"My metabolism is broken, no matter how little I eat, I still gain weight." It's an appealing idea. This concept that somewhere along the way our metabolism just suddenly stopped working. Like there is a rock stuck in one of our metaphorical gears. It implies that we've done something wrong. Did we eat too much or too little? And it is a surprisingly common sentiment among those of us trying to lose weight. Where did this idea come from and is it true?
I've been there too. I remember days when I felt like my body was broken. I had transitioned to a plant predominant dietary pattern, and although I was eating what on the surface appeared to be healthy foods, I was still eating too many calories. At that time, I was eating three square meals a day and snacking on "healthy foods" like nuts and dried fruit at all hours. It was hard for me to believe (despite my clear understanding on the topic) that even these healthy foods were leading to weight gain. Too many calories over time leads to weight gain.
Now, I can understand the allure of thinking that our metabolism is broken. If something is broken, then that implies that it needs fixing. This has lead to a handful of programs offering complicated regimens suggesting just that very solution. But the real problem is that, for most of us, this isn't true. We are beautifully unbroken and I worry about the sheer amount of misinformation on this topic. I understand that we are struggling, and I don't want us to be so easily fooled.
The idea of a broken metabolism isn't new. In fact, untreated hypothyroidism is an example of a true alteration in metabolism. Untreated, hypothyroidism does truly lead to weight gain. I can see how those of us diagnosed with hypothyroidism can think that our metabolism is forever slower, but when we treat hypothyroidism with an appropriate dose of levothyroxine (brand name Synthroid), we normalize our thyroid hormone levels, returning our metabolism to a normal rate. That's why we monitor blood tests like TSH and free T4. Adequately treated hypothyroidism does not stall weight loss. And surprisingly, weight loss often leads to needing a lower dose of thyroid medication, not a higher one.
This knowledge that thyroid hormone medication causes weight loss has lead to a rampant adulteration of over-the-counter "adrenal support" supplements, sold as a solution to "adrenal fatigue" (which is a whole other topic for another day). In a 2017 analysis performed by a team of researchers at the Mayo Clinic, all 12 over-the-counter "adrenal support" supplements tested contained pharmaceutical thyroid hormone (levothyroxine) and one of them even tested positive for steroids (1). While many of us view supplements as harmless "natural" products, the truth is that most of the time what is listed on the label often isn't in the product (2).
Taking thyroid hormone when we don't need to can cause all sorts of trouble, from anxiety, to irregular heart rates that could land us in the hospital, to lower bone density and increased fracture risk. All of this to say that we should be weary of ad's suggesting that our metabolism is broken, because in reality, our bodies likely aren't broken. When we work together, our goal is not to fix our body, but instead to nurture it.
Side note: When we work together, we always have the option to perform a work-up to evaluate for reversible causes of fatigue and weight gain, if these are symptoms that you are experiencing. If you want to work with a medical provider trained in not only nutrition but Lifestyle Medicine, then you can easily schedule an appointment online or give me a call at the clinic at 207-200-7319.
References
Over-the-Counter “Adrenal Support” Supplements Contain Thyroid and Steroid-Based Adrenal Hormones. Akturk et al. Mayo Clinic. (2017) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Halis_Akturk/publication/323475029_Over-the-Counter_Adrenal_Support_Supplements_Contain_Thyroid_and_Steroid-Based_Adrenal_Hormones/links/60b640f7299bf106f6eff018/Over-the-Counter-Adrenal-Support-Supplements-Contain-Thyroid-and-Steroid-Based-Adrenal-Hormones.pdf
Dietary supplements: What's in a name? What's in the bottle? Marcus. Journal of Drug Testing and Analysis. (2015) https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/dta.1855
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