| In clinic I see five reasons why people struggle to lose weight and none of them are about eating too many calories or not exercising enough. The theory of laziness or lack of self control when it comes to an inability to shift extra pounds is outdated. Our physiology can work against us to encourage the body to hold onto excess weight. When that happens even our best efforts may not be enough to reach your weight loss target. This can be de-motivating. The positive news is that when we address these physiological issues not only do we lose weight but we also feel great again. That is because as well as adding to weight gain these issues can also give rise to other niggling health problems too. Here are the 5 reasons people find it hard to lose weight: 1. Hormonal imbalances This is usually linked to excess weight on the thighs, but could also be around the middle. Other signs of hormonal problems include heavy, scant or irregular periods, using hormonal birth control, excess face or body hair, endometriosis or fibroids. 2. Blood sugar issues. This can be identified by the classic sign of getting ‘hangry’. Do you find that you can get irritable or struggle to concentrate if you miss a meal? The blood sugar rollercoaster primes the body to store excess glucose as fat. Blood sugar imbalances make sticking to a ‘healthy’ diet almost impossible. Your physiology is working against you, by prompting strong cravings for foods that perpetuate the problem. 3. Subclinical thyroid problems. A little trickier to identify because regular tests are just not sensitive enough. Common symptoms include fatigue, constipation, feeling cold and maybe some brain fog too. Ask us about the temperature test you can run at home to identify if it’s worth moving forward with lab tests. 4. Adrenal issues. These are a common problem in our stressful world. Similar to blood sugar imbalances – fat storage is encouraged when we are under stress. Your body is concerned that it might need the extra energy at some point and so it is stored, usually around the mid-section. What’s worse is the raised cortisol that accompanies adrenal issues and stress drives you to choose sweet and starchy foods. It’s your physiology working against you. 5. Sluggish liver function. Not being able to process toxins effectively can lead to weight gain as can a change in gut flora after antibiotics. Signs of this include (but are no means limited to..) being sensitive to chemicals, nausea, headaches or gall bladder issues. For liver issues it’s worth checking for possible food intolerances. Our bodies are complex and we are all individual. It is possible that more than one of these factors might be working against you. We can work together to unpick your symptoms and identify what is preventing you from losing weight. We can then put a programme in place to help you to reach your goal. One client with blood sugar and hormonal issues has achieved great results with her personalised programme where our focus was on correcting hormonal balance and increasing her cells sensitivity to insulin: “Everything’s going very well with the diet, I officially lost 10 kg and I couldn’t be happier. “ |
Struggling to lose weight? Here’s why.
