There is absolutely nothing more frustrating than spending all of your time focused on eating clean and your hard workouts, only to find out that you haven't lost a single pound. You're not alone in this battle, everyone faces this at some point in their journey. Here are a few things, that I have discovered, that can be the cause and can help get you through this.

First, the battle of the hormones. We have three things that affect our metabolism: food, activity level and hormones. Two of the three we can control. The third, seems like an impossible battle some days. What can make it more frustrating is when one source tells you one thing, another tells you to do the opposite, how do you know what to do?

A good place to start is your family history. If your family has a history of hormone related health problems, PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid issues, etc., you should definitely get your blood tested immediately.

Now you've gone to the doctor and you have gotten your blood tested and they said you were "normal". What is normal? No two people are alike. My suggestion is to find a provider who will not just look at the numbers, but listen to you. You know your body better than anyone else. If your body does not feel right and the doctor says that everything is good, you need to go to another doctor. I would suggest finding a provider who deals with functional medicine and bioidentical hormones. They are often more willing to treat the cause and not the symptom, they are also less likely to jump to prescription drugs and more likely to help find a more homeopathic or natural way for you to help your body.

I could write a book on the many different things that I have discovered along the way relating to hormones and the effect they have on our metabolism. In fact, many people have done just that. My suggestion would be to start reading some of those books. Do so with the understanding that every author believes that he or she has found the solution and knows the exact way to fix your body. Much like other information we receive, filter it through your own best judgement. Decide what sounds too good to be true and what sounds like it's scientifically-based. Then go with the latter.

Here are some things to pay close attention to:

Are you excessively tired? By that I mean you get at least 6 hours of sleep at night and you find yourself yawning throughout the day and easily fall back asleep early in the evening? If you are eating properly, exercising and sleeping even five and a half hours a night, you should not feel tired during the day. You should not have the urge to go and lie down and nap in the middle of the day. You should be able to stay awake into the evening easily.

Do you find that you're hungry soon after eating a meal? Your body may not be producing the correct amount of insulin at the correct times or may be producing too much all together. Insulin causes your body to stop burning fat and sends the signal to your brain that you need more food.

Do you just feel flat? Are you easily agitated or short tempered? How's your libido? All of these are indicators of hormone imbalance.

It may take a few months, but with the correct supplementation you will feel better. It took me about a year-and-a-half to get my "cocktail" right. Once I did, I was able to build muscle, lose fat and most importantly I felt better! I was happier, have more energy and didn't find myself lashing out at my family, nearly as often.

For help finding a provider, search for functional medicine practitioners, or reach out to me. You can conquer this!