If trying to clean up your diet just leaves you more ravenous andfrustrated, you’re not alone. Time to learn how your eating decisions affectyour appetite a.m. to p.m.

Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full. Simple right? Sowhy does it sometimes feel not so straightforward?

It may be one of our most basic physiological needs but eatingfeels as if it’s become far from intuitive these days. The truth is, there’smore at play than just an empty stomach or a need for calories. Research hasfound that everything from our hormones and stress levels to our moods andother people’s attitudes toward food can impact how our mind processes ourdaily eating choices.

But it doesn’t have to be so complicated. Understanding thebiggest players that affect your appetite will help you take control of it. Andthat starts by getting extremely familiar with the smallest, most powerfulteammate of them all: a hormone called leptin.

If you’ve ever dieted in an effort to drop a few pounds, only tofeel frustrated, or worse, hungry all the time, don’t blame alack of willpower. Your body is hardwired to want to hold on to fat, saysGiles Yeo, PhD, a geneticist at the University of Cambridge. But it’s not doingit to be spiteful. Body fat is what produces leptin—and believe us, you wantleptin.

Here’s why: It’s the hormone that controls appetite and weight.Its main role is to regulate your body’s energy, which includes how manycalories you eat and burn each day, as well as how much fat you store. Theprocess evolved to keep humans from star ving or overeating, both of whichwould have made you less likely to survive back in (way long ago) day.

When the system is working properly, fat cells regularly releasehigh levels of leptin that kick-start signals in the hypothalamus, which is thepart of the brain responsible for appetite control, says Stephan Guyenet, PhD,author of The Hungry Brain. “Leptin switches off an appetite-driving neuroncalled AgRP, while another signal suppresses food intake and raises calorieexpenditure.” Translation: When you’ve had enough to eat, leptin tells yourbrain, “All set, you can stop now!” and keeps your metabolismhumming along steadily.

But when leptin levels drop too low—which, FYI, happens when yougo on a crash diet—the hormone sends a starvation alarm to the brain,increasing your appetite and slowing metabolism. For some, that response takesplace even when plenty of energy (i.e., body fat) is stored. It’s a conditionknown as leptinresistance, says endocrinologistScott Isaacs, MD, author of TheLeptin Boost Diet, and it’s believed to be one of the maincontributors to obesity.

How to HitReset

Scientists and doctors don’t quite agree on exactly how leptinresistance occurs—or, more important, what to do about it. But here’s what’sknown: There are very few people who have genetically determined leptinproblems. For most, it’s something that develops over time, in response to dietand lifestyle decisions. Which also means: You have the power to alter yourleptin levels through your everyday habits. Make these easy, practical changesto your routine to recalibrate your body’s biological signals and get back ontrack with your natural eat-stop-eat rhythm. Satiation salvation ahead!

FuelSmarter

Dr. Isaacs advises clients to base their meals on protein andfiber, both of which suppress hunger hormones. His ideal meal plan to increaseleptin levels and other key appetite regulators? Eggs for breakfast, leanchicken with greens and brown rice for lunch, carrots and low-fat hummus(low-calorie and fiber-rich) for a snack, and a dinner high in leptin boostingzinc (beef and black beans are good sources). Eating more omega-3 fatty acids—foundin fish and flaxseeds—may also help mitigate the impact of inflammation on thehypothalamus, which can make leptin’s pathways less responsive, says Guyenet.

Go to Bed

When it comes to managing your hunger and appetite, sticking to asolid sleep schedule is a must. “Leptin is mostly secreted at night, so if you’regetting less than sever hours, you’ll have lower levels,” says Dr. Isaacs. Infact, if you’re getting only five hours a night, you’ll have almost 16 percentless leptin than if you’re managing the full eight, according to research inthe Annals of Internal Medicine. Another reason to maximize your shut-eye: Insufficientsleep can result in consuming up to 400 extra calories a day, mostly ofhigh-fat, low-protein food, according to the European Journal of ClinicalNutrition. Ready to rest now?

Watch YourWhy

External cues are influential in determining what, when, and howmuch we eat. For example, researchers found that people who ate with othersconsumed up to 60 percent more than those who ate alone. Another big cause forthe munchies? Stress. While 80 percent of people said they normally atehealthy, that number dropped to 33 percent when they were stressed, a studyreveals. And the majority of those folks said stress produced an increase intheir appetite, so pin down a few nonfood coping mechanisms—deap breathing,going for a walk, venting to a friend—that you can use as soon as life getstense.

By Roisín Dervish-O’Kane

Women’sHealth March 2019

If you’re struggling to with weight loss, you need the help of an obesitymedicine specialist. If you’dlike to learn more about permanent weight loss, please feel free to call us orschedule an appointment with Dr. Isaacsusing the onlinebooking tool on his website.