Many of us wanted to lose weight and many of us wanted to gain weight. In the journey of weight loss, we face many difficulties and situations which sometimes become obstacles to weight loss.
But have you ever thought about why we feel hungry? What makes you want to eat more and more? Most people go on a diet and lose weight and end up regaining that weight within a year.
Doesn’t sound too surprising.
Why does this happen?
Let’s find out!
Leptin and ghrelin sound likes these could be names from Lord of the Rings.
But these are actually hormones that regulate our feelings of hunger and satiety.
Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in our body by carrying messages through our blood to our organs, muscles and other tissues. These signals tell our body what to do and when to do it.
Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones which have been recognized to have a major influence on energy balance.
Leptin
Scientists discovered leptin in 1994 and they’re still studying it to understand all of its effects.
Leptin, means “thin” in Greek and lets us know when it is time to stop eating.
It is a hormone released by our fat cells as well as the stomach, heart, placenta, and skeletal muscle.
Leptin is a mediator of long-term regulation of energy balance, suppressing food intake and also inducing weight loss.
How does leptin work?
It is a hormone released by our fat cells that tells our brain (hypothalamus) when our body has had enough fuel and can start burning fat to create energy.
The more fat we have, the more leptin we make; the less food we ’ll eat; and the higher our metabolic rate (possibly). Conversely, the less fat we have, the less leptin we have, and the hungrier we’ll be.
Basically, for weight loss — the more leptin the better.
Leptin resistance:
Leptin resistance is quite similar to insulin resistance (and they also share common signaling pathways).
Insulin resistance occurs if there’s lots of insulin being produced (for example, with a diet high in sugar and simple carbohydrate), but the body and brain have stopped “listening” to insulin’s effects.
Most interestingly, both types of resistance seem to happen together in obese people, though obese men who tend to have more internal belly fat (visceral fat) have higher insulin levels, and women who tend to have more fat under their skin have higher leptin levels.
This is a vicious cycle:
- Eat more and then gain body fat.
- More body fat, more leptin in fat cells.
- Too much fat means that proper leptin signaling is disrupted.
- The brain thinks we’re starving, which makes us want to eat more.
- We get fatter. And hungrier.
- We eat more. Gain more fat and so on.
■ Fructose seems to induce leptin resistance.
How Can We Treat Leptin Resistance?
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Consuming healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, coconut, fish and grass-fed, pasture-raised animals.
- Eliminating added sugar from our diet.
- Getting at least eight hours of sleep.
- Getting adequate exercise.
Ghrelin
Ghrelin on the other hand is a fast-acting hormone, which plays a role in meal initiation.
Ghrelin was discovered 7 years after leptin. Ghrelin is released by our stomach when it is empty, signaling our brain that it is time to eat.
How does Ghrelin work?
Ghrelin is fast-acting and should decrease dramatically when we are full. It is at its highest right before we eat, and its lowest about an hour after a meal. Ghrelin is the shortest term of Hey I’m hungry when do we eat? regulator.
If we want to lose weight we want less ghrelin, so we don’t get hungry. If we want to gain weight, say if we’re scrawny, then we want more ghrelin.
“Some people are genetically predisposed to release more ghrelin, and they get hungry faster as a result,” according to Dr. Sands.
How Can We Optimize Our Ghrelin Functioning?
- Maintain a moderate body weight.
- Eat regularly
- Avoiding sugar and high-fructose corn syrup which can impair ghrelin’s decline after eating.
- Eating plenty of healthy carbs such as whole grains, as well as lean proteins like chicken, fish and tofu. These foods can decrease ghrelin levels and keep us feeling fuller longer.
- Once again, getting enough sleep!
- Staying well-hydrated.
When we try to lose fat, our body will probably respond by changing hormone levels so that we get hungrier. Obviously, it presents a challenge for folks trying to lose fat and keep it off — leading, perhaps, to the dreaded “yo-yo dieting” phenomenon.
Research suggests that certain lifestyle habits can optimize levels of these hormones but it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional if we believe our hormones may be at unhealthy levels.
Overall, pursuing a balanced diet, prioritizing sleep, managing stress and exercising regularly may benefit our overall health and reduce our risk of chronic disease and as well as control our hormones levels at healthy way.
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Writer
Kulsuma Bahar Bethi
Content Writing Intern
YSSE