Beyond Diet & Exercise: what other factors influence body weight?

No matter what we continue to learn about weight loss it will always be true that if your calorie intake is significantly lower than your calorie output you will lose weight. The unknown part is what is that threshold of calorie deficit that promotes weight loss and why is it so hard to reach it. This is because losing weight isn’t always as simple as “eat less, move more.” While a healthy diet and exercise are essential, certain health conditions can make weight loss more challenging. If you’ve been struggling to shed pounds despite your efforts, underlying issues like consistently high stress hormone circulation in the body, insulin resistance, and hormonal imbalances could be playing a role.

1. Insulin Resistance & Metabolic Syndrome

What is insulin resistance?
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate blood sugar by allowing glucose to enter cells for energy. Insulin is also an important factor that promotes free fatty acid uptake by adipose tissues (fat tissues). Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells become less responsive to insulin, causing blood sugar and insulin levels to rise. This is associated with weight gain, especially around the belly, and difficulty losing fat.

Over time, insulin resistance can contribute to metabolic syndrome, a condition that includes:
*High cholesterol and triglycerides
*High blood sugar
*Excess belly fat
*High blood pressure

How it affects weight loss:
Since insulin helps regulate fat storage, when insulin levels are consistently high, the body holds onto fat instead of burning it. This makes weight loss much harder, even with calorie control.

2. What Causes Insulin Resistance?

• Excess body fat, particularly around the abdomen (sounds like a circular argument!)
• Physical inactivity
• Diet high in processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and saturated fats
• Certain medical conditions (e.g., hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome)
• Some medications, including steroids and certain blood pressure drugs
• Genetics

It’s often debated whether insulin resistance leads to weight gain or if excess body fat triggers insulin resistance. While the exact sequence remains unclear, research confirms that the two fuel each other in a vicious cycle, making early intervention essential.

Insulin Resistance & Diabetes: The Connection

The pancreas releases insulin when you eat, to help glucose enter cells for energy production. When there is insulin resistance, cells in muscles, fat, and the liver stop responding efficiently to insulin. More insulin is needed to keep blood sugar stable. Over time, the pancreas can’t keep up with the high insulin demand and blood sugar starts to go up- this is pre-diabetes. If this state is not reversed this eventually will lead to diabetes.

💡LEARN MORE: How Insulin Resistance Works? Symptoms and key differences with Diabetes

1. Symptoms of Insulin Resistance

There are no specific signs or symptoms of insulin resistance, but it is often associated with higher body fat levels and darkened patches of skin in certain areas, particularly around the neck and folds of the body.

Key Differences: Insulin Resistance vs. Diabetes

Feature	Insulin Resistance	Diabetes (Type 2)
Blood Sugar Levels	Normal or slightly elevated	High & uncontrolled
Insulin Production	High (compensating)	May decline over time
Reversibility	Yes, with lifestyle changes	Manageable, but harder to reverse
Risk Factor for Diabetes?	Yes, major risk factor	Already developed

 

3. Inflammation & Its Impact on Metabolism

Chronic inflammation is often associated with a number of medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and the metabolic syndrome. Although the mechanism for these inflammatory processes are variable they are often associated with:

• Unhealthy Diet – Processed foods, trans fats, excess sugar
• Stress & Poor Sleep – elevates cortisol, and other inflammatory markers. Hunger-regulating hormones (Gherlin and leptin) get elevated with poor sleep leading to increased craving for high-calorie, processed foods.
• Gut Imbalances & toxins – this emerging area postulates that imbalance in the gut microbiome can disrupt digestion and immune response

How it affects weight loss:
Inflammation disrupts hormones that regulate hunger and fat storage, leading to slower metabolism, increased appetite, and resistance to fat burning.

4. Hormonal Imbalances & Weight Gain

High cholesterol, is typically related to diet but there are genetic causes as well other chronic conditions such as hormonal imbalances, such as:
🔹 Thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism): A sluggish thyroid slows metabolism, leading to weight gain.
🔹 Cortisol (stress hormone): Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, which promotes belly fat storage.
🔹 Estrogen & testosterone imbalances: These can affect how your body stores and burns fat.

💡 The good news? You CAN fix these issues!

While these factors can make weight loss harder, they’re not impossible to overcome. Here are some science-backed strategies to improve metabolism and fat loss:
*Balance blood sugar – Eat protein, fiber, and healthy fats to reduce insulin spikes.
*Manage inflammation – Avoid processed foods, manage stress and improve your sleep, eat anti-inflammatory foods (turmeric, omega-3s), and improve gut health.
*Support hormones – Reduce stress, get quality sleep, and consider thyroid testing if needed.
*Exercise smartly – Strength training and interval workouts help regulate insulin and burn fat more effectively.

🔬 How Saliglasa Helps You Customize Your Weight Loss Journey

Saliglasa takes a personalized approach to weight loss. We start with full medical, historical and social review of each patient. Then using evidence based approach we order lab tests that are relevant to each patient’s condition. Finally, we discuss with each patient the options available for weight loss, which may or may not include medications including the Semiglutides and Tirzepatide. Each patient will have stress reduction, nutritional and exercise coaching and other resources as may be needed throughout this process. The goal of our weight loss program is to see patients get empowered to own their own health beyond medications. Full disclosure: our program has a vision where patients who come to us for weight loss will eventually not be dependent on medications to maintain a healthy weight!!! We are excited about this service and have put a lot of our heart and mind into planning it and we invite you to inquire within!