The Real Reason You’re Stuck at the Same Weight (Hint: It’s Not Calories)

I never thought I’d find myself in this position: a holistic health practitioner who knows the ins and outs of health, yet struggling to get the right support for my own body. When I started gaining weight out of nowhere, I turned to the healthcare system hoping for answers. Instead, I ended up navigating my own treatment, piecing together information that should’ve been straightforward but wasn’t. And this is what I want to share with you—not just my story but insights that could help you advocate for yourself when the usual advice falls flat.

When the weight started creeping up, I did everything “right”—clean eating, five days of smart training, dialing in stress management. But my body wasn’t budging. So I thought, “Maybe it’s perimenopause.” These days, it’s the go-to explanation when women hit a certain age and notice sudden changes. My OBGYN seemed to think so too, handing me any hormone I asked for, no questions. But here’s the kicker—none of it made a difference. I was still at square one, and nothing in my toolkit was working.

Then I dug deeper and found the real issue: elevated Hashimoto’s antibodies, signaling an autoimmune reaction against my thyroid. And here’s something many don’t know—when Hashimoto’s antibodies go unchecked, they often turn into full-blown Hashimoto’s disease within about five years. It’s a slippery slope that most doctors don’t tell you about, and while the disease is tough to manage, it’s not irreversible. But here’s the thing—I shouldn’t have had to stumble across this information on my own.

Turns out, my body was inflamed, a condition that sabotaged every health effort I made. This was the real reason my eating and training weren’t working. In the end, I took a low dose of naltrexone—not a typical prescription for thyroid issues, but one known for tackling inflammation. While it’s often used to help people wean off opioids, it also lowers inflammation and boosts serotonin, making it a powerful tool for autoimmune management. But again, this wasn’t something my doctor mentioned; it was something I had to discover on my own.

The Hidden Problem: Chronic Inflammation

Here’s the thing about inflammation—it’s more than a buzzword. Chronic inflammation is like a low-level alarm constantly ringing in your body, disrupting your ability to burn calories, recover, and feel energized. It can come from everyday stress, environmental toxins, poor sleep, and yes, even misguided diet and exercise routines. And when your body is inflamed, it’s locked in survival mode, storing fat because it senses danger. Calorie restriction can’t fix this—in fact, it often makes things worse by adding even more stress to the body.

So here we are: a country where only about 12% of people are metabolically healthy, yet the go-to advice for weight loss is still “just eat less and move more.” For most of us, that advice is missing the point entirely. If inflammation is present—and for 88% of people, it likely is—calorie-cutting won’t work. It’s like trying to drive a car with a busted engine and expecting it to run smoothly.

The Real Problem: Hormones and Metabolic Health

Here’s the truth: when it comes to weight, calories aren’t the ones calling the shots—hormones are. When your body is inflamed or stressed, hormones like insulin, cortisol, and leptin take over, determining whether you store or burn fat. If these are out of balance, your body is too busy focusing on survival to think about weight loss. Here’s what this looks like in everyday life:

Insulin: The Afternoon Crash
Insulin manages blood sugar, and when it’s constantly high—due to chronic inflammation or stress—it prompts your body to store more fat. Here’s how you know it’s happening: imagine you’ve had lunch, but soon after, you’re sluggish, needing coffee to perk up. That post-meal crash is likely insulin at work. Elevated insulin causes sudden drops in energy, keeping you in a cycle of fatigue and snacking for a pick-me-up, which only compounds the problem.

Cortisol: The Stressed-Out, Always-Tired Feeling
Cortisol is your body’s primary stress hormone, meant to protect you in emergencies. But when stress is constant—whether from work, over-exercising, or under-eating—cortisol stays elevated. This signals your body to hold onto fat, especially around your midsection, as a safety measure. If you’re running on caffeine, skipping meals, or squeezing in high-intensity workouts with no real rest, your body may be stuck in fat-storage mode. The result? You’re exhausted but wired, struggling to lose weight even with your best efforts.

Leptin: The “I’m Never Hungry” Syndrome
Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain when you’re full. But with chronic stress or inflammation, you can develop leptin resistance—meaning your body no longer responds to hunger and fullness cues properly. For instance, if you’re “never hungry” in the morning and skip breakfast, you might think it’s just how you are. But often, it’s leptin resistance at work. You may find yourself ravenous by midday, overeating later, and disrupting blood sugar balance. Over time, this cycle makes it hard for your body to regulate appetite, creating a pattern of under-eating, over-eating, and metabolic imbalance.

When these hormones are out of balance, calorie counting alone won’t make a dent. These real-life scenarios show how hormonal imbalances derail your energy and metabolism, keeping you from reaching your goals even when you’re doing “everything right.”

Stress and Cortisol: Why the Weight Won’t Budge

Let’s talk about stress because it’s a bigger deal than most of us realize. If you’re running on caffeine, cutting calories, pushing through high-intensity workouts, and living on the edge of burnout, your cortisol is through the roof. This doesn’t just make it hard to lose weight—it tells your body to cling to fat as a protective measure. Cortisol says, “Hold on, things aren’t safe,” and your body listens.

This is where the “eat less, move more” mantra misses the mark. When your cortisol is elevated, under-eating and overtraining only reinforce the stress signals. This doesn’t mean you should never train hard or watch what you eat; it means that when weight loss feels impossible, focusing on stress and hormone balance may be the missing pieces.

What To Do Instead: Focusing on True Metabolic Health

If you’ve been caught in the “eat less, move more” trap, it’s time to shift gears. Here’s how to support your metabolism from the ground up:

1. Reduce Inflammation First
   Make anti-inflammatory choices your foundation: whole, nutrient-dense foods, quality sleep, and consistent stress management. These aren’t just extras—they’re non-negotiables for metabolic health. When inflammation is down, your body can actually respond to calorie intake and exercise.

2. Eat Enough to Manage Stress
   This may sound counterintuitive, but eating enough is crucial for lowering stress. Under-eating sends a signal that your body is in crisis, spiking cortisol and making fat loss almost impossible. By fueling your body—especially with proteins and healthy fats—you’re telling it, “Everything’s okay.” This balance keeps cortisol in check.

3. Lower Cortisol with Real Recovery
   Not every workout needs to be intense. Gentle movement like walking, yoga, and active recovery are just as important for lowering cortisol and balancing hormones. When cortisol is balanced, your body will feel safe enough to release stored fat.

Bottom Line: You Deserve a Better Approach

I get it—I know what it’s like to be well-versed in health yet unable to get the support needed from the healthcare system. I didn’t want to be the one driving my own treatment, but I ended up there because the answers I needed weren’t offered. Sustainable weight loss and real health start with addressing inflammation, balancing hormones, and creating a body that feels safe. This isn’t what most doctors are trained to offer, but it’s what actually works.

Want a more in-depth roadmap? I’ve created a free masterclass where I go into detail on lowering inflammation, balancing hormones, and taking control of your metabolism. This isn’t a quick fix—it’s the foundation for lasting health. Click here to get started, because you deserve to feel your best without the endless struggle.