Sneaky Weight Gain Culprits
Jun 19, 2023
It seems as if one day you’re showing off those toned lean abs and then suddenly – whoa!!! you’ve got a ‘Meno-Pot’!! (short for weight gain around the middle that just doesn’t seem to want to budge).
It is true that with hormonal changes you may gain weight around the middle (and all-over) since you’ve lost the insulin-sensitising effect of estradiol and are therefore at greater risk of insulin-resistance.
I think the first thing to realise is ‘you’re not alone’ and that ‘you can beat this’!
However, there are few more factors to get in place to really get your weight gain under control – here’s a few of the sneaky weight gain culprits:
Gut health – we need a diverse and nourished gut microbiome to keep our weight under control – chronic imbalances can cause dysbiosis leaving the gut open to many opportunistic bacteria, parasites, and candida. If gut problems are suspected get a comprehensive stool test – I use a GI MAP with Zonulin which also checks for leaky gut markers. Test kits can be sent out.
High levels of stress – prolonged levels of even low-grade stress can play havoc with our weight. Cortisol can unleash stored energy from the liver and if this is unused it stores as visceral fat – ie; bring on the ‘Muffin Top’. It also decreases muscle mass which slows the metabolism and can weaken the gut wall leading to ‘leaky gut’. I use a Dutch Test here to check hormones and free daily cortisol levels.
Thyroid troubles – the thyroid is our ‘Master Gland’ of metabolism, it’s sensitive and easily damaged by oxidative stress. Throw in the auto-immune condition Hashimotos and your body is really struggling to regulate itself and can contribute to uncontrolled weight gain. Ask your doctor to run you a blood test to check ALL thyroid hormones – TSH, T4, T3 and thyroid antibodies TPOab and TgAb.
Insulin Resistance – insulin is secreted by the pancreas and the resistance develops when cells become less sensitive to insulin decreasing glucose storage in the cell and increasing glucose in the circulation leading to an increase in weight. To check for insulin resistance do a fasting plasma glucose, oral glucose test plus a Hba1C to check for pre-diabetes.
Peri-menopause – ah! Back to the hormones again. Women in peri-menopause can struggle with weight gain leading up to menopause as the estrogen levels decrease, the body compensates by increasing the conversion of a different type of estrogen that is derived from the fat tissues. This is turn trigger the body to slow fat loss. The sudden drop in estrogen in the brain causes the body to ‘switch’ and gain weight!
So, you see, it’s rarely about just one thing and again we need that full body holistic approach to really tackle our weight gain.
Why not book a 1:1 appointment with Toni or sign up for our 30-Day Body Transformation Plan to get you back on track. We can also send out any functional hormone and gut testing worldwide.
More details here - https://toni-baker.mykajabi.com/btrp-updated
