I don’t just train women, however, a majority of clients are female, so ladies, you’re going to love this! And gents, if you have a female loved one who is struggling to lose the last 10-15lbs, tried yoyo dieting, meal replacements, waist shrinking, excessive exercise etc, then show them you care by sharing this with them!
Knowing how hormonally different men and women are, have you ever wondered if both sexes should diet the exact same way?
Well, recent research suggests NOT.
You see, science has recently discovered unique diet strategies proven to work perfectly with the female metabolism that help Women lose weight much faster.
And get this:
Surprisingly enough, research shows when women use these unique tips to boost their metabolism they’re able to burn fat faster and easier than men instead of the other way around for once!
A few weeks ago, I shared a post on calorie counting, and how that alone doesn’t work, especially when hormones are involved. I also shared 5 ways to achieve healthy, long term fat loss. If you missed it, HERE IT IS AGAIN.
As I mentioned in my post, insulin is a fat storing hormone, while leptin is a fat BURNING hormone. Before I tell you how to capitalize on this leptin hormone that you have, let me quickly explain how leptin works, to help you understand how you can effectively increase your leptin levels and achieve long term, healthy fat loss without any pills, detox/cleansing powders, starvation diets or crazy exercise machines.
Leptin controls 100% of your body’s ability to burn fat. High levels of leptin speed up your metabolism and signal your body to burn fat while low levels of leptin do the opposite, and actually signals your body to STORE fat.
Now here’s another “get this”: scientists have found that women actually have twice the amount of leptin in their bodies than men! This means women have more fat burning potential than men! So why do women struggle so much to lose unattractive body fat and in keeping it off?
- Women can be 3x less responsive to the leptin’s signal to burn fat compared to men, a condition known as “leptin resistance.” An obvious sign of this is the soft, squishy, cottage cheese looking fat found in your problem areas 🙁
- When dieting, women’s leptin levels can drop twice as much, and twice as fast compared to when men diet. This is exactly why we experience frustrating weight loss plateaus on diets much faster than men.
What about that rebound weight-gain after you stop a diet? That’s because your lower leptin levels have lowered your metabolism to levels below what you had before starting the diet, causing you to pack on weight, sometimes, even more than when you started, even when you’re eating next to nothing!
The fact is, evolution has made it more difficult for women to lose weight, by keeping leptin’s signal to burn fat “disconnected” because of the demands of child bearing and nurturing. Your body only knows that the unattractive body fat you’re carrying provides stored energy and warmth to ensure protection and survival of the next generation. Knowing that, guess what happens to your leptin levels following pregnancy? They get worse (double sad face :(()
It’s like genetics is just being really mean to us!
Besides genetics, there are factors that can further contribute to leptin resistance including:
- Fructose consumption (especially in forms like High Fructose Corn Syrup)
- High stress levels
- Consumption of a lot of simple carbs
- Lack of sleep
- High insulin levels
- Overeating
- Exercising too much, especially if your hormones are already damaged (namely long, steady state cardio)
So how can you unleash your fat burning potential, bring it to overdrive, and keep it that way?
Here are some ways to increase your leptin levels based on the Metablic Overraide – Leptin diet concept. Please bear in mind, that once again, everyone is different. Regarding #2 below, some people to consume snacks during the day, especially if they have problems with energy levels, blood sugar imbalances, are super active or diabetic. This, again, is for females who have struggled to lose the last 10-15lbs of fat and have tried many things out there. Consult a professional before attempting any major changes to your diet and physical activity level. I, myself, do snack during the day.
- Don’t eat after dinner – Give yourself at least 11 to twelve hours between dinner and breakfast – finish eating dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime. This also means, get enough sleep between this time! Leptin burns fat in the evening, more than at any other time of day. You can facilitate this leptin-derived fat burning, by not eating after dinner
- Plan on eating 3 meals per day – IT IS ADVISABLE NOT TO SNACK. It is important to create periods during the day, when you give your liver a chance to naturally clear small fat globules, called triglycerides, out of your system. If you do a great job of not snacking during the day, you are more likely to break down fats in your hips and thighs while you are sleeping.
- Do not eat large meals – Always try to finish a meal when you are slightly less than full. A “full” signal will usually catch up to you in 10-20 minutes. Thus, it is important to eat slowly. After a while, you will start getting full signals during the meal, when you start to slow down eating your meal.
- Eat a breakfast which contains protein – Consuming a large amount of protein and healthy fats first thing in the morning with a complex carb such as fruit or oats promotes satiety and gives the body the building blocks to make hormones
- Reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates eaten such as simple starches, refined foods, sugars and fructose
- Allow yourself a Cheat/Refeed/Carb-load day – Your body needs the carbs to fuel up and to realign
itself and give your metabolism that awakening jolt it’s been craving. This is good for motivation, too. It’s pretty impossible to avoid pizza for the rest of your life, but when you know you can have it on Saturday, it’s easier to say no on Wednesday. - Go fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are super good for increasing your body’s sensitivity to leptin, making it more receptive. And they’re great for your heart and cholesterol levels, too. Grassfed meats, flax and chia seeds are good for Omega-3s, and of course cold water fish like salmon, mackerel, and cod. Limit or avoid vegetable oils, conventional meats, and grains. These lead to inflammation and reduce leptin levels overall.
- Zinc for your think, Zinc for your dink! – Studies have shown that those with leptin deficiencies also usually have zinc deficiencies. Zinc is also great for your brain, as well as sexual function! Load up on spinach, beef, lamb, seafood, nuts, cocoa, beans, mushrooms, and pumpkin.
- Explore the one herb that has been recently proven to accelerate female fat loss by increasing leptin sensitivity by 52% – An extract of the African plant Irvingia gabonensis shows tremendous promise in correcting leptin resistance, promoting weight loss, and combating components of metabolic syndrome.
Please comment, share, and contact me with any questions or if you need help getting started with optimizing your leptin levels!
sources:
http://venusfactorexposed.com/
http://wellnessmama.com/5356/fix-your-leptin/
http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Leptin
http://www.lef.org/magazine/2009/2/Irvingia-Understanding-the-Risks-of-Leptin-Resistance/Page-01
