CrossFit Attitude

(Click on the clothing link to buy the NSC tshirt!)

The Top 10 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight

7. Neurotransmitter Balance

How many times have you tried to start a fat loss program and could not stay motivated or resist your food cravings. This may have occurred, in part, because of your neurotransmitter balance. Neurotransmitters, or brain chemicals, play a large role in our mood, our motivation and our food cravings. Research is currently learning more about our neurotransmitters every day, which is exciting for those of use wanting to lose fat while also improving our outlook on life.
There are four major neurotransmitters to consider when it comes to fat loss. They are dopamine, serotonin, GABA and acetylcholine. The first of these neurotransmitters, dopamine, helps regulate our metabolism and it can function similar to a natural amphetamine in our body. It helps to control energy and, if deficient, can lead to fatigue, a loss of energy, carbohydrate binges, sugar and/or junk food cravings, and self-destructive thoughts. The more dopamine you produce, the faster your metabolism and the easier it is to lose weight. But as with all things in the body, you can have too much of a good thing.

Excessive dopamine has been linked to excessive and destructive behavior. Serotonin deficiencies are well known creating symptoms of depression. What is not as well known about serotonin deficiencies is that it also leads to sugar cravings and progesterone deficiencies, which is linked to weight gain. Lastly, GABA deficiencies also lead to carbohydrate cravings and depression, while acetylcholine deficiencies leads to craving for fatty foods. However, consuming large amounts of fat leads to a decrease in the body’s production of acetylcholine production, creating a vicious cycle: the more you consume fatty foods, the more your body will crave them.
As you can see, neurotransmitter balance can have a significant role in our ability to lose weight, including our cravings for certain foods. If you’ve ever “fallen off the wagon” during a diet and binged on sugary foods or skipped the gym, it may not be that you were simple “weak-willed.”. It could have been caused by a neurotransmitter imbalance, which can often be corrected nutritionally.