As a nutrition coach, I can say with 100 percent confidence that no matter what other health concerns someone may report to me, right up there at the top of their list is wanting to lose weight!

And a scenario that I’ve heard time and again goes something like this:

Let’s say you want to lose 20 pounds.  So you start eating healthier and exercising, and lo and behold, the weight begins coming off!

People are noticing and complimenting you.  “Have you lost weight?” “Why, yes, I have!” “You look great!”

You drop a size (or two), you feel better, you look younger and you have more energy.

Then BAM!

Your weight loss comes to a cruel, sudden halt and you hit a diet brick wall.  At that point you’d practically need a chisel to get any more weight off.

What happened?

Well, here are 6 sneaky reasons why you may hit a brick wall when trying to lose weight and more importantly, how to blast through them and get back on track.

6 common reasons for hitting a diet brick wall

1) Your thyroid is sluggish

Your thyroid stimulates your cell metabolism and regulates your metabolic rate—in other words how efficiently you create and burn energy.

And if it slows down, trust me, so will your weight loss.

A very accurate and sensitive test that assesses thyroid health is the "TRH challenge test" (also called the “TRH stimulation test”) so ask your doctor to do that test instead of or in addition to the typical TSH test.

If your thyroid is sluggish, once you get treated appropriately it can make all the difference in the world.

2) Your meds are sabotaging you

In addition to numerous other side effects, many of the most popular prescription drugs also cause weight gain.  These include:

• Antidepressants
• Steroids
• Antihistamines
• Type 2 diabetes drugs (including Insulin)
• High blood pressure medications
• Birth control pills

If you are on any of the above types of drugs, talk to your doctor about alternatives. 

Natural alternatives are always best (and safest!)  For example, fish oil formulas like VitalMega-3 are very effective for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even depression!

And a full-spectrum probiotic formula like Super Shield is a Godsend when it comes to allergies!  Super Shield’s 13 powerhouse strains work to help tame your immune system’s inflammatory reactions to allergens. 

Here’s a bonus--probiotics like Super Shield can help with depression too!  That’s because probiotics support sound gut health, and your gut is where most of your body’s serotonin (your feel-good chemical) is made!

3) You’re a pear or lack muscle

Studies have shown that people who are pear-shaped (have a greater concentration of fat in the hip and thigh area) burn fat less efficiently than those with an apple shape (with most of their fat around their middle).

The reason for that is the extra fat around the gut is more actively “recruited” for energy and therefore can be easier to lose than fat on the legs and hips.

Plus, if you don’t have a lot of muscle, that can bring your weight loss to a snail’s crawl too since muscle burns more energy than fat.

In either case, you can help by working some strength training into your exercise routine (after getting your doctor’s OK of course).

You don’t need to become a bodybuilder or invest in expensive equipment.  Just holding on to light hand weights while using the treadmill or moving your own bodyweight can make a big difference.

My karate students will attest to this—all the push-ups, planking, arm dips, squats and crab walking we do in Renshi Sherry’s classes makes a huge difference in their strength and muscle tone!

4) You have hormone imbalances

High estrogen, low testosterone, low DHEA (a hormone of the adrenal glands), high insulin and high cortisol can also bring your weight loss success to a screeching halt.

If you get tested and find your hormones are off, as an alternative to traditional synthetic medications, explore bio-identical hormone replacement options. 

Unlike synthetic hormones, the body typically has an easier time assimilating bio-identical hormones because they are identical in molecular structure to the hormones made by your body.

5) Your body has gotten smarter

If your exercise efforts started out as walking for 30 minutes 4 times a week, chances are good that was enough to help start your mass exodus of fat.

But then the game changes.

Your body becomes smarter and your muscles develop memory when you repeat the same activity over and over.  That means that eventually you might not get as much benefit from the same exercise routine anymore…and your weight loss may vanish as a result!

In that case you need to step it up and switch it up!

You can either increase your exercise time (such as from 30 to 45 minutes) and/or change up your routine (like adding swimming or bicycling into your activities).

The more you can challenge and surprise your body, the more you will see that fat roll off.

6) You have poor digestion

If your foods are not being broken down like they should be, you're not getting the maximum nutrition from them.  This can cause your cells, tissues and organ systems to slow down, be stressed, not use energy as efficiently and eventually build up wastes and toxins.

And that means weight gain, plus a very toxic you!

Also, lacking nutrients causes feelings of hunger which leads to eating more than you should without even realizing it. 

Having better digestion isn't hard--it's just is a matter of eating foods that break down more easily together, and giving your body a little assistance if needed.

In my book, Want to Lose Weight? Stop Dieting! I teach you what foods to eat and how to structure your meals so you can help pave the way for better digestion, less gas and bloating, more energy and more regular BMs. 

That will help you take off those excess pounds until you reach your goal weight and most importantly, keep them off!

Plus Want to Lose Weight? Stop Dieting! gives you expert guidance on choosing an exercise routine that is right for you, teaches you about many other common diet pitfalls and how to overcome them, and gives you a separate recipe book loaded with delicious dishes!

In addition to eating the wrong foods together, many people experience poor digestion because they don’t have enough digestive enzymes to do the job.  This is especially true if you’ve eaten lots of fast/processed foods for most of your days, take acid reducers, have had gastric or gallbladder surgery or are over 50.

In those cases, you may need a little boost—and the perfect answer is an enzyme supplement like Digestizol Max.

Digestizol Max’s super-efficient blend of 15 plant-derived enzymes helps your body break down any kind of food you eat--proteins, fats, carbs, fiber, etc.--and helps conserve your body’s enzyme resources. 

This can encourage smooth, comfortable digestion as well as help reduce heartburn, gas and acid reflux!

If you’ve hit diet brick walls in the past, now is your time to take the weight off, reach your goal weight and keep it off for good!

When you take the proper measures to address any possible factors that may be holding those pounds on you, a whole new slim existence can be yours for the taking.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia