3 Parameters to monitor to overcome weight loss plateaus

If you opened this BLOG post, chances are that you got amazing results when you started eating well and exercising frequently, but now you are not you seem unable to lose a single pound even though you keep doing the same things…

Well, that’s a sign that you have reached a plateau!

Plateaus are normal and expected, but that does not mean that you are supposed to get stuck on plateau forever!

I know that you have got this far already, and that you are determined and that you will find your way through this plateau!

Well, my goal with this BLOG post is to give you the information that will help you leave your weight loss plateau behind.

In this BLOG you will:

• Find out the 3 parameters to monitor to overcome your weight loss plateau

• Understand why these 3 parameters matter

• Learn which app(s) you can use to monitor each parameter

PARAMETERS TO MONITOR FOR OVERCOMING WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS

Sleep quality, consistency, and quantity.

(My preferred method of tracking in patients is the ouraring or fitbit)

Human growth hormone, melatonin, luteinizing hormone and leptin are all upregulated during sleep.

Inadequate amounts of these hormones are associated with excess weight and impaired sex hormone production such as testosterone and progesterone.

Also, Inadequate sleep elevates levels of thyroid stimulating hormone, cortisol and ghrelin which slows metabolism, increases appetite and perpetuates the dysregulation of the sleep wake cycle and inability to lose weight.

For this reason we have to get sleep on lockdown (see my post on my favorite sleep hacks)

Inadequate sleep and poor sleep quality is an absolute deal breaker for not just weight loss but healing from any chronic illness.

Insulin resistance

Ultimately my goal for everyone who works with me is to learn to eat intuitively and have a healthy relationship with food free of cravings and negative associations with food, however sometimes when we are ill our body reacts to the foods we love.

In these situations we sometimes need to follow a special diet for a period of time. One such type of common sensitivity is to simple sugars and carbohydrates.

This sensitivity may be to specific carbohydrates such as wheat, or it may be due to decreased pancreatic function as evidenced by an inability of the pancreas to produce adequate insulin for the load of carbohydrates that was eaten, this is insulin resistance.

When one eats carbohydrates and protein the pancreas releases insulin to bind to the glucose created by the digestion of these food items and it can not keep up, this excess glucose in the bloodstream causes an inflammatory response in the body.

When the body is inflamed it will inform the body it’s not a good time to let go of excess weight.

When this is the case, it can be very helpful to learn to count macronutrients and find the amount your body is able to process while your pancreas heals and recovers the ability to produce insulin in response to the presence of carbohydrates in the digestive system.

The macronutrient apps I use with patients include my net diary, my fitness pal and carb manager.

For even more precise monitoring I suggest investing in a glucose monitor and tracking pre and post prandial blood sugars (before you eat and at 1 and 2 hours after eating.)

The ideal glucose range is typically between 80 under 100, however if you are eating a ketogenic diet you may find your numbers are healthy and you feel great as low as 60.

Menses

Periods should be a completely unremarkable time of the month.

If you are symptomatic, if you have spotting, heavy or irregular periods, bloating, breast tenderness, low back pain, emotional lability, cramping headaches etc. there are imbalances in sex hormones, and it could be the can be the culprit for inability to lose weight.

When a woman has difficulty losing weight, we track her menses and any symptoms associated with her cycle.

The apps most commonly appreciated by my patients for tracking are Clue and Glo.

If the plan to improve sleep, diet, digestion, stress, and detoxification is not improving these symptoms the next step is to have adrenal and sex hormone testing done the two tests I rely on most are the DUTCH Complete by Precision analytical and the Adrenal Cortex w/ cortisol awakening from Genova diagnostics.

Let me know in the comments below if you have already tried monitoring any of these parameters and how was your experience with it.