Why do so many people have trouble losing weight, even when they watch calories or cut out entire food groups? “The answer is different for everyone,” says Alyssa Cellini, metabolism expert nutritionist with My Custom Nutrition, in Hoboken. “That’s what we determine for every client we work with.”

Cellini takes a functional approach to health, looking at clinical testing as well as “symptom evolution.”

“The goal for every case I handle is to identify the root cause of imbalance, using knowledge of connected pathways and unique symptoms that serve as common denominators,” she says.

If losing weight were as simple as counting calories, people wouldn’t seek professional help, she says. “It’s all about balance, and I don’t mean eating well 80 percent and eating poorly 20 percent of the time. The body has a number of checks and balances, and if everything is working in balance, the body chooses energy—that is, calories—according to textbook methods.”

Among her many specialties are troubleshooting fat loss, optimizing athletic performance, hormone testing and analysis and improving menopausal symptoms. She addresses various common conditions, from fatigue to autoimmune disorders.

Location: 720 Monroe St. E417, Hoboken, NJ. For more information, call 973-317-0550, email info@mycustomnutrition or visit MyCustomNutrition.com.