“Dr. Hyman, I’ve eliminated toxic foods, I exercise every day, and overall I live a healthy lifestyle, yet I haven’t been able to get anywhere near my goal weight,” writes this week’s house call. “What gives?”

I understand how frustrating this can become, especially when you feel like you’ve tried everything. You made a conscious decision to live a healthier lifestyle. You’ve cut out toxic triggers, ditched sugar and you’re eating all the right types of foods. You’re doing everything correctly, yet you can’t lose weight.

Over the years, I’ve had many patients complain about this problem. They feel like they’ve exhausted every option, yet when we dig a bit deeper, we often find a hidden cause for their weight loss resistance.

One big obstacle becomes nutritional imbalances. After reviewing major nutritional research over the last 40 years and doing nutritional testing with over 10,000 patients, I’ve concluded that Americans suffer from massive nutritional deficiencies.