I will be discussing how to reset leptin sensitivity for weight loss and greater energy. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells once your energy needs have been met. It signals the brain to cause you to stop eating by giving you a full feeling.
It also controls metabolism by telling the brain to increase your metabolic rate to use the food you just ate for fuel.
When the leptin system is balanced and working well it leads to sharper brain functioning and better memory, coordination, and metabolic performance. Leptin even has an effect on mood and emotions. When leptin resistance develops or leptin levels fall, weight gain and even obesity can occur.
Lower levels of leptin can occur due to decreased body fat or decreased calorie intake. This and leptin resistance sends the brain the message that you need to eat and causes hunger.
Over time, calorie restriction (like dieting) decreases leptin levels which makes you feel hungry. It decreases your metabolism by decreasing thyroid hormone levels. This makes it difficult to lose weight.
Eating too much can also cause leptin resistance to occur. If you ignore your bodies “full” signals and overeat too often, your body gets confused leading to leptin resistance. The receptors in the brain become insensitive to the leptin leading to chronic hunger. The more you overeat, the more resistant to leptin your brain becomes and consuming high amounts of fructose, increased stress, and exposure to toxins can also lead to or worsen leptin resistance.
Leptin resistance causes fatigue because your brain releases less Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) resulting in decreased thyroid hormone release. A recent study showed that leptin influenced weight gain can inflame the thyroid possibly contributing to Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks the thyroid gland.
What can be done to reset the leptin system when there is leptin resistance?
- In the morning, eat healthy fats and protein to provide the building blocks for hormone production and to limit cravings.
- Eliminate any kind of sugar, especially fructose, from your diet.
- Eliminate processed foods high in simple carbs.
- Limit your carbohydrate intake during the day.
- Snacking destroys the timing and circadian clock that work with leptin to control hunger and cravings, so NO SNACKING.
- Wait 4 hours after eating before going to sleep.
- Don’t work out an hour before or after breakfast.
- Practice stress relieving practices like meditation, forest bathing, and deep breathing.
- For severe resistance, go to bed by 10:00 pm each night.
- Once you get leptin resistance under control, intermittent fasting helps reset leptin sensitivity.
Most people will lose weight quickly by following these guidelines, but some people take a few weeks so don’t give up if this is you. Hang in there and your mood will improve, energy levels will increase, and your sleep will improve. Once your leptin system resets, you can rely on your body to tell you when it is hungry and when it is not, and dieting will become a thing of the past.
Next week I will discuss how to reset ghrelin which will make this whole process even easier so tune in. I will be discussing intermittent fasting after that.
Want more info on hormones that control metabolism and weight? https://lalongevity.com/hormones-that-control-metabolism-hunger-and-satiety/
Sleep is important to weight optimization. https://drnatalieledbetter.com/f/melatonin-for-sleep-health-and-weight-loss