“If you want to lose weight just eat less,” “Why can’t I just stop eating,” or my personal favorite, “You’re not hungry you’re bored/thirsty/tired (insert your own).”

How many times have you heard it? It’s exhausting and frustrating to feel like you don’t have control or like it’s a constant battle between you and your hunger. While many people believe it is purely strong-will that keeps them from over-eating, there is a lot more that goes into appetite and weight loss than just being strong. 

We have hunger hormones and satiety, or fullness, hormones that control our appetite. The most famous is the hunger hormone ghrelin which is secreted in the stomach and the satiety hormones leptin and insulin which are secreted from adipose tissue (fat tissue) and the pancreas. While these are the most common, and arguably the most talked about and researched, there are many more hormones involved in feedback mechanisms that play a role in appetite regulation. 

Ghrelin is secreted most from endocrine cells in the stomach but is also secreted in small amounts from other areas in the body such as the small intestine, pituitary gland, and hypothalamus. We have increases of this hormone prior to our normal meal times and decreases after we have eaten. 

Leptin is secreted from adipose cells (fat cells) and is important in signaling satiety. The greater amount of adipose tissue, or fatty tissue, a person has, the more leptin they will produce. While ghrelin tends to increase before meals, leptin is secreted throughout the day and is the highest in the early morning and lowest in the afternoon (remind you of when you have your greatest cravings?). 

Insulin is a well-known growth hormone secreted from the pancreas and is often associated with blood glucose levels. However, it also plays an important role in appetite suppression. Insulin levels are increased after eating and then travel across the blood brain barrier to insulin receptors in the brain and have an appetite suppressing mechanism. 

When we are stressed, have not been eating properly, dieting, or sick, our appetite regulation becomes confused. The body wants to maintain its weight and will do whatever it can to do so. Even though we might be eating less, our bodies are fighting us and making it more difficult to lose weight.

If these hormones can make weight loss more difficult, why do we have them? Because your body doesn’t want to lose weight! Your body has its own safety mechanisms to make sure that it doesn’t lose weight. For hundreds and thousands of years we lived in scarcity. It is only recently that we live in this setting of abundance when it comes to food and calories. We have more access than ever to food, but our bodies are still living in that scarcity mindset. 

You might be wondering how to combat these hormones, but instead let’s talk about how to accommodate them. Your body needs fuel. Eating at regular meal times can help regulate your body and control hunger. Eating meals that include protein, carbohydrates, and fat will help to keep you fuller longer and provide the nutrients you need. If you are decreasing your calorie intake, don’t decrease it too fast. By slowly decreasing calories you give your body time to adjust to taking in less energy. 

Instead of being upset that you feel hungry, remember that this is your body telling you something. Honor it and feed it. Choose nutritious snacks that will help you feel full and energized. Your body is sending you a message for a reason, and it is okay to listen. 

1. Austin, J., & Marks, D. (2009). Hormonal regulators of appetite. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2777281/
2. The impact of gut hormones on the neural circuit of appetite and satiety: A systematic review. (2017, June 29). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763417301380?via=ihub
3. Watterson, K. R., Bestow, D., Gallagher, J., Hamilton, D. L., Ashford, F. B., Meakin, P. J., & Ashford, M. L. (2012, February). Anorexigenic and orexigenic hormone modulation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 activity and the regulation of hypothalamic agouti-related protein mRNA expression. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704126/