Why your body wants a break from WL

[Yam-Yam]

Leptin Hormone & Supplements: Do They Work for Obesity & Weight Loss?

[Yam-Yam]

FYI: The reason I'm reading about Leptin is that I came back to this thread to re-read and feel ok about my scale not wanting to move right now.

Someone posted an interesting link on page one of this thread. It was about hormonal changes and all the ways our bodies conspire to regain lost weight. That was very interesting and Leptin and Grehlin and Insulin were mentioned in the article, so I wanted to read more about Leptin.

[Yam-Yam]

I've heard about Leptin resistance before, but don't think it was really sinking in until I read this:

"The problem is that overweight people have large amounts of leptin, but their brains aren't getting the important signal to stop eating.

"How come the brain doesn't get it? That phenomenon is called ‘leptin resistance,'" says Lustig, who has done research on the subject. Leptin resistance is similar to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes, in which the pancreas produces large amounts of insulin, but the body doesn't respond to it properly.

Leptin levels can keep going higher as people get fatter. "We all have a leptin floor; the problem is, we don't have a leptin ceiling," Lustig says.

"In leptin resistance, your leptin is high, which means you're fat, but your brain can't see it. In other words, your brain is starved, while your body is obese. And that's what obesity is: it's brain starvation."

Not only is leptin part of the hunger system, it's also part of the reward system, Lustig says. "When your leptin levels are low, food is even more rewarding. When your leptin levels are high, that's supposed to extinguish the reward system so that you don't need to eat so much, and food doesn't look nearly as good."

But in leptin-resistant people, the reward system doesn't cue a person to stop eating when leptin levels rise, Lustig says. "The leptin is being made by the fat cells, the fat cells are trying to tell the brain, ‘Hey, I don't need to eat so much,' but the brain can't get the signal. You feel hungrier and the reward doesn't get extinguished. It only gets fostered, and so you eat more and you keep going and it becomes a vicious cycle. If your brain can't see the leptin signal, you're going to get obese."

[Yam-Yam]

"“Insulin resistance generates leptin resistance. The practical advice is: Get your insulin down,” Lustig says. “How do you get insulin down? The best way is don’t let it go up. Sugar makes insulin go up. We are overdosed on sugar in this country. I think that if we got the sugar down, our insulin resistance would improve and that would help with the weight loss.”

Reducing high triglyceride levels helps, too, Lustig says. Too much triglyceride interferes with leptin’s journey from the blood to the brain via a leptin transporter that allows the hormone into the brain.

“When you’re insulin-resistant, you have high triglyceride [levels]. That’s one of the hallmarks,” Lustig says. “Triglyceride seems to block leptin transport into the brain. In order to make your leptin work, you have to let the signaling occur. The only way to let the signaling occur is to get your triglyceride down.”

[marylouise]

Originally Posted by Yam-Yam

I posted this on Kimberly's "I'm Stuck" thread but thought I'd copy it and paste it in here in case there might be someone tempted to give up the fight because of a weight loss stall or break:

I was just reading about the body's rebellious "Weight Rebound Reaction." And, it's very interesting.

"When a body has lost a good number of pounds through effective dieting, several reactions conspire to put the weight back on." (or to stop losing for a while).

Here are 3:

1. Increase in appetite: "triggering hunger pangs to encourage you to eat more."

2. Reduction in energy consumption: "...if you earn less money, you spend less money. Biological organisms react in a similar way. This is why many people complain about feeling cold during weight loss diets; your body is using less energy to keep you warm." Tiredness can be another way of your body reducing energy consumption because if you move less, you burn less calories and fat.

3. Maximum extraction of calories consumned: "Finally, the body's third reaction is the most efficient and the most dangerous one, whether you are trying to lose weight or are stabilizing, as it consists in assimilating the calories from your food more efficiently. An individual who ordinarily extracts 100 calories from a slice of bread might end up assimilating 120 to 130 calories from the same size slice after dieting. Each morsel is sifted through, and everything possible is absorbed. This increase in calorie extraction takes place in the small intestine."

Interesting stuff, huh?? And this is all because of our body's biological proclivity to store fat in case of a coming famine. IF helps thwart this with the re-feed on UDs. However, our stubborn bodies will try every trick in the book to stall or dissuade us from losing any further.

It goes on to basically talk about how, each time we lose a chunk of weight (amount varies I guess) the body needs about 5 days per pound lost to accept and get used to the idea of the loss. This explains the "resting" period Beeb and Sophiecat and others have mentioned. We could probably also call those "set points" as some have talked about.

In August I started LC WOE weighing 230 and lost 14 pounds fast. Then my body "rested" for 2 weeks before starting to lose again. When I hit 20 pounds down, I had another period of time where nothing budged. I just bounced up and down the same 2-3 pounds. Finally it started moving slowly downward again, but came to a halt at 27 pounds down.

That's when I started JUDDing. I lost 5, gained 2 and was stuck at 199-200 for a while. In March I had a nice loss and got to 193 but in April I'm just dancing around at 194-195.

So, if the weight rebound reaction info is true, I shouldn't be surprised that my body is "resting" for 30 days. After all, if it takes 5 days per pound lost for my body to accept this latest loss and I lost 6 pounds in March: 6 x 5 = 30.

So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this means I should start losing again very soon!!!

Is this at all helpful in understanding that our bodies do "rest" for a while after a drop??

One thing I'm thinking is that in the past, when I was doing WW or LC, if I stopped losing on the scale for a month I would become discouraged and quit!!! That's when the body's rebound and rebel action wins!!! I would rapidly gain the weight back in the past!!!

Not this time. I enjoy JUDD so much and don't want to lose the "magic" gene effect that I'm going to hang in there. And, this weight is going to drop! I'm not giving up and I'm not giving in and I'm not giving my body any other choice!!!!!

Just wanted to share. You know I'm an info junkie. HTH!! It was meant to encourage you to hang in there with me! WE are BUDDS!!

Yam Yam~ Marking my spot. I have been busy this afternoon and sons came for a visit too. I am sure coming back here!

[marylouise]

Originally Posted by Yam-Yam

"“Insulin resistance generates leptin resistance. The practical advice is: Get your insulin down,” Lustig says. “How do you get insulin down? The best way is don’t let it go up. Sugar makes insulin go up. We are overdosed on sugar in this country. I think that if we got the sugar down, our insulin resistance would improve and that would help with the weight loss.”

Reducing high triglyceride levels helps, too, Lustig says. Too much triglyceride interferes with leptin’s journey from the blood to the brain via a leptin transporter that allows the hormone into the brain.

“When you’re insulin-resistant, you have high triglyceride [levels]. That’s one of the hallmarks,” Lustig says. “Triglyceride seems to block leptin transport into the brain. In order to make your leptin work, you have to let the signaling occur. The only way to let the signaling occur is to get your triglyceride down.”

Had to stop and read this. I agree 100%
My triglyceride's have went down a lot since starting LC. Many years ago my Trig's were over 800..No that is not a typo..over 800..They told me I was within inches of a heart attack and or a stroke. I was living on pizza and chocolate candy. Or should I have said I was dying on.........

I will be back.............................................. .................................

[Lindaboca]

Hi all, ML sent me this link. So interesting and saved me. I am at a resting period now. It all makes sense. I have slips now and then and sometimes I actually lost weight after them.

On another site they had a forum specifically devoted to leptin and leptin reset.

Yam Yam. I feel for you. I live in So Cal and have the A/C going 24/7. Thank you for posting the info. I am revising my plan next week to include more carbs and redo protein and fat ratios. It seems like most of you are on JUDD. ML and I may do that but a low carb version. Any ideas about that?

The one thing that has gone way down since doing Atkins is the diabetes. I have been off the meds for 6 months now. Going to Doc Monday to see if i can continue that. Cholesterol has not changed for some reason but is maintained with meds.

I will be following this forum and wish everyone good luck on their plans and successful journey.

Linda

[marylouise]

Hi Linda~ Happy you came and read....

Boys came for visit and I didn't get a chance to read. On my way back Yam Yam to read.

[marylouise]

.marking spot

[Yam-Yam]

Originally Posted by Lindaboca

Hi all, ML sent me this link. So interesting and saved me. I am at a resting period now. It all makes sense. I have slips now and then and sometimes I actually lost weight after them.

On another site they had a forum specifically devoted to leptin and leptin reset.

Yam Yam. I feel for you. I live in So Cal and have the A/C going 24/7. Thank you for posting the info. I am revising my plan next week to include more carbs and redo protein and fat ratios. It seems like most of you are on JUDD. ML and I may do that but a low carb version. Any ideas about that?

The one thing that has gone way down since doing Atkins is the diabetes. I have been off the meds for 6 months now. Going to Doc Monday to see if i can continue that. Cholesterol has not changed for some reason but is maintained with meds.

I will be following this forum and wish everyone good luck on their plans and successful journey.

Linda

Linda: Congratulations on getting off the diabetes meds! That's a huge accomplishment!

I was just thinking and plotting about my eating plan for September. I decided that August would be a month for me to just maintain my 42 pound loss and take a break from trying to make my body give up more pounds.

When you mentioned combining LC w/ JUDD, it made me think I should do it for September or at least for the first 2 weeks of September. I would do Dukan/JUDD.

I know a lot of people on this forum combine LC with JUDD and they have good success.

You are doing great! KUTGW!

[cici52]

subscribing

[WJS]

Very interesting thread, thank you Yam Yam! Would love to know how your getting on with the Dukan/Juddd plan.

It is interesting what you said in the first post about the body needing five days for each pound lost, Dr. Dukan says the same. In fact the consolidation part of the Dukan diet is calculated at five days x each pound lost.

[Yam-Yam]

Originally Posted by WJS

Very interesting thread, thank you Yam Yam! Would love to know how your getting on with the Dukan/Juddd plan.

It is interesting what you said in the first post about the body needing five days for each pound lost, Dr. Dukan says the same. In fact the consolidation part of the Dukan diet is calculated at five days x each pound lost.

Glad you are enjoying this thread. I had been thinking of doing Dukan/JUDD for the first couple of weeks of September. I've had some unexpected trips and travels thrown into an already packed travel schedule. So, it's more like one or two Dukan/JUDD days and the others just regular rotations or Fast-5 type eating.

My main goal right now is to be vigilant to maintain my loss and slowly but surely go down a bit more as my body will allow.

Being firmly aware of the body wanting desperately to regain the fat stores that were "plundered" during WLM keeps me on my toes for sure. In the past on other WL plans I was clueless as to the 3 main ways a body fights to regain weight after a significant amount of fat has been burned away.

So, when the scale is showing slow or no progress I say to myself, "oh, I know what this is" and I keep plugging along.

I'm in the middle of a two week two part vacation right now. Pretty happy with where the scale is and today I have the opportunity to squeeze in a really good DD.

My tummy is revolting with loud Bear like growling right now! It's getting used to all the vacation yummies. But, I'm going to make it submit and calm down today.

I have some fat free, plain yogurt on hand for an emergency and a plan to eat grilled chicken for dinner. So this is sort of a DD Dukan style. I really love Dukan's book and learned so much from it.

How much did you lose doing Dukan and how long did it take?

[WJS]

I lost about 30 pounds but probably quite a bit more, I didn't weight when I first started (didn't want to know!). I lost it in about six months but couldn't lose anymore after that first six months.

I continued with cruise for another six months just bouncing around the same weight the whole time. I decided to go into consolidation with going in and out of cruise trying to lose more but it wouldn't budge. I was on Dukan for a total of about 18 months!

So that is the reason for trying JUDD but as mentioned in another thread not doing too well. My UD's are an embarrassment. I have been doing it for about two and half weeks and have gained a few pounds. So will have to try very hard to have more control.

Well done on your success! JUDDD definitely appears to suit you.

[Yam-Yam]

Congratulations on your 30 pound loss! That's quite an accomplishment and you are so close to your goal.

In the beginning, don't be so worried about your UDs or Up Up and Away Days! The DDs are the most important to get that SIRT1 gene activated. Once the sirtuin enzymes are flowing, it makes UDs more manageable.

I actually started JUDD on December 22, 2011. As you can see, it was right in the heart of the Christmas holidays! I kept a journal and some of those UDs in the first several weeks were crazy high calories.

But, I was determined to have good DDs for the most part. And, it seems to have worked so I'm a believer in JUDD magic for sure.

When you are motivated, you can experiment with doing Dukan on both UD and DDs for several days in a row. It does pay off quickly especially if you have to get back on track after a long weekend of indulgence or something like that.

Doing Dukan/LC on DDs only will result in wilder bounces up on the scale after UDs, especially if you include a lot of carbs.

I've learned through trial and error that if I go too wild on carbs, especially refined carbs on UDs then I have prolonged cravings on the following DD.

Anytime that happens, I have to pull back a bit on the UP carb intake and then begin introducing them slowly again.

One thing I found is that JUDD gives me more of a feeling of long term control and a desire to make better choices. This keeps the weight off.

BTW: Congrats on keeping off the pounds you lost!!! That is no small accomplishment and I'm proud of you!

[WJS]

Yam-Yam, thank you so much for your kind words. It is me that should be congratulating you on your over 43 pound loss! I am proud of you and you must be so proud of yourself or at least you most certainly should be. It sounds like you are in complete control now of which I would so love to be.

I will try my best for more discipline on my UD's. The advice you just gave is excellent and in regards to refined carbs is so true with me. Having said that I went mad on candy coated peanuts yesterday! I cannot begin to think of the total calories I consumed yesterday but perhaps enough to sustain an entire village.

Thank you again and I will definitely try your advice about combining Dukan for a few days. Perhaps this will help me lose the few pounds I have gained.

[Yam-Yam]

WJS: How are you doing these days? Sorry I didn't see this post sooner and reply to it. I was out of town, on different trips for a loooooong time! It's good to be back though and I'm hoping you will pop in and give us an update.