Weight loss - Why it’s so Hard and How to Make it Sustainable and Healthy

We often think of weight loss as a simple “calories in and calories out” type of scenario. This is the model of many popular diets - you take in less calories than you expend. Some find some success in these models in the short term, but it’s usually at a great cost. Our bodies, which were likely nutrient deficient in the first place, become even more nutrient deficient if we aren’t giving them nutrient dense foods they need. This and a whole host of other needs that aren't being met do not create sustainable weight loss. In fact, it changes the set point of your weight so when you eventually do start to gain the weight back, you become heavier than you initially were.

Your body will naturally put weight on when it senses that it may need the extra weight during times of stress and need - this includes physical and mental/emotional stress. Conversely, it will set to a natural weight when it feels calm and all is well.

The main reason people struggle with weight is hormone imbalance - and not just sex hormones like estrogen. There are many other hormones that play an intricate role in our weight.

Some hormone considerations as to why you might struggle losing weight:

• Insulin resistance

This usually happens when you are eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars, essentially all processed food, and/or are under chronic stress. 

From a dietary standpoint, your body takes that sugar in but there’s only so much that insulin can manage, so the excess gets stored in your body, especially the liver, as fat. This leaves your cells without the nutrients they need and you get sick with diabetes. Chronic stress will also elevate your glucose levels, independent of diet to ensure you have the energy to handle the stressor. It’s interesting to note that your diet that’s high in refined foods and sugars can be the chronic stress so it’s a forward feeding cycle.

Some tips to decrease insulin resistance:

• Eliminate all refined or processed carbs and sugars and replace with whole foods such as some fruits, namely berries as they do not seem to spike your blood sugar much and carry many other benefits such as heart health.
• Eliminate ALL grains for a while if possible, especially grain flours such as gluten. Many people are very sensitive to grains and they will spike blood sugar as easily as sugars. 
• Front load the day’s food and add healthy fats and protein each day. Healthy fats such as eggs, avocado, salmon, olive oil, nuts and seeds to name a few will help give your body what it needs in terms of nutrients and energy early in the day. This will help balance your glucose metabolism and you will feel much more satiated and better as the day progresses. It will take time to adjust but hang in there if you want to heal - most people eat the bulk of their food after 5pm. This is a recipe for metabolic and weight disaster. Take the end of the day to rest, including from eating. You should avoid eating 3 hours before bed to enable your body to go into a fasting state which helps promote fat loss.

Some other factors that inhibit weight loss:

• Low thyroid or hypothyroidism. Our thyroid is a big player when it comes to metabolism so if it is underactive for any reason, you will likely not lose weight. It can be underactive due to autoimmune illness, nutrient deficiencies such as low B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, iron, or selenium. Stress also inhibits thyroid function. This is why it’s very important to get complete thyroid blood testing when you visit your healthcare provider.
• Sex hormone imbalance. We have both estrogen and testosterone as men and women - they are just in different amounts and ratios and are responsible for different sex characteristics and other functions. If either of these hormones is skewed, it can lead to weight gain. Fat cells themselves, adipocytes, play a hand in producing estrogen on their own so this can be part of the cause of an estrogen dominant state, especially in men because it turns testosterone into estrogen. This is what leads to soft skin and hair and “man boobs” in overweight men, especially in the belly. For women, estrogen dominance happens when the liver is very busy and blocked with fat and other toxins that actually mimic estrogen and increase estrogen. This causes her estrogen elimination and detoxification pathways to be blocked and PMS with heavy periods can ensue. Ensuring you are eating a whole foods, nutrient dense diet with lots of cooked cruciferous vegetables especially broccoli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts will help. Keeping your personal hygiene as natural as possible without endocrine disrupting chemicals will also help. 

Back to the elephant in the room…

Stress in its multiple forms is at the root of all of these dynamics!

Some critical examples of stress that promote weight gain and inhibit weight loss are:

• Emotional/mental stress - the chronic kind. This could be anything from work to family and everything in between. If your body and mind sense this kind of chronic stress it will help prepare you for it daily by keeping weight on. This is a fascinating topic as there are theories that this weight acts like an armor to help protect you, in many ways, from these chronic stressors.
• Food sensitivities. Food sensitivities develop when your gut is leaky and digestion is poor. Your immune system is hard at work to deal with these seemingly harmless foods that are producing a high stress/cortisol state and major inflammation.
• Toxicity. Many of the chemicals that we are exposed to daily act in ways that burden our body’s ability to function optimally. These chemicals are found in the foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the personal hygiene products we use. They actually can cause weight gain, independent of other factors. They are stored in our fat cells and cause many problems as they overburden our entire system. It’s important to recognize this undergoing any weight loss.

The overarching theme of weight loss is to ensure that your body and mind feel calm and safe enough to heal and lose weight. This will only happen if we have an eye toward unburdening ourselves as much as we can whether it be from a nutritional standpoint, our physical stressors including toxicity all the way to our mental and emotional health. It won't happen overnight but if you work toward sustainable healing, it can be done and not just for that upcoming wedding. You can actually live like this. Always.

Some tips to start on a sustainable weight loss journey…

• Cultivate self awareness. This will give you a great starting point and an honest inventory of your choices and behaviors. It will also show you your strengths and challenges so you can work from each with honesty, love and acceptance.

• Ensure drainage pathways are open and ready for business. Make sure you are pooping, peeing and sweating daily. This will improve with whole foods, movement and hydration but take a peek at our recent blog on constipation for further tips.

• Start switching into a calm state. Because this is where rest, digestion and repair can be done - the only place in truth. You can do this by practicing intentional breathing, getting out in nature, walking barefoot on grass, doing gentle yoga/stretching, meditation, or prayer to name a few.

• Elimination diet. Start with a 4 week trial of eliminating the big culprits in excess weight such as refined carbs/sugars and gluten and dairy. These are pro-inflammatory foods that also do a number on your gut.

Sustainable weight loss is possible! Start here and see how you go. It’s not a quick fix as we all wish it was. If you are willing to put in the time and energy, you will reap many benefits including feeling good in your own skin whether you are wearing a sweater or a bathing suit.