WEIGHT LOSS WITHOUT CALORIE COUNTING
"I've tried everything!".... Have you?
Many people come to me saying, “I’ve tried every diet and I still can’t lose weight.”
When that happens, it’s rarely about willpower or discipline. It’s a signal that we need to look deeper at the biology driving weight regulation.
Before changing another diet plan, cutting out even more calories, these are the key questions I explore with my clients to uncover the reason behind stubborn weight loss.
Stubborn weight loss is rarely about doing more — it’s about understanding what’s blocking progress.
Blood sugar regulation, thyroid function, inflammation, hormonal balance, and genetics all interact to determine how the body uses energy.
When these root causes are identified and addressed, weight loss becomes not only possible, but sustainable.
If you’ve “tried everything” and nothing has worked, it may be time to stop dieting harder — and start looking for the answers.
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COMMON CAUSES OF STUBBORN WEIGHT LOSS
Blood Glucose Control and Insulin Function
Insulin is one of the most powerful hormones involved in body composition. Its primary role is storage — it moves glucose from the blood into cells and promotes fat storage when levels are chronically elevated.
Markers such as HbA1c, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance indices give insight into how efficiently the body is handling carbohydrates and energy. Even people with “normal” blood glucose can struggle with hyperinsulinemia, where insulin is high long before glucose becomes abnormal.
Chronically elevated insulin makes fat loss extremely difficult because the body remains in a storage state. At the same time, insulin sensitivity is essential for muscle building. Muscle tissue is metabolically active and improves glucose disposal, which supports long-term fat loss. Poor insulin sensitivity limits muscle gain and keeps metabolism suppressed.
If insulin signaling is impaired, dieting harder often backfires.
Thyroid
The thyroid governs basal metabolic rate, energy expenditure, and how efficiently calories are burned at rest. Suboptimal thyroid function can reduce calorie burn, increase fatigue, impair temperature regulation, and slow digestion — all of which sabotage weight loss.
Importantly, many people have “normal” TSH but impaired conversion of T4 to the active hormone T3, or elevated reverse T3 under stress, inflammation, or caloric restriction. In these cases, eating less does not lead to weight loss because the body simply adapts by burning fewer calories.
A sluggish thyroid doesn’t just slow metabolism — it also alters lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
Inflammation
Chronic low-grade inflammation is a major but often overlooked barrier to fat loss. Inflammatory signaling interferes with insulin receptor function, promotes fat storage, and shifts the body into a protective, energy-conserving mode.
Inflammation can come from many sources: gut dysfunction, food intolerances, chronic stress, poor sleep, infections, or excess visceral fat itself. This creates a vicious cycle where inflammation promotes weight gain, and weight gain further increases inflammation.
Until inflammation is addressed, weight loss resistance is common regardless of calorie intake.
Hormonal Imbalance
In women, a drop in estrogen (commonly seen in perimenopause and menopause) reduces insulin sensitivity and alters fat distribution toward the abdomen. Elevated androgens, including testosterone, can also impair insulin sensitivity and make fat loss more difficult, particularly when combined with stress and inflammation.
In men, the pattern is often reversed. Elevated estrogen, which becomes more common in midlife due to increased aromatization in fat tissue, is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity, loss of lean muscle, and increased fat storage. This hormonal shift can make traditional weight loss strategies ineffective.
Genetics
Genetics do not determine destiny, but they provide valuable insight into why some people respond differently to the same diet or exercise plan.
Certain genetic variations can influence appetite regulation, fat storage, carbohydrate tolerance, inflammation, detoxification, and stress response.
Common examples include:
• Variants in FTO, associated with increased appetite and reduced satiety
• TCF7L2, linked to impaired glucose metabolism and higher diabetes risk
• MC4R, influencing hunger signaling and energy balance
When these SNPs are present, weight loss often requires a more personalized approach rather than generic calorie restriction.