Leptin and more importantly the resistance to Leptin is a huge player in the fat loss game. Since Leptin is a fat releasing and satiation hormone, having enough of it and having the body to be in the state where it accepts it is a must before your body will even think about letting go of an ounce of fat.
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. You ever burn bacon? Happened to me the other day. At first I was really grossed out by the smell. However, after being in the kitchen for a while, I could hardly tell that it had happened. Well, about an hour later, I headed outside with the girls for their potty break and when I came back in a waft of burnt bacon slammed me as I walked in the front door.
The same kinda thing happens with your body when it’s got too much Leptin for too long a period of time. Your body gets used to it hangin around and begins to ignore it.
If you also add a calorie restricted diet to the situation and you start to lose a little bit of fat along with active muscle tissue, you make the situation worse. Less fat to secret leptin on top of receptors that are numb from too much leptin. End result…Starving, endless hunger and more fat storage.
Then think about the fact that you’ve probably been eating a diet low in fat and high in Fructose? That just makes the situation even worse. Too much Fructose numbs your Leptin receptors even more.
A recipe for increased hunger and weight gain for sure. Exactly the opposite of what you wanted to happen when you went on the diet in the first place.
Wondering if any of this applies to you??? Check out the following signs and symptoms. If any of these sound familiar, chances are you’re either lacking leptin or you’re leptin resistant.
- Insatiable endless hunger.
- Freezing cold all the time even with excessive amounts of clothing on.
- Sex drive is in the toilet.
- Weird sense of still being hungry even though you feel full.
- Daydream and or talk about food all the time.
- Chew gum and drink coffee in excess.
- Basal body temp (when you first wake in the am) is 1 or 2 degrees below normal (98.6).
- Dry and scaly skin.
- Salty cravings.
- Fuzzy head. Hard to focus and concentrate.
- Confidence issues.
- Depression.
- Crazy neurotic behavior.
- Cry easily.
- Spontaneous reduction of physical activity.
- Loss of muscular strength and endurance.
- Increased intake of water.
Even though the situation sounds grim, leptin resistance isn’t a permanent condition. Try the following plan and help your body like leptin again.
Anti-Leptin Resistance Plan
1.) Decrease intake Fructose and Sugars.
2.) Eat more fibrous starches like potatoes, whole grains, legumes etc. Foods like 180 Degree Kitchen's White Truffle Oil fries are a delicious example of a way to get more starch and beneficial saturated fats.
3.) Try to cut down on your use of vegetable oils and foods that have a high concentration of polyunsaturated fats. Like nuts (my biggest weakness)
4.) Don’t Diet! End result of dieting is an increase in stress and cortisol and a lowered metabolism.
5.) Eat whole, unadulterated, nutrient rich foods. Forget about the processed crap.
Bottom line, if you’re leptin resistant your body’s going to act as if you’re starving! When your brain (the hypothalamus in particular) doesn’t get the message that you’re leptin resistant, your metabolism fails, your appetite increases, your temperature drops, your energy levels wane and your body prefers to store fat rather than burn it.
So if you’re thinking about a weight loss program, medication, supplement or treatment don’t bank on permanent results unless you first get to the root cause of your weight gain and work on improving your bodies liking to leptin.