How to Control Your #1 Fat Burning Hormone

by BioTrust Nutrition

Hey it’s Joel, and today I want to talk to you about the one solitary hormone that can either make or break your weight loss journey…



In fact, if you don’t learn to control this hormone, you might as well forget about losing fat at all…it really is that big of a deal.
You see, back in my college days after struggling to lose weight over and over again no matter what I did, I finally stumbled upon the hormone that I now refer to as the “Fat Burning Hormone,” and that hormone’s name is leptin.
Leptin (derived from the Greek word leptos, meaning thin), is essentially the “master” hormone that more or less controls EVERY other weight loss hormone in your body… and your ability to burn fat as a whole.
You see, when you have leptin on your side, fat loss becomes easy.  When you don’t, losing even a single pound can become virtually impossible.
And here’s the unfortunate news:  just about everyone is unknowingly fighting a losing battle with leptin each and every time they attempt to lose weight.
You see, the REAL underlying reason you may have failed to lose weight in the past isn’t because you didn’t try hard enough, you have bad genetics, or there’s something physically wrong with you… the truth is that you failed simply because you didn’t know the simple ways to control your #1 weight loss hormone… leptin.
With that said, it’s pretty easy to see why so many folks, and perhaps you’re one of them, downright struggle to shed their unwanted body fat like I did, month after month, year after year.
Let me explain…
First, in order to burn fat, your body depends on these two things:
1) high levels of leptin
2) highly sensitive leptin “receptors” (which acts as the “lock” to leptin’s “key”)
Now for the bad news…
Anytime you go on a diet and reduce your calorie intake, leptin levels plummet and fat burning is dramatically reduced to a snail’s pace.
Why?
Because leptin’s main function is to protect your body against starvation, and in the midst of decreased food intake (i.e. dieting), your body unfortunately views your stored body fat as a huge asset to survival.
After all, body fat provides a vast supply of stored energy and warmth, both highly-valued resources when food is in short supply.
You see, when you go on a diet, your body isn’t aware of your hopes for a slim, tight waistline or your desire to drop 20 lbs in time for your high school reunion or summer beach season.  In fact, the only thing it does know is that your calorie intake is now below “normal”… and to your brain, that’s a big red flag.
The result: reduced leptin levels and dramatically decreased fat burning.
In fact, research has shown that leptin levels drop by as much as 50% after just 7 days of dieting.  That puts you at only 50% of your fat-burning potential just one WEEK in to your fat loss plan, and it only gets worse with each passing day.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, with every pound you DO struggle to lose, leptin levels fall even further, making it even more difficult for you to continue to lose fat.
Why?
Because, as mentioned, in the face of calorie restriction, your body views stored body fat as an asset to survival. The more fat you lose, the more “danger” your body senses, and the harder it is to strip away that next pound.
Hello, fat loss plateaus!
Now, I hate to continue to be the bearer of bad news, but the scenario I just explained is actually only HALF the problem.
The other unfortunate reality is that the vast majority of people are ALSO suffering from a condition known as “leptin resistance” due to years of high body fat levels and a diet full of processed foods.
Leptin resistance simply means that even at high levels, leptin is no longer able to properly signal fat burning to your body, dramatically decreasing its fat loss effects.
That’s a pretty disheartening truth for the fat loss enthusiast, but the good news is that there are 4 somewhat odd, but extremely effective strategies you can begin using today that will ultimately end your struggle with leptin once and for all and finally allow you to experience the excitement of seeing a thinner waist, flatter stomach, and a more defined body when looking back at yourself in the bathroom mirror each morning.

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About Mark

Hi, I'm Mark Dilworth, Nutritionist, Dietary Strategies Specialist, Nutrition for Metabolic Health Specialist and Lifestyle Weight Management Specialist. Since 2006, I have helped thousands of clients and readers make lifestyle habit changes which includes body transformation and ideal body weight.