You know a healthy body weight is the foundation for overall health and wellness. You’ve watched every bite and get in plenty of exercise, yet despite your best efforts, the numbers on the scale don’t budge. It feels like nothing could be worse.
Dr. Amir Raeesy and the team at Balboa Medical Center & Spa in Encino, California, understand the frustration weight loss resistance can cause. Our team offers help through our medically supervised weight loss program.
We also believe in the power of patient education, so we have put together this guide explaining some common reasons you might experience weight loss resistance. Here’s what you need to know.
What causes weight loss resistance?
Your body is amazing, taking in every nutrient you ingest to keep you running 24/7. This involves an incredibly complex digestive system that, when fed and working properly, should keep you at a healthy weight.
For many women and men, however, the system gets knocked out of balance, making it nearly impossible to shed excess pounds. Sometimes you lose weight only to gain it back immediately; other times, you can’t get the scale to budge no matter how much you diet and exercise.
This condition is called weight loss resistance and it’s due to a physiological or metabolic imbalance. A number of factors may cause these imbalances. Some of the most common include:
- Chronic stress
- Lack of sleep
- Hypothyroidism
- Dysbiosis (overgrowth of intestinal bacteria)
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Depression
- Perimenopause or menopause
- Not having a nutrient-rich diet
- Imbalanced gut microbiome
In addition, as strange as it sounds, not eating enough and over-exercising can also lead to weight loss resistance because these put your body into “survival mode.” When this happens, your body thinks you’re going into a period of famine, and in response, holds onto every calorie.
How does medically supervised weight loss help?
Medically supervised weight loss is perfect if you’ve tried to lose weight but struggle to see results. At Balboa Medical Center & Spa, our team customizes a weight loss plan that addresses any underlying issues with weight loss resistance to help you meet your goal weight.
We begin by taking inventory of what you’ve tried in the past, including any special diets, exercise programs, or medications. Your provider also reviews your weight history, medical history, and conducts a physical exam.
At Balboa Medical Center & Spa, we know that successful weight loss may also include psychological and emotional work. We support you in this by providing a recommendation for a psychological evaluation depending on your needs.
Our team uses a combined, comprehensive approach to weight loss that includes medications to promote weight loss, counseling about nutrition to help increase your metabolism and adjust your caloric intake, and lifestyle modifications.
If you’re ready to shed those excess pounds and see progress on the scale, contact Balboa Medical Center & Spa by calling Dr. Raeesy and the team at our Encino office or requesting a consultation online now.