These under-the-radar chemical messengers can make or break your weight-loss efforts.
Here’s how to make them work for you.
Numbers don’t lie.
Except when it comes to weight loss.
For years, dietitians swore weight management boiled down to one simple equation: Eat less, lose more.
But today, we know that dropping pounds isn’t just about mathematics.
Why is weight loss such a challenge?
One big reason is your hormones.
Our bodies are evolutionarily hard-wired to hang onto fat to protect against starvation and famine.
So even though you might want to lose weight quickly, your body has other plans entirely.
And it really doesn’t matter which diet you choose.
Next thing you know, the weight you worked so hard to shed starts making a comeback.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
1. it’s possible for you to’t stop thinking about food
Feeling hungry?
Blame it onghrelin, a hormone made in your stomach.
Ghrelin’s job is to ensure that your body has a steady supply of energy on tap.
Trouble is, ghrelin doesn’t just rise when your belly is empty.
Leptin is produced in your fat cells, and its mission is also energy preservation.
When you have sufficient fat, you generate lots of leptin.
So, you’re easily satisfied, and everyone’s happy.
You might want to eat more often
Know how slowly digested nutrients likeproteinandfiberkeep your belly full between meals?
There’s a hormone in your small intestine, calledcholecystokinin(CCK), that does the same thing.
CCK works by reducing the rate at which food empties from your stomach.
Unless you start losing weight, that is.
Then CCK begins to tank.
In onestudy, the longer volunteers dieted, the more their CCK levels dipped.
Your metabolism slows down
Hormones aren’t just about appetite.
They also influence your calorie burn.
Take leptin, for example.
In addition to helping you eat less,leptin also keeps your thyroidand therefore your metabolismin top shape.
Your belly could get bigger
It’s the ultimate paradox.
Stress makes us want to eat more.
At the same time, dieting is stressful.
And that may have some unintended consequenceslike belly fat.
If that weren’t enough, highcortisollevels also break down calorie-burning muscle, adding another hit to your metabolism.
Does anything good happen?
Despite these changes, weight loss isn’t all bad news for your hormones.
Some hormones improve after weight loss, doing good things for your health.
So, how do you leverage the benefits of certain hormones while minimizing the downside of others?
This way of eating is naturally filling, so you’re less likely to struggle with post-diet rebound hunger.
True, the weight won’t melt off in a hurry.
Instead, something even better will happen.
In fact, they inevitably make the weight-loss process harder by sending your bodyparticularly your hormonesinto protection mode.
TheMediterraneanand DASH diets are two of the best options to help you live a healthier, more delicious life.
This is especially true when referring to sex hormones.
We also recognize that not all transgender and nonbinary people use hormones as part of their care.
