We tend to think that if we just shut our mouth, if we just eat less, if we just exercise more it will result in weight loss. If you haven’t heard yet, life is not so simple and neither is weight loss for many people. “Are Hunger Hormones Hating On Your Weight”, http://valeriegoldstein.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/are-hunger-hormones-hating-on-your-weight/ explains how “out-of whack” hormones (leptin and ghrelin) can trigger a ravenous appetite and then of course uncontrolled eating; making it very difficult to simply just eat less.
What is important to understand is:
- Hormones are effected by everything: age, medication, what you eat, how much you exercise and sleep.
- The domino effect, when one hormone is not doing what it should it sets off a chain of events that affects everybody process: other hormones (insulin, estrogen, testosterone, thyroid, cortisol), communication signals, digestion/absorption of nutrients, sleep, mood…
- Internal hormonal cues may make it impossible to quench appetite forcing you to eat more even when you are not hungry.
- Hormones do not discriminate they affect thin people too that is why there are 30 million Americans who are normal weight according to BMI charts but obese when body fat is measured, http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/heart-and-cardiovascular/thin-on-the-outside-obese-on-the-inside-1#scpshrjmg. When hormones go haywire, thin people get diabetes, http://chriskresser.com/think-skinny-people-dont-get-type-2-diabetes-think-again, too; so thin or not, always get blood work checked based on family history not just if you look fit on the outside. It’s what is happening on the inside that counts.
It takes work, hard consistent work for as little as a few months and up to as long as a few years (depending on the depth of the issue) to undo the damage but re-setting hormones that hate on your weight and your health is not impossible.
NUTRITION
Diet and supplements are top on the list to harness hormones for balanced health and eating. Consider minimizing foods that influence hormones. Carbohydrates influence hormones more than any other nutrients. Healthy fats will help provide satiety and should comprise about 70% of daily calories, ketosis was found to suppress ghrelin levels and therefore repress appetite.
Exchange typical convenience foods: bread, bagels, cereal, pretzels, granola, processed rice, potatoes, for real food: eggs, Greek yogurt/cottage cheese, fish, organic coconut, avocado, olives, nuts and seeds and a variety of meats. Eat 3 filling meals and try to avoid snacks if possible.
SUPPLEMENTS
Nutritional supplements help repair overworked hormone secreting cells and organs.Always discuss supplements with your doctor before taking them. Supplements that support leptin include:
Melatonin is a hormone typically associated with sleep. Take this supplement before going to bed, not first thing in the morning, before you get behind the wheel or operate heavy machinery.  It also has been shown to lower leptin levels, use 1-3 mg. Melatonin interacts with blood-thinning medications, birth control pills, diabetes drugs, and immunosuppressants.
L-Carnitine, 1000mg, is an amino acid that helps convert fat to energy and acts as an antioxidant. It is important for heart and brain function, muscle movement and has been shown to reduce leptin levels by as much as 6%.
CLA Â or Conjugated linoleic acid is fatty acid found primarily in meat and dairy products. It has been shown to lower body fat while preserving lean body mass and reduces insulin resistance (IR), take 1000mg. There is a connection between IR and leptin resistance. Higher levels of CLA in the blood have been shown to reduce leptin levels.
Omega 3 fats are essential (meaning we need to get them from the food we eat) fatty acids. They have been found to have many health benefits for: reducing  risks of heart disease, inflammation/arthritis, cancer while improving brain function, memory and behavior, 1000mg was shown to reduce leptin levels by 22%.
EXERCISE
Daily exercise is important if you want to control appetite signals everyday vs. if you exercise 3 times/week. daily Moderate intensity aerobic exercise (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-intensity/SM00113) build up to 30 minutes if you do not exercise at all but do not stop there shoot for an hour; even if you have to break it up into 3 twenty-minute bouts. There are also studies showing that strength training reduces leptin levels by 30%.
Set your hunger hormones straight with the right diet, supplement and exercise plan. If  leptin levels are normal, appetite will be controlled and weight loss will ensue.
