There are in fact several hormones that affect weight loss. We have hundreds, if not thousands of hormones in the body that work tirelessly to affect all aspects of our health. It’s a very complex system. The human body has hormones dedicated to regulating or affecting body weight.
The Hormone Insulin Affects Weight Loss.
- Leptin is the main fat storage hormone in your body. When you eat, the pancreas secretes insulin to transfer glucose from the food you eat into your cells for energy or storage.
- Increased insulin equals increased body fat.
- An imbalance in the hormone insulin is often associated with diabetes.
- Continual spikes or extended times when insulin remains high can lead to food cravings.
- Metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, type two diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s result from escalating insulin.
- When insulin stores our food as fat, which is normally taken up by our muscle, we end up with reduced muscle growth, this negatively affects metabolism.
Another hormone That Affects Weight Loss is Leptin.
- Leptin is your fat burning hormone. It tells the area of your brain that regulates appetite that you are full.
- Because it normally suppresses our desire for more food and drives energy output, leptin is helpful to combat weight gain.
- Leptin resistance is a strong implicator of chronic inflammation at the cell level. This affects the leptin receptors in much the same way that it encourages insulin resistance.
- With leptin resistance, the message to stop eating does not reach the brain. That satisfied feeling doesn’t register, causing you to over eat.
- In turn, your body begins to produce even more leptin to elevate those levels.
- When there is too much insulin or too much leptin, your cells become desensitized to them, leading to resistance.
Ghrelin is a Hormone Strongly Connected to Weight Loss.
- Ghrelin is produced in the stomach and sends signals to the brain, letting it know if your stomach is empty, which increases your appetite.
- If the leptin signal that tells your brain that you are full is not working properly, you will experience more hunger.
- Studies show significant levels of ghrelin increase with people that follow low calorie diets. The trend continues the longer you diet.
- Ghrelin is also involved in regulating metabolism, which decreases greatly on a low-calorie diet.
Cortisol Affects Weight Gain and Weight Loss.
- The hormone cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands that sit on top of your kidneys and is directly linked to many processes in the body that can lead to weight gain.
- Stress that is ongoing creates high levels of circulating cortisol, and that cortisol interferes with appetite control.
- That stress can be emotional, physical or psychological.
- Too much cortisol creates a lot of fatigue by interfering with the production of testosterone.
- When testosterone levels are low, we can suffer from adrenal fatigue and the inability to build muscle.
When you reduce your lean body tissue, it destroys metabolism, which causes fat storage and weight gain, which also elevates your insulin levels, leading to insulin resistance.
The Last Hormone We Will Discuss is Adiponectin.
- This hormone is produced mainly in our fat tissue and is released into our body from insulin signaling.
- Adiponectin is mainly known for making us sensitive to insulin (vs. promoting insulin resistance) and for its anti-inflammatory effects.
- Higher body fat mass results in lower adiponectin levels, which make us less sensitive to insulin.
- Adiponectin also is responsible for decreasing inflammation in various ways that protect our vascular system, heart, lungs, and colon.
So, with lower levels, we are at risk for obesity, insulin resistance, clogged arteries and other conditions.
Hormones Are Powerful.
Learn how to eat in order to control your hormones, your appetite, your inflammation, your weight, and your life in general. Eat real, whole, unprocessed foods the way nature created them if you want to maintain true health and sustainable weight loss. There are powerful hormonal forces at work within your body that will dictate your outcomes for survival otherwise.