Often, all the efforts of women in losing weight end in nothing. Sometimes it seems that everything is done correctly , but the hated kilograms do not go away. For some women, the first few pounds are the hardest. For others, it is the last 3 kg that does not budge. And , despite all previous efforts , this is enough to make a great desire to throw the scale out of the window and never again measure the size of the waist with a measuring tape. But what if the whole point is that weight loss efforts are heading in the wrong direction?
What hormones interfere with weight loss
Instead of worrying too much about the number of divisions that the scale arrow has deviated , it is better to turn your attention to the amount of hormones in your body , but first you need to know how hormones affect a woman's weight.
You won't believe how much hormones affect your extra weight and ultimately your waist size. For many women, an excess or deficiency of certain hormones really blocks all weight loss efforts. Now for the good news – you can make a few minor changes to your lifestyle and your hormones will work for you of against you.
And now it's time to find out which hormones are responsible for losing weight , plus recommendations on what can be done to balance the hormones that regulate fat metabolism.
1) Hormone Adiponectin
Adiponectin is a hormone that regulates glucose levels , breaks down fatty acids , increases the muscle's ability to use carbohydrates as an energy source , boosts metabolism , and also increases the rate which the body breaks down fat. All these factors are extremely important for those who want to lose weight , or maintain it at a normal level.
Numerous studies show that lack of adiponectin leads to weight gain and obesity . The bad news is that studies have found that the more fat a person has , the less adiponectin they have. On the other hand, a less obese person with a lower percentage of body fat releases more Adiponectin from fat cells.
It is important to deal with increasing low Adiponectin , since this hormone affects more than just weight. So recent studies have found that people with low levels of Adiponectin and who are obese have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes , metabolic syndrome , atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Here is what to do in case of low Adiponectin:
To help your body produce more Adiponectin, you must , firstly , take a closer look at your diet.
- should appear on the daily menu : spinach , pumpkin seeds , almonds , avocados and figs.
- You should also increase the proportion of monounsaturated fats and reduce the proportion of carbohydrates.
- In addition, regular exercise , especially for overweight individuals.
2) Hunger Hormone Ghrelin
Have you ever had an irresistible desire something shortly after a meal? Have you ever gotten up at night just to eat a sweet muffin or some greasy chips? If your answer is yes , then most likely you had an elevated level of Ghrelin at that moment .
Ghrelin is often referred to as the hunger hormone. Simply put , the higher the level of Ghrelin , the more you feel hungry . Studies have shown that people injected with Ghrelin ate significantly more than their usual meal.
This specific hormone is mainly produced in the stomach. function is to signal to the brain that the body wants to eat. It also stimulates the brain's pleasure centers , allowing you to remember how delicious the first bite was. That is why it is difficult to stop after eating the first cookie. Researchers call this process the stomach-brain connection.
If you're one of those who think you can get rid of food cravings by fasting , think again. Reducing calories in an attempt to lose weight actually leads to an increase in ghrelin levels. Researchers found elevated levels of this hormone in people even after they spent 12 months on a low-calorie diet. That is, in other words, your body will never get used to less food and will continue to send signals to the brain about the feeling of hunger.
What should be done in such cases?
1. To keep feeling full , you need to saturate your body with healthy fats and proteins.
2. New research has shown that in addition to diet, sleep is a priority factor for ghrelin levels. The more you sleep , the lower your Ghrelin levels. Chronic sleep deprivation increases ghrelin levels , causing you to feel unreasonably hungry between meals. General recommendations state that a person should sleep 7-9 hours a day. Even though is difficult to allocate free time , because there is simply not enough of it to solve all the daily affairs , it is important to allocate enough time for a good rest. If you often cannot fall asleep or sleep poorly , you need to develop the habit of performing a daily relaxation ritual before bed.
3) Hormone Leptin
Leptin is another hormone that strongly influences appetite and weight loss. It is released from your body's fat cells and then signals your brain ( the hypothalamus , to be precise) to decrease your appetite and burn more calories. Leptin mainly signals to the brain that the body is full and has stored enough fat.
In contrast to Ghrelin , Leptin is often referred to as the satiety hormone. The more fat a person has , the more Leptin the fat cells release. Obese people have very high levels of Leptin. It may seem that a lot of fat is good , but it also develops immunity to Leptin.
Leptin immunity is a condition where the brain does not receive an important signal from the hormone about satiety. With such immunity, the body thinks that it is starving , although it is not. It is important to note that the body's immunity to Leptin disappears with weight loss. As you lose weight , Leptin becomes more effective.