surprising reasons women cant lose weight

4 surprising reasons women cant lose weight<br /><br />But if youre already doing everything right and cant seem to lose weight or are even gaining it you may have a hidden health condition thats sabotaging your efforts. And the symptoms may be so subtle that even your doctor can miss them. Here, some possible weight loss blockers and how to get the help you need.<br /><br />A Sluggish Thyroid<br /><br />Your thyroid gland makes hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy. An underactive thyroid hypothyroidism disrupts your metabolism, as well as many other aspects of your health. Some estimate that as many as 10 percent of adults have hypothyroidism, which is more common in women and is most often diagnosed in the 40s and 50s.<br /><br />Could this be you? Besides weight gain or an inability to lose weight, you may notice fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, joint pain and muscle weakness, heavy periods, increased sensitivity to cold, even depression. Many people with low grade hypothyroidism just feel off, with no obvious signs of being truly sick.<br /><br />How to get tested: Ask your internist to run a TSH thyroid stimulating hormone screening. In general, the higher your TSH level, the slower your thyroid is. While traditional normal values are between .45 and 4.5, if your level is above 2, you might still struggle to lose weight, explains Dr. Your doctor may also want to check your levels of T 3 and T 4, the two main thyroid hormones. But hypothyroidism isnt always a straight numbers game; more and more doctors are now treating the symptoms, not just the blood test results. If a patient isnt feeling well, its often because her thyroid isnt functioning as well as it should for her body, says Dr.<br /><br />How its treated: Your doc will usually start by prescribing a low dose T 4 thyroid hormone like Synthroid. If your symptoms dont improve, discuss upping your dosage or switching to a combination of T 3 and T 4. In addition to causing ovulation problems and infertility, PCOS may go hand in hand with insulin resistance, a glitch in the way your body processes blood sugar, which is often associated with excess fat storage, especially around the waist. Left untreated, insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes.<br /><br />Could this be you? You may have irregular periods, excess facial and body hair, acne, some male pattern balding, and trouble getting pregnant, along with unexplained weight gain though not everyone with PCOS has weight issues. She may then test your blood sugar and insulin levels or perform an ultrasound to check for cysts on your ovaries.<br /><br />How its treated: Lifestyle changes are usually the first step. If youre already eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, you may have to kick it up another notch to see results. If you have insulin resistance, Katz says, youll also want to cut out refined carbs and added sugars. If youve made these changes and still dont notice a difference, your doc may prescribe a drug called metformin, which is used to treat insulin resistance as well as assist with ovulation if youre trying to get pregnant.<br /><br />Most people know if theyre allergic to certain foods like nuts or shellfish, but many arent aware of food intolerances. While a true food allergy results when your immune system mistakenly identifies a food as harmful and mounts an immediate response, food intolerances can have a variety of causes, including lack of a certain digestive enzyme as with lactose intolerance or sensitivity to food additives, and tend to manifest over time, says Dr. Elizabeth W. Eating a trouble food the most common being dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, corn and nuts can lead to bloating and water weight gain, among other symptoms. Experts estimate that food intolerances affect as many as 1 in 10 people.<br /><br />Could this be you? You may regularly have bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation as well as seemingly unrelated symptoms like mild asthma, eczema, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue. Boham suggests that you start by removing gluten and dairy these are the biggest culprits from your diet for two to three weeks. If you dont notice a difference, also eliminate eggs, corn, soy, and nuts, and consider nixing additives such as food coloring and preservatives. After a few weeks, slowly reintroduce the possible culprits, one at a time, noting any reactions.<br /><br />How its treated: If the reaction is severe, youll need to cut the offending food from your diet. For mild reactions, try a daily probiotic supplement, which restores the good bacteria in your gut necessary for digestion and can help prevent bloating and water weight gain. Boham recommends one with at least 10 billion live bacteria per pill.<br /><br />Pills That Pack on Pounds<br /><br />Weight gain can be an unwelcome side effect of some drugs, including antidepressants, steroids, and, more rarely, birth control pills due to a temporary increase in water retention.<br /><br />Could this be you? You may notice weight gain within a few weeks of starting a new medication, though it could take several months before you see any effects, Kane says.