Leptin is a hormone, known as the satiety hormone. It works in ‘partnership’ with another hormone Ghrelin. As Leptin goes down, Ghrelin goes up.
Leptin is largely secreted by your Fat Cells (adipose tissue). As body-fat levels shift, so does Leptin. When you diet and your body-fat levels go down, Leptin also drops and Ghrelin (the hunger hormone) increases. Ever wonder why you feel sooo hungry after being on a diet for a while..? It’s a normal process for your body, to tell you to eat. Keep this in mind. You need to resist this.
What happens if you have high serum Leptin levels and have Leptin resistance? (Not insulin-resistance). If you continually been eating in an excess of your normal calorie range requirements (overconsuming), the excess calories are stored as triglycerides in your fat cells, and thus your fat cells start to increase in size and perhaps even in number (the reason why reverse diet is so important). This increase leads to an increase in Leptin secretion because your body is trying to signal to your brain, that you should stop eating and you are fed!
The more the Leptin increases, the more satiated you should feel. But if your fat cells become too large, you can develop what is called Leptin resistance. Your brain no longer responds effectively to the signals. It’s dysregulated. It tells you to eat more (cause it thinks you are starving) and decreases energy expenditure (Lowers NEAT). This may be why so many people fail on diets.
Symptoms: You feel constantly hungry, not being on a diet. You even feel hungry just after having a large meal where you should feel satisfied…
How can start to normalize your Leptin levels: 1. Lose Body-fat. EXERCISE. Expend calories. Calorie balance is still nr 1 for fat-loss. As body-fat comes down, so your Leptin levels can start to normalize again over time. 2. Monitor food consumption. High Fibre & Protein. A LOT of WATER!
You can get your Leptin levels tested by your doctor if you want to know if you experience Leptin resistance.
BUT remember... it can’t just be magically fix overnight! It will take time! The BEST you can do for long-term health and weight-loss… is to look at what you are consuming and being more active. If you struggle with feeling hungry all of the time, then increase your water consumption, Protein and Fibre intake. Do not keep highly processed foods in your house, that will make your cravings even higher.
SLEEP enough! A lack of sleep is linked to overeating—especially the overconsumption of junk food—which can lead to weight gain. … When the body is sleep-deprived, the level of ghrelin spikes, while the level of leptin falls, leading to an increase in hunger.
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