Let me tell you a little story... When I first started doing weight loss coaching about 10 years ago, it was very much based around the “bro” or “bodybuilding” mentality. I used to compete in men’s physique shows, and really lived by the “if it fits your macros” approach to getting in shape. And guess what? It works. In fact, without ever talking about gut health.. most of my clients still lost between 20-30 lbs in just 3 months because we made sure they hit their macros and were in a calorie deficit. And I’m still here to tell you right now... NOTHING you do will make you lose weight if you are not eating less calories than you’re burning each day. HOWEVER... over the years I’ve learned that your GUT HEALTH actually plays a big role in how easy or difficult this process is. Here’s how...👇🏼 1️⃣ There’s a number of pathways that can actually cause increased cravings & hunger when you have poor gut health. When trying to lose weight, you HAVE to consider the psychological piece. And while YES, it’s easy to say just eat less... it’s going to be a lot harder to stick to a plan when you’re fighting insane cravings all day. (PMID: 25446227) 2️⃣ A large percentage of thyroid hormone is converted into the active form in your gut. Your thyroid is your master metabolic hormone that influences your energy & how many calories you burn each day. When your gut health is off, this can lead to less calories burned being burned as a result. (PMID: 32545596) 3️⃣ Some studies now suggest that certain bacteria in your gut may influence your ability to burn or store fat. 🤯 (PMID: 37031749) (PMID: 24009397) Look there’s a lot that we still don’t know, but what I can tell you is that I’ve seen people break through weight loss plateaus that they were stuck at for months or YEARS after we heal their gut. This is with them doing the EXACT same workouts and eating the same amount of calories each day. So while YES - calorie deficit is king 👑 it would be stupid to ignore the deeper layers of health that actually influence that equation, ESPECIALLY if you feel like you’re doing everything right and still not seeing results. #guthealth #weightloss #fatloss