Tuesday 3 March 2015

Leptin - Why Women have a Harder Time Losing Weight?

If you’re like me, you must have seen ads about fitness products (Click here to read my review of such a product) like a gazillion times. Lose weight this way that way. Everyone is an expert when it comes to losing weight. I’m not blaming anyone. The market is huge. People need fitness, programs, schedules, coaches, techniques, and it’s definitely not easy to do it solo. And losing weight? Well that’s even a tougher subject because people that are overweight go through a lot. It’s not just about fitting into your skinny jeans or showing off abs at the beach. If you are overweight you will probably attract a lot of unwanted diseases, let alone the low self-esteem.

There is one thing that has caught the attention of fitness programs. Men and women need separate fitness, weight loss programs and supplements. Female body has different levels of hormones and metabolism than men, especially when it comes to leptin.

Leptin


Leptin is that hormone in your body that tells you when to eat and when you are full. Leptin levels in your body control the cravings for junk food. It’s the master hormone that controls hunger and feelings of satiety. It is released by the adipose via fat tissue. An overweight person usually has higher leptin levels. Now you get the idea that your goal would be to reduce leptin levels so you have less cravings for junk food.

Leptin is not your enemy, it's like a moderator hormone. The gatekeeper of fat metabolism. It monitors how much energy an organism takes in. You need balanced levels of leptin to have a healthy metabolism.

Girls here is the deal. Your body naturally has almost twice the amount of leptin hormones compared to men, which is why it is generally more difficult for women to lose weight. Men usually grow a potbelly if they're not exercising. This can be easily cured with workout and diet control. But with women it takes a lot more effort to burn fat from waist, belly, thighs and the fat stored around your shoulder that makes you look bulky.

Sometimes leptin levels can become so imbalanced that they interfere with your insulin. Here are a few tips to get your leptin in check;
  • Eat little to no simple starches. Refined foods, sugars, fructose are bad for your health
  •  Eating large amount of proteins and healthy fats (eggs, nuts etc.) especially in the morning right after waking up can be extremely helpful. An ideal breakfast would be 2-3 eggs, vegetables (spinach is my choice) and maybe some leftover meat from the night before, preferably cooked in olive or coconut oil 
  • Do not stay up late at night, this is hazardous
  • This might seem strange but walking barefoot on the ground also helps moderate leptin levels
  • If you have a habit of constantly munching something you need to quit. Give a break of at least four hours between your snacks. Otherwise your liver will just keep producing hormones’


Leptin levels in female body might be difficult to control but it’s not impossible. Knowledge is power. Now you know the reason if the exercise isn’t working for you. With the right mindset, you can control your leptin levels, and eventually the look of your body.


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