Are You Destined to be Overweight Forever? (The Answer is No)

Are You Destined to be Overweight Forever? (The Answer is No)

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Evidence-Based

This is a question that I’m sure many of you think about. Perhaps you’ve even given up on the idea of getting back to a ‘normal’ weight.

The truth is that there is definitely a chance for you to get back to whatever is normal for you, even if you suffer from hormone imbalances such as thyroid disease, leptin resistance, or insulin resistance. 

The way to do this, though, starts by understanding the causes of weight gain. Only then will you be able to actually address the underlying causes of weight gain and start to lose weight. 

This article will help you do just that. It will also give you an idea as to how likely you are to lose weight based on your history and your medical conditions. 

All of these factors influence both your ability to lose weight and how quickly that weight loss will occur

Let’s jump in: 

The Causes of Weight Gain: Are We Confused? 

Before we jump in here I want to make one quick statement regarding obesity, your weight, and your personal image. 

I know that it is very important for you to love your body and to be at peace with your physical appearance and I’m not discounting that importance. 

The purpose of this blog is to describe the importance of weight loss and its impact on your metabolic function. My goal is always to try and help you to be the best version of yourself which means helping you FEEL good. 

It just so happens that when you lose weight a number of things start to happen in your body and these things almost always result in more energy, better mood (1), improved sleep (2), better overall health, and so on. 

So with that in mind, is it actually possible to lose weight and keep it off forever? 

I think one of the biggest mistakes that Doctors make (and perhaps even you) is that we treat all people with obesity as if they are the same. 

Obesity is simply a medical condition and one which has a single treatment. 

There’s one big problem with that (in my eyes):

No two cases of obesity are the same and that means that each case should be treated differently! (3)

As long as doctors and researchers continue to believe that obesity has one common cause (for the majority of people) then we will never find ‘the treatment’ for it. 

What’s even more interesting is that obesity is one of those conditions which is not treated similarly to other common medical conditions. 

Compare obesity to high blood pressure:

It is well known that having high blood pressure is something that may eventually kill you. High blood pressure leads to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease and it’s something you want to treat. 

While the treatment for high blood pressure is largely the same: use high blood pressure medications, at least doctors understand that there are MANY different conditions that can lead to high blood pressure, some of which are actually reversible. 

Conditions such as kidney issues, obesity, sleep apnea, certain medications, diet, and some cancers (4) can all cause high blood pressure which can be reversed. 

It would be silly to treat these patients with high blood pressure medication without at least considering the CAUSE of the blood pressure (even though this does happen). 

This same type of logic can be applied to those who are overweight. 

Often the treatment for obesity (the incorrect treatment, I might add) is to automatically tell someone to eat less and exercise more if they want to lose weight. 

But this approach is no different than simply giving all people with high blood pressure a blood pressure-lowering medication. The only difference that the ‘medication’ in this case is the eat less and exercise more prescription. 

This method does not take into account ANY of the underlying causes of obesity, which as far as I can tell include mostly hormone imbalances and hormone-resistant states. 

These conditions (and I’ll describe many of them below) all play a role in regulating your weight and your metabolism. 

One of the most important is your thyroid hormone system. 

The Special Role That your Thyroid Plays

Your thyroid, in my opinion, is the most important hormone in regulating your weight. 

Thyroid hormone, particularly T3, which is the active form of thyroid hormone, is responsible for regulating the majority of your resting metabolic rate. 

You can think of your resting metabolic rate (or REE) as how many calories you burn at rest. 

The lower this number, the more likely you are to gain weight, feel fatigued, have brain fog, and experience the symptoms of hypothyroidism. 

But, there’s a big problem when it comes to your thyroid and your weight. 

Most physicians, including endocrinologists, do NOT believe that it impacts your weight. 

They may believe that hypothyroidism causes weight GAIN but they certainly don’t believe that replacing thyroid hormone results in weight loss. 

But how can this be? 

This is a rather crazy proposition considering the fact that we know just how important the metabolism is in regulating your overall weight. 

After all, all you need to do is take a look at a few studies which highlight the importance of metabolism in maintaining weight. 

So why do physicians discount the importance of the thyroid as it relates to weight loss?

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Much of this has to do with the current treatment paradigm as it relates to treating low thyroid function. 

It is my belief, based upon numerous studies which you can find here, that our current treatment model for hypothyroidism does NOT result in the complete and adequate replacement of thyroid hormone in many cases. 

So, it’s not that the thyroid does NOT play a role in weight loss, it’s just that most people are not getting an adequate amount to experience the normalization of their weight. 

But make no mistake:

If you are experiencing hypothyroidism, from any cause, then it will be incredibly difficult to lose weight unless your thyroid is properly managed and you are on the right type of thyroid medication. 

Replacing thyroid hormone adequately results in an improvement in free and total T3 levels, an improvement in body temperature, and an improvement in resting metabolic rate. 

All of these factors help your body burn more calories and lose weight. And what’s even more interesting about this is that most patients who are treated adequately often experience weight loss without reducing their calories or exercising more (5). 

This is why it’s so important for thyroid patients to be advocates for themselves. 

And it’s also why it’s so important for you to ensure that you fight for the right medication and the right approach to thyroid management. 

You can learn more about how thyroid function impacts your weight here and a new, better approach, to thyroid management here

My Current Understanding of Weight Loss (& Weight Gain)

This leads me to my next point which has to do with the real CAUSE of obesity. 

My working model of obesity and weight gain has been evolving over the last several years as I’ve researched, tested, and adapted. 

The list below contains my most updated ideas on what causes obesity but even this is not a complete list. 

This list is relevant to probably 95+% of people, though! 

What causes obesity?

  • Hormone resistance syndromes – Perhaps the most common syndromes leading to obesity include insulin resistance, leptin resistance, and cortisol resistance. Insulin and leptin resistance can easily be tested for with standard lab tests while cortisol resistance is probably the underlying cause of adrenal fatigue in many patients. 
  • High or low hormones – Other hormones (aside from insulin and leptin) which are important in regulating your weight include sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone) as well as thyroid hormones. It is well known that these hormone states impact your weight and it is also well known that standard doctors know very little about hormone management or hormone replacement therapy! This fact may explain why some doctors are hesitant to pick up on the connection between hormone imbalance and weight gain. 
  • Dietary consumption issues – There are certainly some people who either knowingly or unknowingly consume more calories than they should, but in order for this to cause weight gain it must also be combined with some other factor such as underlying hormone imbalance or the consumption of inflammatory foods. Some evidence suggests that short overfeeding periods do NOT result in weight gain but instead an increase in metabolism by the body to simply burn more energy during the overfeeding period. But, if overfeeding is also accompanied by other issues such as hormone imbalances (or the consumption of unhealthy food) then it can certainly lead to weight gain. 
  • Psychological issues – Included in this list are conditions such as binge eating disorders, depression, and trauma to the brain (hypothalamic dysfunction). 
  • Inflammation – Inflammation is at the heart of many chronic diseases and it certainly plays a role in obesity as well. It’s known that your fat cells can actually become inflamed and ‘sick’ which is known as adiposopathy (6). These inflamed cells no longer function the way that they are supposed to which may contribute to weight loss resistance. 
  • Gut dysfunction – Last, but certainly not least, is the role that your gut plays in regulating your weight. The interaction between your intestinal microbiota (bacteria in your gut) and the food that you consume has the potential to impact how many calories you absorb from the food that you eat (7). They also play a role in regulating hormone systems in the body and in either turning down or turning on inflammation. 

It is the connection between all of these factors and variables which lead to weight gain in many individuals. 

You can compare this list to that of the overly simplified eat more and gain weight approach (8). 

By using this approach I’ve been able to help hundreds of people lose weight and keep it off for many years. 

While I don’t believe that this is a completed list, I do think it’s a step in the right direction and I’m open to your opinions, thoughts, and criticism! 

Conditions that make Weight Loss Very Difficult

It is definitely true that no two cases of obesity should be treated in the same. 

One of the most troubling consequences of some disease states is that they make weight loss more difficult compared to others. 

These conditions often lead people (perhaps even you) to constantly look for the answer to weight gain even though it’s right in front of you. 

In my experience, I’ve found that there are a number of conditions that make weight loss very difficult. 

If you have any of these conditions then you just need to be aware that losing weight will be more difficult for you which means it will take longer and it will be slower. 

  • Those with a history of binge eating disorders – the longer you’ve had these issues the more difficult it will be to lose weight. It appears that binge eating disorders cause severe metabolic damage which can take a very long time to recover from (on the order of years). 
  • Those with VERY high fasting leptin/insulin levels – These values can easily be tested for in the fasted state (meaning you don’t eat any food prior to your lab tests for 12 hours). The higher these values are in the fasted state the more difficult it will be for you to lose weight (generally). High levels of these hormones often represent the presence of hormone-resistance syndromes. 
  • Those with multiple hormone imbalances – In general, the more issues you have with your hormones the more difficult it will be to lose weight. For instance, if you are post-menopausal AND you have hypothyroidism AND you have high leptin it will be much more difficult for you to lose weight compared to someone with only 1 hormone-related issue. 
  • Those who have a history of multiple diets in the past – If you are someone who has dieted more than 5-7 times in their life you are probably going to have a more difficult time compared to those who haven’t. My recommendation to you is to avoid these diets because even though they may cause temporary weight loss they almost never lead to lasting weight loss. 
  • Those who are eating around 1,000 calories to 1,200 calories per day to maintain their weight – There is a growing number of people who manage their weight by consciously suppressing their calories. The main problem here is that this approach causes metabolic damage and will make losing weight difficult. People in this scenario often find that they gain weight even after eating a normal amount of food (1,500 or more calories in a single day). 
  • Those without a thyroid or those who have undergone radioactive iodine ablation – It’s already difficult to lose weight if you have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s but this problem is compounded if you don’t have a thyroid at all. If you fit into this category it’s still possible to lose weight but you need to be very vigilant about getting on the right dose of thyroid medication and optimizing your free and total T3 levels
  • Those with a history of sleep apnea – Sleep apnea is a tricky condition because of how sleep can impact your body weight. Sometimes a lack of sleep can lead to weight gain while it’s also possible that weight gain can lead to a lack of sleep (9). Because this connection is bi-directional (meaning it can go both ways) it’s important to always evaluate sleeping patterns and test for sleep apnea if you are overweight! Sometimes, people don’t lose any weight (despite their best efforts) until they are treated for sleep apnea!  
the connection between sleep apnea and weight gain

This list is based on my own experience helping people lose weight and is currently not complete (there are other conditions that make weight loss difficult as well). 

People Who Can Lose Weight Easily

On the flip side, there are some people who can easily lose weight, especially when compared to those who fall into the categories listed above. 

Perhaps you would like to know how likely it is for you to lose weight.

Below, I’ve included a list of people who I generally find are able to lose weight the easiest: 

  • Those without a prior and extensive history of dieting in the past – The fewer times you’ve dieted in your life the better. 
  • Those with relatively ‘normal’ hormone lab tests – The fewer hormone imbalances you have the better and the easier it will be to lose weight. 
  • Those who start YOUNG – In general I find that the younger you start looking at and managing your weight the better. If you allow your weight to ‘set in’ it becomes difficult to lose weight in the long run. For instance, if you have been 50 pounds overweight for 15 years it will be harder to lose weight than if you’ve only been 50 pounds overweight for 6-12 months. By young I’m not talking about those in their teenage years but rather those who are in their 20s and 30s compared to their 40s and 50s. 
  • Those who are pre-menopausal – Once women hit menopause (which occurs around age 50 for most women) it becomes a lot more difficult to lose weight. This has to do with the impact that menopause has on sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. If you are a woman, make sure you focus on losing weight BEFORE you hit menopause. 
  • Men – Men (of pretty much any age) seem to have an easier time losing weight when compared to women. This probably has to do with the impact that testosterone has on metabolic function and how easy it is to replace low testosterone in men. Testosterone plays a similar role in women but not nearly to the same degree. 

Is it Possible to Get Back to Normal? 

The odds of you losing weight using the standard approach (of eating less and exercising more) is around 1 in 220 based on recent studies

If this sounds depressing don’t let it be because this number doesn’t have to be the reality for you. 

This number is only true if you are someone who follows conventional weight loss advice. 

If you are reading this, and it’s resonating with you, then you are one of the few who may actually be able to lose weight and keep it off, but it starts with ignoring probably everything that you think you know about weight loss. 

So the answer to whether or not it’s possible to get back to normal weight largely depends on the treatment that you choose to follow!

Remember as well that when you lose weight the correct way it can take a while to get back to a normal weight. 

If you attempt to lose weight too rapidly then you risk causing more harm than good and ultimately gaining back the weight you have lost. 

On average, most people can safely lose around 5-10 pounds per month. 

If you have any of the conditions I’ve listed above then this amount may be cut in half so you can expect to lose around 2-5 pounds per month. 

What You Can Do

I won’t be able to talk about the specifics of treatment due to the sheer volume of information required to discuss the therapies associated with the problems listed above, but I can give you a quick overview of how you should approach your problem: 

  • Understand that there is a better way to lose weight – It’s going to be difficult, but necessary for you to realize that what you’ve done in the past for weight loss isn’t going to work. You’ll have to unlearn what you already know and trust in a new process (one which has been proven). 
  • Get a complete hormone and metabolic panel – The first place you should start is with a complete set of labs. These labs are necessary because they can help you understand what your issues are. From there you can then tailor your diet, exercise routine, supplements, and medications (if necessary) to help you along the way. While diet is certainly important to help you lose weight, certain diets are better for certain conditions and hormone imbalances. 
  • Target your treatment to YOUR conditions – Once you have an understanding of what is causing your weight gain you can then target that problem. Do you have a thyroid problem? Maybe the answer is getting on the right type of thyroid medication. Do you have leptin resistance? Maybe you should look at diets that help treat high leptin. Do you have insulin resistance? Maybe the ketogenic diet is the first place to start along with some supplements and medications
  • Find a doctor willing to help you –  It may not seem surprising that a doctor is recommending that you find another doctor to get help, but I really do think it’s necessary if you want to get serious about weight loss. First off, you’ll need someone to help you order the right kind of labs. And secondly, there are a number of medications that can potentially be helpful. You don’t necessarily have to use them (you can definitely lose weight without them), but it’s always nice to have them as an option to fall back on.
  • Get help and guidance here – Even if you can get your doctor to order labs, it may be difficult to get them on board with some of the newer therapies designed to help people lose weight. The old adage you can’t teach an old dog new tricks seems to apply nicely to physicians who are often unwilling to use new therapies even though they are FDA-approved and have plenty of studies showing their efficacy. If you fit into this category then you may find success in utilizing the information in my weight loss guide to help you along the way. The guide includes videos, recommendations, dietary tips, exercise tips, and so on. 

The main thing I want you to get out of this article is the fact that it is definitely possible to lose weight and get back to whatever your normal is. 

The journey may be long, and it may be hard, but it will definitely be worth it in the end! 

Conclusion

Is it possible to lose weight and keep it off?

The answer is yes, but it will take some work on your part and a fresh outlook on new weight-loss therapies. 

The bottom line is that some of you will have an easier time than others because how much and how quickly you are able to lose weight will depend on the cause of weight gain in your body. 

Now I want to hear from you:

Have you been able to lose weight and keep it off?

What strategies and therapies have you used?

Are you stuck on the weight loss/weight gain treadmill using conventional advice?

Leave your questions or comments below! 

#1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139753/

#2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2879275/

#3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4859313/

#4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4876411/

#5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23539727

#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2658008/

#7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3601187/

#8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401553/

#9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021364/

you are not destined to be overweight the real cause of weight gain

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About Dr. Westin Childs

Hey! I'm Westin Childs D.O. (former Osteopathic Physician). I don't practice medicine anymore and instead specialize in helping people like YOU who have thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss resistance. I love to write and share what I've learned over the years. I also happen to formulate the best supplements on the market (well, at least in my opinion!) and I'm proud to say that over 80,000+ people have used them over the last 7 years. You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do.

P.S. Here are 4 ways you can get more help right now:

#1. Get my free thyroid downloads, resources, and PDFs here.

#2. Need better symptom control? Check out my thyroid supplements.

#3. Sign up to receive 20% off your first order.

#4. Follow me on Youtube, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for up-to-date thyroid tips, tricks, videos, and more.

15 thoughts on “Are You Destined to be Overweight Forever? (The Answer is No)”

  1. “People in this scenario often find that they gain weight even after eating a normal amount of food (1,500 or more calories in a single day).”

    Do you have any advice for how to “fix” your metabolism, like how to eat normally (~1800 calories or so a day) without it making you gain weigh rapidly? I have a long history of anorexia and hypothyroidism, I really want to be “normal” and eat normally, but my weight shoots up like crazy when I eat how I’ve been suggested to eat, and it’s quite terrifying 😐

    Reply
    • There is an excellent article on bodybuilding.com entitled (more or less) Gaining weight on 700 calories a day. The author explains that women frequently restrict at length then binge and this sets up a hormonal and enzymatic storm within the body for it to downregulate metabolism over time and then to store every extra calorie that comes in over the RMR. The answer to fix and upregulate the metabolism is to eat at the Total Daily Energy Requirement (around 1500) for several weeks to convince the body that you aren’t going to starve it and to turn the hormones and enzymes around. The person will most likely put on weight until the metabolism improves. It would behoove the person to exercise during this time especially walking. I encourage you to read the article as I am not doing it justice. You will find it if you type into a web browser Gaining weight on 700 calories a day. Good luck.

      Reply
      • Hi Danelle,

        Thanks for sharing! I haven’t read the article but there is a lot of truth to what you are saying. The hard part for most people to understand is that in order to lose weight they may have to gain weight first, but it’s a very difficult concept for most people to understand and grasp.

        Reply
  2. Hi Dr Childs,
    Thank you for this email and update. I have found it to be a great help.
    I live,in Melbourne Australia and have tried many doctors to get some answers to deficiencies and why I had elevated thyroid antibodies regularly in blood tests.. Each time I was told “Don’t worry about it”. Well, I did and after doing lots of reading realised I had a thyroid problem. Hashimotos.
    Short story…… in 2015 I took myself of Effexor after taking it for 8 years, went through terrible withdrawals but did it. I never felt better, really happy. Then it all came crashing down. All these autoimmune issues all surfaced pretty much in 6 months later. Here’s the list. Diagnosed with chronic fatigue (mildish), chronic insomnia. I have my first atrial fibrillation episode. After much insistence, March 2018 I had an ultrasound to find I had multiple nodules and inflammation in the thyroid. In August 2018 I had a biopsy on the larger nodule which was abnormal. My Thyroid was removed 12 Nov and pathology result was Papillary Carcenoma). I have not had radio active iodine as clear margins around the cancer. Now I’m on Levothyroxine, T4 only meds, 100mcg.
    Before all this happened I was very active, played golf, swam 40 laps of 50 meter pool, did regular gym work outs, worked full time as well as a carer. In 3 years I’ve gain 30 kg (65lbapprox). I ate very clean unprocessed healthy food, which all worked against me. The harder I tried the more I gained. Heartbreaking. Now I struggle to walk to the letter box.
    How right you are when you say a doctors answer to weight gain is eat less and exercise more. Well, I did and look where it got me. No one could explain why this happened, nor where they interested.
    I’m going to give the keto diet ago as I believe it helps to relieve CFS? Is this right? My free t3 is 4.5 ref range 3.5-6.5. In the 50%under range but I believe if it’s too high it could affect the AF? I also believe I need to treat the Hashimotos? Is this correct? Removal of the thyroid doesn’t cure the problem? Does a ketogenic diet do this? My free T4 is above normal, 20.1, ref range 10.0-19.0, is this a problem?
    Thank you again for the information you provide, Australia seems to be so backward in this field, as are,the GP’s and Endocrinologist I’ve seen.
    Kind regards Debra

    Reply
    • Hi Debra,

      The keto diet may help but there are some thyroid patients who actually do worse on it so you’ll need to be on the lookout for that.

      Reply
  3. I had Hypo Thyroid for years
    I am on 25 Cytomel and 37.5 Syntroid .

    I exercise 3-4 times a week, attending classes early morning and after work (High intensity, yoga, weight) and I record everything, I eat. I cant have lunch, if I do, I will gain weight. I have done everything but no luck to lose weight.
    I started half my Cytomel and take it twice a day as soon as I did that, I gained 10 lb in 3 weeks.
    I just changed it back to morning 2 weeks ago but not lost even 1 lb.

    I get so overwhelmed with not losing weight, fatigue and losing my hair. I really don’t know what else I can do.

    Reply
  4. I have lost hope when it comes to weight loss. Since getting diagnosed with Hashimoto’s 2 years ago I have gained weight that I just cannot seem to lose. I exercise & watch my diet but it just won’t move. I am on naturethroid & began LDN 2 weeks ago. I am hoping that with these Rx and my healthy diet & exercise I will finally get to goal.

    Reply
  5. Hi Dr. Childs – can you do an article or YouTube video talking about how the combination of PCOS, Hypothyroidism and Leptin resistance can impact weight loss? Maybe talk about what exercises are best for the person dealing with that particular situation?

    Reply
  6. I took Depo Provera for about a year and gained 30 lbs. I’ve been off of it for about 5 months now. I’ve heard that it can mess with your hormones. Do you recommend I do a hormone and metabolic test to see which hormones it has affected? I’ve never had so much trouble losing weight. I’ve only ever had to eat less and would lose weight almost immediately and keep it off. I just started phentermine and will follow your advice of intermittent fasting but still want to know if there’s a better way to keep it off if I gain it back.

    Reply
  7. Hello,
    First time reader and participant – long time Hypothyroid-Hashimotos patient. I have a relatively young doctor (endocrinologist) who is not interested in learning an alternative to the handling of pills. Can you recommend a specific article that I can send to her that summarizes your arguments for looking at a different solution?

    She has passed my case on to my primary care doctors, who is an Internist. I have struggled with multiple symptoms for so many years, I am tired & frustrated. I’ve ordered your program and supplements – I just hope I am not wasting more time and money. Sorry if I offended you but I am a skeptic.

    Many Blessings and thank you for your time and consideration.

    Cindy

    Reply
    • Hi Cindy,

      It’s a little more complex than just reading a few studies and understanding the issue, but I do have a very detailed resource which can be freely downloaded and includes a list of over 50+ clinical studies. You can find that free download here: https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/

      It’s under “Clinical Studies to Take to your Doctor”. Just enter your email and it will be sent to you automatically.

      Reply

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