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    Are Hormones the Reason You Can’t Lose Weight?

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    Have you been eating well and exercising like you normally do, only to find that your weight keeps creeping up? Or maybe you’ve been cutting calories and doubling up on the workouts, and the weight just won’t budge.  Well, before you start googling “I can’t lose weight no matter what I do?!” There are a couple of things you need to know. 

    First, the whole calories in/calories out theory is old science and regardless of your calorie intake, it is still possible to gain or lose weight.

    Second, Hormones play a huge role in weight management, and if you don’t get a handle on your hormones, all of that exercise may be for naught  (or possibly even making the problem worse) Below I will explain some of the most common hormone imbalances that make the weight tough to shake.

     

    High Cortisol – Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenals and many women are producing too much simply because they are chronically stressed. High cortisol is often a reason that many women can’t lose weight. Cortisol itself can cause weight to settle in the midsection, and it also raises blood sugar which can contribute to insulin resistance down the line.  High cortisol is most often the result of dysregulation in the HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal axis).  To learn more about cortisol and HPA axis dysfunction, check out this post. 

    Insulin resistance – Insulin is the hormone responsible for shuttling sugar out of the blood and into the cells so they can use it for energy. When blood sugar is chronically high due to things like a poor diet or stress, it can cause cells to become resistant to insulin.  Insulin is like the girl scout knocking on the door of the cell asking if it wants to buy some cookies.  The cell is like, “no thanks, I already bought too many cookies and don’t have room for any more!” So what happens to the cookies?  They get stored as fat. 

    Leptin resistance – Leptin is the hormone that regulates our fullness cues. When you’ve had enough to eat, leptin signals to the brain that you are full and to stop eating. Leptin is produced in the fat cells so if you are overweight and have more fat cells, more leptin is produced. In a fashion similar to insulin resistance, the excess production of leptin overloads the leptin receptors in the brain, and the brain says, “no more.”  When that happens, it’s no longer able to receive the message that you are full, so you keep eating, and your weight keeps climbing. 

    Estrogen dominance – Estrogen dominance is when there is too much estrogen in relation to progesterone. A common complaint associated with estrogen dominance is weight gain, or weight loss resistance, especially around the belly, hips, and thighs. High levels of estrogen may also interfere with the activity of thyroid hormones which can slow metabolism and make it so you can’t lose weight no matter what you try. 

    To learn more about estrogen dominance, check out this post

    Low thyroid –  Your thyroid is the regulator of your metabolism and if things are amiss with the thyroid then it can easily impact your weight.  This is often the first thing people check when they can’t lose weight only to find that their test results come back normal. However, the problem isn’t always that your thyroid isn’t producing enough hormones. It may be because the body isn’t properly converting inactive thyroid hormone to active thyroid hormone that can actually get used. Check out this post to learn more about thyroid function and its impact on your health.

     

     

    If you think hormones are the reason you can’t lose weight, try these things…

     

    Skip the drinks – Alcohol can seriously sabotage your weight loss efforts for a number of reasons, and it is also especially hard on your hormones. Alcohol raises cortisol, messes with your blood sugar and insulin levels, and taxes the liver which helps detox excess hormones like estrogen out of the body. A glass of wine now and then is okay but if you are someone who drinks nearly every day, consider taking at least a two-week timeout every now and then.

    Exercise – When it comes to exercise, there is no need to kill yourself at the gym.  A consistent walking regimen, yoga, or dancing are all great options if the gym just isn’t your thing. Exercise helps with insulin sensitivity (meaning the cells welcome insulin instead of repelling it), and it’s also a great way to reduce stress. Regular exercise can also help you shed excess fat that contributes to things like estrogen dominance and leptin resistance. 

    Avoid processed or packaged foods – Many processed and packaged foods contain additives that disrupt hormone communication. They are also often heavy in sugar and salt, causing weight gain and water retention. Always eat food as close to its natural state as possible. If you do buy packaged foods, look for items with very few ingredients and all of which you can pronounce!

    Eat better meat – A lot of conventionally produced meats contain remnants of antibiotics and hormones given to animals to keep them from getting sick and make them grow larger to produce more meat.  These things will cause imbalances in your gut and can impact the production and utilization of your own hormones. This is often one of the major contributors to estrogen dominance. 

    It’s true that organic, grass-fed or pasture raised meats cost more money, but this is one area where it is 100% worth it. 

    Get a handle on stress – A little bit of stress management can go a long way.  Many of these imbalances can be linked to chronic stress and HPA axis dysfunction. Conscious relaxation exercises such as deep breathing and meditation help counteract the stress response giving your body the space it needs to heal. 

    If you find that you can’t lose weight even while counting calories and exercising often, imbalanced hormones are likely the cause.  To see if you might have a hormone imbalance and get even more tips on how to balance them naturally, take the free quiz below. 

    
						
    
				
    
					
    
		
    
					
    
		
    
				
    
						
    
					
    
			
    
						
    
						
    
					
    
			
    
						
    
				
    
			
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    Life, Wellness
        
	  
    
					
    How to test for underactive thyroid
    
		        
      
    

	
	
	
  
    Last week I shared a little bit on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of low thyroid function and this week we will explore which lab tests you need to determine if you have an underactive thyroid. Most people don’t know that multiple markers must be considered to truly analyze thyroid function, but typically doctors only measure one or two of them.
    

     
    

    

    In this article:
    

     
    

    

      

    • Meet the HPT Axis
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    • What thyroid blood tests do you really need?
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    • A note about “normal” lab tests
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    • A Self-test for underactive thyroid
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    Meet the Hypothalamus Pituitary Thyroid (HPT)  axis
    

     
    

    

    In previous posts I introduced you to the HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal) axis. Well there’s another ring of communication that happens between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and thyroid glands. This one is cleverly named the HPT axis. In a nutshell, when the hypothalamus detects low levels of thyroid hormones it will send a message to the pituitary via the hormone thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). This signals the pituitary to produce another hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which then tells the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones as needed. 
    

     
    

    

    Typically when doctors test for thyroid function, they only measure TSH. When thyroid hormones in the blood are low, the body will signal to make more and TSH will be elevated. When thyroid hormones in the blood are high then the body is not directed to make more and TSH levels are lower. 
    

     
    

    

    Measuring TSH is a good start but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. If you remember back to my first post, there are two different thyroid hormones T3 and T4. The thyroid produces about 80% T4 and 20% T3, but T3 is the most active form. Measuring TSH alone won’t tell you the concentrations of T4 and T3 or how well your body is converting T4 to T3.
    

     
    

    

    What thyroid blood tests do you really need?
    

     
    

    

    I’d like to note that some of the blood tests below are primarily used by practitioners of functional medicine to assess the overall performance of the thyroid gland and the usability of thyroid hormones. They may not be necessary to diagnose true thyroid disease. If you are a relatively healthy person but suspect that some of your symptoms may be caused by an underactive thyroid then consider the following tests:
    

    TSH
    

    Thyroid-stimulating hormone as mentioned above is a measurement that may indicate the demand being placed on the thyroid to produce more hormones.  If the measurement is high then it shows you that there is not enough thyroid hormone circulating and the thyroid is being asked to make more. If the TSH measurement is low, then it can indicate that too much thyroid hormone is circulating and there is little demand on the thyroid to produce more hormones. 
    

    Free T4
    

    Free T4 measures how much T4 is unbound and able to be used by bodily tissue (and potentially converted to T3). The measure of Free T4 alongside TSH can be a better indicator of thyroid function.  If free T4 is high then it can potentially indicate an overactive thyroid and if it is low in can potentially indicate an underactive thyroid. 
    

    Free T3 
    

    Recall that T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone and is often converted from T4 in other areas of the body. Free T3 essentially measures the availability of your active thyroid hormone. If  Free T3 is low then it may indicate that you are not converting T4 into T3 effectively. If it is high then it can potentially indicate hyperthyroidism. 
    

    Reverse T3
    

    T4 can also be converted to Reverse T3 which is another inactive thyroid hormone. When RT3 is high then it may indicate that most of the T4 is being converted to RT3 instead of T3 so the active form of thyroid hormone is not sufficient. This is often the case when you have low thyroid symptoms but TSH and T4 results are normal. 
    

    Thyroid antibodies
    

    The most common cause of primary hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid and inhibits its function.  It is estimated that 14 million people (most of which are women) have Hashimotos in the U.S. alone.  Yet, many doctors don’t even test for Hashimoto’s without a specific request from their patient. 
    

    Because Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease it involves the production of abnormal antibodies that can be detected in the blood. Early detection of antibodies can prevent severe damage to the thyroid that requires lifelong medication. Here’s what to test for:
    

    Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOab) – These antibodies attack the enzyme Thyroid peroxidase that plays an important role in producing thyroid hormones. 
    

    Thryoglobulin antibodies (Tgab) – These antibodies attack Thyroglobulin which is a protein produced in the thyroid and is the main precursor to thyroid hormones.
    

    

    A note about “normal” levels
    

    When labs determine their ranges, they are essentially testing a very large sampling of people and then taking averages of the results to come up with high, normal, or low ranges. Even when your results fall within “normal” ranges, you must pay attention to where you fall on the normal spectrum. If your results are closer to the higher or lower end of normal (depending on the test) your thyroid may not be functioning optimally and symptoms still occur. Many times people are written off and told to “just wait and see” if they fall anywhere within the normal range. Again this is a reason to seek out a functional medicine practitioner who will take these things into consideration.
    

    

    Try this self-test for underactive thyroid
    

    If you think you might be hypothyroid then there is a simple test you can do at home to confirm your suspicions. To be clear, this is not to diagnose or fully analyze the function of your thyroid, but it measures one of the first symptoms of hypothyroid: low body temperature.
    

    First thing in the morning before you even get out of bed, take a mercury thermometer and place it in your armpit for 10 minutes. Keep a daily log of your temperature for several days. If you are still menstruating, you will have natural temperature fluctuations during your cycle.   Pay close attention to your temperature after the second and third days of your period. A reading below 97.8 degrees may indicate hypothyroid. 
    

    Another possible indicator of hypothyroid is a mid-afternoon temperature that is significantly lower than 98.6 degrees. 
    

    Work with your doctor or seek out a practitioner who can request and accurately interpret all of your thyroid labs. You know your body best, and if you are being told that everything is normal but you aren’t convinced, keep looking for answers. You don’t have to settle for a life full of symptoms and discomfort. 
    

    

    Sources:
    

    https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/hashimotos-thyroiditis/hashimotos-thyroiditis-facts-tips
    

    https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/thyroid-disorders/hypothyroidism
    

    https://www.thyroid.org/wp-content/uploads/patients/brochures/FunctionTests_brochure.pdf
    

    https://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/january-2019/vol-12-issue-1-p-11-12/ 
    

    

    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163729
    

    

  

    

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    Life, Wellness
        
	  
    
					
    Signs You Might Have an Underactive Thyroid
    
		        
      
    

	
	
	
  		
    
						
    
						
    
					
    
			
    
						
    
				
    
							
    

    This post is the first in a series on underactive thyroid. Stay tuned for future posts on how to test for low thyroid function and ways you can get your thyroid back on track naturally.
    

    

    

    In this article
    

    

    

      

    • What is the thyroid, and what does it do?
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    • Understanding thyroid hormones
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    • Common signs and symptoms of underactive thyroid
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    It has been a minute since I have been able to publish another post. As I’m sure you can relate, the pandemic has turned life upside down. Having my son home full-time made it a lot harder to have focused writing time. I’m not a fan of publishing a post just for the sake of publishing a post, so I put writing on the back burner for a bit until I could provide truly informative and quality content. But…I’m back! 
    

    


    We decided to let our son return to daycare/preschool for a couple of days per week because, quite frankly, he was going just as nuts as we were being stuck inside most days (the weather hasn’t exactly been spectacular here lately). His school has been extremely diligent in their safety practices, so we are giving it a chance while closely monitoring state conditions and restrictions. 
    

    


    Over the next few weeks, I want to talk about another very common thing that women deal with (most unknowingly!): Underactive thyroid. This topic is near and dear to my heart because I have dealt with this personally and am happy to report that I have been able to manage it without any medication. I hope that this information can help other women identify the root of their symptoms and find relief!
    

    


    When it comes to the thyroid, most people don’t give it a second thought unless they start to experience unexpected and rapid weight gain. Although this is a common sign of underactive thyroid, it is but a small blip on the radar of all the things the thyroid is responsible for. Today I am going to cover the basics of the thyroid and thyroid hormones. In the coming weeks, I will talk about ways to prevent and potentially even reverse low thyroid function naturally. 
    

    

    

    

    

     
    

    What is the thyroid, and what does it do?
    

    The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped endocrine gland located at the lower part of the front of the throat. It secretes thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) that travel via the bloodstream and influence every organ, tissue, and cell in the body. They help regulate heart rate, body weight, body temperature, energy level, muscle strength, menstrual regularity, and can impact brain function moods and emotions. When you realize just how much the thyroid is responsible for, it’s easy to see how impaired function can create chaos in the body. 
    

    

    

    

    

     
    

    Understanding thyroid hormones
    

    The thyroid produces two hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Biochemistry may not interest you, but it is essential to know the makeup of these two hormones (don’t worry, they aren’t complicated) T3 is a combination of the amino acid L-tyrosine and three iodine molecules. T4 is a combo of L-tyrosine and four iodine molecules. I tell you this because when you understand that L-tyrosine and iodine are both found in foods, it shows just how important diet is to proper thyroid function. I will talk more about that in future posts.
    

    


    T3 makes up only about 20% of the hormones produced by the thyroid, but it is considered the active form and is four times stronger than T4. 
    

    T4 makes up 80% of the thyroid production, and although not nearly as potent, it isn’t a total dud because it can also be converted to T3. When the thyroid isn’t producing enough of these hormones, it is considered underactive or hypothyroid. 
    

    

    

    

    

     
    

    Common signs and symptoms of underactive thyroid
    

    

    As with all things, symptoms can vary from person to person. I want to share all the symptoms that I experienced and how easily I wrote them off as something else. Hence, the post I wrote about hormone imbalances being sneaky. I can’t stress enough that SYMPTOMS ARE SIGNS. Even if they are subtle, symptoms tell you that something is going on, and it needs to be addressed. Hindsight is 20/20, right? Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes.
    

    


    These are the underactive thyroid symptoms that I experienced:
    

    

    

      

    • Fatigue (I definitely had this symptom, but blamed it on a busy schedule)
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    • Headaches (I had these, but blamed it on my desk job and not seeing a chiro regularly)
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    • Dry skin (I had this and blamed the dry AZ climate)
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    • Swelling – in my legs and under my eyes (Initially, I blamed this on dehydration, but when nothing I tried made my eye bags go away I knew something was up. This was actually the main reason I consulted with a doctor.)
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    • Cold hands and feet, being cold all the time (I completely wrote this off as “that’s just how I’ve always been.”)
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    • Poor memory/Brain fog (I blamed this on being tired, but I would literally forget phone numbers, pin numbers, and other simple things)
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    • Joint and muscle pain (I wrote this off as not exercising enough)
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    • Tingling in hands and feet (I honestly don’t know how I justified this one, but I just thought it was “normal.”)
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    • Blood sugar imbalances (I had major issues with low blood sugar but didn’t even consider thyroid being a factor)
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    • Nasal allergies and sinus infections (I had the worst allergies of my life that morphed into sinus infections eight times in one year)
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    These are other common signs and symptoms of hypothyroid:
    

    

    

      

    • Weight gain or difficulty losing weight (Weight gain is probably the sign most commonly associated with an underactive thyroid, but this is one thing I did NOT have. My doctor and I were both shocked when my lab results came back, indicating that my thyroid function was low for this reason. So, my advice is not to rule out your thyroid just because you aren’t gaining weight.
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    • Hair loss (scalp and thinning of eyebrows)
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    • Hoarseness
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    • Nervousness
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    • Depression
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    • Problems with balance or equilibrium
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    • Constipation
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    • Menstrual irregularities
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    • High cholesterol
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    • Low or High Blood Pressure
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    • psoriasis
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    Thyroid disorders are rampant, and they affect women more often than men. It is estimated that one in eight women will develop a thyroid disorder in her lifetime. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but if you are experiencing some or many of the symptoms listed, then it is definitely worth having your thyroid tested. 
    

    


    Next week we will get into some of the common causes of hypothyroidism and what tests you should ask your doctor about if you suspect your thyroid could use a little bit of TLC. 
    

    

    

    

    

    


    Sources: https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/glands-and-hormones-a-to-z/hormones/thyroid-hormones
    

    


    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12915350
    

    

     
    

    

    

    						
    
				
    
					
    
		
    
					
    
		
    
				
    
						
    
					
    
			
    
						
    
						
    
					
    
			
    
						
    
				
    
			
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    Life, Wellness
        
	  
    
					
    4 Things You Should Not Do if you Have HPA Axis Dysfunction (Adrenal Fatigue)
    
		        
      
    

	
	
	
  
    


If you are just joining me, this post is part of a series of posts on HPA Axis dysfunction. To get yourself up to speed it will be beneficial to refer back to my previous posts:
    

    






     How to tell if you have HPA Axis dysfunction (adrenal fatigue)
    



    



    How to heal HPA Axis dysfunction naturally
    



    


Today I want to talk about what NOT to do if you think you have HPA Axis dysfunction.  I really wanted to touch on this because there are things that are considered healthy, that aren’t necessarily good if you happen to have HPA axis dysfunction.
    

    



    


Recall that HPA axis dysfunction is generally caused by periods of prolonged stress. In order to properly heal HPA Axis dysfunction, you must address all sources of stress and avoid activities and substances that contribute to your stress. Here are a few things you should not do if you think you have HPA Axis dysfunction.
    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    Do not: Engage in high intensity or endurance exercise 
    

    



    


Exercise is stress. Most often it is positive stress and has tremendous health benefits, but if you are taxing an already overstressed body, the effects of exercise may be diminished or even detrimental. This, of course, depends on the type of exercise that you are doing. High intensity and endurance exercise should be avoided if you have or think you may have HPA Axis dysfunction.
    

    



    


A common symptom of HPA axis dysfunction is weight gain which often leads people to believe that they are either eating too much, not exercising enough, or both. However, When you have HPA axis dysfunction, exercising more and eating less will only make the problem worse and will not have any positive impact on your weight.
    

    



    


So, if you are a CrossFitter, marathoner, or Orange Theory lover who suddenly feels like the workouts stopped working, you’re not toning up, or you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus in the hours following a workout, It would be wise to take a break from these activities for a while.  Trust me I know how hard this can be!  I absolutely love CrossFit and Orange Theory workouts (not marathons though…I loathe distance running LOL), but I’ve discovered that they aren’t something I can do on a regular basis. Now I just mix them in when I feel like I need to get my butt kicked a little.
    

    



    


Instead, do this: Make the majority of your workouts low intensity and low impact. Activities such as walking, yoga, pilates, and Barre are good options. Let go of the idea that you have to kill yourself to get a good workout. Movement is what matters, not calories burned. You may actually find that you lose weight by exercising less.
    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    Do not: Try Intermittent fasting or skip meals
    

    



    


Intermittent fasting can be great for some people but for those with HPA Axis dysfunction and irregular cortisol levels, it may not be the best choice. When you go without food for extended periods of time, blood sugar levels drop and your body perceives this as a stressor. It responds as it would to any other stressor, culminating in an increase in cortisol production. Since HPA Axis dysfunction is the result of excessive or abnormal cortisol production, this makes the problem worse.
    

    



    


Instead, do this: Pay close attention to your feelings of hunger and eat when they arise. Avoid letting yourself get to the level of hangry. Also, monitor your macro balance. You want to have a good mix of fat, protein, and carbohydrates every time you eat. It may take some experimentation to figure out the right ratios for your body, but after a meal, you should feel satiated and energized, and not feel hungry again for 3-4 hours. (This will depend on activity levels as well, but a well-balanced meal should keep you fuller, longer)
    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    Do Not: Take random supplements to try to fix the problem
    

    



    


When the symptoms of HPA axis dysfunction start to manifest it is tempting to go looking for supplements or remedies to make them go away. While I am a huge proponent of supplements, I find that they are often viewed in the same manner as medications as a quick way to find relief. Supplements can help for sure, but they are exactly that, supplements.  If nothing else changes (your stress is still through the roof, you’re not sleeping, exercising, or eating well) then supplements are not going to be the magic bullet that makes your condition go away.  They must be used in conjunction with other lifestyle changes to truly help your body heal.
    

    



    


Aside from basic a few basics such as vitamins, minerals, omegas, and probiotics that are needed for basic health maintenance, in most cases, I prefer to use other supplements and/or herbal remedies as a last resort and as an adjunct therapy to lifestyle modification.
    

    



    


Instead, do this: Dial in your diet, sleep, exercise, and stress reduction techniques first. Most of these things are free and can be enough to help your body heal on its own. Work with a qualified practitioner to determine the necessity of other supplements or herbal therapies.
    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    



    



    

    Do not: Ignore your symptoms
    

    



    


It can be really easy to write off symptoms of HPA axis dysfunction as “normal” simply because you have had them for a long time and are no longer bothered by them. Symptoms are always a sign that something is out of balance and the imbalance occurs long before the symptoms even appear. So, the longer you ignore your symptoms, the worse the problem gets.
    

    



    


Please, for the love of all that is holy in this world, do not ignore your symptoms!
    

    



    


Instead, do this: Take an honest inventory of how you feel on a daily basis or even talk to friends to see if they experience any of the things that you do. Are there things that feel “off?” Are you more tired than you think you should be? Are your periods irregular? Do you get sick often? Pay close attention to all of these things as they are your body’s way of telling you that something is up.
    

    



    



    

    



    



    There is so much that you can do on your own, and for very little cost to improve your health and heal HPA Axis dysfunction. And, there is great power in even the smallest changes. Take action and commit to your health each and every day and you will be amazed at the results.  I want you to feel your best and I am happy to help in any way that I can. Feel free to send me a DM on Facebook or Instagram if you have any questions.
    




    Stay healthy, my friend!
    



    



    

  

    

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