Additional conditions that affect weight regulation

Additional conditions that affect weight regulation

Liver 

The liver plays a primary role in fat burning metabolism and any conditions (i.e. fatty liver) that inhibit liver function can significantly increase fat accumulation. When detoxification pathways are compromised, fat soluble toxins are stored in fat cells. Your body will not release this fat until it is able to process the toxins. 

The liver also plays a significant role in hormone balance and improper hormone balance can result in weight gain and inability to lose weight. 

Estrogen

Estrogen levels, whether too low or elevated due to impaired liver estrogen processing, xenoestrogens from plastics, pesticides, herbicides, etc., improper brain hormone regulation, and insulin dysregulation, are common in both male and females. Estrogen out of normal physiological range stimulates the accumulation of fat in fat cells. 

Thyroid 

Depressed thyroid function (hypothyroid) is often not indicated by blood test results and has a significant impact on weight accumulation. Thyroid hormone dysfunction has many potential root causes and requires identifying how many of these causes are impacting your body in order for you to regain healthy thyroid function and subsequent healthy weight response. 

Anemia 

Various types of anemia (ability to move oxygen and carbon dioxide) will suppress mitochondrial metabolism, leading to fatigue and weight gain. 

Exercise 

Exercise for weight loss is another topic with a lot of inaccurate information. Genetics plays an important role on exercising’s effects on your body. There are many overweight people who exercise regularly and many underweight people who don’t exercise at all. 

Please don’t interpret this as there is nothing you can do. 

Maintaining muscle mass can help long term weight regulation because muscle tissue has a higher metabolic rate and will utilize our fat reserves, but again, this varies significantly from person to person. Building muscle also stimulates growth hormone production and release which stimulates fat metabolism. Prolong stress (from your work, relationships, or exercise environments) decreases muscle mass. 

We burn either carbohydrate or fat for energy. The energy source we burn during exercise (stored sugars with interval-intensive training, fats with longer aerobic workouts) is the opposite fuel source used by your body for the next 48 hours after exercise. For example, endurance, aerobic type exercises burn fat during the workout and during the next 48 hours post exercise the body burns sugars, which we get by having cravings for carbohydrates or breaking down muscle proteins into sugars. 

Interval or burst training depletes your cells of sugars during the workout, and for the next 48 hours your body metabolizes more fats. Interval training is the exercise component for weight loss, and when properly done requires no more than twenty minutes 3 times per week. It is important not to eat/drink carbohydrates for the 

following two hours after exercise or for two hours before bed.