Could hunger hormones be derailing your health goals? To answer this question, we must first understand two hormones in the body, leptin, and ghrelin. Our body is a complex machine with many different hormonal functions in action throughout the day. Being aware of the hunger and satiety hormones can be helpful for a number of reasons. So, if you’ve been feeling ravenous, dealing with non-stop cravings, and struggling to find satiety, listen up!
Leptin
Leptin is often referred to as the satiety hormone. Leptin is a hormone that the adipose tissue in the body releases to help maintain a normal body weight over time. It works by directly impacting and regulating hunger. When leptin is released, your brain gets the signal that you are full, or a feeling of satiety. The primary purpose of leptin is to balance energy expenditure and energy intake in the body to maintain ideal weight. This ensures that the body is not taking in extra energy when not needed.
The amount of leptin in your body is tied to the amount of body fat you have. Individuals with more body fat typically will have more leptin. Individuals with less body fat typically have less leptin. Obesity is tied to high levels of leptin which is called hyperleptinemia. Over time, this can cause a lack of sensitivity to leptin, or leptin resistance.
Leptin resistance is problematic because it means that your brain doesn’t respond as it normally should to leptin being released. In other words, you won’t get the sensation of satiety or feeling full when you should. This can cause you to have that “bottomless pit” feeling when eating. You may continue to eat and never actually feel satisfied, even though you’re taking in more calories than your body needs. Over time this will equate to weight gain, increased fat storage, and a decrease in metabolism. Which in turn causes even more leptin resistance – it’s a vicious cycle!
Ghrelin
On the other side of the spectrum, is ghrelin. Ghrelin is referred to as the hunger hormone. It tells your body how to use the sugar and glucose in your blood. It upregulates during times of hunger. So for example, if you have been restricting food, you will likely notice an increase in hunger. This is where that non-stop ravenous, hangry feeling can start up in the body. It’s also important to understand that ghrelin is actually a multitasking hormone. Ghrelin tells your body to release growth hormones for cell repair, influences how your body uses sugar, and even helps protect your muscles and bones.
I recently contributed to an article at Lose It all about Ghrelin and how it impacts weight loss. For more information, be sure to check it out.
What Happens When Hunger Hormones Are Out of Whack
As I mentioned above, when our hormones are out of sync, a variety of issues can arise. When leptin isn’t being released, or in the case of leptin resistance, we struggle to feel full. In addition, when ghrelin is upregulated, we can feel hungry non-stop. There are many things that can cause this to happen including an unbalanced diet, excessive intake of highly processed foods, and even calorie restriction.
Around the holidays, this can truly be a recipe for disaster. Here’s why – If you’re restricting calories all day long and then attend a holiday party, your hunger hormones will be SO high that you’ll likely find yourself inhaling a lot more than you planned. When we’re feeling hangry, highly processed, refined carbohydrates are often what we crave. So the cookies, appetizers, and holiday desserts will likely be calling your name.
The same thing can occur on vacations or even when we’re extra busy. We might skip breakfast, or not fuel our bodies properly throughout the day and then find when it’s time to eat, hunger hormones are upregulated so high that we simply cannot find satiety.
How To Work With Hormones & Get Back in Balance
The hormonal processes in the body are complex and there are many factors at play when it comes to an imbalance. Everyone is unique and it’s best to work with a healthcare professional to get personalized recommendations, however, there are some simple things everyone can do to help get their bodies back in balance. These tips are things you can do all year long, but they’re especially helpful during times of indulgence such as holidays, vacations, and special events. These are the times in our lives when we tend to have big swings and feel the impact of an imbalance.
Say No To Restriction
First, please don’t overly restrict calories. I know that this is the “go-to” for many women wanting to control their body weight or simply feel better. But, I assure you, this works against the body’s natural, hormonal processes and can cause more damage than good. Drastically restricting food will cause an increase in ghrelin, which causes a spike in hunger cues. You’ll likely end up so hungry that you overeat when the opportunity to do so arrives. You might also notice that you struggle to feel full as leptin can also get out of whack.
We’ve all been on those diets that leave us starving all day long. They don’t last because of these strong hormonal messages in the body. It’s not a lack of willpower, it’s your body’s attempt to get you back in balance. This is why it’s simply NOT a sustainable plan for long-term success. So, please remember that yo-yo dieting always fails. Just say no, ladies!
Focus on Foods That Naturally Trigger Leptin Release
Instead, focus on foods that help increase the release of leptin, the satiety hormone. Foods that help with this include:
- Lean, high-protein foods such as fish and chicken
- High-fiber foods such as beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
- Healthy fats such as avocado are another great way to trigger the release of leptin and feel fuller longer.
If you choose to focus on how you’re fueling up instead of trying to drastically reduce calories as much as possible, I know you’ll have better results! Not to mention, you’ll likely feel a lot better too!
Be Mindful of Balanced Eating
This leads me to my next tip… try to make sure you’re getting a balance of all the macronutrients – carbohydrates (fiber) + protein + fat at each meal. If you’re focusing on the foods mentioned above, this will likely happen naturally but it’s always good to keep this at the front of your mind and do a quick “plate check” at meals to make sure you’re getting a balanced intake.
Get Enough Sleep
And finally, please make sure you’re prioritizing sleep! This one is huge. If you’re not getting enough sleep, it’s more than likely that you will see a large uptick in your hunger levels. Shoot for a minimum of 7 hours each night! If you struggle to get enough sleep and/or stick with a healthy sleep routine, be sure to read this post next. It’s all about how alcohol impacts sleep quality, but I also provide tons of other great information in the post as well. You’ll learn about the importance of sleep, the effect of poor sleep on the body, ideal sleep patterns, and how to make the shift to prioritizing sleep!
Hunger Hormones Recap
The big takeaway here is that when our bodies are working as they should, ghrelin and leptin work together to help us maintain ideal body weight and feel our best. Things like restriction, highly processed foods, and lack of sleep can cause these hormonal processes to get out of balance. When hormones are out of whack, the whole system can go haywire! So, do your best to be mindful of how you can support your hormones with proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and careful planning during busy or celebratory times of the year. You’ve got this!
REFERENCES
- Leptin. Cleveland Clinic. February 23, 2023.
- Ghrelin. Cleveland Clinic. April 21, 2022.
- Ghrelin and Weight Loss: What to Know About the Hunger Hormone. Sarah Garone, NDTR, CNC. March 26, 2024.
