Cant Lose Weight or is it Chronic Inflammation?

Are you struggling with weight loss despite consistent efforts? Or have concerns about chronic inflammation impacting your health goal. After hearing Vidya Balan talk about her weightloss as a side effect of reducing inflammation, I wanted to understand their connection. So, lets explore the complex and one leading to another relationship between weight loss difficulties and chronic inflammation and understanding how they might be intertwined in some instances.

What is Chronic Inflammation?

Chronic inflammation is a prolonged, low-grade inflammatory response that can persist for months or even years due to various factors such as environmental pollutants or unhealthy lifestyle habits like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Its shocking to know that Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to it. Unlike acute inflammation, which is a short-term response to injury or infection, chronic inflammation can have systemic effects on the body, Chronic Inflammation is so slow that one is unable to identify it.

How Does Chronic Inflammation Affect Weight Loss?

• Metabolic Disruption – Chronic low-grade inflammation can lead to disruptions within the body’s metabolism, affecting how efficiently calories are burned during rest or physical activity levels - affecting weight loss efforts even with proper diet and exercise. Its more complex for women due to hormonal balance and menstruations.
• Hormonal Imbalance – Chronic inflammation can lead to hormonal imbalances such as increased cortisol production (stress hormone), which promotes fat storage, particularly visceral adiposity or belly fat that is associated with metabolic disorders like insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
• Appetite Regulation – Chronic inflammation may interfere with the functioning of neuropeptide Y (NPY), responsible for appetite regulation in our bodies, leading to increased hunger signals - making it harder to adhere to a calorie-controlled diet while trying to lose weight.
• Food Cravings – Chronic inflammation can induce chemical changes within the body that promote cravings for high sugar and fat foods, further hindering one's efforts towards healthy eating habits during a calorie deficit phase needed for successful weight loss endeavors.

What are the Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation?

• Persistent fatigue
• Joint pain or stiffness
• Digestive issues (e.g., bloating, constipation)
• Skin problems (e.g., acne, eczema)
• Frequent infections, you are prone to seasonal flus, be it respiratory or digestive illness.

How to know if its Chronic Inflammation and Other Factors affecting weight loss journey?

1. Medical Evaluation: Consult a healthcare provider for blood tests that measure inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) or interleukin-6 (IL-6).
2. Lifestyle Assessment: Evaluate your diet, exercise routine, sleep patterns, and stress levels. Consider keeping a food diary to track caloric intake and macronutrient balance. Mental Stress is the unsung factor contributing to latent and chronic inflammation.
3. Symptom Tracking: any persistent symptoms that could indicate chronic inflammation like swelling or low grade pain in joints. You could just be using joint compression supports to reduce discomfort but inflammation could be the reason.

How to reduce Chronic Inflammation?

1. Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Focus on foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber (e.g., fish, nuts, fruits, vegetables).
2. Supplements: Consider supplements like turmeric, ginger, or fish oil, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Besides natural supplementation Vitamin D deficiency leads to all sort of imbalances. Calcium regulates bones as well as skin, a deficiency in it can also lead to imbalances.
3. Exercise: Regular physical activity can help reduce inflammation by improving circulation and boosting the immune system. Resistance training and muscle building can help.
4. Reduce known allergens: Allergies increase stress response and spikes cortisol levels thus signaling body to go in distress causing inflammation. Small steps like installing room humidifiers to reduce dust should be taken.

It is extremely important to know that sometimes strenuous exercise and extreme calorie deficit diet can also lead to inflammation. Learning to listen to your body is of utmost importance.