When it comes to effective fat loss, there are a number of factors that play a role. Unfortunately, there is more to fat loss than simple “calories in and calories out”. If you have been working with a nutritional coach and are finding yourself struggling with losing fat while being diligent about following your diet, then you may want to consider a few other factors.
- Amount of sugars/processed foods you consume (including glucose, honey, maple syrup and particularly high fructose corn syrup). Not only do over-consuming quantities of these foods create inflammation in the body but they also create insulin spikes and increase the risk of leptin resistance.
- Amount of artificial sweeteners and sugar-free products in your diet (ie. sucralose, aspartame and all other forms of artificial sweeteners–these may be present in calorie-free or fat-free pop/beverages/salad dressings/etc). These also trigger insulin release which leads to excess appetite and overeating, insulin resistance and weight gain.
- Have you recently experienced rapid weight loss caused by drastically cutting calories or removing all forms of carbohydrates? When the body loses fat too quickly it signals to the brain to go into starvation mode – the body will think it needs to protect itself and so it will work to regain the lost weight AND then some. The body is keen to responding to drastic changes and will do everything it can to protect itself. Its first course of action is to protect vital organs by releasing the hormone cortisol which creates belly fat (visceral fat) to protect those organs. Further to the physical change of weight gain/loss, a number of other internal damaging processes are occurring including potential thyroid, adrenal and metabolic damage. If the body fears starvation it will begin to use muscle as energy, so in the process of the scale decreasing you are losing important muscle mass that opens the body up to further dangers such as auto-immune diseases and osteoporosis.
- Leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone produced by the body’s fat cells that tell the brain when it is full and to stop eating. People who are obese have high levels of leptin, but the leptin signal isn’t working due to a condition known as leptin resistance. Leptin resistance can cause hunger and reduced energy expenditure. Leptin tells the brain how much body fat is being carried. A large amount of leptin tells the brain it has a lot of body fat stored and a small amount of leptin says that fat stores are low and may be in risk of starvation. However, when this hormone is not acting properly (ie. leptin resistance) it can not tell the brain when to stop eating or that it has had enough food. When this happens, the brain thinks it needs to continue eating AND that if the body is in risk of starvation it also signals the body to conserve energy therefore leaving you feeling tired and lethargic; which in turn removes any motivation to exercise. If you have a lot of belly fat there is a good chance you are experiencing a level of leptin resistance.
- Lipid ratios. Look at your last blood work and if the ratio of your triglycerides to your HDL (good cholesterol) is greater than 3 this is also a potential marker of insulin resistance.
In order to prevent or reverse hormone deterrents from affecting fat loss (ie. cortisol & leptin resistance) consider assessing the following:
- avoid processed foods – these lead to inflammation in the body
- physical exercise – this may help to prevent/reverse insulin resistance
- sleep – a good night’s rest affects cortisol levels, inflammation and plays a role in preventing insulin resistance
- lower your triglycerides – the best way to lower is to eat less simple, processed carbohydrates and simple sugars
- eat protein – not only is this necessary for the building of lean muscle mass, but it also gives the body a feeling of satiety without triggering spikes in insulin (which can otherwise lead to insulin resistance).
Above all, patience, consistency and following a healthy and manageable fat loss plan will not only affect your waist line, but it will also support healthy and balanced hormone functionality.