Why Can’t I lose weight… Part 1

Difficulty losing weight is one of the most common concerns of our new patients that come to the clinic. While the amount of weight loss desired varies person to person, there’s some foundational issues that leave the metabolism stuck in a rut.

Weight gain and difficulty losing weight  is something I’ve personally dealt with over the course of my years, experiencing other issues like infertility, hypothyroidism (low thyroid), cortisol issues, and now, 3 pregnancies and deliveries. 

Correcting a poor metabolism is often easier said than done, but it can be done with time, a bit of patience, and working through my weight loss checklist.

Think of these 11 items as possible causes to consider for your slowed metabolism. 

Today I wanted to give you 2 big ones - directly related to hormones and over the coming weeks leading to the new year we will dive deeper into the others a few at a time. 

High Estrogen aka Estrogen Dominance 

This one is often related to either low progesterone and normal estrogen making you estrogen dominant by lack of balance  OR normal progesterone with simply, a high estrogen load. 

You have 3 estrogens- Estriol  (a weak and healthy estrogen that we don’t often check by blood work), Estradiol (a good estrogen that can be a problem whether high or low), and Estrone (a cancer causing hormone that’s usually picked up in part by environmental exposure such as herbicides and pesticides in food or plastics such as drinking bottles or food storage containers where you would be actually ingesting BPA found in plastics).  

For women, estrogen should be in balance with progesterone. Symptoms of high estrogen can include water retention, fat accumulation especially in the hips, thighs, and abdominal areas, bloating, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), 

Progesterone aides in sleep, anxiety, menstrual regularity, mood, and fertility. It affects the brain and the uterus, suppors the immune system, and is an anti-inflammatory as it relaxes smooth muscle. Progesterone holds the wrath of PMS in it’s hands and is the critical balance of estrogen when it comes to weight loss, fertility, and more. 

Estrogen dominance is the root cause of endometriosis, heavy menstruation aka menorrhagia, PMS, uterine fibroids, dense breast tissue and causes an increased risk of endometrial and breast cancers. AND it’s a major cause of weight gain or difficulty losing weight in younger women and women in peri-menopause (the few years prior to menopause or the cessation of menstruation). 

Now with this said- men can have this issue in a way- too high estrogen, not in balance with progesterone but instead in balance with testosterone. We don’t measure ratios of testosterone to estradiol like we do women’s progesterone to estradiol however, we know where estradiol and estrone should be as well as testosterone and if estrogens are too high or testosterone too low - then bingo- we’ve got a problem with fat loss! 

Low Growth Hormone 

Most likely, you’ve heard of Growth Hormone (GH or HGH)  but perhaps you don’t quite understand what exactly it is and does. There’s been some negative connotation about HGH due to it’s well known use amongst steroids in the bodybuilding world.

For sake of being comprehensive and opening our eyes to advancements in weight loss and anti-aging as a whole let’s talk about GH and available options to capture the extensive benefits of having more HGH in a safe and effective way! 

Growth Hormone stimulates all cells in the human body to replicate. Growth hormone is made in a tiny gland in the brain, about the size of a pea, called the pituitary which is attached to the hypothalmus.

The pituitary is often referred to as the master gland as it controls GH production and other hormones including sex hormones and thyroid.

When you are young, unless you have a Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) as seen in children with slow growth or genetic abnormalities, you have an optimal GH level causing the cells in your body to replicate allowing for you to grow. As you age it declines naturally but can also decline in adults from a serious head injury, infections, and radiation treatments that damages the pituitary gland.  

Low GH causes the metabolism to slow and ultimately worsens body composition with higher body fat and lower muscle mass. This is a big reason that as we age, we are ‘softer’ all over, but it can certainly cause a higher fat accumulation around the midsection. It also causes our skin to be dry, thin, and sag with a decline in elasticity. Sex hormone decline also impacts this but I want you to realize how GH could also be negatively affecting your metabolism, skin appearance and other health concerns. 

In addition to the above mentioned GHD can cause the following: 

• Loss of bone mineral density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)

• Declined cardiac capacity, high cholesterol, and is associated with heart disease

• Loss of muscle strength and decreased exercise performance

• Weakened immune system

• reduced sexual function (particularly ED in Men and difficulty reaching orgasm in women known as Female Sexual Dysfunction or FSD)

• Depression, anxiety and emotional lability

• Poor sleep quality 

• Decline in cognitive function both in memory and focus

• Worsened glucose utilization leading to Diabetes

Sleep, exercise, and health nutrition tends to improve it but sometimes more support is needed. 

<< Enter our friend, Peptide Therapy>>.

The good news is there are options to improve your natural growth hormone production with in the advancement of peptides which stimulate the pituitary to produce more GH on it’s own!

Think of a peptide as a stimulant or super-vitamin for your pituitary to work more effectively.  There are both peptides that provide a broad response in improving multiple GH symptoms and peptides that offer a more precise symptom relief like weight loss. Some common peptides include Ipamorelin, Sermorelin, CJC 1295.

These are made at a select few compounding pharmacies across the US and are by prescription only. 

Benefits can be experienced in the first month of use, particularly in regard to sleep and energy, and can continue to include enhanced cognitive function with focus and memory, fat loss, and improved results in muscle toning from your exercise routine as well as injury or exercise recovery. 

For more information on if peptide therapy could be right for you click here to contact us about a consultation.

Ready to conquer your weight loss challenges?

Become a patient at RestoreU Functional Medicine and let our experts help you balance your hormones and optimize your metabolism.

Start your journey towards a healthier you today!