Resistant Weight Loss

Naturopathic doctors often work with patients who have been told to lose weight but struggle to know what is right for them. As well at patients who suddenly start gaining weight without known cause or patients who are completing activities that usually allow for weight loss in the past but are no longer working.

The basics

Let's start with the basics, usually it is recommended to choose healthy whole foods, ensure calories are in a slight deficit (no low-calorie diets here!), you have an exercise routine that is consistent, that stress is well managed and that you are sleeping an adequate amount. If any one of these basic principles is out of balance this is where we will start in your management using personalized recommendations and small but consistent changes to your habits/routines.

If you have been consistent with healthy habits and are gaining weight or are struggling to lose it, there could be an underlying cause that is worth investigating. The following are conditions that can make weight loss difficult:

Thyroid

When the thyroid is under functioning, we see all body processes slow down. Weight gain, fatigue, low mood, brain fog, muscle weakness, constipation, hair loss, low libido and changes to the menstrual cycle are some of the potential symptoms. We can test thyroid markers in your blood to check on how your thyroid is functioning, a full thyroid panel would include: TSH (which promotes release of thyroid hormones, often seen on routine blood work), free T3 and free T4 (active and inactive thyroid hormone), anti-TPO and anti-TG (thyroid antibodies detecting autoimmune processes).

In some cases, testing the whole panel may be recommended, especially if symptoms highly align with thyroid concerns, there is a history of thyroid or autoimmune conditions in your family or if you present with long term symptoms of inflammation.

Blood Sugar Regulation

When blood sugar is dysregulated the body’s metabolism will also be impacted. Often time we see insulin spiking before we see dysregulated blood sugar and conditions like diabetes developing. Insulin is a hormone that is released in the presence of sugar in the blood, its job is to bring the sugar out of the blood and into tissues to maintain a healthy blood level. This means that insulin stores sugar, the more insulin your body is releasing the more storing of carbohydrates your body is doing, which as it sounds will lead to weight gain. Testing fasting blood sugar and fasting insulin can help us to know how your body is responding to sugar and if it is in storage mode. HbA1c is another blood marker we may considered; it is a marker of long-term blood sugar management that is often on routine blood work and can help us get a long-term overview.

Symptoms of insulin resistance include weight gain, craving carbohydrates, fatigue especially after eating, dizziness or shakiness, feeling hungry often, darkening of skin around armpits or neck, skin tags.

Stress & cortisol

When stress is unmanaged, the body is chronically in a state of fight or flight mode, this means a lot of cortisol is being released to keep you alert and able to face the stress you are experiencing. Symptoms of elevated cortisol include weight gain, fatigue, waking at 2-4AM very alert, acne, flushed face, mood changes, brain fog, headaches, muscle weakness, easy bruising, new stretch marks. Cortisol is mainly tested in the blood, saliva or urine, a different recommendation will be made based on your particular case.

Sex hormones

There are a few changes to sex hormones that can result in weight gain. When it comes to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone we want to see a healthy and balanced level, if any hormones are too low or too high, we can start to see weight gain occur. Weight gain is especially prevalent during menopause and pregnancy when hormones are changing and moving outside of their usual range. Sex hormones can be tested in blood or urine to investigate levels of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, FSH, LH, DHEA are some potential markers we may discuss. Symptoms of changing sex hormones include weight gain, changes to menstrual cycle and bleeding patterns, PMS symptoms, hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, insomnia, changes to libido, vaginal dryness, headache, bloating, swelling, acne, and fatigue.

Individualized care is always recommended when faced with weight concerns. To discuss your experience and concerns with our naturopathic doctor and investigate your weight changes you can book online here.