Candida overgrowth and its' effect on weight loss

bcweisen

I've been doing a lot of research lately on issues that can impede weight loss because if another well meaning person tells me that weight loss is a simple matter of less calories in than out.... I may just kick them in the head I have worked my butt off; used a HRM to get accurate calories burned during workouts; measured everything I eat; and tracked faithfully while achieving minimal results. Has anyone else experienced the general symptoms of systemic candida? What have you done that has helped you to lose weight despite this obstacle?

MattTheWaterRat

Did you accurately count how many calories you burned?

bcweisen

I have a HRM that calculates calories burned based on my HR and stats.

rudegyal_b

used a HRM to get accurate calories burned during workouts

there's your problem right there...hrms are better than nothing but are NOT accurate...they overestimate a LOT

so if you're eating back your hrm cals burned, you're probably overeating

nose6

That's a treatable condition, isn't it? So you could see a doctor or a naturopath, or if it seems sub-clinical, read a book about the condition and try its recommendations.

jldono2

Are you taking pro-biotics? I highly recommend you get some good ones and take them everyday along with a multi vitamin. I had a recurring sinus infection last year and could not lose weight. I quit smoking (1 year ago yesterday) stopped eating junk processed foods-exercise every day-and since March I have not gotten sick -no more sinus infections-and slowly am losing weight. I have lost 21lbs since April when I started my fitness pal. So yes its slow going, but I FEEL BETTER. And I know I look better too.

bcweisen

used a HRM to get accurate calories burned during workouts

there's your problem right there...hrms are better than nothing but are NOT accurate...they overestimate a LOT

so if you're eating back your hrm cals burned, you're probably overeating

Most days (especially hard workout days) I leave 300-400 calories uneaten. My average calories taken in is over 1000 less than my TDEE.

bcweisen

Are you taking pro-biotics? I highly recommend you get some good ones and take them everyday along with a multi vitamin. I had a recurring sinus infection last year and could not lose weight. I quit smoking (1 year ago yesterday) stopped eating junk processed foods-exercise every day-and since March I have not gotten sick -no more sinus infections-and slowly am losing weight. I have lost 21lbs since April when I started my fitness pal. So yes its slow going, but I FEEL BETTER. And I know I look better too.

I just started with some essential oils and am cutting way down on yeast containing products. I also am decreasing sugar intake (even substitutes) and following a modified candida diet. We'll just have to see how it goes

jennaworksout

I am doing the 15 day renulife candida cleanse, I did it once before and it worked very well, after taking antibiotics as well as not doing one in a few years...thought I better do another one..., highly recommend it along with your diet.

ahamm002

Most days (especially hard workout days) I leave 300-400 calories uneaten. My average calories taken in is over 1000 less than my TDEE.

If you actually had a 1000 calorie daily deficit then you'd be rapidly losing weight. There is definitely an issue with your calculations on either the calories in or out side (or both).

flyingbabs

bcweisen I have candida and if I eat sugar I cannot lose weight no matter what I do. I was working out lots and eating healthy but would have a snack with sugar here and there or would eat pasta or lots of fruit. If I follow the candida diet that my naturopath has given me I lose weight at a fantastic speed! Because you are very limited in the carbs department on a candida diet I had to actually cut back on my workouts to make sure I didn't lose too much too fast. For life reasons I got sidetracked on my candida diet but now back on it. It's not easy to follow but it's worth it

opalescence

the funny thing about yeast...when you feed it sugar, it grows.

larsofrock99

Actually in the holistic world it's widely recognized that Candida overgrowth can make weight loss next to impossible.

I've read / heard that the question of Candida overgrowth is not that of calories in vs calories out per se... but more the fact that the body fat is trying to protect you against toxins in this instance -- in particular ethanol that grows rapidly when yeast has a food source (sugar). Too much ethanol production can cause liver detox function overloading. Acetaldehyde (related to formaldehyde) is another by-product of Candida causes a variety of malfunctions in the body.

Also -- Candida can produce a type of false estrogen and thyroid hormone, which leads to hormone imbalance and receptor malfunction. And we all know that hormones will definitely affect your weight loss no matter what simple math we apply to calories in calories out.

Overview of Candida and fat loss:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUpuQsuruz8

Toxins and Fat Loss:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/detox-tips_b_1289488.html
(or read jillian michaels master your metabolism)

threeohtwo

I've been doing a lot of research lately on issues that can impede weight loss because if another well meaning person tells me that weight loss is a simple matter of less calories in than out.... I may just kick them in the head I have worked my butt off; used a HRM to get accurate calories burned during workouts; measured everything I eat; and tracked faithfully while achieving minimal results. Has anyone else experienced the general symptoms of systemic candida? What have you done that has helped you to lose weight despite this obstacle?

Ok. So My TDEE is 2896 for my age and activity level. If I eat anything above 2000 I gain and around 1800 I start to lose weight very slowly. What does that tell me? These TDEE calculations FOR ME are very very off. It's just an estimate. It really is as simple as calories in calories out. You cannot have a 1000 calorie a day deficit, it is literally not possible. If I were you I would reassess. I've heard a good measure as far as burning calories is that it is very unlikely to burn more than 10 calories per minute so if calculations have you burning more than that its probably too much.

florymonde

I don't know if I've had a problem with Candida, but it sure helps me to go low to no carb every once in a while. Seems to help my system reset some how. Try a few days with only proteins and low-carb veggies (first stage Atkins) and see what happens.

Don't know if it's verifiable, but I have heard of people with candida issues that get quite ill when they first go no-carb, so if you're trying it for the first time, you might want to do it on a weekend or sometime when you can take it easy.

tisane42

Systemic candida is a made-up diagnosis designed to sell supplements. If full-body yeast infection exists, a course of antifungals will knock it out. If people feel better after "treatment," it's because they've been ordered to cut all sugar out of their diets.

larsofrock99

I don't think Candida is a made up disease. You can see tons of people with recurring thrush and if you've ever gone for a colonic and seen colonies of yeast that look like kombucha tea come out of you I think you'd think differently as well (and I went because I was severely constipated -- not becuase I suspected I had a candida infection).

Candida or whatever hormone balance WILL affect weight loss. Candida can be a root cause of hormone imbalance which will affect calories in vs calories out. Respectfully, I highly doubt Candida was made up to sell Oregano Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar and Coconut Oil and a no sugar low carb diet (which is usually protocol for killing it off).

A low carb diet will rebalance hormone issues that are caused by candida. Your basal metabolic rate will be affected.

True, weight loss is calories in vs calories out TO A POINT. In a healthy person, for sure calories in vs calories out will work like a calculator. At a certain point, the body and hormones actually dictate weight loss (which is why starvation mode, cushing's disease, addison's disease, hypothyroidsim affect weight). If an inflammatory condition is involved, the body will have different priorities and won't want to lose weight. You have to treat the underlying causes of your hormone imbalances before you can expect your body to cooperate with you.

FredDoyle

Actually in the holistic world...

Well there's your problem. There is evidence based medicine and all the other made up stuff.

larsofrock99

Nyastin is a drug perscribed by western, traditional medicine doctors for Candida overgrowth so western medicine does recognize it to a certain degree.

It's not been a problem for me to trust holistic medicine for systematic conditions. Western medicine is really great at fixing broken arms or acute conditions and emergency medicine. But when it comes to working WITH the body in my experience western medicine doesn't excel at it. I've had YEARS of digestive problems (at a variety of weights) that have been dismissed by conventional medicine as "IBS" -- only when I forayed into holistic medicine did I see improvement.

I don't need to be right. You're entitled to your opinion too. I'm just giving my experience and research I've done on my own and offering support and a different perspective.

If you suspect candida is preventing you from losing weight, talk to your doctor to see if there's a problem with you trying the diet to remove it, using antifungals like coconut oil, oil of oregano, etc.. If not, try it out whole heartedly. You'll probably see improvements in your weight and your health. Trust your instinct and if it's telling you that this is something you should do, explore the option.

tonydd03

"Systemic candida is a made-up diagnosis designed to sell supplements. If full-body yeast infection exists, a course of antifungals will knock it out. If people feel better after "treatment," it's because they've been ordered to cut all sugar out of their diets."


Agreed!

nicolettetym

Candida overgrowth can absolutely cause difficulty losing weight, moreso it can be the cause of weight gain.The yeast produces inflammatory toxins which the body tries to rid by diluting with water. This causes significant water retention. The yeast also give off gas as a by-product which can cause your stomach to bloat. Healthy diet and exercise will help to a point, but if the yeast overgrowth is bad enough you won't get the results you desire. Probiotics aren't enough either, you need an anti-fungal treatment to kill the yeast then the probiotics to replace as good bacteria in the gut. I think that someone had posted that if you had yeast overgrowth you would lose weight because it eats the sugar. Think of a ball of bread dough. When the yeast eats the sugar, does the bread dough get smaller or expand?