Are you exercising, eating good portions of healthy food but still can’t seem to lose weight? There is much more to weight loss than just calories in versus calories out. Our bodies are much more complex than that! Here’s why you might be struggling to lose that extra fat around your waistline:
- Hormone imbalance
- Medication
- Drinking calories
- Toxic liver
- Unhealthy gut
Hormones play a vital role when it comes to weight loss and feeling healthy. These important messengers are directly connected to the amount of fat you gain or lose. Our hormones are not only responsible for keeping our blood sugar and insulin in balance but are also powerful chemicals that control our metabolism. Signs of a hormone imbalance include unintentional weight changes, difficulty sleeping, dry skin, skin rashes, changes in blood sugar levels, increased thirst, frequent urination, bloating and changes in appetite.
Medication, many times, unknowingly affects our body’s metabolism and leads to weight gain. This includes diabetes medication, antidepressants, contraceptives, steroid medication and even antihistamines among others. Many medications cause water retention leading to weight gain, NOT fat gain, thus the number on the scale will go up even though you haven’t gained any fat. This is why I always recommend a body composition analysis to identify the true reason for weight gain.
Sugary drinks make it near impossible to lose weight effectively. Drinking your calories have a much larger effect on your weight than eating it does.
Sugary drinks make it near impossible to lose weight effectively. Drinking your calories have a much larger effect on your weight than eating it does. When you are hungry and snack on cookies, you will at least be less hungry and in turn eat less at your next meal. If you drink a soda, you will still eat the same amount at your next meal and automatically add calories to your diet without satisfying your hunger. It’s best to stick to drinking water as it also plays a very important role in breaking down fat in your body.
Our liver function is not the first thing that comes to mind when considering losing weight. It, however, has the most important role to play, metabolizing fat. The liver is essential to our health, metabolism, detoxifying the body, feeling energized and weight loss. A toxic liver may in some cases develop within hours or, in others, within months of exposure. Symptoms usually subside after exposure to the toxin stops.
Gut health refers to the function and balance of bacteria found in our intestines. The oesophagus, stomach and intestines all work together to allow us to enjoy food and digest it without any discomfort. An unhealthy gut may lead to malabsorption which means you are not absorbing the nutrients your body needs and can lead to over eating, because you never really feel satisfied or full. This is because the good bacteria in our gut is responsible for the hunger hormone called Ghrelin. Signs of an unhealthy gut include an upset stomach (bloating/ constipation/ diarrhoea/ abdominal pain), constantly feeling hungry or experiencing cravings, constant breakouts and skin irritations, unintentional weight changes, fatigue and food intolerances.
