Lepti-what ??
It ’ s name is Leptin ( derived from the Greek word leptos , meaning “ thin ”), and it ’ s without a doubt the most important hormone you probably never heard of .
You see , leptin was only first discovered just over 10 years ago , and as far as weight loss is concerned , that ’ s extremely recent .
Leptin ’ s function ? To communicate your nutritional status to your body and brain .
Leptin levels are mediated by two things . One is your level of body fat . All else being equal , people with higher levels of body fat will have higher leptin levels than those with lower levels of body fat and vice versa .
Because leptin is secreted by fat cells , it makes sense that under normal conditions there is a direct correlation between leptin levels and the amount of fat you are carrying .
Unfortunately , when you ’ re attempting to lose fat and begin to restrict calories , conditions are anything but “ normal ” and the body responds accordingly by lowering leptin levels .
This is because the second mediator of leptin levels is your calorie intake . Lower your calorie intake and leptin will fall , independent of body fat .
2010 Joel Marion Fitness Solutions LLC and XtremeFatLossDiet 6