Leptin Resistance Causes Weight Gain, Increased Appetite

Do you ever feel like you’re doing everything right when it comes to weight loss, but the number on the scale just doesn’t budge? If so, you may be suffering from leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone that plays a key role in metabolism, but it doesn’t often get much attention when talking about the factors that lead to weight gain. When leptin resistance sets in, the body stops responding to signals to burn energy, making it difficult to lose weight no matter how many calories you cut back on.

Let’s learn about how leptin regulates weight, and the steps you can take to reverse leptin resistance if it’s keeping you from reaching a healthy weight.

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What is leptin?

Leptin is a hormone that is produced by your body’s fat cells. It helps to regulate metabolism and appetite.

It’s more commonly known as the “fullness hormone”, but it works in concert with other metabolic hormones, like insulin and the hunger hormone, ghrelin, to regulate body weight, food intake, and your overall health.

It also has many other functions related to fertility, immunity and brain function.

However, leptin’s main role is regulation of body weight and appetite, including the number of calories you eat and burn.

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Leptin regulates body weight

The hormone leptin is the link between your gut, appetite, and your brain and nervous system. And in terms of metabolism, it controls two main things: your appetite and energy expenditure.

How does leptin work? When leptin is high, it sends a signal to your brain that you don’t need to eat right now, thus reducing your appetite and increasing calorie burn from your fat stores.

Conversely, when you don’t eat, leptin levels drop. Now, your body will work to conserve energy and increase your appetite to get you to eat.

So how is leptin causing weight gain?

What we’re seeing now are people with super high leptin levels (which should decrease appetite and increase calorie burn), but instead they’re still feeling hungry and gaining weight (1). This kind of signal confusion is a type of dysregulation known as leptin resistance.

Leptin resistance makes weight loss harder

Here’s where it gets interesting. If you’re making a bunch of leptin, but your body isn’t listening to the signal, you’re likely still feeling super hungry all the time, and your metabolism is burning less calories at the same time.

This is a weight gain double whammy: you’re hungry, and your body is doing everything it can to conserve energy (i.e. NOT burning calories)

Researchers think that we adapted to changes in leptin levels to protect against the threat of starvation. By limiting energy use and enhancing body fat storage, early humans had a better chance of survival. In our modern environment, however, “where food is plentiful and exercise is sparse, this metabolic efficiency predisposes us toward obesity” (1).

Read: Want to eat carbs and still lose weight? Here’s how to carb responsibly.

Leptin resistance happens for a variety of reasons, including:

Food quality. High fructose corn syrup has been shown to induce leptin resistance in a process called fructose-induced leptin resistance. Basically, HFCS tricks the brain into craving more, and eating more, leading to increased weight gain (3).

Overall hormone balance. Hormone function is complex and interconnected. If one is out of balance, it’s likely to affect the others. Insulin resistance is another common hormone issue that can lead to weight gain.

Environmental toxins. Heavy metals, VOCs, perfluorinated compounds in nonstick cookware, and artificial sweeteners are just a few of the things that can overwhelm detoxification and act as endocrine (hormone) disruptors.

Leptin resistance also reduces the effectiveness of calorie reduction on weight loss. Leptin dysregulation can not only make it harder to lower calorie intake, but can cause you to gain more weight once you’re no longer in a calorie deficit.

Does leptin affect other areas of the body?

Leptin also plays a role in fertility, immunity and brain function (1). In women, leptin levels fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. Leptin levels peak just before ovulation, and are lowest during your period (which could explain some of those cravings).

Interestingly, in one study, researchers noted that the shortest cycle lengths correlated with the highest leptin levels (4).

Leptin resistance can therefore cause a variety of problems beyond weight gain, including fertility issues, immune system dysfunction, and inflammatory issues.

Improve leptin sensitivity for healthy weight loss

If your goal is to lose weight, it’s important to understand the role that leptin resistance plays. The following tips can help you improve both leptin sensitivity and insulin sensitivity—two hormones that control how much fat your store and energy balance. Here are the most important things to remember to reverse leptin resistance.

Increase protein

Most people—especially women—have no idea that their diet is too low in protein for optimal overall health. Protein helps promote satiety (fullness), rebuilds DNA, and stabilizes blood sugar and insulin

levels, which reduces fat storage. Protein also helps build muscle, which is paramount in maintaining a healthy body weight long term.

Aim for 25-30 grams of protein at each meal, preferably every 4 or so hours. Here are some great, quality protein examples to help you get there:

Hard boiled eggs (with the yolk!)
Hummus
Ground turkey with veggies
Nut butter with crackers
Feta + cucumber salad
Smoked salmon

Read more: 4 Simple High-Protein Recipes

Add in fiber

Fiber increases leptin signaling by activating specialized proteins in the small intestine (5). This results in a higher calorie burn and less cravings for you. There are so many reasons to prioritize a whole-food, nutrient-dense diet, and fiber is just one of them.

Aim for 6-8 servings of fruits and veggies per day, or supplement with psyllium husk, ground flax, or chia.

Watch: Superwoman Snacks to Keep You Satisfied

Drink your water

Yes, drinking water does actually help you burn body fat (6). It’s a simple action, but it’s absolutely essential for proper metabolic function and leptin response.

Researchers also think that proper hydration is crucial for mitochondrial health as well, which are the energy powerhouses responsible for almost every process in the body. When we don’t have enough water, our metabolism goes down and reduces calorie burn.

Aim for about half your body weight in ounces of water, and more if you’re active.

Read: Top 5 Antioxidant, Anti-aging Superfoods

Get enough sleep

One recent review shows a link between shortened sleep, leptin dysregulation, and obesity (7). Have you ever noticed after a night of poor sleep that your cravings for both sweet and salty foods are significantly worse? This is due, in part, to a decrease in both insulin and leptin sensitivity.

Now, if you think about how so many people repeat this process night after night, struggling with cravings and further throwing hormones out of balance, it can turn into a vicious cycle. We’ll begin to see changes in other hormones as well, such as the stress hormone cortisol. I always tell my patients to prioritize adequate sleep, but I know it’s not always easy.

For restful nights and better mornings, try Sleep Savior.

Supplements helpful to promote healthy leptin levels

Berberine – promotes healthy blood sugar balance and energy production
L-carnitine – helps your metabolism use fat cells for fuel
Chromium – supports insulin sensitivity and blood sugar health
Omega-3 fatty acids – mediate inflammation and activate leptin signaling

Other tips for weight loss and to balance your hunger hormone.

– Eat a healthy diet that is low in sugar and processed foods.

– Get regular exercise, especially resistance training.

– Address any underlying health issues, such as reduced insulin sensitivity or hormonal imbalances.

When it comes to weight loss, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, by addressing the role that leptin resistance plays, you can create a plan that is tailored to your individual needs.

For balanced hormones, a better mood, and healthy metabolism, try Hormone Helper.

Can I take a leptin supplement?

If you’re still struggling with weight gain, despite putting into place diet and lifestyle habits, have a conversation with your holistic provider about whether or not certain medications can help you.

Some of these options do things like decrease cravings or temporarily boost your metabolism, but it’s important to remember they’re a short-term solution.

A holistic medicine provider will develop an individualized plan so you don’t have to rely on medications to control appetite. However, you can support your body’s natural production of leptin by eating a healthy diet and getting regular physical activity.

You can also address underlying health issues that may be contributing to leptin resistance.

Using holistic medicine for weight loss

If you’re struggling with weight gain despite eating healthy and exercising, leptin resistance may be the underlying cause. Fortunately, there are things you can do to reverse leptin resistance and start losing weight. Start by making sure you’re getting enough protein and building muscle. You should also aim for at least eight hours of sleep each night and work on reducing stress levels. A holistic medicine provider can help you optimize your hormone levels so that weight loss becomes easier. Have you tried any of these strategies for reversing leptin resistance?

Balance hormones and heal your gut with holistic medicine with my 21-Day Belly Fix course.

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