Its hormonal, so let’s treat it well
Do you know how leptin (fullness hormone) and ghrelin (hunger hormone) behave during weight loss:
• Without one of my bespoke metabolic health plans (just calorie restriction), leptin drops sharply and ghrelin rises, making hunger and weight regain more likely.
• With GLP-1 injections + a structured metabolic plan (balanced nutrition, resistance training, adequate sleep), leptin stays steadier and ghrelin rises far less—making weight loss easier to maintain. This is why many UK weight loss practitioners encourage combining GLP-1 therapy with lifestyle adjustments rather than relying solely on medication. Leptin and ghrelin are like your body’s hunger and fullness “traffic lights”, but when they get out of sync, they can make weight loss harder.
1. Leptin – the “Stop Eating” Signal
• What it does: Produced mainly by fat cells, leptin tells your brain you have enough stored energy, which should reduce appetite.
• In a healthy system: More body fat → more leptin → less hunger.
• In weight loss struggles: Many people with excess weight develop leptin resistance, meaning the brain doesn’t respond properly to high leptin levels. This leaves you feeling hungry even when energy stores are full.
2. Ghrelin – the “Start Eating” Signal
• Initial dieting: Ghrelin rises (making you hungrier), leptin falls (reducing satiety signals). This is why diets feel harder over time.
• Long-term imbalance: Leptin resistance + elevated ghrelin can create a cycle of constant hunger and difficulty maintaining weight loss.
• Better regulation: Adequate protein, high-fibre foods, good sleep, and resistance training,( nothing too spectacular, this can be at home, in the garden at work or in the gym) help normalise these hormones over time.
How They Influence Weight Loss
• Initial dieting: Ghrelin rises (making you hungrier), leptin falls (reducing satiety signals). This is why diets feel harder over time.
• Long-term imbalance: Leptin resistance + elevated ghrelin can create a cycle of constant hunger and difficulty maintaining weight loss.
• Better regulation: Adequate protein, high-fibre foods, good sleep, and resistance training,( nothing too spectacular, this can be at home, in the garden at work or in the gym) help normalise these hormones over time.
GLP-1 stands for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1.
It’s a hormone your body naturally produces in the gut after eating, and it plays a key role in:
• Stimulating insulin release (to lower blood sugar)
• Slowing stomach emptying (which helps you feel full)• Reducing appetite
This is why GLP-1–based medications (like the trade name Monjaro ) are used for type 2 diabetes management and, increasingly, weight loss.