If you’re trying to manage your weight, you’ll want to either be cognizant of or limit these three hormones that are known to lead to weight gain:
Insulin
Produced in the pancreas, insulin’s main job is regulating glucose levels (or the blood sugar in your body).
Your blood sugar rises after a meal, so your body releases insulin to signal your cells to take in all the glucose. But when your carb intake is high, your cells may already be at max capacity, and therefore unable to absorb more glucose. In turn, your pancreas will start to release more insulin.
That high amount of insulin encourages fat buildup, and the cycle continues. To avoid the cycle, try keeping your blood sugar levels as stable as possible – meaning eat more veggies, proteins, and whole-grain foods.
Ghrelin
Commonly known as the “hunger hormone”, ghrelin mainly regulates appetite. It’s produced in your stomach and often makes you crave high-calorie foods.
The link is simple – the hungrier you are, the higher your ghrelin levels are. These levels waver after eating, as long as you’re full and satisfied. So, achieve feeling satiated by eating proteins to stabilize your ghrelin hormones – think meat, fish, eggs, and legumes.
Related: These 3 Oversights Could be Leading to Your Unexplained Weight Gain
Leptin
Think of leptin as ghrelin’s mirror image: it’s levels are low when you’re hungry, but rise when you’re full.
A diet full of fried, fatty, and sugary foods can interfere with leptin and prevent your body from noticing when you’ve had enough to eat. This can result in natural weight gain as result of this “leptin resistance.” To counteract this, make sure you eat a balanced diet and follow these rules to prevent weight gain.
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