Leptin: the missing link in your weight loss journey
This has become one of my favorite hormones over the last few years. It doesn’t get enough attention, and I don’t know why because it can do wonders for women’s health. It supports healthy weight loss, higher energy levels and fertility. Yes, studies show there is a connection between leptin and fertility!
Leptin is a hormone that signals to the brain when the body has enough energy stores. In a sense, it’s kind of like the gas light in your car. Gas is the food, the light is low leptin levels and you seeing the light is the signal to the brain. So, when gas gets low enough (low nutrition/decreased fat storage) the light (low leptin) will come on and signal you (the brain) to get more gas.
This communication from leptin and the brain typically happens at night and is regulated by your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm is regulated by the sun and by the darkness. Leptin “talks” to the brain at night about how much energy is in the body and helps regulate appetite the next day to make sure you eat enough food. Remember, the body’s main role is to make sure you survive so it will always be scanning for threats. One threat can be low fuel or rapid fat loss, which to the body is energy reserves.
This can be the reason someone cannot keep weight off after a rapid diet. When there is weight loss in a short amount of time and/or a restricted diet, leptin levels can drop. This drop signals to the brain and increases your appetite to “save” you. Does that make sense? The body is trying to help by conserving fat stores and energy even though your goal is to lose weight. This rapid weight loss can cause issues with leptin and make it difficult to lose weight. It can also make it difficult to get pregnant.
Another scenario that can cause problems with leptin and cause increased hunger is when there is leptin resistance. Leptin resistance is when the brain is not getting the correct signals from leptin. This “miscommunication” can lead to things like increased appetite, fatigue, weight loss resistance and is usually seen with high sugar cravings. This can also make it difficult to get pregnant.
The second scenario is more common in the work that I do and clients come to me with those exact symptoms: increased hunger, fatigue, difficulty losing weight, extreme sugar cravings and sometimes struggling to get pregnant. I find testing their leptin levels so interesting and so helpful because most clients have never had their leptin tested. This is a missing link for many women and the best part is there are simple things you can do to change your leptin!
OK, let’s get into what you can do if you think you have leptin resistance.
Signs and Symptoms of Leptin Resistance:
· Increased appetite (especially after you just ate)
· Increased sugar cravings (also tends to be after meals)
· Fatigue
· Weight loss resistance/difficulty losing weight
· Sometimes insulin resistance is also present
What to do:
· Regulate your circadian rhythm
· Get good sleep
· Enough protein and carbs
· Adjust your protein and carbs as needed to regulate hormones
· Smart exercise (reducing cardio)
· Regulate stress (cortisol can interfere with leptin signaling). Stress is always a nuanced topic. Here are a few more blogs I have on stress.
This is a friendly reminder that while leptin can be a BIG part of your healing journey, it’s not the only thing to look at! We always take a holistic, food first approach and make sure you have a full strategy to reach your goals.
To learn more, visit my coaching page and learn more about what I do for clients!
