Naperville Integrated Wellness
NAPERVILLE'S TOP RATED LOCAL® FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE FACILITY
Weight Loss
Why is losing weight so difficult for some people? Maybe you have experienced this problem yourself?
Why is weight loss easy for some and very difficult, if not impossible, for others? The difference often goes back to differences in metabolism. We have all heard this word before, but what does it really mean and what can cause it to slow down or speed up?
The answer to metabolism problems is not typically found in:
- Weight loss pills or medications
- Weight loss supplements
- Weight loss shakes
- Fat-burning products
These do not correct metabolism problems for most people. In functional medicine we are looking for the root cause of health problems. If you have tried to lose weight by changing your diet and increasing physical activity but still can’t lose weight, then you may have a problem with your metabolism.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism: Converting food into energy
“Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.
Even when you’re at rest, your body needs energy for all its “hidden” functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells. The number of calories your body uses to carry out these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate — what you might call metabolism.”
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508
Weight loss begins in your brain and ends inside your cells
The brain detects body energy excess and deficit by sensing the levels of circulating metabolic hormones and nutrients and by receiving metabolic information from the periphery via the autonomic nervous system. In particular, the hypothalamus, has been considered a key brain area in regulating metabolism through the ability of neurons to sense, integrate, and respond to numerous metabolic signals.
Your brain regulates hunger. It tells you when to eat and when to stop eating. It is also receiving chemical information about how much body fat you are carrying.
How does your body burn fat?
The ability to turn food or body fat into energy occurs inside your cells. Inside your cells are some unusual structures called mitochondria. I call them unusual because they originated from bacteria, and you only get them from your mother. The mitochondria inside your cells turn food and body fat into something called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is what your body uses as energy. So, when you are burning calories or fat your mitochondria are turning them into ATP.
“Mitochondria emerged from bacterial ancestors and are crucial for cellular processes such as energy production and homeostasis, stress responses, cell survival, and more. They are the site of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in our cells…”
“Unlike nuclear DNA (the DNA inside the nucleus of a cell), which is passed down from both the mother and the father, mitochondrial DNA is inherited exclusively from the mother.”
Metabolism is all about energy production. How much energy does your body require and how much energy is your body able to create? Body fat is stored as potential energy. I say potential, because it is not “energy” until the body fat is turned into ATP by your mitochondria.
Why do I have a slow metabolism?
If you have problems losing weight, then you probably have a metabolism problem. Below are some causes of a sluggish metabolism:
Low thyroid function - Inflammation
- Autoimmune diseases
- Anemia
- Hormone imbalances
- Elevated blood sugar or insulin
- Chronic infections
- Certain medications
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Food allergies or food sensitivities
- Poor sleep/insomnia
- Chronic stress
- Poor digestive system health
- Imbalance of bacteria in the gut or yeast overgrowth in the gut.
This is how I look at weight loss problems as a Chicago functional medicine doctor. I am looking for health issues that interfere with normal mitochondria function. Many people with a sluggish metabolism have more than one of these issues contributing to their inability to lose weight and keep it off.
Mitochondria…they key to metabolism
You need to look for imbalances in your body that will have a negative impact on the mitochondria inside your cells. They are the key to your metabolism. The health issues listed above all can slow down the activity of your mitochondria.
Exercise also affects your mitochondria. You can actually increase the number and size of mitochondria in your cells with exercise. The more mitochondria you have, the more body fat you can burn, even when you are at rest.
What about calories?
Caloric intake does play a role in weight loss, but it not as simple as the number of calories you are consuming. Yes, if you consume more calories than are required by your body then you will have problems losing weight. Some weight loss clinics offer drugs to suppress hunger and individuals can consume fewer calories and lose weight. The problem is that the drugs only work if you continue to take them and are not intended for long term use. Quick fixes and solutions that appear easy are typically not going to work or at least not work for long.
Not all calories are the same
It is also important to remember that not all calories are the same. 100 calories of cake can have a very different impact on your metabolism than 100 calories of broccoli. How? The cake calories for example can cause your body to release much more insulin and excess insulin leads to more body fat. The cake can also cause more inflammation than the broccoli and inflammation will reduce mitochondrial function. I could continue to provide more examples, but the point is that not all foods and calories will have the same effect on your body.
Even many foods that are considered healthy interfere with weight loss because they cause inflammation and therefore reduce mitochondrial function. So not all calories or foods for that matter are the same when it comes to weight loss.
Significant calorie restriction will typically result in weight loss, but this is not a good long-term plan. You can’t starve yourself forever and many people end up putting on even more weight in the long run.
Summary
Weight loss can be more complex than just eating less and exercising more. Imbalances in your body can lead to eating too much (brain/hypothalamus) which is one end of the spectrum all the way down to the mitochondria inside your cells that “burn” food and body fat. In between the brain and the mitochondria, many things can go wrong that will prevent weight loss. We try to discover these problems and correct them in functional medicine. If you are interested in functional medicine Chicago is just next door! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you are located near Naperville! We look forward to seeing you.
The purpose of functional medicine is:
Understanding how the body works, knowing how and where to investigate health issues, knowing what to look for, understanding the significance of what is found and creating a plan of action to reverse and correct the root cause the health problems.
My wish for you…health, happiness and a better quality of life!
If you would like more information about functional medicine and integrative medicine or Dr. Sexton go to napervilleintegratedwellness.com
Do your own research, inform yourself and ask lots of questions. When collecting information, you MUST consider the source. There is no shortage of false, misleading, outdated, profit-driven and utterly biased information in healthcare today; even from the most respected sources and organizations.
This approach to healthcare is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. This article is for information purposes and is not a substitute professional healthcare services. Contact our office for more information.