Keto and Research.....

     ​Things have slowed down in Birch Bay. We're not having any more company we know of, and we're heading to Waianae at the end of November. It's just the two of us doing our daily workout activities and not much more. It's cooled off here.  Most days remain in the mid-40s--cool, cloudy and gloomy. Fall is on its way out, and we're heading into winter. However, the Fall colors are stunning.  Steve and I are both anxious to return to Hawaii despite the fall beauty. Returning to the warm climate will be fantastic.  We love hanging out at the marina and taking walks around the bay. We're so blessed! I'm so happy we decided to purchase these properties when we did because it would be impossible to afford our beautiful living spaces at this point. I'm still regularly losing weight. I worked it out, and if all goes well, I'll be at my proper weight by the time we return to Birch Bay in the spring. That means I'll be at the top of my appropriate weight range. I am still deciding if I want to keep losing weight after that. I'll decide once I get there. I've been doing more research, and I'm beginning to understand more clearly how hormones impact and exacerbate weight loss. Two main hormones significantly impact one's ability to lose weight including insulin and leptin. This week's focus is leptin. It's interesting because leptin acts on the brain to signal fullness. Over time, when one is leptin-resistant, that stops happening, so people begin to overeat. I remember when I felt stuffed following a big meal. That stopped, and now I realize it is due to the Leptin resistance.  Fat cells produce leptin, which helps regulate energy balance and metabolism. It signals the brain's hypothalamus about the body's fat stores. When fat stores increase, leptin levels rise, and this signals the brain to increase energy expenditure and decrease appetite, which can help maintain weight and fat balance, ultimately influencing fat storage by regulating appetite and energy expenditure. Leptin resistance increases appetite and reduces energy expenditure, potentially leading to fat storage.  It also impairs the brain's ability to respond to leptin signals correctly, resulting in overeating and difficulty maintaining a healthy body weight.  Thus, leptin resistance contributes to obesity. A balanced diet, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy body weight optimizes the functioning of leptin and supports overall metabolic health unless one becomes obese.  Obesity changes hormone functions.  The more overweight one becomes, the less effective these hormones are. Thus, therapies supporting these hormones allow exercise and the keto diet to work.  Who knew?