According to a recent study(1) about longterm weight loss in the
United States only a little over 35% of Americans successfully maintain a
5% weight loss for more than a year. The success rate drops down to 17%
for maintaining a 10% weight loss. But you didn't need to read those
stats to know that burning fat, losing weight and keeping it off is not
easy. If you are one of the 65% struggling with maintaining a healthy
weight, know that it's not completely your fault. By the end of this
article you will know one of the key hormones in the body that is
probably sabotaging you and 3 simple tips you can incorporate today to
turn that hormone into your new fat burning ally.
Ghrelin is one of several hormones in the body that affect how much fat you potentially shrink or gain. Ghrelin has two very important functions. It alters connections between nerves and cells in the brain to enhance learning and memory. Ghrelin is also known as the hunger hormone because it is one of the main hunger stimulating hormones. Ghrelin is a vital to our learning capacity and to sustain a caloric intake sufficient enough to sustain life. Unfortunately, ghrelin can go haywire and sabotage our weight loss and weight management goals.
Our bodies are hardwired to help us consume and hold onto calories in an effort to avoid starvation. Because ghrelin is the hunger hormone, it is triggered when there is a calorie deficit in the body. When a person diets or restricts calories in an effort to lose weight there is a natural increase of ghrelin in the body; resulting in hunger pangs. Hunger pangs make for a grumpy and less motivated dieter.
Now, you might think that after the restricted calorie diet is over that ghrelin levels would return to normal- but you would be wrong. In fact even 12 months after a diet ghrelin levels remain elevated. That is why maintaining the weight loss is just as hard, if not harder than losing the weight.
Please, don't let all of this discourage you in your fat loss and weight reduction efforts. In fact below are 3 simple tips that will empower you to keep ghrelin in control so that you can continue to lose weight and shrink fat without hunger pangs and keep it off forever.
Tip #1: Snack Often
One simple and very satisfying way to keep ghrelin in check is to avoid an empty stomach altogether. You can do this a couple of ways. First, you can ditch the traditional 3 square meals a day and opt for 5 to 6 mini meals (ranging from 200 - 400 calories/meal depending on your size and activity levels). If you like your 3 square meals you can just plan a small snack between each meal so that your stomach never gets too empty.
Tip #2: Snack Smartly
Obviously, when trying to lose fat and maintain a healthy weight it's not just about how often you eat, but what you eat as well. This isn't earth-shattering here. You know you need to choose healthy foods to eat and snack on. There are certain foods that give you the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to ghrelin because they make you feel fuller longer. Foods high in fiber like: fruits, vegetables and whole grains are what you need to be focusing on. Fiber-rich foods help you feel fuller longer for 2 main reasons: (1) they tend to absorb more water and therefore expand and fill the stomach more and (2) they are digested slower and so spend more time in the stomach.
Tip #3: Exercise Intensely
A 2007 study(2) found that acute incremental exercise, or high intensity interval training (HIIT), decreases ghrelin levels. There are added benefits to this type of training also. Because the exercise is intense, you can achieve substantial fat loss and other health-benefits in just 20 minutes of exercise. HIIT also results in an increased metabolic rate for up to 72 hours post-exercise. So be sure to add a couple of days of high intensity interval training into your regular exercise regimen to keep ghrelin under control and to keep your metabolism burning fat at higher levels.
Ghrelin is one of several hormones in the body that affect how much fat you potentially shrink or gain. Ghrelin has two very important functions. It alters connections between nerves and cells in the brain to enhance learning and memory. Ghrelin is also known as the hunger hormone because it is one of the main hunger stimulating hormones. Ghrelin is a vital to our learning capacity and to sustain a caloric intake sufficient enough to sustain life. Unfortunately, ghrelin can go haywire and sabotage our weight loss and weight management goals.
Our bodies are hardwired to help us consume and hold onto calories in an effort to avoid starvation. Because ghrelin is the hunger hormone, it is triggered when there is a calorie deficit in the body. When a person diets or restricts calories in an effort to lose weight there is a natural increase of ghrelin in the body; resulting in hunger pangs. Hunger pangs make for a grumpy and less motivated dieter.
Now, you might think that after the restricted calorie diet is over that ghrelin levels would return to normal- but you would be wrong. In fact even 12 months after a diet ghrelin levels remain elevated. That is why maintaining the weight loss is just as hard, if not harder than losing the weight.
Please, don't let all of this discourage you in your fat loss and weight reduction efforts. In fact below are 3 simple tips that will empower you to keep ghrelin in control so that you can continue to lose weight and shrink fat without hunger pangs and keep it off forever.
Tip #1: Snack Often
One simple and very satisfying way to keep ghrelin in check is to avoid an empty stomach altogether. You can do this a couple of ways. First, you can ditch the traditional 3 square meals a day and opt for 5 to 6 mini meals (ranging from 200 - 400 calories/meal depending on your size and activity levels). If you like your 3 square meals you can just plan a small snack between each meal so that your stomach never gets too empty.
Tip #2: Snack Smartly
Obviously, when trying to lose fat and maintain a healthy weight it's not just about how often you eat, but what you eat as well. This isn't earth-shattering here. You know you need to choose healthy foods to eat and snack on. There are certain foods that give you the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to ghrelin because they make you feel fuller longer. Foods high in fiber like: fruits, vegetables and whole grains are what you need to be focusing on. Fiber-rich foods help you feel fuller longer for 2 main reasons: (1) they tend to absorb more water and therefore expand and fill the stomach more and (2) they are digested slower and so spend more time in the stomach.
Tip #3: Exercise Intensely
A 2007 study(2) found that acute incremental exercise, or high intensity interval training (HIIT), decreases ghrelin levels. There are added benefits to this type of training also. Because the exercise is intense, you can achieve substantial fat loss and other health-benefits in just 20 minutes of exercise. HIIT also results in an increased metabolic rate for up to 72 hours post-exercise. So be sure to add a couple of days of high intensity interval training into your regular exercise regimen to keep ghrelin under control and to keep your metabolism burning fat at higher levels.
- Kraschnewski J.L., Boan J., Esposito J., Sherwood N.E., Lehman E.B., Kephart D.K., Sciamanna C.N., Long-term weight loss maintenance in the United States, retrieved May 7, 2015.
- Toshinai K., Kawagoe T., Shimbara T., Tobina T., Nishida Y., Mondal M.S., Yamaguchi H., Date Y., Tanaka H., Nakazato M., Acute Incremental Exercise Decreases Plasma Ghrelin Level In Healthy Men, retrieved May 17, 2015.
For more fat loss and health-improving information and to access a
free video that reveals what your doctor and personal trainer have not
told you about what is causing your body to hold onto stubborn fat
visit: http://wowbodynow.weebly.com/release-trapped-fat-get-the-free-video.html
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire