Are You Stuck In The Middle?
In January we discussed how hormonal changes or imbalances can contribute to weight gain and/or prevent weight loss. Increasing your activity and adjusting your caloric intake are essential for weight loss. However, sometimes, despite your best efforts you can plateau or get stuck. There could be a medical reason for this halt in your progress. Chronic stress can greatly contribute to weight gain by triggering your body to produce abnormal amounts of cortisol and DHEA, which are stress hormones produced by the adrenal glands.
Ladies AND Gentlemen, your stress hormones, predominantly cortisol, can make you crave sugar and other carbs, which make you gain weight or hold onto the weight you’re trying to lose. This wear and tear on your adrenal glands makes them “tired”, hence the term Adrenal Fatigue.
Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue:
Sugar cravings Irritability Fatigue Low libido Depression Negativity and inability to tolerate “ignorant” people Difficulty waking up in the morning and don’t feel fully awake until around 10:00 Not feeling rested no matter how much sleep you get Afternoon slump around 3:00 or 4:00, possibly getting a “second wind” around 6:00 after dinner WEIGHT GAIN
Much of our metabolic rate is “set” by our thyroid glands. Many things can cause your thyroid gland to produce abnormal amounts of thyroid hormones: heredity, iodine deficiency, exposure to toxins, and damage to the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism is yet another cause of abnormal weight.
Low Thyroid Symptoms Extreme fatigue Child birth within last 9 months Miscarriages and/or infertility by history Brain fog Anxiety and/or depression Menstrual irregularities Constipation WEIGHT GAIN Abdominal distention/bloating Low body temperature Abnormal cholesterol High TSH, low T4 or T3, high reverse T3
Food sensitivities and allergies can also cause weight gain. Did you know that sometimes you “crave” foods that are really poison to your system? While one person might do well eating a diet including tomatoes, dairy products, and whole wheat, another person might become sicker after eating large quantities of these foods. It can take 3-5 days for your body to react to a specific food, thus making it very difficult to determine if you are sensitive to it or not. ALCAT testing for food sensitivities is a definitive way to discover whether certain foods could be causing your particular set of symptoms, whether they include weight gain, headaches, stomach aches, fatigue, or others.
If you have any of these symptoms, it might be to your advantage to get tested to see what might be causing your body to be stuck at the same weight. If, indeed, you have one or more of these imbalances, correction can help your body release the fat and you will be likely to see better results with your exercise and healthy diet. Don’t give up….just keep digging until you find the “root” cause of your problem. To schedule a consultation and discuss testing options, call Legacy Health Center at 601-620- 0370.
