Breaking Through Weight Loss Resistance & Optimizing Detoxification

Amanda Stone is an Integrative Health Practitioner with a global virtual practice, helping clients achieve optimal wellness through a holistic approach. With a background in fitness and advanced training from the CHEK Institute, Institute of Integrative Nutrition, SAI Ayurvedic Institute, and the School of Applied Functional Medicine, she is also a popular health and wellness influencer on TikTok and Instagram. Amanda is the author of Quit Complaining! Solutions to Your Most Common and Expensive Health Complaints and the founder of Holistic Mama’s Shop, a fast-growing brand dedicated to clean beauty. She recently joined the Weight & Wellness Summit hosted by Vitaminis to share her insights on weight loss resistance, detoxing, and sustainable wellness.

 

Leslie: Amanda, can you start by telling us a little more about yourself?

Amanda: Thanks so much for having me! I’m an integrative health practitioner, and you might know me as The Holistic Mama on TikTok and TikTok Shop. I started out just trying to share health information in a really simple and digestible way. There’s so much overwhelming content online, but I wanted people to have a place where they could find clear, actionable advice. Over time, my audience grew, and I expanded my practice to include coaching, my clean beauty brand, and lots of educational content across social media. It’s all about helping people reconnect with how their bodies actually work and giving them tools to feel better.

Leslie: Let’s dive right into it — what exactly is weight loss resistance?

Amanda: Weight loss resistance is when someone feels like they’ve made every possible effort — they’re eating well, exercising regularly, managing their calories — but the scale won’t budge. It’s not about willpower or laziness. It’s about something deeper going on in the body that’s preventing it from releasing weight. Your body might actually be holding onto fat as a form of protection, and unless you address the root cause — whether it’s gut issues, hormone imbalances, or toxin buildup — it’s incredibly hard to make lasting progress.

Leslie: What usually causes weight loss resistance? Is it common?

Amanda: Yes, it’s very common. In most cases, it comes down to three big factors:

1. GI Inflammation: When the gut is inflamed or damaged (like with leaky gut), it affects everything — digestion, metabolism, immune function, even hormones.
2. Hormone Imbalances: Hormones don’t just “go wrong” randomly; there’s usually something driving the imbalance, whether it’s stress, toxins, gut health issues, or a combination.
3. General Toxicity: This is often the missing piece. Over time, toxins from our environment, food, products, and even stress build up in the body. If we don’t actively support detoxification, the body gets overwhelmed, and that toxicity creates a huge burden that can trigger all sorts of symptoms, including weight gain.

Leslie: You mentioned toxicity — how does that contribute to weight gain?

Amanda: Our bodies are brilliantly designed to protect us. When we’re exposed to more toxins than the body can efficiently eliminate, those toxins start floating around in the bloodstream. To protect us, the body wraps toxins in fat cells and stores them away where they can do the least harm. In other words, gaining fat is actually a protective mechanism when detox pathways are overwhelmed. So, if you want true, lasting weight loss, you have to look at supporting your body’s natural detoxification processes — not just cutting calories or working out more.

Leslie: If someone is new to all of this, where should they start?

Amanda: Start simple, and start with habits that make a big impact:

• Hydration: Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water every day. Water is essential for flushing out toxins, keeping digestion running smoothly, and supporting every major system in your body.
• Fruits and Vegetables: Aim for 7–9 servings a day. If you're focused on weight loss, prioritize more vegetables than fruits. The fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants help you stay full, balance blood sugar, and nourish the gut.
• Movement: Walking is incredibly powerful. You don’t need to kill yourself at the gym. Just moving more — especially after meals — can improve digestion, lower blood sugar, and support metabolism.
• Beginner Intermittent Fasting: Start with a simple 12-hour fast overnight, like from 8 PM to 8 AM. It’s a gentle way to give your body a break and can improve insulin sensitivity, digestion, and energy levels without feeling extreme.

Leslie: Why is something like walking so important?

Amanda: Walking may seem “too easy,” but it’s actually one of the most healing things you can do for your body. It supports blood sugar regulation, helps digestion, boosts circulation, clears your mind, and even improves sleep. Walking after meals, even for just 10 minutes, signals to your body to use the glucose you just ate and can significantly reduce blood sugar spikes. Plus, walking has a meditative, calming effect that lowers cortisol levels — and we know stress is a major driver of weight gain too.

Leslie: You mentioned fasting — but you said not to skip breakfast. Why?

Amanda: Yes! It’s tempting to think skipping breakfast is an easy way to cut calories, and a lot of people feel good doing it — but what’s really happening is they’re running on stress hormones like cortisol. You might feel energized, but it’s a stress response, not true nourishment. Over time, this pattern burns out your adrenal glands and disrupts your metabolism. I recommend easing into fasting by stopping food intake earlier in the evening instead of skipping your first meal of the day. And when you do break your fast, choose something gentle and nourishing — not heavy pancakes, but a nutrient-dense smoothie or shake.

Leslie: What’s your recommendation for breakfast then?

Amanda: I love what I call liquid before lunch. Having a nutrient-rich smoothie in the morning allows your body to absorb essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber without the heavy digestion load. You stay energized, hydrated, and focused. Plus, it’s easy to sneak in greens, healthy fats, and fiber into a smoothie. Then, by lunchtime, your digestive system is ready to handle more solid foods like proteins and cooked veggies.

Leslie: Is dieting always necessary to lose weight?

Amanda: Not always — and honestly, it shouldn’t be the first thing you jump to. If your gut is inflamed, your hormones are out of balance, or you have a high toxic burden, dieting alone won’t fix the problem. My goal with clients is always to heal the root causes first, so they can eat nourishing, satisfying meals without living in constant restriction. Food is incredibly important, but sometimes fixing digestion, balancing blood sugar, and detoxifying the body leads to easier weight loss without ever touching traditional “dieting.”

Leslie: What about all the trendy diets — like vegan, carnivore, keto?

Amanda: Trendy diets can definitely offer short-term improvements because they often address nutrient gaps or reduce inflammatory foods. But none of them are meant to be permanent for most people. I always recommend if you want to try something like that, go for 30 to 90 days maximum — then stop and reassess. Ask yourself: What aspects of this made me feel better? What didn’t work for me? Health isn’t about living at one extreme. It’s about pulling the best practices from different approaches and building a long-term, sustainable lifestyle that feels good for your body.

Leslie: It sounds like sustainability is a huge part of your philosophy.

Amanda: Definitely. Quick fixes, extreme detoxes, punishing workouts — they might work for a minute, but they almost always backfire. Sustainable wellness is about stacking small habits that support your body consistently over time. Drinking enough water, moving daily, eating colorful foods, sleeping well — these are the things that build true, lasting health. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what works.

Leslie: Where can people find you to learn more or get in touch?

Amanda: You can find me at hlcoachinggroup.com — that’s my main site where I share coaching programs, resources, and free guides. I'm also active as The Holistic Coach on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. I love being accessible, so feel free to reach out — I truly believe we learn from each other’s experiences, and I love supporting people on their journeys.