A low carb diet can be a healthy way to lose weight quickly. However, if you have been following a strict low carb diet for a few weeks and now your weight loss is at a standstill, there is a simple explanation and it has everything to do with hormones.
This article will show you how to boost your fat-burning hormones and jump start your weight loss again even if your weight has hit a long term plateau on your low carb diet.
The first thing you must understand is how important your hormones are when it comes to weight loss. Hormones are what tell your body when it is safe to release fat and when it needs to hold on tight to fat storage.
If you have been reducing the amount of carbohydrates or calories that you are eating your body does not see this as a way to look better, it views this decreased intake as a threat. This perceived threat causes your fat-burning hormones to decrease dramatically, up to 50% after only one week of moderate dieting.
The hormone that is the master controller of fat burning is leptin. This hormone controls all of your other weight loss hormones so it is the one you want to keep high so your body stays in a fat-burning state.
The problem is that leptin levels can drop by half in about seven days after you start your low carb diet. Think about it, when you started your low carb diet did the weight drop off fast? That was because you went into the diet with high levels of leptin in your body. Let's look a little closer, by weeks two and three was your weight coming off slower? This was a result of leptin shutting down.
Here are the steps to jump start your weight loss again after you hit a low carb plateau:
1. Have a Cheat Day. This sounds crazy, but if you think about it by giving yourself a day during the week to increase your carbohydrates, you are also boosting your level of fat-burning leptin. This is more than just theory and has been tested and researched for years. By having your favorite foods (i.e. pizza, ice cream, burgers and fries) one day a week you increase your body's fat burning potential without allowing time for fat to be laid down.
2. Eat frequently throughout the day. Your goal for breaking the low carb weight loss plateau is to stabilize leptin levels and one way to do that is to feed yourself a constant flow of food throughout the day. Eat small meals every few hours and do not go for long periods of time without eating.
3. Exercise to improve leptin sensitivity. Not only do you want to keep your leptin levels high, you also want to make sure your body is sensitive to the hormone so the leptin can be used. Exercise is a powerful way to improve leptin sensitivity and this will make your Cheat Day even more effective.
If you have been having success on a low carb diet, but now that same diet is not getting rid of the pounds, then you need to boost your fat-burning hormone, leptin. To increase leptin levels and leptin sensitivity add in a weekly Cheat Day, eat small and more frequent meals throughout your day and exercise.
But what if I told you there is an even easier way to keep leptin levels high and increase your leptin sensitivity at the same time?
Is that something you might be interested in?
You see, if you could do that, you could essentially keep your body in a fat-burning state 24/7... high leptin levels + high leptin sensitivity = high levels of fat burning
Fortunately there is a drop-dead simple way to get your fat-burning hormones working for you. Discover the Powerful Fat-Burning Tricks by visiting the link below.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Becky_Gillaspy
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