Why Has Your Weight Loss Stalled?

You diet hard and hit the gym regularly, yet the scale won’t budge.We explore five hidden reasons for stalled weight loss, and how to get back on track. 

- Julia Lamberti-Morreira

1 Low-Carb Dieting & Hormonal Havoc

Research indicates that prolonged low-carbohydrate dieting can cause hormonal disruptions that stall weight loss in some women. This may be due to the fact that very low-carb and low-kilojoule diets can adversely affect the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands (known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis), which interact in a complex way to keep hormones balanced.Kilojoule intake, stress and exercise levels can all affect these glands and a diet too low in kilojoules or carbs can act as a stressor on the axis, causing HPA dysfunction (often referred to as ‘adrenal fatigue’). This, in turn, can lead to fatigue and a weakened immune system.

There is also some evidence that low-carb diets can cause increased production of cortisol (known as the ‘the stress hormone’), which can worsen the problem.

Studies also suggest that very low-carb diets can negatively affect thyroid function in some people. The thyroid gland produces the hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which are essential for a number of bodily functions, including weight regulation. However, the T3 hormone is sensitive to carbohydrate and kilojoule intake, and research indicates that when either is too low, T3 drops and reverse T3 (rT3 – a hormone that blocks the action of T3) levels increase. Low T3 and high rT3 levels can then slow your metabolism, leading to symptoms like fatigue and weight gain.