The Influence of 2 Hormones in Losing Fat

Not too long ago I came across information about two hormones that have a huge effect in our quest to lose body fat.

Because I am always on the look-out for new developments in the world of diets and getting in shape, I do a lot of research.

I research different kinds of training methods as well as what the developments on weight-loss are.

My belief is that losing body-fat is not so complex as our society lets us believe.

There are literally hundreds of ‘diets’ to be found in bookstores and on the internet.

Each diet has it’s own vision and method but what they all have in common is that they all have an opinion on what works best.

What works best?  Yes, what works best in losing body fat.  I think it’s very basic, cut calories, increase your exercise or daily movement patterns, make better decisions in choosing your food and drink your water and get your rest/sleep.

And you know what?

This is true!

These are the basics!

But there is a bit more to the body than food and water, we are filled with hormones.

Hormones have a huge impact on how we feel, look, react, eat, sleep, and they are influenced daily through outside forces like stress.

This article is about two important hormones, Leptin and Ghrelin, that help our body function and not only function but tell our body in relation to food, how much or how little we need to eat.

Please read on and I hope that the information I provide below will help you in your journey to a healthy, fit and lean body.

 

So what is Leptin?

 

Leptin is a very powerful and influential hormone produced by your fat cells that decreases your appetite.

Your fat, by way of leptin, tells your brain whether you should be hungry, eat and make more fat, whether you should reproduce, or (partly by controlling insulin) whether to engage in maintenance and repair.

In short, leptin is the way that your fat stores speak to your brain to let your brain know how much energy is available and, very importantly, what to do with it.

In general, the more fat you have, the more leptin is in your blood.

But the level varies depending on many factors, including when you last ate and your sleep patterns.

If your leptin signaling is working properly, when your fat stores are “full,” this extra fat will cause a surge in your leptin level, which signals your brain to stop feeling hungry, to stop eating, to stop storing fat and to start burning some extra fat off.

 

• Leptin controls metabolism and appetite. Metabolism can roughly be defined as the body’s system that turns food into life or energy, and therefore insulin and leptin are both critical to health and disease. Insulin and leptin work together to control the quality of your metabolism, and, to a significant extent, your rate of metabolism.

• Levels of leptin — the appetite suppressor — are lower when you’re thin and higher when you’re fat.

 

Controlling your ‘hunger’

 

One of the major ways Leptin controls energy storage is through controlling your hunger.

When you truly have ‘hunger’ your body sees this as a very ancient and deep-rooted drive that when stimulated long enough, will make your store more energy from what you eat.

Thus, to not be ‘hungry’ is a major part of your diet when eating less over a longer period of time and the only way to regulate hunger is the control the hormones.

Control the primary hormones, one being Leptin.

But there is another hormone, Ghrelin, that increases appetite, and also plays a role in body weight.

Ghrelin and what it does

 

Ghrelin, the appetite increaser, is released primarily in the stomach and is thought to signal hunger to the brain.

You’d expect the body to increase ghrelin if a person is undereating and decrease it if he or she is overeating.

For sure, ghrelin levels have been found to increase in children with anorexia nervosa and decrease in children who are obese.

German researchers have suggested that ghrelin levels play a big role in determining how quickly hunger comes back after we eat.

Normally, ghrelin levels go up dramatically before you eat; this signals hunger.

They then go down for about three hours after the meal.

But some researchers believe that ghrelin is not as important in determining appetite as once thought.

They think that its role in regulating body weight may actually be a more complex process.

 

 

What Controls Leptin?

The hypothalamus in the brain controls leptin. When leptin levels increase, leptin attaches to leptin receptors in the hypothalamus, and your brain sends a signal that you are fueled, or “full,” so to speak. Your metabolic rate will increase as a result of this signal.

When leptin levels decrease, the brain thinks you are no longer fueled. Consequently, your brain sends a message that you are hungry, and your metabolic rate decreases.

 

Of the two hormones, leptin — the appetite suppressor — looks to be the bigger player in our bodies’ energy balance. Some researchers think that leptin helps regulate ghrelin.

 

Leptin can also be your enemy

 

Your Leptin levels become resistant when you consistently eat too many calories than your body needs to stay at maintenance level in body weight.

When your body becomes Leptin resistant than it cannot distinguish between having too high or too low body fat levels, then the Leptin receptors lose their sensitivity.

When this happens the more Leptin resistant your body becomes resulting in a body that wants to stay fat compared to getting lean.

Leptin is quite possibly the most important hormone you have never heard about.

If your leptin levels are not in check, then you will never acquire the leanness of which you are capable.

 

So how does someone become Leptin Resistant?

 

According to Dr. Mercola, You become leptin-resistant by the same general mechanism that you become insulin-resistant – by continuous overexposure to high levels of the hormone.

If you eat a diet that is high in sugar (particularly fructose), grains, and processed foods – the same type of diet that will also increase inflammation in your body – as the sugar gets metabolized in your fat cells, the fat releases surges in leptin.

Over time, if your body is exposed to too much leptin, it will become resistant, just as your body can become resistant to insulin.

The only known way to reestablish proper leptin (and insulin) signaling is to prevent those surges, and the only known way to do that is via diet.

As such, diet can have a more profound effect on your health than any other known modality of medical treatment.

 

More influences that result in Leptin Resistance

 

Stress and toxins in your body can result in Leptin resistance.

These can be anything from the wrong diet to not getting enough sleep.

 

To keep your body Leptin sensitive than follow these guidelines:

 

01) Stay lean! Avoid going on heavy ‘bulking’ programs and avoid getting too far over your target body weight.

 

02) Use your Cheat Days to your advantage.

When you’re on a diet for longer periods of time make sure you ‘refeed’ your body to stimulate your metabolism.

Bodybuilders use this method regularly when getting ready for a competition.

It’s called a ‘refeed day’.

On your Cheat Day or Refeed Day increase your calories up to 50% above your maintenance calorie level for your bodyweight.

This means to increase your carbohydrates 100-150% than normal, but keep your protein at about 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.

Keep your fat intake low but do not throw out your fats completely.

This ‘Refeed’ day will always jumpstart your metabolism and help your leptin levels back to normal.

 

03) Avoid going too far too often in overloading with sugary carbs. 

Leptin production is raised after eating large amount of carbs. This happens because of the insulin spikes after eating high sugar carbohydrates.

Avoid eating excessive amounts of sugary foods, or foods with high fructose corn syrup as well as any foods that rate high on the Glycemic Index.

 

04) Exercise regularly using High Intensity exercise.

Interval Training (known commonly as H.I.I.T High Intensity Interval Training) done regularly will stimulate large secretions of human growth hormone.

Human Growth Hormone is then released boosting the fat-burning systems in your body to help regulate Leptin levels.   

 

05) Using supplements like Taurine or Acetyl L-Carnitine helps to prevent Leptin resistance.

Using both these supplements as well as other antioxidants may help prevent Leptin resistance.

 

06) The importance of a good nights sleep.

Leptin levels typically rise during a sleeping cycle but a recent study revealed those who didn’t get a good night’s rest had a 15% lower leptin level than those who got enough sleep.

This means that when you want to lose bodyfat you must get 7-8 hours sleep each night!

 

Getting Lean and Staying Lean – Becoming Leptin Sensitive

 

Leptin levels need to be in order if you want to get and stay lean, to be able to think clearly and they have a positive influence on your ‘good mood’.

When you go on a ‘diet’, and your body is in a state of ‘calorie deficit’ your leptin levels and your metabolic rate become consistently lower.

Metabolism will slow down and it will be very hard to lose body fat.

Performing High Intensity training during your workouts help the body in becoming Leptin sensitive again.

A strategic whole food diet that emphasizes good fats and avoids blood sugar spikes using the proper supplements like Taurine will enhance insulin and leptin sensitivity so that your brain can once again hear the feedback signals from these hormones.

 

Reversing Leptin Resistance

 

Reversing Leptin Resistance

Avoid, sugar, fructose, grains, and processed foods

Eat a healthful diet of whole foods, ideally organic, and replace the grain carbs with:

No-to-low sugar and grain carbs

Low-to-moderate amount of protein

As much highly quality healthful fat as you want (saturated and monosaturated).

Most people need upwards of 50-70 percent fats in their diet for optimal health.

Good sources include coconut and coconut oil, avocados, butter, nuts, and animal fats. Also take a high-quality source of animal-based omega-3 fat, such as krill oil

Leptin is quite possibly the most important hormone you have never heard about.

If your leptin levels are not in check, then you will never acquire the leanness of which you are capable.

Not only may you never get as lean as you want, but your energy levels, mental acuity, and performance may suffer as well.

 

In a nutshell

 

1. Get 7-8 hours sleep each night
2. Eat only wholesome naturally grown meats, vegetables, grains, and fats.
3. Exercise each day at least 30 min and maximum of 75 minutes
4. When doing a HIIT training avoid training that is longer than 30 minutes with intensities reaching over the 85% of your maximum training heartrate
5. Take your supplements like Taurine and Omega -3 daily

 

 

 

References:  http://breakingmuscle.com/coaches/joshua-wortman-0

Reference: Dr. Mercola www.drmercola.com

Reference:

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

http://www.webmd.com/diet/your-hunger-hormones?page=2

Article Sources

The Journal of Pediatrics, January 2004. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, September 2004; June 2004; 2001; vol 86. Gastroenterology, February 2003; August 2004; May 2002. International Journal of Obesity 1981; vol 5. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, September 2003. Metabolism Clinical and Experimental, November 2000. Hormone and Metabolic Research, August 2004. Endocrinology; vol 145. Regulatory Peptides, September 2004. Annals of Internal Medicine, Dec. 7, 2004. Mary Dallman, PhD, professor of physiology, University of California at San Francisco.

 

 

 

 

Written by Vivian Hylkema – Personal Trainer & Wellness Consultant
Miss Universe Ladies Bodybuilding, Personal Trainer, Muscle + Mind Coach. June, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

.