Most discussions about body-related issues tend to focus on weight gain and strategies for losing extra pounds through bariatric surgery, dietary changes, or exercise routines. While achieving a healthy weight is important, it's equally crucial to understand the potential causes and consequences of unexplained weight loss, particularly when accompanied by fatigue. This article explores the various reasons why you might experience fatigue during weight loss, differentiating between healthy and unhealthy scenarios, and offering strategies to combat exhaustion and stay on track.
Healthy Weight Loss vs. Unexplained Weight Loss
To lose weight in a healthy way, it’s essential to follow a diet that provides all the nutrients your body needs and to engage in a regular physical activity routine. However, unexplained weight loss can jeopardize your overall health and may indicate an underlying medical condition. Feeling tired can be both a consequence and a symptom of unexplained weight loss. A well-rounded diet provides us with enough energy to carry on throughout the day, and if we’re not getting the necessary nutrients, we might experience fatigue.
Medical Conditions Causing Weight Loss and Fatigue
Several medical conditions can explain a sudden drop in weight. Keeping track of symptoms can help you and your doctor determine the cause and prevent further weight loss.
Hyperthyroidism: This condition occurs when the thyroid gland produces more hormones than the body needs, leading to an unregulated metabolism that burns energy faster than usual, resulting in rapid weight loss. Other symptoms of hyperthyroidism include fatigue, tremor with shaking hands, muscle weakness, difficulty sleeping, rapid heartbeat, changes in mood, diarrhea, and swelling in the neck (goiter).
Mental Health Conditions: Mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder can also cause involuntary weight loss. A 2016 study suggested that people with depression show changes in the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which can affect the gastrointestinal tract and adrenal glands, the latter regulating metabolism, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels. Depression can cause a loss of appetite, fatigue, excessive sleeping, agitation, and difficulty with motivation. Any of these could affect how much a person eats. In some cases, they may not notice that they are eating less than usual.Similarly, anxiety disorders may affect a person’s appetite or diet. Eating disorders may directly affect eating habits and beliefs around food.
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Cancer: Losing weight can be a sign of cancer, especially cancers affecting the digestive tract, although symptoms may vary depending on the type, stage, and location of the disease. Other potential symptoms of cancer include fatigue, fever, night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, pain, sores or wounds that will not heal, skin changes, changes in bowel or bladder function, a persistent cough, headaches, vision changes, and a lump or swelling in part of the body.
Other Medical Conditions: Other causes of unexplained weight loss include celiac disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), rheumatoid arthritis, and Addison’s disease. Digestive conditions can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, which may lead to weight loss. These include inflammatory bowel disease, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, bloody stools, fatigue, and fever. People with Addison’s disease might notice a decrease in their appetite and unexplained weight loss. Other symptoms of Addison’s disease include fatigue, nausea, low blood pressure, dizziness, muscle cramps, atypically darkened areas of skin, low levels of sugar and sodium in the blood, high levels of potassium in the blood, low red blood cell count, and high white blood cell count. A person may also experience unexplained weight loss as a result of HIV, organ failure, and substance use disorder.
If any of these symptoms become unmanageable or persistent, it is important to contact your doctor so they can identify the exact cause. You should also contact your doctor if you lose more than 5% of your baseline body weight in 6 to 12 months without changing your diet plan or exercise regime.
Fatigue as a Consequence of Weight Loss Efforts
Feeling tired can be a nuisance, hindering work productivity and time spent with loved ones. While occasional fatigue can often be resolved with rest, persistent tiredness can indicate underlying health issues or be a consequence of weight loss strategies. When dieting or aiming to shed pounds, reducing food intake also limits energy intake.
Malnutrition: If you don’t see any improvement or keep feeling tired all the time, you may be presenting symptoms of malnutrition. Studies have found that being deficient in these nutrients can lead to fatigue and other conditions, such as iron deficiency anemia.
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Ultra-Processed Foods: Consuming ultra-processed foods can also make you feel tired because they alter your sleeping patterns and energy levels. A heavy intake of empty calories is detrimental to your health because they don’t provide enough nutritional value, and the excess sugar and fat can also lead to feeling tired.
Strategies to Combat Fatigue During Weight Loss
If you feel exhausted while trying to establish a healthier diet and lifestyle, it is important to understand what your body is going through and know what to expect to help yourself and stay on track. During weight loss, several mechanisms affect your metabolism, making you feel tired, hungry, irritable, and unfocused. This may persist for two weeks to ninety days, depending on how favorable your eating and lifestyle choices are. Here are strategies that can help you from dozing off:
Avoid Sugar and Caffeine: Reaching for sugar and caffeine as immediate energy sources masks nutritional status, thus these must be avoided. During weight loss and to prevent weight regain, it is extremely important to include nutrient-dense foods, superfoods, and high-quality supplementation to replenish nutrients at a cellular level. Keep in mind that after getting enough nutrients, it will take time for your cells to produce enough energy and then some to spare for exercise or improved overall performance. If you are it’s likely that you have pushed past your nutritional reserves for a long time.
Eat Nutrition-Rich Foods: If your weight loss plan doesn’t include enough nutrition, your cells will slow down metabolism. Not meeting your daily calories will get your brain into thinking that there is a famine and will signal the rest of your body to slow down to save your life. Eating less lowers thyroid activity (pseudo hypothyroidism), down-regulating energy levels as well as the desire to move. On the other hand, meeting your recommended daily calories or eating enough food from nutrient-void foods will have the same effect at a cellular level. A comprehensive nutritional weight loss plan may include fewer calories but never at the expense of nutrition.
Be Mindful of What You Eat: Processed food has become a chemical transportation system! Chemicals and toxins from additives, coloring, and flavorings have biological impact and physiological damaging functions. Our bodies, to save us from dying, use fat tissue as a defense system against this injurious attack by storing these toxins. During the process of weight loss, as the fat tissue is being mobilized, it will release these toxins into the bloodstream, initiating an oxidative cascade. If your hard-working liver has been caring for with enough nutrients, it will convert these fat-soluble damaging compounds into molecules that can be eliminated thru urine, lungs, or sweat. What are the most important nutrients our liver needs to do this impressive job? Antioxidants from fruit and veggies; minerals from veggies, nuts, and seeds; Omega 3 from fish and nuts; and, high biological value protein. If we are mindful of the fact that the main objective of food is to provide nutrients we would never consider drinking soda, regardless if it is “calorie-free” or not.
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Get Enough Sleep: Having a clear and extremely different day and night routine will help your day and night hormones perform at their best. People who wake up feeling tired after sleeping enough hours, crash at noon, or have a difficult time falling or staying asleep most probably have an altered circadian rhythm, the natural cycle of changes that humans go through in a 24-hour period. As human beings, we require a third of our daily hours to re-establish biological functions, as during those eight sleeping hours, there are specific hormones that repair and reset the entire body. If we are eating without regard to the day and night cycle, we are working against our hunger-appetite and satiety hormones. If the light exposure is the same between the two shifts from the use of computers, TV, iPad, or artificial lighting, we are not letting our nervous system balance the rest or our hormones to induce tissue repair from physical and emotional stress, further accelerating aging from the brain to the gut. To avoid feeling sluggish in the morning due to confusion in your brain between day and night hours, you need to eat heavier during the day, lighter at night, establish specific mealtimes to avoid snacking and chronic feeding, and reduce light exposure during sleep hours. Basically, daytime is for feeding and moving, and nighttime is for sleeping.
Addressing Weight Loss Plateaus and Other Challenges
Weight loss is not about the decisions we make from the number that shows up on the scale, but the sum of choices we make on a daily basis after a prolonged period of time. You’ve been working hard on your weight loss-cutting calories, exercising regularly, and maybe even trying new approaches to shed those extra pounds. At first, you see results: your clothes fit better, your energy improves, and the scale moves in the right direction. It feels like all your effort is finally paying off. Fatigue creeps in, making even simple tasks exhausting. Your joints ache more than usual, and you find yourself questioning whether your plan is still working for you. These symptoms don’t just affect your physical health-they seep into your daily life, making it harder to enjoy the progress you’ve made.
Personalized Plans: If you’re always tired, it’s a red flag that your weight loss plan might not meet your nutritional needs. A calorie deficit is essential for losing weight, but cutting too many calories can leave you drained. Fatigue may also stem from insufficient macronutrients or vitamins.
Achy Joints: Achy joints could indicate that your plan is putting undue stress on your body. Overexercising or skipping vital nutrients can lead to inflammation and worsening joint pain. If activities that once felt manageable now leave you sore and stiff, your current regimen may need a reevaluation.
Weight Loss Plateau: Hitting a plateau is frustrating, but it’s a common part of the weight loss journey. However, if weeks go by with no changes despite your continued efforts, your body may be adapting to your plan.
Muscle Loss: Rapid weight loss might feel satisfying at first, but if it’s coming from muscle loss rather than fat, it’s a problem. Losing muscle can slow your metabolism and make it harder to maintain weight loss. Signs include feeling weaker, reduced endurance, or noticing more sagging skin than toned muscles.
Mental Health: Mental health is just as important as physical health during weight loss. Severe calorie restrictions, hormonal imbalances, or an overly rigid routine can cause irritability, anxiety, or depression.
Optimizing Your Weight Loss Plan
To ensure a healthy and sustainable weight loss journey, consider the following strategies:
Prioritize Balanced Nutrition: Your body needs the right mix of nutrients to function optimally. Focus on a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, and fresh produce.
Stay Active but Avoid Overtraining: Exercise is essential, but overtraining can harm your body. To allow your muscles to recover, aim for a mix of cardio, strength training, and rest days.
Hydrate and Sleep Well: Dehydration and poor sleep can derail even the best weight loss plans. Water supports metabolism and helps control hunger, while quality sleep allows your body to recover and balance hormones.
Monitor Your Progress Beyond the Scale: Weight is just one metric of success. Pay attention to other indicators, like how your clothes fit, your energy levels, or improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Consider Using GLP-1 Medications: GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, have shown promise in helping individuals achieve significant weight loss by regulating appetite and improving blood sugar levels. These medications mimic a hormone that helps control hunger and digestion, making it easier to maintain a calorie deficit without extreme hunger.
Seek Professional Guidance: If you’re struggling with fatigue, achy joints, or other symptoms, consulting a professional can make all the difference. Genesis Lifestyle Medicine specializes in personalized weight loss plans that consider your unique needs and health conditions.
When to Seek Medical Advice
Weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all solution. If you’re experiencing fatigue, achy joints, or other signs your plan isn’t working, it’s time to make adjustments. The diagnostic process for unexplained weight loss can vary depending on the cause. In some cases, a doctor may be able to identify the likely cause by performing a physical examination or asking questions about the symptoms. In other cases, doctors may need to run tests to rule out or confirm other explanations. This may include blood tests to assess nutrition, inflammation markers, or organ function, urine tests to assess blood sugar levels, and medical imaging, such as an MRI or ultrasound.