Hormones and Weight
Do you ever feel like your body is working against you, fighting every effort you're making to lose weight? Well, it just might be. Our bodies are designed for survival even during times of severe food deprivation, such as famine — which makes it difficult to get rid of excess body fat. And it all comes down to hormones, the regulatory chemicals running through the bloodstream.
"When leptin levels in your blood are high, this signals a well-nourished state, which keeps your appetite in check and your metabolism running strong."
In ancient times, to survive in the cold, cruel world, people needed a way to hold onto their body-fat stores during periods of famine. After all, there was no all-night supermarket to pick up bread and peanut butter! Body fat provided a concentrated source of energy that was readily available when there was no food to eat. To survive these times of deprivation, our bodies kick into "starvation mode" — that is, our metabolism slows down so our fat stores last as long as possible.
This lifesaving adaptation can wreak havoc when you're purposely withholding food — such as when you are dieting to lose weight. Because the body becomes more efficient at storing fat and takes longer to break it down, it becomes harder and harder for weight to come off.
The good news is, we know a lot about how this process works. It's run by a hormone called leptin, one of the key hormones in weight regulation and metabolism. Leptin (which is made by fat cells) works by alerting the brain to your "starvation status," that is, whether or not you are currently in a state of starvation. When leptin levels in your blood are high, this signals a well-nourished state, which keeps your appetite in check and your metabolism running strong. When leptin levels fall, this sends a message to your brain that you are in a "starvation state." This sets off a chain reaction in your body that:
- Decreases your metabolism, so you burn less fat
- Breaks down muscle mass and starts storing more body fat
- Increases your appetite
Each of these responses is intended to keep you alive even when you don't have enough food to eat. Unfortunately, they also make it harder to keep the pounds coming off when you are dieting.
Leptin levels are affected by several factors:
- Since leptin is secreted by fat cells in your body, the more fat you have in your body, the higher your leptin levels. As fat stores decrease, leptin levels also fall.
- Leptin levels correspond to calorie intake; as you cut calories, leptin levels decrease too.
- Leptin levels fluctuate along with insulin, a hormone released by the pancreas that works to keep your blood sugar levels stable. When insulin levels are low (such as when you are cutting down on your carbohydrate intake), leptin levels decrease.
You can see, then, that when you cut calories, lose body fat, and/or reduce intake from carbohydrates, it becomes harder to lose weight — your body is really working against you!
But don't give up! Joel Marion has figured out a way to beat those leptin lapses. Learn how the unique design of the Cheat to Lose Diet works with your body's hormone levels — instead of against them — to help you lose weight and keep it off for good!
To read about the glycemic index — click here.