Why is my fat not budging?
A common question I’m often met with in clinic is from client’s; both men and women who are consciously making a committed effort to improve their health through diet and exercise, however, are not seeing any positive results when it comes to reaching their fat loss goals! This scenario is becoming more and more common… and it is situations like these that make seeing a Holistic Nutritionist like myself all the more worthwhile when it comes to investigating the cause and seeing results!
As a “health detective” I take a full health history to 1) rule out the most common potential causes and 2) to investigate any more unusual causes (including genetic) that could be underlying the fat gain/ lack of loss in the body.
The more common causes of weight gain can be ascertained through the basic Nutrition 101 principle: Are you consuming more calories than the amount you are expending during movement or exercise? Commonly termed by PT’s as “more calories in vs. calories out”. A simple evaluation of your daily dietary intake and the amount of exercise you perform in the day (or lack of exercise), could very easily answer your weight-loss question.
However, if you are somebody who is making the effort to eat well by consuming wholefoods, quality proteins, fats and carbohydrates, adequate fibre, nutrient dense foods and avoiding refined sugars and processed foods, while eating all in healthy portion sizes and exercising to your body’s requirements at least 4 times a week, yet are still finding it challenging to reduce the excess bulge… Then further investigation is warranted.
In these cases, I would begin by ordering blood tests, and a physical examination to confirm or rule out one or more of the following potential factors which may be influencing your weight.
Liver toxicity – The liver is the main organ to metabolise and process fat in the body. However, its main priority is to process toxins and sugars that we ingest or physically expose the body to. So when we have high exposure to toxins including alcohol, food chemicals from processed foods, xeno-oestrogens from plastics, prescription and recreational drugs, environmental chemicals etc plus a regular or high consumption of sugary foods and soft drinks, we overburden our liver’s detoxification pathways, leaving minimal energy for it to process the fats and hormones it is supposed to metabolise and clear.
This overburdened liver can lead to fatty liver disease, inflammation (hepatitis), and if not rectified and treated over a period of time, irreversible cirrhosis of the liver!
Having an overburdened liver can lead to what we sometimes call a “sluggish liver”, where symptoms include weight gain, lethargy, fatigue, insomnia, high blood cholesterol, hormonal imbalances and nutrient deficiencies.
Cortisol imbalances – Cortisol is the main stress hormone that is secreted from the adrenal cortex of the adrenal glands when the body is under physical or emotional stress. When we are exposed to stressors constantly over a long period of time, or experience high amounts of stress over a short period of time, increased Cortisol is secreted into the system and can interfere with the function of other hormones in the body such as thyroid hormones, which can cause hypothyroidism, increase oestrogen and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) which can in turn increase fat tissue in females (specifically behind the arms, thighs, buttocks and stomach areas, while it can also decrease testosterone in males and as a result decrease libido and increase fatty deposits around the abdominal area.
The increase of cortisol hormone itself can also lead to insulin resistance as the body breaks down muscle into glycogen and secretes more insulin at this time, which can subsequently lead to muscle loss and increased body fat if the cortisol levels are not reduced.
Insulin resistance or pre-diabetes can be associated with the increasingly common Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in females and Metabolic Syndrome in the wider population. Both of these conditions can lead to weight gain, which is predominantly seen around the abdominal area in cases of Metabolic Syndrome and is usually accompanied by high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. See my article on PCOS for more details on the condition and natural treatments.
Menopause/Andropause – the hormonal changes of these conditions may also predispose women and men respectively to gain weight, more commonly around the abdomen. However, hormonal changes are not the sole cause of weight gain during this life-stage transition. Instead, weight gain can usually be related to aging, a slower metabolism, reduced muscle mass, less activity and genetic factors.
Chronic Inflammation – Studies have shown that the CRP level in the blood (measure of inflammation) increased as a person’s fat levels increased. Weight gain associated with systemic inflammation can be attributed to the inflammatory cytokine chemicals that are produced by the body during times of inflammation. These inflammatory cytokines also attract similar chemicals called Adipokines, which, as the name implies are associated with adipose (fat tissue). Whether the inflammation increases the adipose tissue, or the adipose tissue influences the inflammation is debated in numerous areas of research. What we can be assured of though, is that implementing a two-pronged approach of reducing inflammation and implementing fat loss methods simultaneously is a sensible way to treat chronic systemic inflammation that is associated with weight gain.
This is not an exhaustive list of possible underlying causes to gaining body fat or struggling to lose it. If you think one of the above may apply to you, or you are struggling to lose weight, please don’t hesitate to contact me for a personal consultation where we can investigate your needs and help you reach your health goals sooner.
My favourite essential oils for metabolism and detox:
In love and health,
Deena x
The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not designed to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Speak to a professional practitioner like myself for more personalised information for your health needs or speak to your current health professional for more advice.