Leptin Resistance - How to Manage Leptin For Successful Weight Loss
Author: Rena Wong
Leptin is a hormone secreted by fat cells. It plays a role in regulating food intake, energy balance and body weight. It tells the brain when you are hungry or have eaten enough.
The levels of leptin are determined by the amount of body fat and calorie intake.
The more fat you have, the more leptin is released into the blood stream to signal the brain to stop eating and burn off excess fat. When body fat is reduced, less leptin is secreted to tell the brain it's time to eat. This is how leptin works under normal condition.
If leptin can regulate fat mass, why is obesity still prevalent in many countries? There are 2 possible reasons: leptin resistance and calorie intake.
Most obese and overweight people have leptin resistance. The body doesn't respond to signals from leptin. The brain has lost sensitivity to leptin due to high levels secreted by excess fat and does not know when to stop eating. Hence, leptin resistance is often attributed to weight gain and obesity.
In addition, high leptin levels are inflammatory. They increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis and other chronic diseases.
Leptin resistance is caused by excessive consumption of high fructose corn syrup, sugar, high fat foods, refined carbohydrates and processed foods.
Let's take a look at how calorie intake impacts on leptin levels. Dieters try to lose weight by reducing their calorie intake drastically. Cutting calories in itself is not a problem. It is prolonged calorie restriction that is not sustainable, as it causes leptin levels to fall. Low leptin levels have negative impact on energy homeostasis and certain hormones. As the body goes into starvation mode, low leptin levels signal to the brain that the body needs feeding. Energy expenditure is reduced to compensate for the lack of food intake, thus lowering metabolism. This creates a hormonal environment conducive for storing fat. For example, thyroid hormones fall, while cortisol and ghrelin hormones rise. The combined effect of these hormonal changes are lower metabolism and increase in appetite and fat storage.
So, how do you maintain high leptin levels and lose weight at the same time?
Eat whole, natural foods that consist of vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and lean protein. Avoid foods that cause leptin resistance (as mentioned above).
Never reduce your calorie intake by too much and for too long. Instead, consider calorie cycling whereby you maintain a high metabolism while in a calorie deficit. You cycle calories by being in a deficit for 3 days and then increasing your calorie intake to maintenance level for 1 day. Repeat this cycle until you've lost enough fat. Calorie cycling is effective for burning fat without sabotaging your metabolism.
Regular exercise helps to boost your metabolism and burn fat. Follow a workout program that includes resistance and cardio training. A combination of healthy eating and consistent workout is the key to managing your leptin levels and losing weight.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/leptin-resistance-how-to-manage-leptin-for-successful-weight-loss-1302866.html
About the Author
Leptin resistance causes belly fat, which in turn increases the risks of heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Reducing belly fat is necessary to minimising inflammation in the body. Discover how to lose belly fat permanently by getting a FREE copy of "The Great Abs Mistake" ebook at http://www.shedthefat.com/great-abs-mistake
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Tags: belly fat loss, how to lose belly fat, leptin diet, leptin levels, leptin obesity, leptin resistance, leptin weight loss, lose stomach fat, mastering leptin, stomach fat loss
