Within the body, hormones regulate just about every function in some way or another. Just as the mood and the sex drive are affected by these natural chemicals, so is the appetite.
Though this can cause quite a struggle for people who don’t understand the function of the hormones that impact appetite, when you learn a little bit about what they do and how they work, you can use them to your advantage when you are hoping to achieve better weight loss.
Among the biggest struggles that people face when they are trying to lose weight is being able to keep up the willpower to overcome the hunger pangs that they can feel at various times of the day. This is especially difficult when first slashing back calories and when experiencing a slow day in which the vending machine is simply calling out.
However, to overcome that problem is more than just learning self-control. That is only one piece to a much larger puzzle. What and when you eat is determined by the hormones in your body, which then turn around and cause other biological functions that can impact your desires and behaviors. Among them Leptin is one of the most powerful hunger hormones. By understanding and mastering this chemical in your body, you can help to take a firmer control over your ability to lose weight.
The word leptin comes from the Greek word “leptos”. That should inspire you right from the start as the word is literally translated as “thin”. This hormone is produced by the fat cells in your body, and when you eat it is released into your bloodstream. When your body is functioning properly, it is the hormone that signals to your brain that you should stop eating once you’ve had enough. It is meant to stop you from overeating.
However, in overweight and obese individuals, there is often an excess production of leptin. Moreover, chronically elevated levels of leptin can cause the body to develop a resistance to its signals. This means that the brains of many overweight and obese people will actually ignore the signals that say that the person is satisfied, causing them to continue to feel hungry after having eaten a perfectly good sized meal.
In order to take control of your leptin levels and the signals that are being sent to your body, it is important to exercise regularly. The most effective in this area are exercises that fall into the moderate to high intensity category, particularly in interval training. These workouts can help to reprogram your leptin levels and cause them to function properly, once more.
Obtaining at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night can also help your body to produce and use leptin more effectively.
