Candida overgrowth and its' effect on weight loss

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?
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Replies

  • MattTheWaterRat
    MattTheWaterRat Posts: 167 Member
    Did you accurately count how many calories you burned?
  • bcweisen
    bcweisen Posts: 118 Member
    I have a HRM that calculates calories burned based on my HR and stats.
  • rudegyal_b
    rudegyal_b Posts: 593 Member
    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
    nose6 Posts: 39 Member
    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.
  • 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
    bcweisen Posts: 118 Member
    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
    bcweisen Posts: 118 Member
    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
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
    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
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member

    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).
  • 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
    opalescence Posts: 413 Member
    the funny thing about yeast...when you feed it sugar, it grows.
  • larsofrock99
    larsofrock99 Posts: 13 Member
    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
    threeohtwo Posts: 153 Member
    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
    florymonde Posts: 261 Member
    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
    tisane42 Posts: 46 Member
    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
    larsofrock99 Posts: 13 Member
    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
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Actually in the holistic world...
    Well there's your problem. There is evidence based medicine and all the other made up stuff.
  • larsofrock99
    larsofrock99 Posts: 13 Member
    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.
  • "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!
  • 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?
  • GrannyGwen1
    GrannyGwen1 Posts: 213 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/new/763937-candida-overgrowth-and-its-effect-on-weight-loss?
    Topic: Candida overgrowth and its' effect on weight loss
    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)

    THANK YOU FOR A RESEARCHED AND EDUCATED ANSWERS, ITS REFRESHING TO SEE.

    I HAVE A SEVERE CASE OF CANDIDA AND IT CAN BE A PAINFUL AND FRUSTRATING CONDITION. AND IT CAN DEFIANTLY EFFECT YOUR WEIGHT AND YOUR OVERALL HEALTH. ITS ALWAYS THERE LINGERING IN THE BACK GROUND, WAITING TO ATTACK. I WAS ATTACKED AFTER A SERIES OF ANTIBIOTICS THIS PAST WINTER AND HAVE BEEN FIGHTING IT FOR YEAR.

    YOU HAVE TO BE DILIGENT AND VERY CAREFUL HOW YOU APPROACH AND KILL OFF THE CANDIDA WITH MEDICATION, HOLISTIC REMEDIES, HYGIENE, YOUR ACIDOSIS PH AND DIET, AS IT CAN MAKE YOU VERY SICK. ( I TRIED TO DO IT TOO FAST) CANDIDA CAN ALSO EFFECT YOUR SKIN CAUSING LONG TERM SEVERE ITCHING (SIMILAR TO POISON OAK) AND LESIONS THAT ARE SLOW HEALING. THAT WAS HOW I FOUND OUT I HAD CANDIDA ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER I TOOK THE MEDS AND SEVERAL DOCTORS LATER, FROM DERMATOLOGIST TO GI DOCTORS. CANDIDA ISN'T EASY TO GET RID OF OR TO CONTROL. AND YES I NOW SEE A TEAM OF DOCTORS AT OHSU WHO ARE VERY MUCH UP TO DATE ON RESEARCH, TREATMENT AND THE EFFECTS THAT CANDIDA HAS ON WEIGHT. AND I KNOW FIRST HAND THAT WHEN IM HAVING FLARE-UPS THAT MY WEIGHT LOST STALLS OR I EVEN GAIN BACK SOME WEIGH, AND YES SOME OF IT HAS DO TO THE HORRIBLE AND SOMETIMES UNCONTROLLABLE CRAVINGS FOR SUGAR AND STARCHES, ALL IT TAKES IS A LITTLE BIT TO GET IT FLARED UP LIKE A VENGEANCE. THAT CANDIDA NEEDS TO SURVIVE AND FEEDS OFF. ITS BEEN A VERY SLOW PROCESS TO GET IT UNDER CONTROL. AND BECAUSE IM NOT AS DILIGENT WITH MY DIET AS I SHOULD BE , IM HAVING A FLARE-UP NOW AS WE SPEAK.

    MAY THE GOOD LORD KEEP YOU SAFE FROM CANDIDA, :flowerforyou:

    HUGS, GG
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    How can you have systemic candida? do you know what candida is? it's thrush. It's a fungus.

    Systemic means throughout your system. In your blood, in your tissue. In your gut.

    Who on earth gave you the idea that that was even possible?
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    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

    Suddenly it all becomes clear. There's someone out there with a licence to make up utter garbage, isn't there.

    Systemic candida. What bull**** ideas with your favourite snake oil salesmen sell you all next?
  • Debbiedebbiey
    Debbiedebbiey Posts: 824 Member
    I was in the same boat as you:flowerforyou: frustrating ! Thought for sure it was yeast. I have a bodybugg-ate at a 1000 calorie deficit for 9 months, exercised like crazy, no results. Got a fitbit, it has helped keep me more active, I've tried "eat more to weigh less" gained 10 lbs:huh:
    Finally, about 2 months ago I started eating low carb/hi fat. There's a group on here,I've lost 15 pounds ! I've researched the crap out of it, and it's really working for me. I don't eat sugar...I don't even want it, unspeakable sweet tooth -GONE- like I make cupcake for the family, WASHED the icing off my fingers, That's right I did not lick it off ! The fat keeps you soooo full it kills cravings, I eat 1400 cals, then exercise, or lately 1200, bc I'M NOT HUNGRY, sooo weird. Just a suggestion, bc when I read your post, having tried healthy diet, exercise,etc it really reminded me of ME:flowerforyou:

    Don't give up bc you can do it ! You just have to find out what works for you, it sure as heck isn't calories in vs calories out !!!!!
  • l911jnt
    l911jnt Posts: 164 Member
    .
  • l911jnt
    l911jnt Posts: 164 Member
    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?

    So you're "estimating" your TDEE, "estimating" your calories burned and "estimating" what you eat...

    Estimating doesn't produce accurate results. They're just estimates, if you're not getting the results you want your estimates are far from what they really are.


    A lot of hard work(what you claim to do) would have an adverse effect on weight loss by slowing down your metabolism so you'd burn less calories than what a TDEE calculator would tell you.


    Candida would have no effect on weight loss. If it did, it would cause "weight loss" not weight gain or stall outs. Candida feeds on sugar, it eats the sugar in your body, the less sugar you have the less energy you have, the less energy you have the bigger the deficit.

    Calories in vs calories out.



    well she cleary said she measures her food out... that's not estimating. She also says she uses an HRM. If you can do nothing but " estimate" with an HRM, a cardio machine or MFP database then we are ALL just estimating. Even if you use a formula to calculate calories, its still just your own "estimate". So if its all incorrect " estimated" info, how are any of us suppose to track any of it and rely on that info? *Smh... sigh*
  • calmlywilde
    calmlywilde Posts: 47 Member
    Wow this thread sure stirred up some grumpy cats!

    I had chronic candida. It would turn up in the form of thrush, athletes foot, a ductal yeast infection while I was breastfeeding (pain! Oh so much pain!).

    Met my SO, who is suseptible to athletes foot, and we both got full body insatiable itchiness! Three trips to my doctor later, we'd plastered ourselves with every cream and ointment imaginable, had STD tests (negative, incase you were wondering), stopped using soap, shampoo, washing powder and we were still itchy!

    I tried a holistic practitioner as a last resort. She fixed us both first pop with Pau D'Arco (your healthfood shop will have it).

    If I get an overgrowth, I retain water badly, hence the "gaining weight on a deficit" phenomenon that the gurus will tell you is impossible. I lose motivation because I'm working hard and not seeing results, so give up for a few days/weeks/months. Dunno if this sounds like you or not.

    My cure is low carb. I'm happy with it being a lifetime thing. No sugar to feed the monsters! If you can't adapt to that, a natural practitioner might help. If you want to stick with your regular doctor, you will probably need some hefty antifungals every now-and-again (hopefully your Doc will prescribe them, rather than deny the existence of candida, as many do, which is often CAUSED by Drs who overprescribe antbiotics). You will need to take probiotics every time you have a course of antifungals or antibiotics (both kill bad bugs and good bugs. Candida can grow faster than all of them and "takeover" the dead spots - a temporary fix, followed by an explosion in the problem). You may have ongoing water retention issues which will make motivation for ongoing healthy eating more difficult for you than others, but definatly not impossible.

    I met a lady who had an overgrowth so massive that it started to block her throat. That **** is whack. Took her three years on a super-strict eating plan to tame it. Now it seems like you got it easy ;)

    Add me if you like, I'm happy to help.
  • mikenelson20
    mikenelson20 Posts: 44 Member
    Ok, so I never even heard of candida before I read this post so I am defiantly not speaking from experience. Also, not a nutritional or health or dietary specialist in any way. But I do know something about thermodynamics. First law states that energy can be changed from one form to another but energy cannot be created or destroyed. Now I know I am being very generalized here, but your body should be no different. It is a machine that requires energy to run (just like your car requires gas). Now granted there day to day variances, BUT in the end if you burn more calories than you consume, your body is forced to use other sources of energy in order to make up this loss. Hopefully other sources is fat, but it could come from any tissue of your body. Your body has no choice, it must find ATP molecules in order to fuel the cells of your body. Those molecules come from the food you eat. If it cannot get them from the food you eat, then it must get the ATP molecules by breaking down other tissues (again hopefully fat). Your body uses the energy in the bonds of the fuel molecules when, and uses the energy to create new ATP molecules to fuel or feed the much more important cells (brain, heart, liver, stuff like that). If it cannot replace the ATP molecules then body tissues will start to starve and die.

    So based on this, if you are not losing weight then it is because you are not having a calorie deficit. It would be physically impossible to not lose weight in the end. Now in the end for some people is a day or two, other a week, some a month or so. If what you are doing is not working then something is wrong. Either your projected daily intake is to high, over estimating calories burned, something somewhere is not right.. And yes, your body does have little tricks in order to become more efficient in conserving energy when it becomes energy deficient. But in the end if your body requires X amount of energy to fuel the cells then it will get that energy from somewhere (again fat).

    If you would a much more detailed explanation on how calories are used in the body check this article out (and the others linked to it). It does a way better job at explaining it. Tons of info on how the body works.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-energy-balance-equation.html
  • calmlywilde
    calmlywilde Posts: 47 Member
    In your gut

    Wow you really don't know much about candida, do you Love? :huh:

    The gut is the main habitat of candida in humans. You have candida in you gut right now.

    Thrush is an overgrowth of candida in the mouth, throat, genitals. Athletes foot is candida. Candidemia is candida of the blood. Excess candida in the intestines can cause leaky gut.

    OP and those following the thread are already having a tough time. Your less-than-helpful opinion is not required :flowerforyou:
  • l911jnt
    l911jnt Posts: 164 Member
    In your gut

    Wow you really don't know much about candida, do you Love? :huh:

    The gut is the main habitat of candida in humans. You have candida in you gut right now.

    Thrush is an overgrowth of candida in the mouth, throat, genitals. Athletes foot is candida. Candidemia is candida of the blood. Excess candida in the intestines can cause leaky gut.:flowerforyou:

    OP is already having a tough time. Your less-than-helpful opinion is not required :flowerforyou:


    YES!!! no need to be so rude to ppl. That was my issue in this thread and the only reason I posted. Of course I am sure there will be rudeness directed at you and I also for taking up for the OP... but carry on, it won't affect my day one way or the other LOL!