Weight Loss is Complex
Eat less, exercise more. Is it that easy? You may not be surprised to hear that losing excess weight and keeping it off goes way beyond such two-dimensional recommendations. The concept of calories in and out maybe people’s most significant misunderstanding about weight. Would eating 1200 kcal per day of nothing but sugar have the same effect on your weight and your metabolism as eating 1200 kcal of broccoli? It turns out that weight gain and shedding extra pounds are not as black and white as many have been led to believe.
Let’s look beyond the supposed diet experts and take a functional medicine approach to weight loss. We’ll explore some lesser-known factors affecting weight and metabolism that you need to know if you want to lose and keep weight off.
5 Secrets That Contribute to Stubborn Weight Gain
#1: Insulin Resistance
Insulin helps us move sugar out of the blood and transform food sugars into stored fuel (fat). But when we consume too many sugary foods and drinks, our body starts to lose its ability to respond to the insulin in our system. The pancreas tries to reduce blood sugar levels by pumping out even more insulin. As insulin levels go up, a vicious cycle is created, which, over time, can raise blood sugar and blood insulin to dangerous levels.
That extra sugar in your bloodstream that cannot be converted into energy is stored as abdominal fat and creates an addiction to sugar. This is called insulin resistance, and it is widespread, affecting 1 in 3 Americans and, in many cases, leading to Type 2 diabetes.
#2: Hormones
Do You Feel Full After Eating?
The hormones leptin and ghrelin control how full we feel after a meal and the strength of our food cravings. Leptin tells the hypothalamus in your brain that you are full, and to burn calories normally. When you are overweight, your fat cells produce excessive amounts of leptin, as your body isn’t responding to it. If your brain isn’t getting the message that you are full, you keep eating. Ghrelin, on the other hand, tells your brain that you need to eat more. An imbalance in leptin and ghrelin or an inability to respond appropriately to leptin (leptin resistance) contributes to obesity.
Is Your Thyroid Working?
Your thyroid regulates your metabolism, managing the speed at which everything in your body runs and how quickly you burn calories. When your thyroid is underperforming, it can cause fluid retention, weight gain, and constipation, among other issues, making it nearly impossible to manage your weight. The stats are shocking: 5 out of every 100 people in the US have a low-functioning thyroid.
Estrogen Dominance
When your estrogen and progesterone hormones are out of balance, that is called Estrogen Dominance. Having too much estrogen in your body relative to progesterone causes a myriad of symptoms, including weight loss resistance, bloating, mood swings, PMS, endometriosis, and heavy periods.
Stress
Your adrenal glands rule how you respond to stress by regulating your body’s stress hormones. Chronic stress leads to wildly fluctuating cortisol levels, which means more weight gain and water retention.
#3: Genetics
Genetic testing can tell us a great deal about how and why we gain weight, and can be the game-changer for people who have tried everything.
The FTO Gene Variant
One gene that is particularly well documented, the FTO gene, is also known as the human fat mass and obesity-associated gene. It controls leptin, ghrelin (the satiation hormones mentioned above), and adiponectin (which regulates glucose levels). Several other genes affect how we metabolize fats, carbs, and proteins.
Genes that impact stress play a big role in weight management too, especially if you’re a stress eater. These genes impact reward pathways, which can affect how you use food to reward yourself.
#4: Environmental Toxins
Toxins that are present in our environment can be so dangerous that our body needs to protect us by “walling them off” in a casing of fat. The more toxins we have, the more fat cells we need to imprison them. Get rid of the toxins, and the excess weight may well follow.
Lifelong Sources of Toxicity
Current exposure to toxins such as heavy metals and pesticides aren’t the only concern. Research shows that even early-life exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can increase fat levels, and with microplastics having recently been found in the placentas of some women, the concern is legitimate.
Many toxins are major contributors to thyroid dysfunction, potentially leading to hormonal weight gain.
#5: Gut Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis means the overgrowth of potentially harmful organisms in your gut and a lack of good bacteria that help to keep your gut healthy. There are several ways that dysbiosis may contribute to weight gain. One is through localized inflammation in and around the gut that may contribute to insulin resistance. The other is that your gut makes more of your happy neurotransmitter serotonin than your brain does. If your gut is unhealthy and you’re not making enough serotonin in your gut, you may crave carbs and sugar that will increase serotonin.
7 Easy Ways to Maintain a Healthy Weight
#1: Cut Down on Natural and Artificial Sugars
Are you replacing real sugar with artificial sweeteners? Sugar causes weight gain, and this is the case for both natural and artificial sugar, including aspartame. Artificial sweeteners prompt your body to make insulin, even though they do not increase your blood sugar. Monk fruit and Stevia are two much healthier sugar-free sweeteners.
#2: Eat more Fiber
One of the most significant benefits of eating more fibre when trying to lose weight is its ability to satiate. Soluble fibre, such as that found in beans, flaxseeds, oatmeal, and sweet potatoes, helps you feel full longer and slows down the release of sugar into your bloodstream. Your enzymes cannot break down soluble fibre, so it reaches your gut undigested, feeding your good bacteria and helping them to flourish. One crucial aspect of soluble fibre is that it needs water to reach its potential, so staying hydrated is essential.
#3: Chromium, Vanadium and Banaba Leaf
These three supplements have been shown to aid insulin sensitivity and facilitate the entry of glucose into cells, thereby helping to maintain proper blood glucose levels. Optimal insulin sensitivity also helps your body use carbohydrates effectively for energy, which may reduce the amount that gets stored as fat.
#4: Eat Real Food
Much of what we eat isn’t actually “real” food. Ensure you fuel your body properly by avoiding pre-packaged and processed foods chock-full of preservatives, dyes and other chemicals. Focus on fruits, veggies, organic meats and healthy fats. Remember, the more toxic your food is, the more those toxins will get encased in fat cells.
#5: Meditation
Did you know calming your mind can be a powerful weight loss tool? Adding meditation to standard weight loss treatments can result in additional weight loss in at least two months. Managing stress will help your adrenals and positively affect your weight loss goals.
#6: Aim for 10,000 Steps Per Day
Getting those steps in can be hard when you spend more time at home. But where there is a will, there is a way! A combination of dietary changes and walking 10,000 steps per day was shown to help significantly reduce total weight, BMI and hip size. Bonus: lower anxiety levels are also a natural outcome of making these changes.
#7: Intermittent Fasting (IF)
One of the most effective ways to eliminate toxins and their corresponding fat prisons is intermittent fasting. How does it work? Designate several hours daily as your ‘eating hours’ and stick to it. This gives your glucose and insulin levels a chance to even out, gives your body a break from the hard job of digestion, and puts the focus on getting toxins out of your body. However, IF is not for everyone, so check in with me before you begin.
Are you ready to step out of the diet roller coaster? Give me a call at 416-481-0222!
I can assess your insulin, stress response, thyroid, genes, and toxin load. Together, we can design a custom-made treatment plan with targeted supplementation, metabolism-supporting nutrients, and nourishing foods. I can’t wait to join you on your healthcare journey!
By Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), ND
Weight Loss Research
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