Weight is a symptom, not the problem.

Our weight is not the result of a simple calorie-in calorie-out equation.  If it was, there would not be a $250 billion industry supporting weight loss products and programs.  Women have been reducing calories in pursuit of weight loss since antiquity.  Too often, restricting calories  does not actually result in weight loss and the reduction of calories can negatively impact our health in profound ways.  

Excess weight is a symptom of an underlying physiologic imbalance.  Excess weight is one way the body communicates, ‘something is not quite right here.’ 

The question is, which system, or systems,  need rebalancing so the weight shifts? 

Hormone imbalance frequently underwrites weight gain and/or weight loss resistance.  It is common for women to gain weight during menopause because of low levels of estrogen.  Low levels of estrogen cause the body to use carbohydrates less effectively, resulting in increased fat storage.  Also, muscle mass diminishes with age which slows metabolism, yet another good reason to lift weights (as in the one’s at the gym!) as we age.  

Adrenal gland dysfunction is another root cause of weight gain.  When stress levels are high, stress hormones (read: cortisol) are high, which results in high insulin levels (read: insulin-resistance).  High insulin levels underwrite inflammation, midsection weight gain, high testosterone levels and subsequent hair loss, not to mention most chronic diseases and illness.  Restoring adrenal gland function can result in the normalization of weight.

Sometimes, it’s our bodies impaired detoxification pathways that are the root cause of weight gain.  Detoxification is the process by which we convert fat-soluble compounds to water-soluble substances so they can be eliminated from our bodies (for example, through urine and sweat).  Symptoms of poor detoxification include hormone imbalances, lack of tolerance to smells, and skin irritations. By the time we reach midlife, there is an accumulation of toxins we’ve not successfully eliminated.  This is referred to as our toxic load.  There are ways we can live, foods we can eat (think broccoli, green tea, and goji berries), and supplements we can take to support detoxification and the subsequent weight loss.   

Functional medicine practitioners can help get to the root cause - or causes - of the physiologic imbalance - or imbalances - that are contributing to weight gain.  You can find a practitioner in your area by going to the Institute for Functional Medicine website.  In the meantime, solidify your foundations of wholeness:  Eat mostly protein and vegetables, incorporate movement into most days, rest well and get help if you need it, spend time outdoors, and most importantly of all, try not to be too hard on yourself.  Ultimately, you will feel better in your body irregardless of the numbers on the scale, but those might feel good, and yield a variety of health benefits, too.