You know those clients you have where they seem to be doing everything right, but just not getting the results that you both expect? You don’t suspect that they’re lying about their food, they’re putting in the effort in the workouts, and yet progress is very slow to come by, or possibly doesn’t come at all.

I know. I’ve been there. I’ve banged my head against the wall, asking “why is my client not losing weight?” And since then, I’ve dug deep into why that happens, and what can be done to get around it. Since then, I’ve trained many clients who previously couldn’t get results with other approaches, and even started a mentorship program that teaches other personal trainers to do the same.

I’ve identified 8 hidden reasons why your clients can’t lose weight. Why are they hidden? Because most personal trainers don’t know about them. Most doctors kind of ignore them (since they’re not life-threatening). So the people are largely left to their own devices to jump from exercise program to exercise program, from diet to diet to try and find the “magic bullet.”

But the truth is that the fat loss model is backwards. We think that you need to start losing weight to be healthy. Dr. Diana Shwarzbein, a well-known endocrinologist and author of The Shwarzbein Principle disagrees. In her book, she says that you don’t just need to lose weight to be healthy. You need to be healthy to lose weight.

So if your clients are not healthy enough to be effectively losing weight, well, they won’t lose weight. This is despite eating right and exercising.

So what are these 8 hidden reasons that can prevent your clients from losing weight even if they’re doing everything right?

Poor digestive function

 Your digestive system is responsible for breaking down food, and extracting nutrients from that food. You need those nutrients to be able to use the energy that food contains. So you could be eating all the right foods, but if your digestive system isn’t working properly, you’ll have a hard time losing body fat.

How do you know if your clients have any issues with their digestion? Here are a few signs:

  • Gas
  • Bloating
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Bad breath

Blood sugar dysregulation

A rise in blood sugar triggers the release of insulin. Insulin sends the message to your body to stop burning fat, and start storing. In a healthy person, that’s a beneficial, life-saving function. We need that. But if your client has problems regulating their blood sugar, their insulin levels are going to be chronically elevated, so even with a low-calorie diet, s/he’ll have a hard time losing fat.

Here are some signs of blood sugar dysregulation:

  • Craving sweets
  • Fatigue that is relieved by eating
  • Shaky if meals are delayed
  • Frequent thirst
  • Frequent urination

Adrenal fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of symptoms caused by imbalances in the hormones cortisol and DHEA (and imbalances in these two hormones will lead to imbalances in others). Cortisol in the right amounts, at the right times is a beneficial hormone that is anti-inflammatory and gives you energy. When your clients run into problems with cortisol, it starts to burn muscle, zap your energy, and suppresses your immune system. Not good for a well-functioning metabolism. The catch is that very intense training, or endurance training places even more stress on the adrenal glands, and wears them out further. This is a case when very intense training will have the opposite effects of what you’re looking for: it will make it more difficult to lose fat.

Here are a few signs of adrenal fatigue:

  • Dark circles under the eyes
  • Salt cravings
  • Getting lightheaded when going from lying to standing
  • Craving coffee
  • Easy perspiration

Hormonal imbalances

As many women who have gone through menopause can tell you, without any changes in their diet or exercise, they gained weight. Often around the belly. Why is that? Because hormones are more responsible for your weight than calories. What are some signs of hormonal imbalances (specifically between estrogen, progesterone and testosterone)?

  • Hot flashes
  • Thinning hair
  • Depression
  • Decreased libido
  • Chocolate cravings

Toxicity

There’s no longer a question of whether you’re toxic. It’s a question of how toxic are you? The Environmental Protection Agency looked at the umbilical cord blood of babies, and found 200 toxins. Imagine that! 200 toxins in the body of someone who hasn’t even taken their first breath yet.

Some people are very much affected by toxins, and from my experience, that’s certainly the case for people trying to lose excessive body fat. All toxins inhibit mitochondrial function. The mitochondria are the part of the cell that oxidizes or burns fat. If your mitochondria aren’t working properly, you won’t burn fat. Again, this is despite eating right and exercising.

Here are some signs of excess toxicity:

  • Achy joints
  • Itchy ears
  • Frequent need to clear the throat
  • Headaches
  • Water retention

Slow thyroid (clinical or subclinical hypothyroidism)

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your throat, and it’s like the gas pedal on your metabolism. If it’s working properly, you’re a healthy, happy person. If it’s not working properly, nothing seems to work for you. You can be doing low-calorie diets, low-carb diets, intense exercise, etc. And you may end up losing weight temporarily, only to have it come back with a vengeance.

These are some of the signs of a slow thyroid:

  • Cold hands and feet even when others around are comfortable
  • High cholesterol (it’s not just for heart disease)
  • Thinning hair
  • Depression
  • Infrequent bowel movements (less than once a day)

Anemia

Anemia can be caused by low iron, folate or vitamin B12. In a healthy body, these nutrients are responsible for making your red blood cells carry oxygen all over the body. In a person that doesn’t have enough of these, their body is oxygen-starved. So not only can they not burn (oxidize) fat, but they don’t have any energy to exercise, either.

Here are some signs of anemia:

  • Fatigue
  • Pale skin
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness

Imbalanced brain chemistry

Your brain has certain chemicals in it called “neurotransmitters.” These help regulate things like mood and appetite. If you’re deficient in certain neurotransmitters, then you will have cravings that you simply can’t control with willpower. In a battle between will power and biochemistry, your biochemistry will always win.

And even beyond cravings, your neurotransmitters have an intimate connection to your metabolism.

What are some signs of imbalances in brain chemistry?

  • Loss of pleasure in hobbies
  • Feelings of inner anger
  • Difficulty getting good, restful sleep
  • Inability to handle stress
  • Restless mind

Although it would take far more space than I have here to teach you how to correct these imbalances (I also do that in my mentorship program), hopefully this gives you a glimpse into just what’s involved in those tough-to-solve cases for fat loss.

About the Author

Igor Klibanov is the author of STOP EXERCISING! The Way You Are Doing it Now, as well as Unlimited Progress: How You Can Unlock Your Body’s Potential. He is the CEO of one of Toronto’s premier personal training companies, Fitness Solutions Plus.

His company specializes in helping tough cases achieve the results they are looking for, by looking at a complete picture, and systematically identifying barriers to success.

He has recently begun teaching courses to fellow personal trainers in an effort to raise the professionalism of the industry.

You can learn more about Igor at http://www.FitnessSolutionsPlus.ca.