Why We Gain Back What We Lost

One of the worst things that could happen to a person who has lost weight through proper diet, supplements and exercise, is gaining back the weight they lost. To make matters worse, some people regain MORE than what they originally lost. If you are one of these people, it could indeed be very frustrating. Fortunately, scientists and researchers of the New York-based Columbia University may have found the explanation for this phenomenon.

According to the study, this “gaining back the weight lost” incident is linked to the levels of leptin found in our body. Leptin, as you may know, is one of the hormones involved in weight regulation. Changes in the level of leptin in the body play an important role in the body’s natural weight loss system. The hormone is responsible for informing the brain about the amount of calories stored. When we lose weight through exercise; the body burns off calories, triggering the decrease in leptin levels. This signifies the brain to increase food intake to replace the burned-off calories and also orders the body to burn the calories slower.

Why does the brain do this? The study found out that the body mistakes the lowering body weight as a sign of leptin deficiency. Because of this, the brain naturally tries to correct the deficiency by adjusting metabolism in order for the body to go back to its original weight and normalize the leptin level.

The study involved a controlled group which was placed on a liquid diet and daily injections of leptin. The participants lost about 10 percent of their original weight but did not regain them. It was concluded, therefore, that maintaining the leptin levels of the body did not confuse the brain, even if the person experienced considerable weight loss. Scientists have therefore concluded that losing weight means losing leptin, too. And that the only way we could keep off the weight is by making the body understand that it has adequate stored fat.

The results fueled speculations that leptin can become the primary ingredient in weight-loss drugs. Unfortunately, researchers have a long way to go before making this conclusion about leptin. Right now, leptin is only available and used in research. Still, researchers believe that there is a future role for leptin in the weight-loss industry.

The struggle of many people to lose weight has become synonymous with the nation’s war against obesity. With millions of people’s lives at risk because of the health problems linked with being obese or overweight, researches like this give people hope that there would be a remedy for this problem in the near future.

But since it could take some time, you should focus on your weight loss goals instead. Continuing to eat healthy, doing your exercises and taking natural weight-loss supplements would ensure that you would lose weight the right way. Also, by making these activities part of your daily routine, your body would soon adjust to being “slim and svelte”. After all, working hard has always paid off.