Your Metabolism – A Simple Solution to a Stalled Metabolism.

Have you fallen victim to a stalled metabolism? Here are 3 ways
to re-ignite your metabolism and scorch the body fat!

By now you have researched, gained knowledge about weight loss and took action.  You follow a diet plan and exercise regularly. The scale has dropped, you are happy but not enough and are starting to stall out.  

You think, maybe the metabolism isn’t working.  With years of yo-yo dieting and now older age.  You may feel doomed. 

Enter the solution of more.  Keep doing more, dieting and exercise. Motivate and push harder.  More dedication and don’t forget to be relentless with my caloric restriction, no more cheat snacks and meals. 

Here, we typically believe weight loss is linear progress. Unfortunately, it’s not and now you need to evaluate harder.  Here’s an article from Precision Nutrition to help highlight the cost of getting lean.  This explains the stages of body fat percentages, what it might take to achieve different levels and the associated cost. 

Is there more to my stalled weight loss?  Can it be linked to stress, blood sugar levels and irregular sleep patterns? All leading to why my body isn’t recovering and dropping the weight the same way, as it once did. 

As a trainer and coach, my work with clients doesn’t happen when everything is going great. For most, it comes in periods of despair or when the feeling of a “stalled” metabolism presents itself.

So what can we do to fix this?

Let’s address 2 areas of interest and assess for stress so that you can live a healthier happier life.

Caloric Deficit & Your Metabolism

The body is designed for survival first and foremost, seeking to find homeostasis. 

Within this balance, the body can tolerate fluctuations of – for a short period of time – excessive caloric intake or restrictive caloric deficit.  Naturally, this becomes the beginning phase of any new diet program, lasting for several weeks. The overall change creates a false/positive and the ecosystem manages.  Until it can’t.    

Everybody is different and results do vary but at this point, it’s viewed as a plateau, a stall, or even as having adverse side effects. Such as temporary weight increases while wanting to lose weight. 

During programs of weight loss, the “thinky” brain concludes more is better, a ‘bigger caloric deficit’ as a solution. Here a caloric restriction, dropping below an RMR (resting metabolic rate, which takes up 60-75% of daily caloric intake for things like the brain, organs, and metabolism functions) occurs, sending the body into cortisol state (stress).  Leaving us with unrealistic expectations and a strategy designed to be counterintuitive.

The effects of chronic stress cause the preservation of body fat, instead of energy exposure and release. Additionally, dropping below RMR can have negative consequences on digestion, nutrient absorption, neurotransmitter functions (affecting mood, motivation, and behaviors), and fatigue.

This results in a more difficult weight loss process mentally, physically, and emotionally.    

2 Tips To Help Lose The Fat!

Everybody is different and will respond differently to different strategies.

As a trainer and coach, I’ve implemented different variations of calorie, macronutrients, and workout programs that undulate and pair together to augment fat loss.  These protocols are scrupulous as the client has minimal room for error. Especially since a high attention to consistency over a lengthy period of time is required.  

For most general populations -non-athletes to weekend warriors- including busy parents, professionals, and highly social people. These arduous practices provide resistance to their day to day lives.  Rightfully so.  

Instead, we want easy. 

Let’s start with a simple approach.  Here are two big stressors that can bring progress to a halting stop.  Along with assessments and potential solutions you can do at home, starting today.

Stressor One: Blood Sugar Levels 

People wonder if carbohydrates are bad or good.  Well, it depends. 

This isn’t an easy solution as there are many factors to consider, but for the general scope of this article, we will use it as a simple starting point.

First look at what your blood is saying by using a glucometer. Here you are able to track fasting blood sugar levels (levels upon waking up in the morning) and post-prandial (levels 2 hrs after eating) to let you know if you are making enough energy through gluconeogenesis. 

The ideal range for fasting and 2-hours post-prandial glucose is 74-88 mg/dL (4.1-4.9 mmol/L).

Cortisol releases in a diurnal (24-hour) rhythm. It’s higher after waking and then decreases throughout the day to an evening low. This rise in morning cortisol is called the cortisol awakening response (CAR). The purpose is to stimulate glucose production to ensure there’s sufficient energy to start the day.

When fasting blood sugar in the morning isn’t in range and high, it’s unlikely due to excessive carbohydrates or poor insulin control. Rather the CAR effect of getting us going in the morning. But when it isn’t in range and excessively too high, this is a problem known as cortisol dysregulation or hypoglycemia. The most avid “busy person” or weight lighters experience this due to overtraining or too much stress. Along with sleep irregularities plus a wide range of social and/or environmental stressors coupled with insufficient caloric intake.

Here further investigate with additional blood testing. OAT or DUTCH testing are great next steps for further assessment.  Consult your family physician for the testing.  

If blood sugars are out of range 2 hours after eating, time to investigate the diet. If 2 hours after the “first phase insulin response” (blood sugar levels minutes after eating) and blood sugars are staying high. A number of gastrointestinal or insulin resistance issues can be the source.  Continuous glucose tracking is warranted as excessive carbohydrate intake might be the issue. 

In short, if fasting blood sugars are excessively out of range look to increase caloric intake and address life stressors.  If postprandial blood sugar levels are out of range, assess the diet.  

Full Disclosure. This is a simple assessment tool that may require further testing.  Consult your family doctor if needed.   

Stressor Two: Sleep 

Can’t sleep or not getting enough quality sleep?

An excess of irregular sleep behaviours can disrupt blood sugar levels and are warning signs of prediabetic. 

Stress and cortisol affect falling asleep and staying asleep. As we know a caloric deficit alone or paired with inordinate exercise and other life stressors create stress. The recipe for sleepless nights, late-night binge eating, weight gain and a stalled metabolism.  

Nutrient deficiencies and many other factors have an influence on the circadian rhythm.  If you’ve dieted into a state of chronic stress, then raising calories is an important first step. This may feel counter-intuitive but will help to improve energy production and thyroid function.  Thyroid function along with the interaction of all the other hormones, enzymes, cofactors, etc. helps provide the energy we need. It basically regulates the sense of fatigue that we experience. 

So the more stress we feel the worse we sleep.  If our bodies struggle to produce energy and are inhibited from caloric deficits, our bodies will not function the way it wants.  

Eat an adequate amount of quality calories and the body will function better. We become energized for when we need it and sleep when we need to, happily ever after.  

Shooting to find balance in stress, more often than not, isn’t a single shot approach. 

There are many different areas of our lives which play a part in affecting our progress. Addressing one issue at a time is a great first strategy to be successful at any one task.

But by taking a multiple lens approach in viewing and relieving the strains of stress, first find the big picture and create a game plan.  Rounding out your best course for action. 

Here is a stress web link that highlights the different areas where you may be creating resistance towards success.  

If you need help in creating specific strategies in overcoming any of these areas and creating your game plan. Reach out, as a coach I love to help and see others overcome obstacles, leading to a healthier happier lifestyle.

Closing Remark

Lifestyle Wellness Club can help you find and meet the nutritional requirements it takes for you to live a healthy and happy lifestyle.

Our world-class coach will help you acquire quality behavioural habits in your life.  

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