So many of my clients tell me during our first session that they struggle with cravings or feeling hungry all the time, and they believe it’s holding them back from achieving their weight loss goal.
Maybe you can relate?
Today, something is wrong with the mechanism that is supposed to prevent us from overeating and gaining weight – this is known as leptin resistance.
Decreased leptin sensitivity (leptin signals fullness) leads to overeating and weight gain.
Leptin resistance
Obesogenic chemicals and chronically elevated cortisol levels are the two main causes of leptin resistance.
In this blog post, you will learn why these two things create leptin resistance and what you can do about it. I’ll provide practical strategies you can implement immediately to correct leptin resistance and the resulting hormonal imbalance that leads to weight gain.
It’s easy to get sucked into the mindset trap that weight loss is all about restriction and calorie counting. I’m here to tell you that will not work in the long run because you are fighting your biology.
You must address the root cause of leptin resistance so that your body will naturally regulate hunger and fullness, allowing for long-term weight loss and maintenance without calorie counting or restriction.
The main cause of leptin resistance
It is no coincidence that obesity rates have risen right along with our exposure to toxic chemicals in our food and environment.
These chemicals, known as obesogens, promote weight gain by increasing fat cells’ number and storage capacity. Obesogens change how the body regulates hunger and contribute to leptin resistance by making you hungrier and less satisfied by the food you eat.
Your body stores these chemicals in fat cells to protect you from the damage they cause when circulating in your bloodstream. If your body didn’t do this, these chemicals would cause damage to your DNA and increase your risk of chronic disease.
Take a moment to recognize how brilliant your body is and send it some love and appreciation. It’s trying to protect you.
Limiting exposure to these chemicals is the most impactful step you can take. Start by avoiding synthetic fragrances.
You’ll find synthetic fragrances in everyday household products like scented laundry detergent, scented soaps, cleaning products, Glade plugins, and other air fresheners or perfumes. Swap these out for unscented products or those scented with natural essential oils.
High fructose corn syrup is another cause of leptin resistance
Chemicals aren’t the only cause of leptin resistance. Highly processed sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, which is used in many processed foods, also cause leptin resistance. Read ingredient lists to help you avoid this sweetener.
As the public has become more aware of the health problems associated with high fructose corn syrup, corporations have tried to outwit them by changing the name from high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar, glucose-fructose syrup, and isoglucose. You can make this easier on yourself by avoiding products with complicated ingredients and instead choosing products sweetened with plain old cane sugar. Your body knows how to process cane sugar.
Chronically elevated cortisol
The next most common contributor to leptin resistance is chronically elevated cortisol levels.
I’m sure you’ve heard of cortisol. It’s a stress hormone that can become elevated from dieting.
Many people have bought into the myth that restriction and deprivation are a requirement for weight loss.
When you constantly restrict food because you fear the calorie content, you’ll generate more cortisol.
Ironically, cortisol decreases the amount of pleasure derived from food and may cause you to eat more to get the endorphin boost you missed by eating in a stress-induced state.
When we don’t allow ourselves to experience pleasure, our appetite increases thanks to neuropeptide Y. Neuropeptide Y is naturally elevated in the morning and stimulates appetite. It is also elevated during dieting and periods of deprivation.
If you deny yourself the pleasure of food through low-calorie eating or restrict yourself to a flavorless diet, the body responds by chemically demanding pleasure, resulting in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and bingeing – increasing cortisol and contributing to leptin resistance.
Inviting pleasure into your meals is an act of self-care. And it’s often overlooked in our diet-obsessed culture.
Your body knows how to regulate appetite
If there is one thing you take away from this post, I hope it is the realization that you don’t need to count calories to lose weight – your body naturally knows how to regulate appetite. The problem occurs when obesogenic chemicals, highly processed food additives, and chronic dieting interfere with hormonal balance, leading to leptin resistance.
Leptin resistance will make weight loss feel practically impossible. You can begin reversing leptin resistance by avoiding these chemicals and food additives while using a more intuitive approach to eating that honors hunger and decreases stress around eating.
If any of this feels far out of reach, please know it isn’t because you aren’t capable. Rather, weight loss is a complex topic that needs to be broken down into a simplified step-by-step process.
A process that works with your biology, not against it. When you work against biology, you experience sugar cravings and rebound weight gain. When you work with your biology, you experience more easeful weight loss and a healthy relationship with food.
Need support on your weight loss journey? Grab your FREE Weight Loss Roadmap and learn my #1 tip for reducing sugar & junk food cravings, plus the 3 mistakes sabotaging your results.