
Blood Work for Weight Loss
Understanding your blood work for weight loss can help you to uncover imbalances that may be preventing you from reaching your weight loss goals with ease.
Before we look at specific blood work for weight loss, allow me to explain why the current method of testing and interpretation in flawed.
The reference range printed on your pathology report is an average based on all of the results that are seen by that lab. This includes the results of those who are healthy and the results of those who are acutely or chronically unwell. According to recent statistical data, 49.9% of Australians are living with at least one chronic disease. These results impact the standard reference range data that we measure our health against. In addition to this, results vary from lab to lab and for these reasons, the reference range can not be considered as a measure of optimal health.
To make matters worse, Medicare restrictions are imposed on a number of what I would consider to be essential blood work markers for weight loss.
Even if you have a thorough doctor that goes above and beyond, they will still need to work within the Medicare guidelines so there will be limits to what they can request. This means, the underlying drivers of chronic health issues and stubborn weight gain often go undetected for years until your health has deteriorated to the point where Medicare warrants the tests to be performed.
This begins to explain why so many women seek blood work, desperate for answers, only to be told that everything “looks good”.
Blood Work for Weight Loss: 3 Helpful Tips
1. Request a copy of your blood results and bring them to your consultation. Together, we can thoroughly review your results, see what markers have been tested and which markers have been missed.
2. For accurate results, aim to fast for 12 hours before your blood test. Drink 1L of water in the 12 hours leading up to your blood test, stop taking any non essential supplements and avoid intense exercise, sauna use and alcohol for 24-48 hours before your test. Cancel your blood test if you are feeling unwell.
3. Learn how to discuss your health concerns with your doctor, do your best to provide them with good reason to order the markers you would like investigated and consider ordering these markers privately (through your naturopath) if you are unable to order them through Medicare.
Disclaimer: This article is not a replacement for medical advice, it is important to continue to work with your primary healthcare practitioner. This information is simply designed to empower you and help you to fill in the gaps that are often missed with standard care.
The blood work markers discussed in this article are just some of the markers that are commonly missed that can provide us with insight into why your body may be stubbornly holding on to excess weight. Additional underlying imbalances do exist. Your symptoms help to indicate what underlying imbalances may be present and testing is only recommended if necessary. Optimal blood work ranges can be discussed during a consultation.
Blood Work for Weight Loss: Insulin, Blood Glucose and HbA1c
Insulin: Insulin is a pancreatic hormone that helps to keep blood glucose levels within the normal range
Blood Glucose: This is the main sugar found in your blood and your bodies primary source of energy
HbA1c: This marker gives us an indication of your average blood sugar levels over a 2-3 month period. It is often used to diagnose or monitor Type 2 Diabetes.
Elevated levels on insulin can inhibit fat loss, cause changes in hunger and increase cravings for carbs and sweets. In addition to these symptoms, elevated levels of insulin can also cause mid section weight gain, crashes in energy levels and poor sleep.
An insulin blood test is not warranted by Medicare until your blood glucose levels are significantly and consistently out of range. The problem with this is, insulin levels can be elevated even when blood glucose readings and HbA1c levels are within range.
For this reason, elevated levels of insulin can go undetected for years causing stubborn weight gain and frustration as regular methods of dieting tend to fail when insulin is elevated.
Learn more about insulin resistance and how it impacts your health and ability to lose weight here: How to Lose Weight with Insulin Resistance
Blood Work for Weight Loss: Thyroid Panel
A complete thyroid panel includes:
TSH: Thyroid stimulating hormone is produced by the pituitary gland, its job it to stimulate the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones. High TSH may suggest that the pituitary is overstimulating the thyroid to produce too much thyroid hormone or it may suggest that the thyroid is underproducing thyroid hormone and the pituitary is trying to signal to the thyroid to produce more. For this reason, TSH alone is not a helpful indication of thyroid function.
Free T3: This is your active thyroid hormone that is ready for your body to use
Free T4: This is this main hormone produced by your thyroid gland. T4 is an inactive thyroid hormone, your liver is largely responsible for turning T4 into T3 so it can be used by the body.
If abnormalities are detected in thyroid results, thyroid antibodies should also be tested. Thyroid cofactors like zinc, copper and iodine levels can also provide us with helpful insights into your thyroid health.
Thyroid antibodies may be listed on your blood result form as TPOAb and TGAb. Some integrative GP’s are proactive about investigating thyroid antibodies if appropriate, most practitioners will not order this test.
Fertility issues may prompt your fertility doctor to test antibodies but in most cases, they are missed as the presence of antibodies dose not impact mainstream treatment. Hashimoto’s, an auto immune thyroid condition, is a common driver of thyroid dysfunction. If suboptimal thyroid levels are detected it is important to uncover or rule out Hashimoto’s with an antibody test.
Unlike mainstream management of thyroid conditions, naturopathic support will vary depending on the driver of your thyroid condition and Hashimoto’s requires very specific, holistic interventions.
When you request thyroid blood work, your doctor will typically order a TSH test. If TSH is significantly out of range, a T3 and T4 test may be warranted. Your TSH reading being “within range” is not enough to rule out thyroid dysfunction.
The problem with this is, thyroid problems and low levels of T3 and T4 can be present even when TSH is within range. Like insulin resistance, this allows thyroid imbalances to be present for years before they are uncovered by your doctor. Once again, this is not your doctors fault, this is due to Medicare restriction. If you resonate with the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction and cannot get your doctor to perform a thorough check, a comprehensive thyroid panel can be ordered through your Naturopath.
Impaired thyroid function is a common driver of stubborn weight gain. Your thyroid is called the master gland for a reason. It controls almost every aspect of your health. From hormones, energy and gut health to weight, appetite and mood. It is important to focus on optimal thyroid health is weight loss is your goal.
Blood Work for Weight Loss: Liver Markers
Impaired liver function is another driver of stubborn weight gain. A discussion about your liver health is typically only instigated once your liver markers are outside of the standard range. At this point, fatty liver has typically developed so I prefer to keep a close eye on liver markers and monitor them before they develop into a problem.
Non alcoholic fatty liver is a common challenge I see with many of the women I work with who feel completely stuck when it comes to weight loss. Drivers of NAFL include diet, lifestyle, gut issues and certain medications. In all cases there is so much we can do to improve liver markers. Improving your liver health supports weight loss and your overall sense of health and well being. Our liver is involved in over 500 important functions including activating thyroid hormone, bile production and detoxification.
Liver markers do form part of a standard blood test. These markers are listed as ALT, AST, ALP, GGT and LD. Other markers will provide your Naturopath with insights into your liver health. These markers include bilirubin, total protein, albumin, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, iron studies and blood glucose levels, just to name a few.
Conclusion
Interpreting blood work is a specialised skill that combines optimal range data with symptoms and your overall picture of health. Seeking the right blood work for weight loss can help to pinpoint the underlying cause that has been exacerbating hunger, cravings, low motivation, fatigue, hormonal changes and stubborn weight.
If you are ready to gain control of your health and wellness, here are 3 ways I can help:
1. Work with me! Book a consultation in person (Evandale, SA) or AUS + NZ wide online via Zoom
2. Listen to the Holistic Weight Loss Podcast
3. Connect with me on Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook
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