In today’s world, obesity has turned out to be one of the significant health issues. Hence, there is a subsequent rise in the various methods and programs for losing weight. One such method is maintaining a proper diet. There are several kinds of diet: the ketogenic diet, popularly known as the keto diet, the low-carb diet, and much more. However, a few of these are effective for weight loss, although they have serious side effects that can hamper your health.
This is where the Leptin Diet comes into the limelight. It is the most innovative way of losing weight since it is scientifically proven and has almost negligible health concerns. Want to know more about this method? So, let us get started.
What is Leptin?
Before going into the diet, let us know about Leptin first. As per chemistry, Leptin is categorized as a 16 KDa protein molecule. It is generally a hormone produced and secreted by our body’s fat stores, commonly known as the fatty cells. It was first discovered in 1994.
The primary objective of Leptin as a hormone is to send signals to your brain to stop you from eating when you are full. Research and studies have confirmed that it is vital in humans and other animals w.r.t. weight fluctuations.
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Scientifically speaking, Leptin flows with the blood through the circulatory system to the part of the brain responsible for the appetite. It binds with the receptors there, curbing your desire to eat more. In specific scenarios, it also travels through the nervous system and stimulates the burning of fat and excess calories.
But in the case of being overweight, Leptin fails to perform its tasks properly because of a phenomenon known as the Leptin Gauge malfunction or Leptin Resistance that prevents the release of the hormone. Hence, it results in overeating, which leads to obesity. (1)
What is the Leptin Diet?
The term Leptin diet was first coined by Mr. Byron J. Richards, who owns Wellness Resources and is a board-certified Clinical Nutritionist. The Leptin diet is a straightforward yet scientific way of losing weight. It stands on two solid and vital pillars of weight loss: when we are eating the food and what food we are eating.
Now that is something new. Other old-school methods focus more on the quantity of food intake by an overweight person instead of the quality of the food. The Leptin diet program has a variety of meal options with reduced carbohydrates to choose from.
This serves a lot of positives to an obese person. First, they can now have complete control over food consumption. Along with it, reducing carbohydrate content helps them meet their respective goals of losing significant weight. It also boosts their power, stamina, and efficiency in doing any work to a great extent.
Benefits of the Leptin Diet
Like other weight loss programs and diet charts, the Leptin diet has some rules and principles.
- It does not promote having meals late at night. Proper gaps and timings for having meals are necessary since they maintain the metabolism rate of one’s body.
- Avoid having additives, and beverages like soda and soft drinks are a must.
- Restricting from having meals containing a high percentage of carbohydrates or fat. This will result in the burning of excess body fat.
The diet also puts emphasis on the essentials of portion control and an easy exercise routine. The exercise routine doesn’t ask you to spend hours in the gym working out in order to lose weight. Instead, when combined with sound nutritional advice like portion control (2) and healthy food choices, regular exercise will help you lose weight rapidly in a healthy way.
Rules of The Leptin Diet
The Leptin diet has five fundamental yet simple and basic rules that you need to follow. Unlike other weight loss programs, the Leptin diet focuses on a timely and proper food supply to your body. This results in having more strength and energy but with a lesser amount of food intake. Excited to know more? Let us take a closer look at the regulations:
1. Avoid eating anything after dinner
Dinner is considered to be the last meal of the day. To overcome the habit of having any midnight snacks or beverages after your dinner is over. Try to keep a reasonable amount of time between having dinner and going to bed, preferably 3 hours.
Leptin coordinates with other hormone secretions of the body to get better sleep at night. Also, it boosts the repair of our body while we are sleeping. Therefore, the proper flow of the 24-hour pattern of Leptin is a must for leading a healthy life.
Keep a gap of at least 11-12 hours between your dinner and breakfast because any misleading Leptin signal can lead to a desire for having excess food that subsequently leads to the storage of un-required calories as fat deposits. This can cause hindrance to the diet plan as the Leptin hormone works least while we are sleeping.
2. Avoid having a heavy meal at once
I prefer eating smaller portions regularly instead of one large and heavy meal. Eat your food slowly since it helps in the proper and complete digestion of the food you have. Having one large and heavy meal to compensate for food restriction will mess up your body’s Leptin production.
Also, make sure that you stop eating before your stomach is full. According to research, the Leptin hormone takes approximately 10-20 minutes to signal our stomach to be filled and satisfied with the brain. Eating slowly also helps us understand when we are full, so avoid excess food intake.
3. Follow the three-meal policy
The three-meal policy means having three major daily meals: breakfast in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and dinner at night. Always keep a gap of a minimum of 4 hours to 6 hours between two meals. (3)
The human body is designed in such a way that it can get rid of triglycerides that are the tiny fat particles present in the bloodstream during the daytime. This prevents the occurrence of Leptin resistance that is caused by the clogging of the hormone in our brain.
Proper timing of meals with sufficient gaps is critical. Insufficient gapping between two meals results in the switching of the hormones (4). This reduces the Leptin levels of our body and eventually results in the malfunctioning of the hormones. So, avoiding snacks between two meals is a must to keep track of our food and maintain our body’s Leptin levels.
4. Decrease the intake of Carbohydrates
Excess carbohydrates may hinder leptin levels and increase fat accumulation in the body. So the most important thing is to decrease the carbohydrate intake. Avoid grains and other food items with high carbohydrate content.
Instead, replace them with fresh green vegetables. Fresh veggies and seasonal fruits are rich in fiber, which is good for our bodies. It does not just balance the Leptin hormones but also other hormones, such as Insulin. Hence, it helps us maintain our body muscles and lose weight.
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5. Prefer having a Breakfast rich in protein
Lastly, ensure a minimum of 25-30 grams of protein in your breakfast. Protein is one such ingredient that significantly impacts one’s metabolism. A protein-rich breakfast can increase the metabolism rate of an overweight person by at least 30%.
So, starting your day with boiled eggs or scrambled eggs, sausages, peanut butter, or dry fruits with fresh veggies will help you increase your Leptin production to a great extent. At the same time, protein also impacts muscle mass and density, so an adequately defined protein diet will add to your strength.
Meal Plan for Leptin Diet
- Though the Leptin Diet has many restrictions on food, it still allows one to have a lot of vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, chicken, and even turkey.
- Although there are some restrictions in consuming red meat as it has higher carbohydrate content than other protein sources.
- Avoid using artificial sweeteners, any aerated drinks, and energy drinks while on a leptin diet.
- You are encouraged to have fruits as a substitute for sugar-dense desserts such as pastries, cakes, and ice creams.
- Protein-rich grains and pulses are preferable choices for any meal.
- Decrease your carbohydrate intake, but do not avoid it entirely since it is essential for maintaining good health.
- A reduction in carbohydrates may lead to changes in gut bacteria or constipation. So to avoid these circumstances, increase the fiber intake and drink a lot of water.
- Drinking sufficient water and having foods rich in fiber also helps you overcome the cravings for snacks.
- There are no restrictions on supplements such as whey protein or any other protein.
- Though the Leptin diet, unlike other diet programs, is not entirely based on calorie counting, it is advised to keep track of daily calorie intake. It is advised to have around 400 to 600 calories in every meal you take. The general division of calories is:
– 40% of protein (majority)
– 30% of carbohydrates
– 30% of fat
What are the risks of following the Leptin Diet?
Like all other weight loss programs, the Leptin diet also imposes many restrictions on your food habits. So, many people face difficulties adapting to the sudden change in their meals. You may also feel unsatisfied with the amount of food you have in the beginning.
Setting up a daily routine that can keep you busy and distracted from hunger cravings between meals might help you adapt to the situations. At the same time, having a workout routine will add to the weight loss program (5).
Every person requires a different amount of calories based on their lifestyle and work. For example, a desk job will require fewer calories than a person with many physical loads. So, it is advised to consult a doctor, especially a dietician, before starting your leptin diet.
Summary
Leptin diet is one of the most healthy and smart ways of losing weight. Leptin is basically a hormone released by the fat stores of our body and is responsible for our appetite and burning of body fat. Leptin diet is a scientific process having almost negligible health issues. It mostly focuses on what type of food we have and when we have them instead of how much food we have, unlike other weight loss programs. There are few restrictions while following the Leptin Diet, like not having anything after dinner, having a protein-rich breakfast, reducing the intake of carbohydrates, having three meals daily, and not having excess food in a single meal. For best results Leptin diet combines portion control with regular exercise. But always consult with a dietician before starting your Leptin diet for your safety.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the benefits of Leptin?
Leptin is a hormone produced by our body’s fat stores that signal our brain when our appetite is satisfied. So it prevents you from eating extra. Leptin also promotes our body’s metabolism rate. So it also has a significant role in the fluctuations of our weight.
Why is Leptin bad for you?
In a phenomenon known as leptin resistance, your leptin levels are high, which means you are fat. But your brain can’t figure it out, resulting in you being obese because there is no stimulus to reduce your food intake. This is a scenario of a malfunction of the leptin hormone that is bad for you.
How can you increase your leptin levels to lose weight?
You can take some steps to improve your body’s leptin sensitivity. These include actively participating in physical activities, getting proper and timely sleep, decreasing sugar intake, and increasing protein sources in your diet.
References:
- “Leptin resistance: underlying mechanisms and diagnosis” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “Slide show: Portion control for weight loss” – mayoclinic.org
- “3 Meals A Day: How Often Should You Eat For Weight Loss?” – betterme. world
- “Timing of Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Effects on Obesity and Metabolic Risk” – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- “Benefits of Exercise vs. Diet” – healthline.com
