Random fat sampling by our EPA shows that all Americans store fat-soluble toxins from common chemical exposures in their fat. This is a testament to the amount of pollution we face. Some of these like PCBs, which are proven to elevate in your blood as they are released from fat when you lose weight, can be quite toxic. You must be able to get toxins out of your system fully as you lose weight, otherwise your fat will simply not release them easily and you will struggle to lose weight past a certain point.

I have observed many times that a key reason for rapid weight gain (25 to 50 pounds in a year) is that the person is toxic. This is a self-defense mechanism wherein toxins are being stuffed into fat and gotten out of the circulation so as to protect vital organs from damage. Of course, with our understanding of leptin we come to realize that fat itself is a vital organ and so none of this toxic storage in fat is a good thing.

Detox systems in general, as described in previous sections must all be working well or weight management will be more difficult. Thus, if you know you have trouble in one or another of these areas then be sure to support it as you lose weight. Otherwise you will just feel really toxic, irritable, and grumpy as you struggle to lose weight. You'll feel better when you eat too much, as your body will package up the toxins you aren't getting rid of well and send them back to storage. You can't lose weight that way.

I generally recommend at least extra fiber for any person on a weight management program because it is typical that fiber from other carbohydrate sources is reduced during a weight reduction dieting effort.*

You may do quite well for a length of time on a diet and then run into a toxic layer of fat. Weight management stops and you start feeling irritable, even though you haven't changed what you are doing. This is typically the plateau that is 10-20 pounds down from where you first started your diet and 5-15 pounds or more from your goal weight. This is when extra Pantethine, Chlorella, or Activator Plus can really help out. Find solutions that keep your detoxification systems on track and you can break through these difficult times and reach your goal weight.*

Consult our Leptin & Weight Management page for more information.