These days, a lot of people come to me for help (over 300 since I started really pushing online coaching in 2020. They say they’ve done everything in their power to lose weight and the scale just isn’t moving. A lot of times, its because they actually don’t have the slightest clue on what to do as far as nutrition, then go spend hours in the gym to no avail.
This is because they do not measure their food, and get in adequate amounts of micronutrients as well as macronutrients.
However, sometimes, there is a true problem, I’ll put them on a plan, and things really don’t move, when they’re on a protocol that should be working. In that case, I’ll have the client get bloodwork and usually uncover some symptoms of metabolic compensation and hormonal disfunction. Metabolic compensation is when your body’s hormones are not working properly and it can cause problems with how your body handles energy. In my experience, I would say that a fair amount of women have this problem because they have chronically dieted and pretty much starved their body. I do see this in men, however, the truth is that women are way more likely to experience these problems and they can be a lot worse.
If you are stressed out a lot (which it seems everyone is these days), it can cause problems. Your body produces more cortisol in response to the stress, and if you produce too much cortisol, it can mess with your hormones. Cortisol uses progesterone to make more cortisol, and if there is too much cortisol, then progesterone gets used up and you can run out of it for other hormones. You need progesterone to create DHEA, which in turn creates testosterone. Testosterone is important for things like muscle growth and strength and WEIGHT LOSS.
If someone has high cortisol levels, low progesterone levels, and low testosterone levels, it is likely that they will also be estrogen dominant. This can cause many problems, such as difficulty losing body fat. Additionally, this can also lead to thyroid dysfunction as the thyroid starts to down-regulate due to the disturbances. This does not always occur, but I’ve seen it frequently enough to notice the pattern.
An athlete with these hormonal imbalances will likely have difficulty losing weight and burning calories due to the fact that they are in full metabolic compensation. Additionally, their body will be more sympathetic dominant and they will have difficulty sleeping correctly. They may also be insulin insensitive and hold water, giving them a “puffier” look.
WHAT DO I DO!?
Most importantly…and its going to sound very counterintuitive, you need to REST. Your likely absurd amount of training and cardio needs to be pulled back to 2-3x weekly, with your effort level being submaximal. There are many supplements that will also help you along this journey, and calories must be slowly raised. You will notice you will slowly begin to feel “normal” again. This is not a change that is going to happen over night, but eventually you will be where you need to be!
Are you ready to change your life and get back on track? Email me at Chrismtraining@gmail.com or text me at 225-916-1751 -Coach Chris.
