As summer kicks in, it’s time to bid goodbye to our beloved winter coats. With the heat of the summer, you’ll no longer be able to hide the extra fat gained over winter.
There are many options for how to shed that extra weight that you gained during the winter. You could decide to hit the gym or embark on a jogging regimen. If these are not your favourite exercise options, why not try cannabis?
While cannabis is known to increase appetite, it could also help you shed weight. The secret is in the strain that you choose.
Is a long-term marijuana user less likely to be obese?
According to a 2011 study, this seems to be true. The study showed that obesity was more prevalent in non-marijuana users than in marijuana users. Another 2010 study corroborated the findings. A huge number of the 2566 cannabis respondents were not overweight. However, researchers say that these findings shouldn’t be regarded as the absolute truth. They add that there’s no conclusive study showing that cannabis does help people to lose weight.
Dr. Murdoc Kalleghi of the US-based CBD manufacturer Elevate Hemp says the results could be varied, depending on the person. “The strain that one uses makes all the difference,” he said.
Which cannabis strains can help you lose weight?
To lose weight, you need to check your calories intake, exercise, proper diet and sleep before and after exercising. While cannabis can’t really solve most of our problems, it can surely help when it comes to weight loss. According to Bethany Ray, the founder of Flower And Freedom, a community exploring cannabis use in fitness, some strains lead to a lower appetite. “I discovered that when I consumed a strain high in THCV, I didn’t feel like eating food,” she says.
Like THC, THCV is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. While THC is known to increase appetite, THCV suppresses it. For THCV, Civilized recommends the following strains; Dutch Treat, Girl Scout Cookies, Durban Poison, and Doug’s Varin.
CBD is another compound that’s found in the cannabis plant. For some, it’s a wonder drug, and for others, it’s a marketing scam. But most people know it as a substance that doesn’t give you a high. According to Dr. Khaleghi, CBD could potentially decrease appetite. A 2017 study also found out that CBD had a better risk profile than THC as far as side effects go. Researchers concluded that CBD users experienced a change in weight and appetite.
How weed can help with workouts, post-recovery, and a good night’s sleep
When it comes to working out, there’s no shortcut other than sweating it out. However, cannabis can still be a great cheerleader to boost your moods as you sweat it and start losing weight. Leafly recommends strains such as Durban Poison, Harlequin, Gold Train Haze and Green Crack as the go-to strains to boost your energy.
Rae reports that cannabis helps her keep a healthy weight and aids in post-exercise recovery. According to Civilized, strains such as Girl Scout Cookies, Sweet Kush, Blue Dream, and Sour Diesel are good when it comes to reducing inflammation and muscle pains.
Then there is the Zs. Lack of sleep could translate into obesity. Poor sleep leads to high appetite and high-calorie intake, according to Healthline, a health information provider based in the US. Rae says that when she’s tired, she seeks out high energy food to boost her energy and this leads to high-calorie intake.
It’s important to note that research on cannabis and sleep is still at its infancy stage, but CBD has shown massive potential when it comes to treating sleep disorders. Grandaddy Purple, Purple Kush, God’s Gift, and MK Ultra are some of the best strains for a good night rest, according to Greencamp.
How to use THC and still remain fit
THC gives you a high and this is the reason that it’s popular with most users. But this cannabinoid also makes you hungry. When hunger strikes, we tend to eat more food. So, how do we enjoy THC and still keep fit?
Rae recommends mixing THC with a few sublingual drops of CBD in order to smoothen the experience. If you’re already overweight, you might be in luck. According to a study from 2015, THC doesn’t seem to stimulate obesity in people who are already overweight. In the study, adult males with Diet-Induced Obesity and lean mice were fed with THC every day for three weeks. THC was found to have helped the adult male mice with DIO to reduce their weight. The lean mice only added on some weight.
Dr. Khaleghi says that overweight people have a higher metabolism rate than normal weight people. “As their body has excess fat, it keeps on burning the excess fat to keep up normal body weight. Overweight people are actually more metabolically active than normal-weight people,” says Khaleghi.