Weight Loss Resistance: Reasons You May Not Be Losing Weight
Frustrated with Your inability to lose weight?
Many of us have dealt with the frustration of not being able to shed weight when we are eating well and exercising regularly. It seems unfair that some people can drop weight effortlessly while others can't lose it despite doing everything right. The problem may lie in how well your metabolism is functioning, and there are a variety of things that disrupt the body’s normal metabolic functions, creating “Metabolic Chaos.”
We were told in the 1980s that weight loss was all about reducing the number of calories we consumed and exercising more to ensure that the body was burning more calories than it was receiving through food. We were under the impression that it didn’t matter what types of macronutrients we were consuming and that it was all about the math of exceeding the number of calories burned compared with the calories we consumed. Sadly, the low-fat, high-carbohydrate advice we were given in the 1980s was sorely misguided, and the rates of type-2 diabetes skyrocketed in the US. We thought it was great that we could eat low-fat foods that were filled with artificial sweeteners, but unfortunately what we were doing was inviting metabolic chaos.
We now know that the science of weight loss is far more multifaceted. There are so many variables that can influence one’s ability to lose weight. There are many reasons your body is resistant to giving up stored fat. Here are 11 reasons to consider:
1. Genetics
Some people have the genetics that predisposes them to insulin resistance, which is a precursor to diabetes. Losing weight can be more difficult for individuals with these genes, but it can be done with a low carbohydrate, high (healthy) fat diet. However, just because you may be genetically loaded for obesity and insulin resistance doesn’t mean you are doomed to struggling with weight. Thanks to research in the area of epigenetics in recent years, we have learned that we actually have some influence over the expression of our genes. With the right dietary and lifestyle choices, we can turn off or turn on the expression of our genes by increasing or decreasing the transcription factors that cause proteins to bind to regulatory regions of genes. The science behind epigenetics is far too complicated to be explained in this article. Just understand that we’ve learned that just because your parents and grandparents were all obese doesn't mean that you are destined to be overweight. You actually have some control over your genes. If you wish to learn more about this, you can check out this website: http://reset.me/story/epigenetics-how-you-can-change-your-genes-and-change-your-life/
2. Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions including hypertension, elevated blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels, and excess fat around the waist that occur together and increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. It is a consequence of metabolic chaos and caught early enough can be avoided. Weight loss for those with Metabolic Syndrome is indeed an uphill battle because they have developed insulin resistance. What happens when cells lose their sensitivity to insulin is that the pancreas continuously pours insulin into the bloodstream in an attempt to lower blood sugar to no avail. This results in hyperinsulinemia, which means insulin levels are high all the time, so the body is in fat storage mode constantly. Hyperinsulinemia causes leptin resistance. Fat cells produce leptin, the "satiety hormone," which is what sends the message to your brain that you are full and need to stop eating. When the brain stops responding appropriately to the signals leptin is sending, this is known as leptin resistance. For people with Metabolic Syndrome, their body is stuck in fat storage mode, and they have lost the ability to know when they are full due to leptin resistance. While weight loss is more difficult with leptin resistance, losing weight is an absolute necessity if one hopes to restore insulin sensitivity and put an end to metabolic chaos. For those with this condition, losing 5-10% of your body weight is enough to begin to restore your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which is the first step toward restoring health and vitality.
3. Hormones
An imbalance in hormones can cause weight loss resistance. If you have low thyroid stimulating hormone, it will be nearly impossible to lose weight. If your cortisol levels are elevated, your body will store fat around your midsection. If your sex hormones are not properly balanced, this can contribute to an inability to lose weight. In both men and women, estrogen and progesterone levels that are too high or testosterone levels that are too low can cause weight gain and make it difficult to lose weight. Other hormones that influence weight loss or gain – insulin, glucagon, cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin will be covered in this article as well.
4. Microbiome Health
Another reason you may be resistant to losing weight is related to your microbiome – the bacteria in your gut could be affecting your body’s digestion and satiety. What is essential for you to know is that all probiotics are not created equal in terms of supporting weight loss. Gut bacteria can affect how dietary fats are absorbed in the intestines, which may influence how the body stores fat. Certain probiotic strains, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, can promote weight gain, and others, including Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus gasseri can support weight loss. Of these, Lactobacillus gasseri has been shown to have the most promising effects on weight loss. In one study published by the British Journal of Nutrition (Nov. 2013), 210 people with a significant amount of belly fat took Lactobacillus gasseri for 12 weeks and saw a reduction in body weight, visceral fat (around organs), body mass index (BMI), as well as waist size and hip circumference. Most significantly, belly fat was reduced by 8.5%. These are quite remarkable outcomes! However, when the participants stopped taking the probiotic, they gained all of the belly fat back within 4 weeks. This speaks to the influence the microbiome has on one’s ability to maintain weight.
5. Toxins
In this toxic world, it is impossible to escape toxin exposure, as it is ubiquitous. The presence of toxins causes inflammation and elevated cortisol levels. Toxins in the body are stored in fat, and since the brain is 60% fat, toxins love to make their home in the brain, which will negatively impact brain function and neurological health. When the body is very toxic, the body will hold on to fat to maintain storage for the toxins. To lose this fat, one would need to reduce their toxic load and detoxify their body. Detoxification is a complicated, lengthy, 3-stage process that requires supporting the liver, which is the primary detoxification organ. What makes this process complicated is that you can use foods or supplements that will cause the organs to release the toxins stored within, but if you aren't using a binding agent to adsorb the toxins for excretion, they will recirculate into your hepatic portal and could potentially make you quite ill. An excellent place to start is to reduce your body’s toxic load by avoiding toxins in food (trans fats, mercury in fish), the environment, (plastics, pesticides, herbicides), in household cleaners (bleach, ammonia) and personal care products (formaldehyde in nail products, parabens in skin care products, sodium lauryl sulfate in soaps, toothpastes, and shampoos, and fragrance of any kind other than essential oils).
6. Alcohol
Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, alcohol is a toxin that produces acetaldehyde, which can cause significant damage to the cells in the liver and to a lesser degree damage the cells in the pancreas and brain. An accumulation of it can even cause avascular necrosis, which is cell death in bones. It can contribute to an inability to lose weight because it is adding to your toxic load. Not only does alcohol have empty (non-nutritive) calories, it is actually an appetite stimulant, so we tend to eat more when we drink alcohol. A 5-oz glass of wine has 120-150 calories, a 1.5 oz shot of vodka or a 12 oz light beer have 100 calories. If you had only one alcoholic beverage a day, it might not be so damaging to your weight loss efforts (or our liver cells), so you have to evaluate your own toxic burden from alcohol consumption. If you were to drink an entire bottle of wine, you would be consuming a whopping 600-750 calories, and this volume of alcohol intake, on a regular basis, can contribute to weight gain and liver toxicity.
7. Inadequate sleep
Our bodies need 7 – 9 hours of uninterrupted, restorative sleep each night. Sleep deprivation changes hormones that regulate hunger. Failure to get adequate sleep can increase ghrelin, the hormone that increases appetite and reduces leptin, the satiety hormone that suppresses appetite and encourages the body to expend energy. Also, failure to get the sleep your body requires can contribute to elevated cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone that causes fat to be stored around your waistline.
8. Overexercising
You are working so hard in the gym, eating a clean diet, and yet you are not seeing any changes in your body mass index, or maybe you are even gaining weight. Exercise is super important, but more is not necessarily better. Overtraining can impede weight loss efforts because it is overstressing the body and can cause elevations in cortisol, which can sabotage your efforts.
9. Pharmaceuticals
Medications can negatively impact metabolic function. Most of the SSRI anti-depressants, some anticonvulsants, and diabetes drugs can cause weight gain. Some medications can actually induce “metabolic syndrome.” Recent studies have suggested that long-term use of Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), such as Prilosec, Nexium, and Aciphex (prescribed for GERD), can cause metabolic syndrome. Antipsychotic drugs have long been associated with risk for metabolic syndrome. People with psychotic disorders may be unable to live without antipsychotic medication, and under these circumstances, the benefits outweigh the risks. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical companies convinced the psychiatric community to use antipsychotic medications as an "anti-depressant booster" for treatment-resistant depression. In this circumstance, the only beneficiary is the pharmaceutical company. In my humble opinion, there are far more effective ways to treat treatment-resistant depression, and in this circumstance, the risk of metabolic syndrome far outweighs the benefit.
10. Food Sensitivities
If you are eating foods to which your body has a sensitivity (not just an allergy), this can sabotage your weight loss efforts and contribute to metabolic chaos. You may be eating an anti-inflammatory diet, but if your diet includes foods that cause inflammation, it is counterproductive. What is worse is that consuming foods that cause inflammation can also damage the intestinal lining, a condition known as intestinal permeability, in which food particles can permeate the intestinal lining and enter the bloodstream. This is what causes the immune system to react and launch an immune response to destroy what it perceives as a foreign invader to protect the body. This actually causes the body to develop more and more food sensitivities.
11. Eating the wrong kind of diet for your body type
There is much confusion about what constitutes the “best diet.” Eating the wrong combination of macro-nutrients for your body type can wreak havoc with your blood sugar, causing an imbalance in the hormones insulin and glucagon. These are opposing hormones that work together to maintain a healthy homeostatic balance. Eating the right combination of the macronutrients will help to maintain low insulin: glucagon ratio (IGR), which causes the body to utilize stored nutrients, increasing glycogenolysis (formation of glycogen from glucose) and gluconeogenesis, which is the utilization of stored adipose tissue.
The truth is there is not one diet that will work well for every person because we all have unique nutritional requirements based on our genetic make-up. The better question is, “What is the best diet for your unique body type?” William Wolcott spent 30 years developing a test, the Metabolic Typing Test, that considers these variables, and the results of this test will help you to determine what combination of macronutrients is best for your body. You can take the test online and receive a report that will tell you what macro-nutrient combination will work best for your particular metabolic type, whether you are a fast, mixed, or slow oxidizer, and what specific types of protein, fats, and carbohydrates your body needs to function optimally. It will tell you the ratios of macronutrients you need for your particular genetic and ancestral make-up. You may be someone who is a fast oxidizer who needs a high-protein / low-carbohydrate diet, or you may be a slow oxidizer who needs a higher carbohydrate diet. To take the Metabolic Typing Test, you can read Wolcott’s book, Metabolic Typing Diet, or skip the reading and take the test at www.metabolictypingonline.com. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the questionnaire. It is worth doing to find out what your unique dietary needs are, so you will know what foods will best serve your body for the rest of your life. Shorter copy-cat versions of this test are less comprehensive and likely less reliable than this one.
If your weight loss efforts are not paying off, take heart in knowing that correcting the contributors to metabolic chaos will be a game changer for you.
In good health,
Valerie Folsom-Martin, MSW, LCSW, CIMHP, CCTP, FDN-P, CHHC
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