Is your gut preventing your weight loss? Even without digestive upset, your gut may be the issue.

Weight loss is as simple as eat less and exercise more, right? That may be what you hear in the media, but it isn't always that simple.

A surprising weight loss journey

Janet (not her real name) is a client of mine who came to me to lose weight. She had tried everything and currently was exercising intensely twice per day to try to make the scale budge. And she couldn't lose a pound.

A friend of Janet’s had come to me months earlier to address her symptoms of joint aches/pains and digestive issues. Though weight loss wasn’t her goal, when I helped her to create an eating plan for maximum nourishment and gut healing she eliminated her symptoms and lost 15 lbs.

So Janet came to me looking for a solution to weight loss and considered that perhaps her gut was part of the problem. In addition to Janet’s struggle to achieve a weight she felt good about, she was also experiencing chronic fatigue, heartburn, stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and bloating. Her focus was on weight loss, but there were so many other symptoms all tied together! Within 1 month of creating an eating plan specific for nourishing her body and healing her gut, she had lost 10 lbs. and said her stomach felt amazing – better than it had in years.

Neither Janet nor her friend tracked their calories or counted grams of fat or carbohydrates. Janet had actually decreased her exercise because I believed the intensity to be a stressor on her system. So, why did they describe the weight loss success to be easy?

Heal your gut, lose the weight

There are many components to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Emotions and our environment can both pose significant challenges for healthy living. In addition, the optimal functioning of your body including the very important gastrointestinal system or “gut” is crucial. 

In recent years, research is giving attention to the impact that the trillions of microbes in the gut play in health, illness, and weight management. We are learning about each individual’s microbiome and how to promote optimal gut bacterial balance. Our knowledge is growing in understanding how to manage and prevent illness.

Research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in 2012 looked at the gut microbiota and its impact on the development of obesity in animals. Researchers stated that evidence strongly suggests that the bacterial balance of the gut may play an important role in energy balance and weight. In research published in Nature in 2006, scientists focused on two specific groups of bacteria in the gut – Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes showing that the proportion of these two groups of beneficial bacteria were different in obese versus lean individuals.

We will continue to learn the clinical relevance in weight management of the bacterial balance of the gut. But what we do know is that creating a healthy gut microbiome is yet another reason for nourishing your body well each and every day.

Steps to take today

In my practice, I see clients who have damage to their gut and resulting symptoms for a number of reasons including medication usage, poor diet, or excess stress. So what can you do to heal the damage that may be occurring each and every day or may have occurred many years before?

1. Eat real food

I believe one of the biggest challenges facing us in achieving an optimal diet today is not necessarily too many carbs or too much fat or all the twists that have been described to create the “right” diet. The challenge for so many of us truly comes down to real food vs. foods that are highly processed. Take a look at your diet. How many times per day do you eat a food that has strayed significantly from its natural source? Once, twice, ten-twenty times per day? If you do one thing today - cut out an option that is highly processed and substitute it for a real, whole food – fruit, vegetable or lean source of protein.

2. Feed your gut what it needs

Your gut needs good bacteria and it needs food for bacteria – probiotics and prebiotics. People may often reach for a supplement, but there are also great food choices. Probiotic foods include fermented foods such as yogurt or kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi or kombucha. Prebiotic foods include foods rich in fiber – think fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. And remember – real food! Look for these options that also have little to no processing. Fresh or frozen (without added ingredients) fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds with at the most minimal salt added, yogurt with little added sugar and artificial ingredients. 

3. Rest and relax

We live in a highly stressful environment. You can’t always eliminate the stressors in your life, but consider where you can minimize stress and find ways to manage it better. Can you say “No” to some of the commitments that are filling up your schedule? Can you take 5 minutes each day to simply breathe – close your eyes, shut off your phone and buzzing e-mail, and let your body and mind rest? And remember – sleep is important for stress management and a healthy body too! Chronic sleep deprivation which so many Americans live with today is a significant stressor on the body. Get at least 7 hours every night for your best health!

Take steps today to promote a healthy body and a healthy gut. I know that the results are worth it!  If you need help figuring out the next best steps for you, schedule a call, I'm here to help.