I’ve been struggling to lose weight for 6 months despite diet and exercise. What could be causing it?
The question, asked by a 38-year-old man
I’m a 38-year-old man, and I have been very consistent with my diet and workouts. There is no improvement when it comes to my weight. All the parameters, like CBC, fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, TSH, and lipid profile, are normal. What other factors could be contributing to my weight not being reduced? Are there any tests that I should consider for weight loss?
Why this is happening
Even when diet and exercise are on point, there’s no change on the scale. So there’s something beyond this that could be blocking it. Routine tests like CBC, sugar, HbA1c, and TSH often come back normal despite the root cause being present. So here’s what could be happening:
- Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation: It’s like a small inflammation happening in the background. Think of it like a body that is trying to fight a fever; it will be focused on healing instead of losing or building muscle. So the low-grade inflammation works the same way and puts weight loss behind.
- Sex hormone imbalance: For men, low testosterone and high estrogen will make it really hard for your body to lose fat. Especially in the belly area, belly fat converts more testosterone into estrogen. Hence, it becomes a loop, and fat loss becomes difficult.
- Metabolic Slowdown: The sugar and TSH levels can stay normal while the insulin and thyroid levels are high. The insulin keeps storing fat in the body, and the low active thyroid impacts metabolism, slowing the process of calories burned.
- Gut Health: The gut produces bacteria and short-chain fatty acids. These are called SCFAs, and they help regulate appetite, blood sugar, and fat burning. However, if the production is low, metabolism takes a hit despite eating right.
Suggested Tests
- Fasting insulin, to assess insulin resistance
- SHBG
- Gut Microbiome - SCFAs
- Liver function tests, including GGT
- Ultrasound of the abdomen or FibroScan, to check for fatty liver
- Total testosterone, taken in the morning
- Free T3, free T4 and thyroid antibodies
- Vitamin D, vitamin B12 and ferritin
- hs-CRP, to check for inflammation
- Uric acid
- Body composition analysis and waist measurement
How Clinic Living Plus Can Help
At CLP, we go beyond your routine tests and run a deep diagnosis to find the root cause of your weight gain. This includes some specialised tests like:
- GI mapping is a gut microbiome test that helps in understanding how well your gut bacteria are producing short-chain fatty acids.
- SHBG, sex hormone-binding globulin test. This goes beyond your standard testosterone and estrogen check. Your hormone levels can look normal on paper while the SHBG is low, and that alone can disrupt your hormones as well as make fat loss tough.
After the evaluation, we build a medical weight loss protocol customized for your root cause. Now let’s consider this as an example:
- If SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) is the issue, we provide infrared sauna therapy to help your body clear the endocrine disruptors. These are the everyday common chemicals that can interfere with your hormones.
- Likewise, if your metabolism is slow, we recommend IV nutrition therapy, as it is rich in L-carnitine. This helps your body carry fat into its cells that need to be burned for energy.
- Accordingly, if gut, thyroid function, or inflammation is the issue, we target those specifically.
So we don’t stop at diagnosis. Each therapy is chosen to fix the specific problem holding your weight back. Once the root cause is fixed, managing weight becomes much easier.
Based on what we find, we build a medical weight loss protocol customized for your root cause.
Lifestyle & Nutrition Tips
- More than working out, it’s important to focus on your diet. Try to consume a well-balanced, nutritious diet.
- Consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, millets, adequate protein and fiber. This will help you stay full for a long time.
- Limit sugary, processed foods and alcohol, as they can make fat loss hard.
- Try to eat your dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime, and try to move your body after meals.
What to do next
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