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Marijuana Use and Weight Loss

How to smoke weed and still lose weight?

By Nancy R. Fernandez

Relating Marijuana and weight loss might seem bizarre to most who are aware of stoners and “the munchies”. In fact, many still believe marijuana could lead to weight gain given it enhances appetite by triggering the release of hormones in the brain to make one feel hungry or famished. But recent research stands proof to support claims that certain strains of marijuana can actually turn out to be beneficial for stimulating weight loss as well as dieting opposed to common beliefs.

Using Marijuana For Weight Loss: Does it Actually Work?

While shifting the entire burden of shedding the extra kilos is not the kind of benefit we can expect from weed, research indicating cannabis to aid weight loss is under progress. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2011 shares the observation that people who used cannabis were less likely to be obese compared to those who do not use.

Digging deep another study by the University of Calgary and the Canadian Centre for addiction with the focus to evaluate the relationship between the use of cannabis and body mass with mice as the subject was conducted. Various microorganisms that reside in the gut and their relationship with the use of cannabis was also observed. The subjects were fed with lean protein or high-fat diet along with THC or placebo for over six weeks. While mice that went through high-fat diet put on up to 20% increase in the body mass, mice that had THC along with high-fat diet did not show any weight gain till the end of the trail.

The trail also aimed to understand the relevance of the gut microorganisms in this case and observed that obese mice had a high ratio of Firmicutes relative to Bacteroides microbes which were under control in case of mice induced with THC. This prevented the weight gain in the case of these mice. ‘Akkermansia muciniphila’ was yet another microbe observed to increase in number in THC exposed mice under high-fat diet whereas mice consuming lean diet showed no such changes even after exposure to THC. This helps create the theory that THC can be helpful in interacting with gut microbes that are responsible for weight gain and prevent it.

Various studies imitating the above were conducted in different countries such as Canada, UK, Hungary, Italy, Poland etc, and the similarities in results led to a conclusion that the use of Cannabis can have significant effects on the reduction of BMI.

A fresh perspective to Cannabis and weight loss relation

While obesity has been generally associated with food habits and lifestyle choices, stress has become a major component behind the same today. Losing weight is certainly impossible among stressed individuals and this also has a heavy negative impact on their overall health.

Stress triggers a hormone called Cortisol that fills the blood and gives us the energy to react similarly to during a “fight or flight situation”. In this condition, the body tends to burn fewer calories and fats than normal. Living a stressful lifestyle means one is bound to reach this state of the body too often thus leading to difficulties in weight loss. But the research around marijuana and its effectiveness in reducing stress and related symptoms have escalated in the recent past.

THC present in marijuana helps create a euphoric feeling that helps uplift their mood as well as feel calm and relaxed. This could mean that using THC to destress can certainly aid weight loss effectively although clinical evidence to back these claims is yet to achieve. Another component of Cannabis which is CBD has can also be effective for stress management.

A study proves that CBD is effective for reducing levels of Cortisol in the body which can be beneficial to enhance the metabolism and burn away the excess fat.

THE DIFFERENT EFFECTS OF CBD & THC

There are two main active components in marijuana, CBD and THC. CBD, which is considered the appetite suppressant, is responsible for regulating appetite and for protecting the insulin-producing cells, which eventually may cause weight loss. THC is responsible for boosting your appetite, providing the “high feeling”, and causing what is recognized as the "munchies". These two components together work in a very unexpected way.

Despite the fact that THC and CBD send conflicting messages to the brain, causing cannabis users to eat 600 more calories on average per day than non-cannabis users, the NCBI study concluded that cannabis users were 54% less likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome than non-cannabis users.

Justin Kander, a Research & Development Coordinator at Aunt Zelda's, says "Consuming cannabis can improve general health, including maintaining a proper weight, through its modulation of the endocannabinoid system. More specifically, several cannabinoids have been implicated in potentially controlling weight or the symptoms of obesity. One article pointed to THC as a potential treatment for obesity, and another showed that CBD and THCV may benefit obesity-related fatty liver disease. More research will yield strategies for maximizing the efficacy of each cannabinoid."

Based on a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information; The potential of both THCV and CBD to treat obesity-related fatty liver disease, a condition which can raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. Therefore using THCV and CBD may reduce the occurrence of some of the leading causes of death in the Western world.

HOW TO SMOKE WEED AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT?

We have 3 tips for you..

Keep in mind, there are some strains out there that help you to stay focused on daily tasks and provide a less “high” feeling. This may also help you with your weight loss goal. I know this sounds too good to be true, but it may not be.

Be mindful about your Munchies consumption: But here’s the kicker, this benefit is subjective though, and it can easily go in the wrong direction if you don't have the willpower. An example would be taking down a large pizza due to the extreme munchies! Check our post blog about 7 Helpful Ways to Avoid Unhealthy Munchies! Why Marijuana Gives You the Munchies and What to Do About. Use the high to exercise your ass off; Yes, you can! My ultimate conclusion so far; any experience can be much more superior and meaningful when I'm stoned. I consume a high THC sativa, smoking weed before working out, before each visit to the gym; I found high THC strains allow for relaxation in pre-workout stretching, better focus and awareness of my body, then I consume CBD after the gym, which tends to reduce inflammation and helps wind me down from workout intensity. Marijuana Strains: When you ask yourself, can marijuana help you lose weight, it starts off with the marijuana strain you're smoking. There are "munchies free" strains, which technically have higher CBD and lower THC. These will help to curve food cravings, keeping you away from the regrettable black-out munchie session.

3 marijuana strains of weed that may help you lose weight

While medical marijuana has opened arenas for exploring various benefits, CBD dominant strains have taken the market by storm. This is due to interest from users who aim to harness the benefits of the plant without the feeling of high. Every individual strain of Cannabis holds some characteristic features such as autoflowering seeds some of which can be beneficial to humans.

The right strains of marijuana can help trigger the right chemicals to aid weight loss. The following are a few strains that can be effectively put to use to experience this effect. Most of these strains are sativa or hybrid species that are good diet strains.

Lamb`s bread: This strain helps with body and mind relaxation and also increase overall energy. Check more details about this strain here. SnowCap: This strain initiates a euphoric feeling in the body and helps with mood upliftment. Check more details about this strain here. Cinderella 99: This strain is particularly effective for treating depression and stress symptoms and also gives a feeling of motivation. This also does not enhance your appetite. Check more details about this strain here.

Marijuana weight loss programs established with the help of a doctor can help to create a balanced routine. The program will be a combination of diet, Cannabis use and workout schedules that will help achieve the expected results. Yet the efficiency of such programs remains undetermined without proper clinical evidence to support the claims of whether Cannabis can help with weight loss. Consider it as a catalyst in this case rather than depending completely on it.

Affinity towards fitness has experienced several revolutionary changes in the past few years which in certain ways has been a positive influence. The primary vision should always be about a healthy lifestyle. Steroids can also effectively aid to achieve your weight loss goals by building strong muscles. Weight loss using natural and healthy diet and proper physical work can be beneficial to overall health and wellness.

WAIT! NOT TOO FAST. HERE IS MY TAKE.

One last time, "IT IS UP TO YOU!"

People around you WILL judge you, blame pot and call you a "stoner" in the most derogatory way if you give them a reason to. If you want to be healthy yet still enjoying your marijuana lifestyle, or if you want to get unhealthy, lazy and fat, it's up to you.

Just don't come to me and complain about the Marijuana Stigma. You are in control of how Marijuana affects you and your lifestyle. Louis Santiago, Director at CannaSense Total Wellness, described his experience with marijuana; "I concur with all those finding's and add moderation is the key to almost everything in life, the same lame excuses that Cannabis makes people lazy; can also be used to say it helps people focus and debunk the fable. It's all up to the individual and their commitment to good health."

Santiago continues; "I have been smoking since 12 years old and at the pinnacle of my misuse, I was smoking a pound a month by myself. I eventually realized I had an addictive personality; but being a non-conformist at heart allowed me to get that down to one ounce per month...started and finished 23 marathons (4 for Team in Training), 2 N.Y.C. Triathlons and 2- 150 mile bike rides for MS Society...all while under the influence."

Now, this a stoner I'm proud of.

Conclusion

Pot may seem irrelevant to weight loss, but actually it’s not. It seems we have a lot of scientific research on our side. However, it is still a bit complicated to verify whether cannabis can have a direct influence on weight loss or not.

As marijuana continues to become socially accepted and legal in many states, scientific studies become easier to implement legally. Also, survey participants will be more willing to admit their cannabis habit and it's foreseeable that the industry as a whole will grow drastically. Consequently, with more thorough scientific scrutiny to challenge our beliefs as actual stoners.

With that said, I strongly believe that the United States needs to remove cannabis from being scheduled at all. At this time, cannabis is listed as Schedule 1, meaning it has no medicinal value and is in the same category as heroin and LSD. Clearly, the conducted studies, despite the limited access due to regulations, have been able to prove that medical benefits do exist.

The National Cancer Institution, a government institution, reported that THC has been shown to kill cancerous cells while not harming healthy cells. Again, if cannabis were to be removed from the schedule system, an abundance of research could be performed elaborately and accurately. Which would provide a greater understanding of the medicinal benefits and even the negatives could be more adequately measured.

Reach out to your legislators and tell them it is time to end prohibition in the United States. Metabolic Syndrome only scratches the surface of what cannabis is capable of preventing.

About the Author: Nancy is a blogger who loves to write especially in the Cannabis vertical. She has written many informative blogs in other verticals too.

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