We used to say our stomachs \u201cshrank\u201d when we dieted. I always imagined that the poor starved thing withered down to a smaller size so that it was full with less food.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not really what happens when we lose weight, though.\u00a0 The stomach stays the same. It\u2019s your brain that changes.\u00a0 No, you don\u2019t become small-minded.\u00a0 But\u00a0 something dramatic happens to your autopilot.\u00a0Click here to learn about your autopilot.<\/a><\/p>\n It has to do with the hormones we talked about in yesterday\u2019s post. \u00a0 Let\u2019s take a closer look at leptin — an important hormone that tells your brain, \u201cEnough already!\u201d<\/p>\n Leptin is a protein made in the fat cells.\u00a0 I bet you thought your fat cells did nothing but sit there and make you look fluffy, but it isn\u2019t so. They are busy little critters, doing lots of destructive things to your health.\u00a0 Fat cells are supposed<\/em> to produce leptin, though.\u00a0 It\u2019s a little like a fuel gauge.\u00a0 The fat cells send the leptin message to the autopilot in your brain that you have sufficient reserves, so it\u2019s okay to slow down on the eating.\u00a0 It\u2019s a part of the natural balance of your body.<\/p>\n But the way we eat in our culture is not normal.\u00a0 We eat stuff that makes our insulin go out of control. Then we don\u2019t get the exercise we need so our bodies don\u2019t make enough glucagon to burn the extra fat.\u00a0 We have too much fat in storage making too much leptin.<\/p>\n So why don\u2019t we stop eating if we have plenty of leptin to tell us to quit?\u00a0 Just like your body quits recognizing insulin because you\u2019ve produced so much of it, your brain quits \u201chearing\u201d the leptin.\u00a0 It stops getting the message.<\/p>\n To make matters worse, leptin is also part of the reward system.\u00a0 When your leptin levels are low, or your brain doesn\u2019t get the signals it delivers, food tastes better and makes you happier.<\/p>\n So can you get a leptin shot or order a bottle of leptin pills?\u00a0 The obesity experts had great hopes for that when leptin was discovered in 1994.\u00a0 But it doesn\u2019t work that way.\u00a0 The problem is not that there is a lack of leptin.\u00a0 It is a problem of leptin resistance.\u00a0 If your brain won\u2019t recognize it, there\u2019s no point of giving it more to ignore.<\/p>\n How can you get your autopilot to start listening to your fat?\u00a0 One way is by lowering your insulin levels — there’s a connection there. Another way is by lowering the triglycerides in your blood. The triglycerides are the transport system for sending the leptin message. The best ways to do all those good things?\u00a0 A low glycemic diet and a consistent, doable, exercise plan. Now where have you heard that before? In case you are new to the blog (or very forgetful):\u00a0Click here to read about low glycemic foods and the Green Light\/Red Light eating plan<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Click here to learn about an exercise plan you can actually do from now on.<\/a><\/p>\n Your conscious pilot can also help your autopilot out.\u00a0 Now that you know it is a matter of hormones yelling that you want to eat, you can consciously decide that you won\u2019t listen!<\/p>\n Tell yourself, \u201cI\u2019m not really hungry and I don\u2019t even really want that food.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a misguided hormone thing. I don\u2019t have to eat it.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s true.\u00a0 And if your conscious pilot is firm enough and repeats it often enough, your autopilot just might get the message.<\/p>\n He certainly will when your insulin levels drop to normal and your fat cells quit screaming the \u201ceat\u201d message.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you feel full sooner when you are thinner — not because you don\u2019t have to fill up a huge stomach, but because your autopilot gets the message and tells you that you are full.<\/p>\n We can bear almost anything for a while.\u00a0 Think about how temporary your hunger cycle is.\u00a0 You can stand a few hunger pains if you know that soon your body will get things under control and you will stop feeling so hungry. You will also stop being so fixated on food when your leptin-reward level drops.\u00a0 It will stop being so important to you. The cravings will go away.<\/p>\n So hang on, friends! \u00a0 Just keep on doing the right things — eating mostly from the green list and getting as many extra steps as you can work in.\u00a0 There\u2019s much more going on here than calories in\/calories out.\u00a0 It will get better and easier, the more you do it.\u00a0 And you will be preparing yourself for a longer, stronger, healthier, more fulfilling life.<\/p>\n Eating to live and living for Christ,<\/em> We used to say our stomachs \u201cshrank\u201d when we dieted. I always imagined that the poor starved thing withered down to a smaller size so that it was full with less food. That\u2019s not really what happens when we lose weight, though.\u00a0 The stomach stays the same. It\u2019s your brain that changes.\u00a0 No, you don\u2019t…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[94,86,90,89,88],"class_list":["post-491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eating-plan","tag-cravings","tag-hormones","tag-hunger","tag-insulin","tag-leptin"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nSusan Jordan Brown<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"