Reset Hypothalamus Function To Reach Weight Goals

The trick in losing weight and keeping it off is in squelching you body in its attempt to “save” you with fat reserves. In ancient times, food came from what primitive people could hunt or find and gather in. Sometimes there was plenty and sometimes there was famine. Now, we have food constantly available, and need to reset hypothalamus hormone production that once kept us alive by storing fat in good times to live through the bad ones.

Today, people rarely go through periods of reduced food availability due to our modern lifestyle. We generally do not have a need to store large fat reserves, but the hypothalamus still will perform this function. Unless you understand how to reset hypothalamus function by carefully monitoring your intake and paying attention to healthy eating practices, the innate ability of the human body can make you fat.

One thing to realize is that the total number of calories you eat is not the only factor when it comes to weight management. It is also important to consider where those calories come from. Different types of foods are processed by the body differently and this can affect whether excess calories are burned or stored as fat. By choosing the correct foods, you can actually reset hypothalamus responses to work for you in achieving your weight loss goals.

The hypothalamus is a gland which is responsible for regulating appetite. This gland, set deep in the brain, signals the feelings of hunger and satiation. Unfortunately for those trying to lose weight, it can up to 20 minutes for the hypothalamus to signal the feeling of being full after we’ve already eaten enough. Therefore, to help prevent overeating, be in control of your own hypothalamus by eating more slowly. Eating more slowly gives the slow hypothalamus the time to better adjust your hunger based on how much you’ve already eaten.

Fat contains nine calories per gram, more than twice the four calories per gram found in proteins and carbohydrates. Therefore, while any healthy diet requires some fat consumption, you need to be very careful to limit the total amount of fats you eat. What fats you do consume should be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Quality protein is always a good choice, because it deters hunger longer than carbohydrates, is needed for healing and tissue building, and is converted to fat very slowly.

Carefully choosing carbs is the most important factor in retraining your hypothalamus from storing up fat. Simple carbohydrates, such as those found in syrup, honey, and sugar, absorb into the body quickly. This results in a barrage of hormones being released as a signal to the hypothalamus to begin hoarding fat. Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in fruit, vegetables, and whole grain, take much longer to seep into the system. So they do not trigger the fat-storing process. Putting less stress on your hypothalamus will keep you from saving up fat.

A diet containing foods good for your body will stop the hypothalamus from sending signals to store fat. Eat what is recommended for an average human. This will typically include a balance of nutrients, including healthy fats, and a minimum of certain types of sugars.

The trick in losing weight and keeping it off is in squelching your body’s attempt to “save” you with fat reserves. In ancient times, sometimes there was plenty and sometimes there was famine. Now, we have food constantly available, and need to reset hypothalamus hormone production that once kept us alive by storing fat in good times to live through the bad ones. Now most people have plenty of food, so we don’t need those reserves any more. However, the hypothalamus has not evolved to recognize this. So unless we can reset it with carefully planned healthy eating, we will get fatter thanks to our body’s old survival strategies.

- J. Boda