Weight gain and the inability to lose weight are common symptoms of imbalance. Most of us are taught that weight loss occurs by increasing output (exercise) and decreasing input (calories/food we eat). But if you have ever tried to lose weight and have been on a diet, you know this is not true, and if you lose weight, it does not necessarily stay off.
Gaining and losing weight over and over pushes our bodies to become more resistant to weight loss. Weight loss resistance can arise when you have a metabolic or other physiological imbalance that “tells” your body to hold onto to weight at all costs. Our bodies are wonderfully made in which all of the systems work together to create balance. High stress (internal or external) for continued periods, with no relief, can wreck havoc on the adrenals, which can eventually cause a imbalance in other areas of the body, such as thyroid, sex hormones, and the entire endocrine system. The body senses stress and blocks weight loss, as well as causing dysfunction in other areas, such as sleep, food absorption, digestion (saving for a rainy day – meaning “I must slow everything down so I have the energy to handle this stress”).
When under stress, your body feels the need to hoard energy by lowering production of hormones, organs, and digestion. Its focus is on handling the stress. We call this Metabolic Chaos, and this results in the Stress Cascade (one issue leads to another).
The key to putting the body back into balance, is finding the root cause of the stress, and reducing, if not eliminating that stressor. It may start with a physical stress (injury), emotional stress (death, divorce), or ongoing stressors like battling heavy traffic every day, high stress job where everything was due yesterday, etc. Eventually, with no relief in sight, your body’s ability to handle stress wears down, and functions do not work as well as they once did. The body can not heal like it once did, and Metabolic Chaos ensues. Illness and symptoms begin to build, (bacterial infections, parasites, hormone imbalance, food malabsorption, food sensitivities, fatty liver and more).
Finding the root cause and addressing the weaknesses related, so as the bring the body back into balance, is the primary focus of Functional Medicine. Using functional lab testing, helps FDN practitioners know where the dysfunction is occurring so as to address it with food, diet, and lifestyle. We like to say, “Test, Don’t Guess!”
If this sounds like you, having tried everything, but still can not lose those extra pounds, then we need to talk. I invite you to have a complimentary consult with me about your needs. Go here to set up an appointment today: https://p.bttr.to/361E25K
