts to mind in a CBD article about losing weight is that people tend to over do it to reach their goals faster. Here are a few tips to help you understand what we are talking about.
Don’t severely under eat
If you don’t eat enough food, your blood sugar may drop to a dangerously low level. This can cause dizziness, shaking, sweating and many more issues. If this is the case, working out will be more difficult. Finding the energy to work out will be almost impossible resulting in going to the gym and being unable to sufficiently burn fat.
Try eating healthy foods high in fiber. Legumes like chickpeas are high in protein, fiber and good fats to help you feel full longer. Also, whole grains like oats achieve the same effect.
Get More Sleep
Sleep deprivation can cause undesirable behaviors such as skipping or lowering meals and eating harmful food between meals. It may come as a surprise to some, but sleep is essential for weight reduction. Sufficient sleep is important to help the body breakdown fat cells and aid in recovery of exercise.
According to studies, insufficient sleep has been linked to weight gain. Lipolysis is a fat-burning mechanism that occurs as a result of lack of sleep. A lack of sleep can also lead to an increase in appetite and the development of poor snacking habits in order to make up for your energy levels.
The Sleep Foundation wrote an article that was edited by a medical professional about this subject:
“In one study, men who got 4 hours of sleep had increased ghrelin and decreased leptin compared to those who got 10 hours of sleep. This dysregulation of ghrelin and leptin may lead to increased appetite and diminished feelings of fullness in people who are sleep deprived.”
Remember, what we choose to eat daily creates habits that become hard to break. Getting plenty of rest is a crucial part of your weight loss goal and should not be overlooked.
The health and wellness industry is starting to take note of this with many products targeting sleep like melatonin gummies and different herbal extracts. CBD oil, which is a herbal extract, is known promote sleep and relaxation. In fact, it is one of the core three pillars of CBD uses.
Maintaining a healthy weight is something that many people want to accomplish. When it comes to losing weight, there are no secret potions or shortcuts.
However, there are numerous supplements and vitamins that may assist you. Be careful of claims made by any supplement and always check product reviews that you feel are unbiased.
Don’t Over Exert Yourself
Sometimes people can become so overzealous with their weight loss journey, they’ll constantly be in the gym. It’s good to exercise and build more muscles. More muscle mass will help increase your basal metabolic rate and help you burn more calories. But don’t over do it! Over exhaustion can be demotivating; or even lead to injury.
Build your physical activity level up slowly and consistently. Remember, weight loss is a journey over a long period of time. It supposed to improve your health and not make it worse.
Create an exercise plan for yourself and be realistic so that you stay on track. It’s all part of building new habits and routines for your new healthy self.
The Mental side of Weight Loss
Losing weight is as much of a mental journey as it is a physical one. I’ve personally host a podcast surrounding mental health topics and spoke to 2 time Olympian swimmer Sarah Price. In the podcast, Sarah describes how weight is a huge part of being an olympian. There is a lot of support and training from experts. But when the your career ends, the trainers are no longer available.
You can listen to the podcast between Sarah and myself by visiting our podcast site This World is Mental.
The Importance of Your Doctor’s Advice
Deciding to lose weight is one of the best choices a person can make for their health. It will reduce strain on your heart, improve your respiratory system and give you a boost in self-confidence.
Losing weight is a major change for your body. If you have underlying health conditions or are on any medication which is prescribed based on body mass, you should speak to your doctor. They can help you tailor your weight loss plan to suit your exact situation and get the best results. Not only that, they will probably be one of your biggest advocats on your journey.
If you’re thinking about adding CBD oil to your weight loss routine there is some important information you should know. CBD in general can interact with some medications and cause interactions. We say CBD in general because this includes all ingestible products like oils, gummies and capsules. For a brief overview what medication could potentially interact with CBD, please read our article CBD and Drug Interactions.
sAnother type of interaction not commonly talked by CBD brands is CBD and contraceptive interactions. If you are taking birth control, CBD oil can cause it to not work normally. Speak to your doctor before starting CBD oil if you have concerns.
Our Conclusion for CBD for Weight Loss
Making the choice to improve your health is something which should be celebrated. Many people will try for a while, but ultimately fail. Failure is part of the journey so don’t be discouraged; you can always start again tomorrow with a renewed focus.
If you’re starting your weight loss journey, it is important to make a plan that is realistic and easy to follow. The plan should include a meal plan and an exercise schedule that encourages you.
Getting as much support from your family and friends can help keep you on track so start letting people know your planning to lose weight!
Does taking CBD oil directly lead to weight loss? It may help break down fat cells but it is important to know it is not a one step solution to weight loss. It can support you on your journey though.
CBD has been shown to reduce food cravings, lower anxiety levels and promote a better night’s sleep. It can also lower inflammation which may help your recovery from workouts. If you’re thinking about using CBD oil, it is important to choose a product that is as wholesome as your intentions are.
On that note, our CBD oils are certified organic, vegan and only contain two ingredients: Certified organic hemp extract and sunflower oil. They are hand made in Switzerland and are the highest quality products on sale in the UK and EU market. We offer one to one coaching to help you get the most out of our products and we truly celebrate every victory our customers achieve.
We think our CBD oil can help you on your journey in weight loss and we wish you all the best.
