Weight Loss Resistance Treatment: How Hormones Play A Role In Losing Weight
Obesity is a global health crisis, in which cases have tripled since 1975. Researchers have studied how the body loses weight to determine the best guidelines for sustainability. According to the FDA, approximately 70% of American adults are obese or overweight.
Weight loss resistance treatment has become accessible throughout the years.
Obesity can be defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. A BMI (Body Mass Index) is a unit of measurement to determine where your height-for-weight and health converge. Although useful, age should be considered when calculating BMI.
An overweight BMI in adults is considered:
- Greater than or equal to 25
- Greater than or equal to 30
At this stage, you’ve been doing everything correctly: you count calories, reduce your sugar intake, cut out most processed foods, and hit the gym 3-4 times every week. Yet despite your most focused effort, those last 10 pounds refuse to melt.
According to the American Psychological Association, roughly 42% of US adults have reported undesired weight gain since the beginning of the pandemic. These weight changes can be the result of many different factors including level of activity and stress. Children have also been affected by Covid-19, where child obesity rates had increased by 2%. Weight changes are a normal process of the body that can be managed through proper insight.
How Does My Body Lose Weight?
When you take in more calories than you burn, the human body stores those calories into fat. When you begin to burn calories, it takes roughly 30-60 minutes of aerobic exercise for the body to reach the fat reserves for energy. 
Participating in exercises for at least an hour 3 times a week is a recommended model for weight loss. The results may vary depending on your body, however, physical activity can help regulate your internal systems to keep you sharp.
If you’re into weightlifting and resistance training, this is a recommended activity for weight loss. This fat is stored in adipose tissue, in the form of triglycerides. Your liver and muscles serve as another place for storage.
Your body uses energy for a variety of purposes. We don’t notice how much energy walking to the bathroom or even sitting can take up calories. It’s important to keep track of your caloric intake when it comes to activity and weight loss.
These factors play a role in assisting with weight loss:
- Your rest – The heart requires energy to pump, your lungs need to breathe, and your brain to remember trivia facts.
- Your activity level – Your muscles require energy for numerous actions
- How you eat – Your body needs the energy to break down and store food
When you diet, you take in fewer calories which force the body to rely on the energy that is stored in the body. This is a survival tool for the body, especially in cases where our ancestors struggled with food scarcity and needed to rely on stored energy for searching.
The byproducts of fat are released as water (when you sweat) or carbon dioxide (when you breathe). The breakdown of fat generates heat, which can bring the body’s temperature to a normal balance.
What Is Weight Loss Resistance?
Weight loss resistance can be described as the reduced ability to lose weight despite physical activities and dieting. This can be influenced by several factors. Fat storage and breakdown impact your body, especially the speed at which fat is used. It can be safe to assume if you don’t lose 1-2 pounds weekly, then you might have this condition.
Hormones may be affected by weight, age, and medical diagnoses. High levels of body fat can affect other hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and leptin. For example, low testosterone is associated with increased body fat and reduced muscle mass. Additionally, obesity is linked to higher levels of insulin and asprosin.
Weight Loss Resistance: Calories Vs Hormones
Hormones are chemical messengers that transmit signals to the body to perform specific actions. Glands in your body will secrete hormones; such as adrenal glands for adrenaline to get your mind and body active for danger. Hormones are quite versatile, channeling tasks from all over your body. Hormonal dysregulation can have significant impacts on your overall health. A hormonal diet for weight loss could be considered in these specific circumstances.
After a large meal at your favorite restaurant, you may feel sleepy and lethargic. Hormones can regulate your appetite to ensure your body has enough energy. Certain hormones signal you when you’re full while others invite you to eat.
-
- Ghrelin: This is recognized as “the hunger hormone”, by stimulating the hypothalamus. Ghrelin is responsible for the sleep-wake cycle and glucose metabolism.
- Motilin: Found in the small intestine, signaling to the brain that you need food
- Neuropeptide Y: A peptide (or short chain of amino acids) used to stimulate food intake. Neuropeptide Y is regulated by ghrelin and leptin.
- Agouti-related protein (AgRp): A peptide produced in the brain that’s stimulated by ghrelin, designed to increase food intake.
These hormones promote fullness:
- Cholecystokinin (CCK): Released by the small intestine as a response to luminal nutrients, reducing intake by stimulating fullness centers in the brain. CCK induces pancreatic and gallbladder functions.
- Glucagon-like peptide-1: This slows the stomach emptying to reduce food intake, produced by intestinal cells to respond to nutrient ingestion.
- Pancreatic peptide-YY: Another hormone found in the small intestine that responds to eating food and binds to receptors in the brain by decreasing appetite. Peptide YY is known for slowing the movement of food through the digestive tract.
- Leptin: Recognized as the “fullness hormone”. Leptin is secreted by fat cells and other parts of the body. Leptin inhibits hunger-promoting peptides NPY and AgRp by stimulating fullness-inducing peptides.
The Major Hormone For Weight Loss Resistance (Insulin)
Insulin has other hormones that keep it in check. Its sister hormone is glucagon, which opens up those storage units as your body needs it. Together, these two hormones perform a balancing act to keep your blood sugar levels under control.
In other words, if you want to lose weight, you should optimize your hormones by keeping insulin low and glucagon high. However, when your insulin levels are too high, glucagon isn’t enough to tame it.
Weight Loss Resistance And Risk Factors (Environmental)
Ask most experts what creates insulin resistance that contributes to health problems, and you’ll probably hear a high-sugar diet. But there are other culprits, including environmental toxicity.
Insulin resistance and toxicity often feed off each other, contributing to weight loss resistance. Although increased sugar consumption, obesity, and lack of exercise certainly contribute, the effect of environmental toxins may be far greater.
Why Does Weight Loss Fail For People?
Weight loss can be a milestone for some, while others may continue to persist despite meeting the standards. Diets can be manipulated to target specific food groups and allergies.
In recent years, fad diets have become popular as a means of quick and easy weight loss. No fad is ever truly new.
No one nutrient is better than another, considering our bodies need a variety of foods. Another pitfall of fad diets is that they usually upsell a product. Restrictive diets can have quick but unsustainable results.
Despite a healthy diet being a huge role in the health of any living being, the cost of these diets can leave a person feeling unmotivated. Adequate exercise can directly impact these results.
Boredom
Boredom can become a reason behind weight loss resistance. Boredom may inspire cravings or feelings to eat to pass the time. This can be frustrating, but it’s encouraged to find another medium to express your boredom.
Hunger
You may not be eating enough if you find yourself at the depths of hunger during a diet plan. Make protein-rich and high fiber meals a priority. Heart-healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, or chia seeds can make you feel full faster.
Portion Size
The portion size you decide to incorporate into your fat resistance diet will impact your goals. Some people may not be familiar with what proper portion sizes look like and may end up undeserving their needs. A digital scale can be a window into proper measurements for portion-sized meals.
Frequency
The number of meals you have may play a role in how your body loses weight. Increasing the number of times you eat can increase the risk of taking in more calories than you need. Some people might incorporate light snacks into their diet to prevent them from eating large meals, especially to avoid extreme hunger.
Stress
Stress can invite you to find ways to meet your emotional needs through food. The comfort of eating can be a blissful distraction for your triggers and stressors. It’s vital to recognize these patterns to prevent yourself from binging. Stress is a common trigger in how the body loses weight.
What Are Treatments For Weight Loss Resistance?
A common pitfall of dietary changes is when you lose 10% of your body weight but regain most of it within a year and all of it in 5 years. Motivation is a formidable force that can carry you into a state of consistency.
Nutritionist
A nutritionist can provide nutrition therapy to manage or treat illness/conditions. They can be responsible for overseeing community education programs along with consulting clients. Nutritionists can work closely with registered dietitians and healthcare professionals. A nutritionist can be a valuable resource for a fat resistance diet.
A nutritionist may be certified by the Board of Certification of Nutrition Specialists, which may vary from state to state. Nutritionists are not dieticians. Nutrition professionals can work in a variety of settings from school districts to private facilities.
Dietician
Despite the confusion, nutritionists can not label themselves as dieticians but dieticians can label themselves as nutritionists. Dietitians provide consultations for one-on-one or group settings. A dietician makes an assessment and provides counseling to meet your goals.
You should seek out a dietician when your diet is not sustainable, your relationship with food needs to be repaired, or your need to manage weight /diet.
Registered dietitians must complete a four-year degree in clinical nutrition. RD or RDN are what signify a registered dietician. Dieticians can operate in several settings such as hospitals, school programs, or private companies.
Weight Loss Clinic
A weight loss clinic can be described as an evidence-based facility designed to treat the underlying causes of excessive weight gain or obesity. An evaluation of your current health will be the first phase of weight loss resistance treatment. Nutritional counseling is typically provided to encourage the patient to sustain long-term goals.
A client can expect to receive care from a physician to ensure a sustainable plan of action for weight loss resistance treatment. Treatment approaches could vary from facility to facility. A physician can administer injections, multivitamins, appetite suppressants, and HCG prescriptions. For example, Wegovy has become a promising medicine to reduce obesity in patients.
How Androgenix Solutions Weight Loss Resistance Treatment Can Help
Androgenix Advanced Health and Wellness Center can help with weight loss and managing your conditions caused by hormonal imbalance through various treatment methods. Feeling frustrated about losing weight is no way to live your life. Frustration can increase your stress hormone cortisol, which can stall weight loss. The good news is that a professional can also help.
Weight loss resistance can come in many “flavors,” and it might feel like an uphill challenge to pinpoint what creates yours. Did you know working with a chiropractor or other healthcare professionals can help tremendously? Misaligned spine pathways can send mixed signals to your brain, making you hungry or craving sugary, processed foods.
We could be the guide you need to discover an alternative lifestyle. Feel free to contact our facility today.
References:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/where-does-body-fat-go-when-you-lose-weight/
https://www.health.com/diets/why-fad-diets-fail
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20551029211024406
https://www.nutritioned.org/what-is-a-nutritionist.html
*Unless otherwise stated, individual results may vary depending on many factors not all patients “feel” or achieve the same results.
