Here's The Basic Step To Improving Your Fat Loss (it's not your Thyroid)

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CES--Level 1 Certified Precision Nutrition and Certified Personal Trainer

There are a lot of people looking for things that will help them burn fat.

Of course, most turn to diet and exercise as the main course for blasting away the unwanted fat.

However, diet and exercise may only get you so far, which oftentimes leads to people purchasing dangerous over-the-counter weight loss treatments, detox teas, and other weight loss gimmicks.

Do they work?

Oftentimes, they do not work and lead to frustration, disappointment, and depression.

Now, one area that people may not look at is inside their own body—more specifically in their intestines.

You see, there are trillions of bacteria living inside your gut that may influence many different areas of your body…

…including your ability to lose weight!

Gut Bacteria and Weight Loss

There are trillions of bacteria living in your gut.

Most of you know that these tiny little bacteria may boost your immunity, therefore preventing you from getting sick.

However, the same gut bacteria responsible for improving your immunity may also significantly improve your overall weight loss results.

You see, when the right balance of gut bacteria are living in your body, you may find it easier to lose weight or even maintain your current weight.

But:

When your gut bacteria are altered—called dysbiosis—then you may find that it’s easier to become overweight and harder to lose weight.

Now, there are plenty of ways your gut bacteria aid in weight loss. Today, however, you are going to learn three powerful ways in which your gut bacteria may speed up your weight loss.

The first area impacts the production of your thyroid hormone.

You see, thyroid hormone is the main metabolic hormone in your body.

And that means your thyroid hormone plays a larger role on your metabolism than any other hormone your body produces.

So how does your gut bacteria influence your thyroid hormone? Well, when your gut bacteria are altered, they may reduce the amount of thyroid hormone your body produces.

PLUS: They may also reduce your body’s ability to USE the thyroid hormone that is produced!

How does this happen? This occurs due to the bad gut bacteria blocking receptors on your cells for the thyroid hormone, therefore preventing the hormone from binding with your cells and speeding up your metabolism.

The next way bad gut bacteria reduces your weight loss has to do with the master hormone, Leptin.

You see, Leptin is produced by your fat cells and tells your brain when you are full, so you can stop eating.

When Leptin levels increase, it should signal to your body that you are full and you should stop eating.

However, bad gut bacteria have been shown to BLOCK Leptin receptor sites, therefore preventing the Leptin from reaching your brain.

This phenomenon is called Leptin resistance, and bad gut bacteria has been shown to significantly increase Leptin resistance.

This prevents your body from knowing when it’s full, therefore you continue to eat because you’re never full.

And the more you eat, the more calories you’re consuming, which could lead to increased weight gain.

The last area that impacts your weight loss is what researchers have termed “fat bugs.”

To put it simply, the gut bacteria that are living in your gut may actually cause obesity.

Research shows that certain strains of gut bacteria actually increase weight gain, extract more calories from food, and contribute to higher levels of fat gain or obesity.

These fat bugs may also reduce your ability to lose weight, making it that much harder to reach your goals.

Take Home Message

If you’re finding it hard to lose weight, then you may have altered gut bacteria which could be preventing you from getting the lean, toned body you’re after.

Altered gut bacteria—otherwise known as fat bugs—may decrease your body’s ability to burn fat by causing both Leptin resistance and resistance to thyroid hormone.

BUT:

If you want to lose weight—and improve a number of different aspects of your health—then including a probiotic into your daily nutrition plan may be of benefit to you.

Not only could it change the composition of your gut bacteria, but it may also improve your body’s ability to use thyroid hormone and leptin more efficiently.