Do you find that, no matter what you do, the number on the scale never budges? OR worse…it only increases?
It can feel so frustrating when you feel like you’re doing everything right. You are eating well and exercising consistently, but your clothes don’t fit well and you feel like a failure for not being able to lose the weight.
Weight loss resistance is MORE than a vanity problem. Excess weight is a risk factors for many conditions such as:
Heart disease (the number one cause of death in women world wide)
Thyroid disorders
Diabetes / insulin resistance
Metabolic disease
Chronic illness
+ more
Here are 6 common triggers to weight loss resistance that have NOTHING to do with diet or exercise.
1. Chemical and environmental toxins
Chemical and environmental toxins are found all around us, including these common household items:
Candles
Lotion
Shampoo
Makeup
Food
Water
Toxic mold resulting from water damage or high humidity levels in buildings is also a huge trigger that I commonly see in my mold sick clients struggling to lose weight.
These toxins mimic your hormones, such as estrogen, and can lead to an inability to lose weight. In addition, if your body is unable to keep up with detoxing the amount of toxins it is exposed to, it protects exposing the essential organs to these toxins by storing them in fat.
2. Chronic stress
It's all too common to reach for comfort food after a stressful day which can result in excessive calorie intake, or intake of too many processed, high sugar foods.
Stress also impacts your hormones by causing your body to create cortisol, which is linked to weight gain and an inability to lose body fat.
3. Hypothyroidism / underactive thyroid
Did you know up to 60% of Americans with hypothyroidism are unaware they have the problem? This is mostly because the threshold for identifying thyroid imbalances in conventional medicine is too wide. By the time someone is diagnosed with hypothyroidism in conventional terms, their thyroid is usually way out of whack. However, it doesn’t need to be way out of whack for you to experience symptoms from hypothyroidism, including weight loss resistance.
Your thyroid is your master metabolic hormone and manages many of your body's processes. When it's underperforming, metabolism slows, and weight gain increases.
4. Hormonal imbalances
Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone also all play significant roles in stubborn weight. Estrogen dominance, especially, is common linked with excess weight gain.
All of these hormones can impact metabolism. Any imbalance in any of these hormones can lead to a decrease in metabolic rate and an increase in fat storage. Testing to identify any hormonal imbalances is key to create an individualized health plan.
5. Insulin resistance
Here’s how insulin resistance triggers a hormonal imbalance which can then lead to weight gain.
The individual eats a diet low in healthy fats and high in refined, processed carbohydrates such as white bread, diet soda and pasta.
These foods cause a rapid rise in blood sugar to which the body manages with a compensatory rise in insulin. This then causes a drastic decline in blood sugar for a short amount of time and triggers a compensatory rise in cortisol levels.
The extra insulin travels with the new rise in blood sugar to transport the glucose into the cells for storage or energy production. But over time the cells lose their ability to take in large amounts of glucose. It’s as if the cells say “no thank you, I’m full.” This state is called insulin resistance.
High levels of insulin can lead to an increase in production of testosterone in the ovaries in addition to lower sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) which can lead to an excess of estrogen in the body. This excess estrogen can lead to excess fat storage, especially around the abdomen.
6. Poor gut health
This means that your gut has a massive impact on your hormonal balance, and is often the root of hormonal issues. Here are a few key hormones modulated by your gut microbiome:
Your gut produces most of your serotonin. An inflamed gut can impair this production and can lead to low levels of serotonin. Serotonin is best-known for increasing your sense of happiness, but it also serves as a precursor for melatonin.
Norepinephrine and epinephrine are also strongly linked to your gut health. These hormones control your fight-or-flight response. Elevated levels, which can result from harmful bacteria in your gut microbiome, cause stress, anxiety, and depression. This triggers more hormonal issues in a vicious cycle.
Estrogens are also regulated by the gut through the estrobolome.
The gut and thyroid have a bidirectional relationship. Poor gut health can lead to thyroid problems and thyroid disorders can contribute to leaky gut.
Which of these 6 hidden triggers surprised you?
