Are you struggling with weight loss despite trying multiple diets and exercise routines? You're not alone and it's not just about willpower to exercise or eating less. Several underlying factors might be causing weight gain or making it harder for you to shed those extra pounds. Let's dive into some of the common issues and how you can address them naturally.
What Could Be Causing Your Weight Gain? Is it Hormone Imbalances?
The Satiety Hormone ‘Leptin’
What is Leptin? Leptin is a hormone produced by your fat cells (adipose tissue) that signals your brain when you're full and should stop eating. It's like the body's natural appetite suppressant.
What Happens with Leptin Resistance? When you have excess fat, your body produces more leptin. However, too much leptin can make your brain less sensitive to its signals, leading to overeating because your brain doesn't get the "stop eating" message effectively. Factors contributing to leptin resistance include chronic inflammation, high levels of free fatty acids in the blood and genetic predispositions.
Effects of Leptin Resistance:
Increased Appetite: Even though there are ample fat stores and high leptin levels, the brain perceives starvation, leading to increased hunger and food intake.
Decreased Energy Expenditure: The body may reduce energy expenditure, making it harder to lose weight.
Weight Gain Cycle: This creates a vicious cycle where increased food intake and decreased energy expenditure lead to further weight gain and higher leptin levels, exacerbating leptin resistance.
Managing Leptin Resistance:
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Consuming a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation.
Regular Exercise: Physical activity improves leptin sensitivity and reduces fat mass.
Adequate Sleep: Ensuring sufficient, high-quality sleep helps regulate leptin levels and improves leptin sensitivity.
Stress Reduction: Managing stress through mindfulness and relaxation techniques can help improve hormonal balance, including leptin sensitivity.
The ‘Storage’ Hormone ‘Insulin’
What is Insulin? Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates in the food you eat for energy or store it for future use.
What is Insulin Resistance? When cells in your muscles, fat and liver don't respond well to insulin, your body needs more insulin to help glucose enter your cells.
What causes Insulin Resistance?
Excess Caloric Intake: Consuming more calories than the body needs, particularly from high-sugar and high-fat foods, can lead to weight gain and increase the risk of developing insulin resistance.
Sedentary Lifestyle: Lack of physical activity can contribute to weight gain and reduce the effectiveness of insulin in promoting glucose uptake by cells.
Genetic Factors: A family history of diabetes or insulin resistance can predispose individuals to these conditions.
Chronic Inflammation: Inflammation in the body, often caused by poor diet and lack of exercise, can interfere with insulin signalling pathways.
Hormonal Imbalances: Conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hormonal changes during menopause can contribute to insulin resistance.
How does it affect Weight Gain?
Increased Fat Storage: Insulin promotes the storage of glucose as fat in adipose (fat) tissue. Higher insulin levels enhance fat storage and inhibit the breakdown of fat, leading to weight gain.
Hunger and Appetite: Insulin resistance can disrupt the balance of hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, such as leptin and ghrelin. This can lead to increased appetite and cravings, particularly for high-carbohydrate foods.
Energy Imbalance: With cells not getting the glucose they need for energy, the body may signal for more food intake, even though there is plenty of glucose in the blood. This can create a cycle of overeating and further weight gain.
Long-Term Health Consequences
Type 2 Diabetes: Persistent insulin resistance can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes, a condition characterised by chronically high blood sugar levels.
Cardiovascular Disease: Insulin resistance is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Metabolic Syndrome: A cluster of conditions, including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels are all linked to insulin resistance.
The ‘Stress’ Hormone ‘Cortisol’
What is Cortisol? Cortisol is a stress hormone that, when chronically elevated, can lead to increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods.
Function of Cortisol:
Stress Response: Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. It prepares the body to handle stress by increasing glucose availability, suppressing the immune system, and aiding in fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism.
Circadian Rhythm: Cortisol levels follow a daily rhythm, peaking in the morning to help wake you up and gradually declining throughout the day.
Impact of Cortisol on Weight:
Increased Appetite and Cravings: Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels can lead to increased appetite and cravings, particularly for high-calorie, sugary foods.
Fat Storage: Cortisol promotes the storage of fat, particularly visceral fat around the abdomen. This type of fat is associated with a higher risk of metabolic diseases.
Muscle Breakdown: High cortisol levels can lead to muscle breakdown (catabolism), reducing lean muscle mass and lowering metabolic rate, making it harder to lose weight.
Managing Cortisol Levels:
Stress Management: Incorporating stress-reducing activities such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises can help lower cortisol levels.
Regular Exercise: While intense exercise can temporarily increase cortisol levels, regular moderate exercise helps reduce overall stress and cortisol levels.
Balanced Diet: Eating a balanced diet with adequate nutrients supports overall hormonal balance, including cortisol regulation.
Adequate Sleep: Ensuring 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night helps maintain healthy cortisol levels.
Natural Solutions to Manage Weight Balanced Diet and Whole Foods:
Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Avoid processed foods and added sugars. Eating 30-40g of protein for breakfast may balance your blood sugar for the rest of the day and reduce risk of craving/snacking.
Regular Exercise:
Move your body daily for 30-60mins, may that be a brisk walk or a mix of cardio and strength training exercises. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, along with muscle-strengthening activities twice a week.
Stress Management:
Practice stress-reducing techniques such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, or spending time in nature to lower cortisol levels. Increased cortisol may contribute to weight gain.
Improve Sleep:
Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night. Poor sleep can disrupt hormone balance and increase hunger hormones like ghrelin, leading to weight gain.
Stay Hydrated:
Drinking enough water can help with weight loss by keeping you full and supporting metabolic processes. Aim for at least 8 cups of water a day. Dehydration can trick us into thinking we are hungry when we just need some water. Stay hydrated to avoid over eating.
Using Functional Testing to find out whats driving your weight gain
Hormone Testing will assess levels of leptin, insulin, cortisol, and thyroid hormones, this helps to identify imbalances that may contribute to weight fluctuations.
A comprehensive stool analysis may uncover gut issues that could be affecting your metabolism and contributing to weight changes.
Testing for deficiencies in nutrients, vitamins and minerals can help tailor a more effective diet plan for weight loss.
If you feel like you're doing everything right but still can't lose weight, it might be time to look deeper. As a Nutritional Therapist, I can work with you to help uncover and address the underlying factors affecting your weight.
Book a free chat with me today and take the first step towards achieving your weight loss goals naturally and effectively.
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