Stuffing your face with unhealthy foods and not exercising on a regular basis — we all know that these things can make it extremely difficult for you to get rid of those unwanted pounds. Did you know that your body’s failure to respond to leptin properly can also be blamed for having a hard time attaining your desired figure?

If you are frustrated that the bathroom scale doesn’t seem to want to budge, continue reading. This article will get you acquainted with leptin, as well as how to increase your body’s sensitivity to it.

Simply put, leptin is a hormone produced by your body in order to control your appetite. It’s exactly for this reason why it is sometimes known as the satiety hormone — it makes you feel satisfied after having a meal. Needless to say, having enough leptin in your bloodstream can help make your desire to have seconds or some snacks go away.

Unfortunately, it’s not all the time that your body responds properly to leptin. You may have optimum levels of the said hormone in your body, but having decreased sensitivity to it renders it useless. And this is why you may still feel hungry even when your stomach is already jam-packed with food — you stay being an eating machine!

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Experts say that failure to sleep 7 to 9 hours each night can make you less sensitive to leptin, leaving you eating more food than necessary which is a complete weight loss saboteur! So make sure that you spend enough time in dreamland when the moon is up. Besides, lack of sleep can turn you into an emotional eater, too.

Reduce Stress

When your stress levels get high, your sensitivity to leptin falls. That’s because being stressed causes your body to produce hormones that dampen the effects of leptin, leaving you insensitive to it. So if you want to use leptin to your advantage, meditate, listen to music, have a massage, take a bath — anything that can help reduce your stress.

Exercise Moderately

It’s no secret that exercising is good for your health as well as making those unwanted pounds go away. However, did you know that too much of it can actually be counterproductive? Your body actually sees excessive exercise as a form of stress, which is something that can ruin your figure on various levels.

Stay Active

Having an active lifestyle enables your body to respond properly to various hormones, and one of them is leptin. So if you want to ward off hunger pangs and cravings, then regularly walk, take the stairs, ride a bicycle, play badminton, tend to your garden — engage in any physical activity that can help keep you moving.

Avoid Sugary Foods

We all know that foods laden with sugar can wreak havoc to ones figure big time as they are packed with unbelievable amounts of calories. But are you aware that sugar can also make you less sensitive to leptin? If your sweet tooth is looking to be pleased, consider going for fruits that contain natural sugars.

Dodge Artificial Sweeteners, Too

More and more studies are proving that artificial sweeteners are just as bad as sugar in wrecking your overall health and weight. So if you think that switching to foods and beverages that are artificially sweetened is a wonderful idea, think again. If you want to sweeten some stuff, consider using honey stevia or any other natural alternative to sugar.

Have Some Protein

If you want to lose weight effectively, then you may utilize leptin to the max by including more protein in your diet. Protein shakes, egg whites, and lean portions of chicken and turkey are some wonderful examples of protein-rich foods. There are also many non-animal sources of protein out there like beans, nuts and seeds.

Amazed at how leptin can help you attain the figure of your dreams? Then have this article shared on social media to let your family and friends know how to naturally increase their sensitivity to this hormone!