Energy, Metabolism & FAT Burning!!
Updated: Oct 18, 2021
The Key hormones responsible for energy, metabolism and FAT burning in the body.
When it comes to fat burning and weight loss, it seems that everyone is an expert and has a hack or quick fix to share with you. I am here to tell you that quick fixes don’t work and the only way to enjoying a SUSTAINABLE HEALTHY WEIGHT is to understand HOW the body works, so that you can choose the right foods.
Body fat is literally stored energy. Our bodies are primed to store extra glucose that we get from our food as fat, so that when food is scarce we can break down our fat stores to survive. Think of animals fattening up during summer so that they have the extra stores when food is scarce during winter. We are the same.
When we eat, the glucose in our food is carried by the hormone insulin into our cells where it is turned into energy. Energy that isn’t needed right away gets turned into glycogen –the stored form of glucose for future use. We only have small storage tanks for glycogen, so if there’s still more surplus energy it gets stored in another form... FAT!
The typical Western Diet, full of sugar & flour, encourages elevated insulin levels. So at all times you have the master fat storage hormone floating around in your blood making you store more fat and blocking you from burning it!
THE KEY HORMONES INVOLVED IN FAT STORAGE AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT:
Insulin is our master ‘fat storage’ hormone. When we overeat (especially sugar & flour), insulin promotes fat storage and impairs fat loss. If you are overweight you are also very likely insulin resistant, which causes the other hormones to go haywire.
Ghrelin is our ‘hunger hormone’ and stimulates our appetite. In someone who is a healthy weight, Ghrelin increases before a meal and decreases up to 30 minutes after you’ve eaten. Trouble is, being overweight messes up the signaling and actually makes you hungrier
Leptin is the ‘satiety’ hormone that tells your brain you are full. Excess fat tissue causes leptin resistance so that there is no signal telling you to stop eating –your brain thinks you are starving all the time and so you feel hungry all the time
The typical Western Diet, full of sugar & flour, encourages elevated insulin levels. So at all times you have the master fat storage hormone floating around in your blood making you store more fat and blocking you from burning it!
Even if the food you are eating is healthy, if you’re eating too much, or you’re eating in a pattern that encourages insulin secretion, your body will store any excess as fat.
And elevated insulin causes all those other hormones to go haywire.
So really, it’s this hormonal response to food that is causing you to keep the weight on and not be able to burn it, no matter how much exercise you are doing.
Key Principles for Healthy, Lasting Weight Loss
1. Eat 3 Meals per day - No snacking
We don’t need to snack! Unless you are a growing teenager, pregnant or breastfeeding, you can get more than enough nutrition from 3 meals a day
You need to leave space between your meals for your digestive system to do its thing, and also for your insulin levels to normalise enough to start burning fat stores
Make your meals based on the balanced meal framework; protein, fat and carb balance and you will soon find you feel so much more energised and aren’t hungry between meals
2. Protein with Every Meal
Protein helps us feel satiated and slows the release of glucose into our blood –thereby controlling insulin
3. Ditch the Diet mentality
Having a ‘diet mentality’ can lead to cycles of deprivation, binging and feeling inadequate
For healthy, sustained weight loss you need to switch your mindset
Stop ‘dieting’ and start ‘getting healthier’ instead
If you focus on nourishing your body, building healthy habits and creating long-term lifestyle change you will succeed
Yes, you will likely have to make changes –it’s the way you approach these changes that matters...
“It’s so not fair, I can’t eat that, I’m not allowed to eat, this is haaard” to “I chose to do this. I want this for myself. It’s about integrating new habits, making healthy changes for life. So that I can feel better and stop struggling”
Which feels more empowering? More like an adult?
4. Eat Nutrient Dense Wholefoods
As you are now learning, food is about so much more than its calorie content!
Eating nutrient-dense, real, whole foods is a MUCH better idea than eating processed, packaged food
If an apple and a chocolate biscuit have the same calories, which is the better choice?
We need to think about our overall health, not just losing weigh
A nourished body will naturally lose weight!
5. Sleep and De-stress
There is plenty of research that shows the influence sleep has on your metabolic rate. The general consensus is to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
Tip: Try to create a routine that allows at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Go for 8, and you're happily in the middle ;)
Stress increases cortisol, which causes a quick mobilisation of stored glucose in to the blood, after this release the body releases insulin the restore this excess glucose as FAT - and it likes to stick it to the mid-section.
What daily practices can you introduce to DE-stress and enhance relaxation.
6. Love yourself Now
Falling into the trap of “when I... then I...” robs you of so much joy in the present moment
What are you holding yourself back from, or missing out on, because you aren’t happy with how your body looks?
Body Love & Self Care are important principles when it comes to weight loss
What is one thing you can do every day, to connect to your amazing body and learn to love it like it deserves?
If you suffer from SYMPTOMS OF HORMONAL IMBALANCE and weight gain. You can start to feel amazing and love your life again with the right treatment for YOU!
FREE 30 min Discovery calls available: https://www.racheldeeringnaturopathy.com/book-online