What happens to the hunger hormone Ghrelin when we diet?

Ghrelin is our hunger hormone and Leptin is our ‘I am full hormone’.

The reason most diets don’t work is because they are based on reducing food, which in the short will cause weight loss but over a period of time the body kicks into survival mode and slows the metabolism down because the body is holding onto any calories it can storing them as fat in preparation for the next famine or period with reduced calorie intake which for many end up as weight gain in the long term. The reason is because the body wants to get back to its starting weight causing hormonal imbalances in the body.

Leptin is our ‘I am full hormone’ which shrinks when you reduce calories. So the more you diet, the more this hormone shrinks and overtime and your brain never gets the message that you are full, which is one reason why so many diets are so hard to stick to. If your Leptin levels are low, it means you feel hungry. So essentially when you eat less, Leptin goes down which means you then feel the need to eat more and cravings kick in – this becomes a cycle of unbalanced hormones and mood swings. 

Ghrelin is our ‘time to eat’ hormone. Ghrelin levels increase after weight loss but they don’t come back down, which leaves you always feeling unsatisfied after eating. This further highlights how fad diets can be dangerous and mess with out internal system more than we know.

Ways to improve Ghrelin levels:

• eat more healthy fats

• eat more protein

• get plenty of sleep

• drink plenty of water

The Metabolic Balance programme allows the body to reprogramme through an individualised nutrition plan, without reducing food intake or calorie counting. The programme offers meals high in healthy natural protein and fat designed to support the body to burn fat for fuel. Contact me for more information.