Metabolism

Question
Hi Melissa
I am 52, in good health apart from being overweight. I was skinny as a kid but when I got into early adolescence I got pretty chubby, although my food intake was normal and I was quite active in sports.
To stay at a fairly normal weight in my twentoes I ate practicly nothing but a cuple pieces of toast a day. Hard to believe but true.
Raising a family I really ballooned up.
Now the kids have moved out and I can eat like I was single again. I have lost a bit but not much.
I have been checked my an endocrinologist who says I am OK but cant give a reason for my slow metabolism.
I have tried different herbs and supplements to raise my metabolism but nothing helps.
I run for an hour a day, lift weights, and I have given up red meat(it was giving me gas anyway) and high glycemic foods just to maintain my current weight of 250 on a 5'9" frame. I am the healthiest fat guy out there!
I have only met a couple guys like me, and one skinny guy that eats one small meal a day (at least he's skinny)
Everyone assumes I am a beer drinking lazy slob but I am the opposite.
Can you pffer an opinion?
Thanks!

Answer
Hi Bud,

Interesting...you're definitely correct in suspecting that something isn't right here...

Now, my initial response was that a thyroid issue that developed in adolescence led to your initial weight gain, which would have been further worsened by calorie restriction in your twenties. As you may very well be aware, diets often fail because calorie restriction throws our bodies into "starvation" mode and they do everything they can to hold onto the few calories we provide. What I'm not understanding is that your endocrinologist has said that you are normal....this seems strange to me, as based on my experience this seems like a hormone imbalance of some sorts. Thyroid, as I mentioned, is the first that comes to mind. I'm currently working with a client who has lost about 100 lbs after learning that his estrogen levels have been too high since puberty. If you are extremely stressed, excess cortisol in your bloodstream is also correlated with weight gain around the midsection.

Obviously, I am in no position to second guess your endocrinologist. That said, there are a few things you may want to consider. What tests did he/she perform? Most thyroid tests check for TSH levels (Thyroid stimulating hormone). This is not an accurate test for determining thyroid activity, although it is a reasonable screening tool. Testing for T3 and T4 levels is more accurate. Also, there is quite a bit of controversy regarding what the diagnostic cut off should be when looking at TSH levels...currently most doctors in Canada consider it to be 5.5 (ideally, the number would be somewhere around 1.5). However, many naturopaths and alternative practitioners would consider a score above 2 or 3 to be subclinical hypothyroid. If you trust your doctor, by all means stick with him or her. Also know that you are always entitled to a second opinion, whether it be by other endocrinologist, a naturopathic doctor, etc.  Do you have any other symptoms? How's your mood? Energy? Concentration? Elimination?


There are many things that can be done with diet as well in regards to weight loss, which it sounds like you are fairly knowledgable about already. Here's a summary to get you started:

1. Keep your blood sugar balanced. This means eating whole foods (not processed), lots of complex carbohydrates (whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, and legumes/beans/nuts/seeds...starchy foods like potatoes and yams are "healthy," but may not be conducive to weight loss), and high quality fats and proteins (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, fish, organic/free range meats and eggs). Coconut oil is particularly thermogenic (fat burning). Avoid white flours and refined sugars. If you have a sweet craving, try something like blackstrap molasses or raw honey.

2. Drink lots of water to flush out your system, and avoid things like caffeine, alcohol, etc. Be aware of the quality of your water, especially if you do have a thyroid issue (definitely no tap water in this case)

3. Other thermogenic foods besides coconut oil include spices  and pungent foods like cayenne, garlic, ginger, hot peppers, etc.

4. Keep your liver healthy...lots of greens, lemon, etc. Our liver is responsible for metabolizing everything that we put into our bodies...if it's not in good shape, we start storing garbage.


I hope you find this information useful...best of luck on your journey towards wellness.


Warmly,
Melissa Furneaux,

Vancouver, Canada

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