The biochemistry of the human body is amazing – there are so many little chemical reactions that occur within our cells and within our brain that if you really knew what was going on, you would be in awe. Every process has a reason, which means that the current state of our body can always be traced back to a chemical process. In this case, we will discuss one of these processes and how the body communicates being full and having enough of a fat reserve as a result. The process is really amazing and provides a lot of insight into why we eat what we do and in what amounts. If you aren’t sure what I am talking about, then stay tuned for a closer look.

You see, there is a chemical produced by our bodies called leptin that signals the brain and tells it how full we are and how much fat we have stored in our bodies. Leptin is sent through the blood during a meal (and after) and when our brain receives a certain amount of that signal, it tells us that we are full. The result that is supposed to happen is that we stop eating and our body knows how much fat it can burn without decreasing the desired level of fat stores. However, what happens when this process doesn’t work like it should? Well, you guessed it – your body doesn’t know how much fat to store, nor when you are full, and stops regulating leptin all together. I’m sure you can imagine how damaging this can be to your biochemistry.

There are certain foods, such as carbohydrates and sugars that contain more leptin than our bodies are prepared for, and as a result they start bombarding your leptin receptors with messages. Now, what happens to you when your phone starts ringing off the hook and you can’t get a moments rest? You disconnect the phone and try to get some peace and quiet, right? Well your brain does the same thing and as a result it completely shuts down the process for regulating leptin. As a result, the message that tells you to stop eating and start burning fat never gets sent and you start gaining weight.

This is also the process that occurs as people start to overeat or binge eat. Your brain’s leptin receptors just shut off and stop processing that message. This is where obesity starts to occur and where people always feel hungry – never satisfied.

So how do you fix this problem and is there even a cure? Well the truth is that you have to start eating healthier if you want to regulate your leptin and weight loss. You have to start turning off the hunger switch on your own and avoid unhealthy carbohydrates, such as sugars, in the process. Eventually, your body will start to process the leptin message again and you’ll start to feel full. Your body should also start burning fat at this point, which will help you with your weight loss. Until then, it is important to eat healthy and try to get as much exercise as you can.

When the time comes for your body to be receptive again, you will be ready to kick start the weight loss and you won’t have to modify your diet or activity level much, which will be a big boost to your morale. You will start to see the pounds shed like crazy, and you’ll be feeling full, which is always a plus. Leptin has a purpose, but your brain can easily cancel out the message if it desires, avoid overeating and binge eating if you really want to start seeing a difference.