3 Stages of Leptin Resistance (and what they mean for weight loss)
Leptin resistance is probably the single most important factor when you determine how likely you are to lose weight. It's more important than any other hormone as it pertains to your ability to lose weight (and why you gain weight).
When your leptin levels become too high your body can become resistant to your own leptin and you are said to be in a state of leptin resistance.
This is a HUGE problem for many people. In fact, I believe that everyone who is overweight has some degree of leptin resistance and it's more important than other hormone imbalances such as insulin resistance.
Understanding what stage of leptin resistance you have helps to determine how easy it will be for you to lose weight and how long it will take to get to your target goal.
You can assess your stage of leptin resistance by checking your serum leptin level. You will want to check your serum leptin level in the FASTED state.
Once you have your result you can then determine your stage by looking at the stages below:
Stage 1 (mild leptin resistance): serum leptin between 10-19 ng/ml.
- At this stage, you should be able to use diet, exercise, and supplements.
Stage 2 (moderate leptin resistance): serum leptin between 20-29 ng/ml.
- At this stage, you will need to use diet/exercise, leptin supplements, and leptin medications.
Stage 3 (severe leptin resistance): serum leptin greater than 30 ng/ml.
- At this stage you will need to use ALL of the therapies above and use 2-3 medications for leptin resistance.
The following risk factors help to determine how likely you are to become leptin resistance (the more of these you have the more likely you are to have severe leptin resistance):
- A history of yo-yo dieting.
- Your current weight (the more you weigh the more leptin resistance you will have)
- Your age (worse if you are over the age of 50)
- Your hormone balance (those in menopause and those with thyroid conditions have higher leptin levels)
- Inflammation (the more inflammation in your body the harder it will be to lose weight)
- Genetics (some people will just be more susceptible to leptin resistance)
- The presence of insulin resistance (if present your leptin will be higher)
Leptin supplements include:
- glycosaminoglycans
- high dose fish oil
- high dose L-glutamine
Leptin medications include:
- Calcitonin
- GLP-1 agonists
- SGLT2 inhibitors
- Naltrexone
- Wellbutrin
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe on youtube or leave a comment on my podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
When your leptin levels become too high your body can become resistant to your own leptin and you are said to be in a state of leptin resistance.
This is a HUGE problem for many people. In fact, I believe that everyone who is overweight has some degree of leptin resistance and it's more important than other hormone imbalances such as insulin resistance.
Understanding what stage of leptin resistance you have helps to determine how easy it will be for you to lose weight and how long it will take to get to your target goal.
You can assess your stage of leptin resistance by checking your serum leptin level. You will want to check your serum leptin level in the FASTED state.
Once you have your result you can then determine your stage by looking at the stages below:
Stage 1 (mild leptin resistance): serum leptin between 10-19 ng/ml.
- At this stage, you should be able to use diet, exercise, and supplements.
Stage 2 (moderate leptin resistance): serum leptin between 20-29 ng/ml.
- At this stage, you will need to use diet/exercise, leptin supplements, and leptin medications.
Stage 3 (severe leptin resistance): serum leptin greater than 30 ng/ml.
- At this stage you will need to use ALL of the therapies above and use 2-3 medications for leptin resistance.
The following risk factors help to determine how likely you are to become leptin resistance (the more of these you have the more likely you are to have severe leptin resistance):
- A history of yo-yo dieting.
- Your current weight (the more you weigh the more leptin resistance you will have)
- Your age (worse if you are over the age of 50)
- Your hormone balance (those in menopause and those with thyroid conditions have higher leptin levels)
- Inflammation (the more inflammation in your body the harder it will be to lose weight)
- Genetics (some people will just be more susceptible to leptin resistance)
- The presence of insulin resistance (if present your leptin will be higher)
Leptin supplements include:
- glycosaminoglycans
- high dose fish oil
- high dose L-glutamine
Leptin medications include:
- Calcitonin
- GLP-1 agonists
- SGLT2 inhibitors
- Naltrexone
- Wellbutrin
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe on youtube or leave a comment on my podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
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