The following is a list of the typical challenges you are most likely to encounter while trying to lose weight, along with the most common reason for the problem and the basic solution that usually helps. 

Some people have many of these issues.  If so, focus on the two or three areas that are the most troubling to you.  As you eat in harmony with leptin and make progress on your overall weight loss program many of these problems will simply go away as your metabolism naturally improves. 

Be alert to any of these issues cropping up as you move along in your weight loss effort.  Besides not following the five rules of the Leptin Diet, these are the most common reasons your progress will slow or stop. 

Lack of energy, heavy head, too sluggish, or afternoon power outage. Why?  Thyroid system and cell energy production are not adequately engaged.  Suggest:  Thyroid Helper 2-6, Daily Energy Multi 2-6, Iosol Iodine 1-3 drops.*

Can’t go five hours without eating. Why?  Your liver is out of shape.  Suggest:  Stress Helper 2-6, Activator Plus 2-6, Daily Balancer 2-6, Cinnamon Plus 2-6.*

Can’t get started in the morning, must eat something else by mid morning, crave salt or fat. Why?  Adrenals are fatigued.  Suggest:  Daily Protein Plus for breakfast, Stress Helper or Pantethine 2-6, Vitamin C 2-6.*

Not losing weight. Why?  Fat cells are hibernating.  Suggest:  Leptinal, a regular dose is 2-3 a day.  If needed take 4-9 a day until fat burning engages.*

Crave Sugar or Carbohydrates. Why?  Neuropeptide Y and ghrelin are elevated – there may also be a digestive flare up.  Suggest:  Calcium AEP, 3-12.  LeptiSlim, 2-6.*

Eat too much at night, eat too much in general. Why?  Leptin and related full signals are not entering your brain correctly.  Suggest:  Pine Nut Oil 2-6, LeptiSlim 2-6, Leptinal 2-6.*

Stress sets off eating urges. Why?  Eating calms your liver’s stress intensity, food=stability.  Suggest:  Stress Helper 2-6, Daily Energy 2-6, Q10 2-4, Super B Complex 2-6.*

Unstable blood sugar feelings after 2-3 hours of a meal (jittery, headachey, irritable). Why?  The liver is not distributing calories properly.  Suggest:  Cinnamon Plus 2-6, LeptiSlim 2-6, Activator Plus 2-6.*

Fluid Retention. Why?  Eating too many carbohydrates or too much cell inflammation.  Mangosteen Plus (with cranberry) 2-6, Leptinal 2-6, Stress Helper or Pantethine 2-6.*

Constipation, sluggish bowels, or digestive disturbance. Why?  Not enough fiber or digestive imbalance.  Suggest:  Fiber Helper 1 heaping tbl at two meals, Turkey Rhubarb at night 1-4, Digestive Enzymes 1-2 each meal, GI Soother 1 heaping tsp at meals, GI and Muscle Helper ½-1 tsp at meals, Oregano Oil 2-6.*

Headaches, irritable, dark circles under eyes. Why?  Toxins in blood.  Suggest:  Daily Balancer 2-6, Activator Plus 2-6, Skin Rejuvenator 2-6.*

Excessive mucous, congestion, stiff shoulders. Why?  Lymph is clogged or sluggish.  Suggest:  Immune Plus, 1 tsp-tbl morning and at bed.  Repair Plus 2-6, Oregano Oil 2-6.*

Muscle weakness or soreness. Why?  Not eating enough carbohydrates or lactic acid buildup.  Suggest:  Muscle Mag 2-6, Q10 2-3.*

Not sleeping well or enough. Why?  Stress or toxin load interfering with sleep.  More nutrients as applicable during the day.  At night:  RelaxaMag 1-4, Tri-Cal, 1-4, Melatonin 1-6.  Strive for 7-8 hours of restful sleep.*

Once upon a time our Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a program called the National Human Adipose Tissue Survey (NHATS).  In 1982 and again in 1987 it analyzed human fat samples from cadavers from across the country – looking for the types of toxins that accumulate in human fat.  Four industrial solvents and one dioxin were found in 100% of the fat samples.  Another 9 chemicals, including 3 more dioxins and 1 furan were found in over 90% of the fat samples.  In general, 83% of the fat samples contained PCBs.  Tracking this data was mandated by law, the funding for which was conveniently cut from the budget by the Reagan administration (unfortunately that administration, like all since, have been pollution friendly).  The final reports are now mysteriously missing from the above EPA website, but were reported on rather thoroughly in Alternative Medicine Review, and dioxin and furan levels from this data were specifically analyzed by the American Public Health Association.

This problem appears to be getting much worse as pollution around the globe continues to grow, paralleling the rapid global epidemic of obesity.  These chemicals accumulate in the food chain in animal, dairy, and fish – which are then consumed by humans.  We don’t actually know how bad the exposure is right now, but PBCs last hundreds of years and decompose into even more toxic dioxins and furans (dioxins and furans are also produced as part of industrial pollution today).  We do know that a 2007 EPA report shows that farm soil across America is polluted with PCBs and related chemicals. 

It is now very clear that when you lose weight toxic PCBs and related compounds are released from stored fat and are in higher levels in your blood – and it has been shown they can depress the function of your thyroid.  The more weight you lose the more exposure there is. 

PCBs are particularly hard on women (as they naturally have a higher percentage of body fat) and have been linked to diabetes risk in women.  PCBs also bind to estrogen receptors and can double the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women and quadruple it in postmenopausal women who are genetically susceptible (up to 17% of the Caucasian female population).  The NHATS study of human fat samples also showed that common pesticide exposure (but not PCBs) was linked to increased risk for non Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Detoxification and Weight Loss

Managing your detoxification systems properly as you lose weight can be an important determining factor in how much progress you make and whether of not you reach an optimal goal weight.

White adipose tissue, where your extra pounds are stored, is in many ways a defense mechanism against excess – keeping such excesses away from vital organs like your heart, liver, and kidneys.  For example, excessive fatty acids are extremely toxic to cells and can easily kill them, which is why they get stored in a safe location in the first place when excess food is consumed.

A similar problem occurs with fat soluble toxins.  These come from air pollution (formaldehyde), food (mold toxins and PCBs), pesticides on food, alcohol excess, digestive/sinus toxicity issues from overgrowth of Candida or bacteria (acetaldehyde), and many others.  Fat soluble toxins at low levels disturb thyroid function, reproduction, liver function, and general cell health. 

Toxin excess is a common reason for rapid weight gain, both as a defense mechanism and because the toxins are crashing metabolism.  Individuals can gain 25 – 50 pounds in a year when acute toxin challenges go unmanaged.

Thus, toxins are stuffed into your fat in the first place to get them away from your metabolism.  When they are in your circulation they can readily disrupt your metabolism, causing weight gain.  Yet, as you lose weight they go back into your circulation.  You must effectively clear them or you will feel crummy, fatigued, irritable, and/or simply not lose any weight.

Sometimes you will lose weight just fine for a while and then you hit a toxic layer of fat.  You didn’t change your diet or exercise – possibly there was a bit more stress – but now you are in a toxic slow down.  Your weight loss will stop or you will start gaining weight as your body now holds water in an effort to dilute the poisons.  If you get frustrated you’ll start eating more, which will actually make you feel much better, as the toxins will be packaged back up into fat and sent back to storage.  Of course, you won’t feel much better next time you look at the scale. 

Some individuals have a baseline of being too toxic with clogged plumbing as they try to embark upon weight loss efforts.  Weight loss under such circumstances is incredibly difficult and such individuals need to start out not only by improving diet quality, following the Leptin Diet, and doing moderate exercise, but also focusing on their personal detoxification needs.

Diet-related Detox Tips

1) Food in excess, whether it contains toxins or not, is toxic to your body.  Too much protein produces too much ammonia, too much fat clogs vital functions and directly kills cells, too much sugar caramelizes and cements cells.  The same food that is your friend can be your enemy when consumed in excess.  Eat to live, don’t live to eat. 

2) Reduce or eliminate non-organic foods.  Almost all pesticides on produce are fat soluble toxins and you need as few as possible coming into your body newly from the food you are eating.  At the same time you need fresh fruit, vegetables, and moderate whole grains so you get enough dietary fiber to help clear toxins from your GI tract.

3) Eat more fresh food.  Packaged foods often use content that are two – three growing seasons old – which have a much higher likelihood of containing fat soluble mold-derived mycotoxins.  Prepared convenience meals contain some of the lowest quality food ingredients possible.  Learn to love your raw and lightly steamed/cooked vegetables.  Take the time to prepare real food for yourself and your family.  Food is part of family and culture.  Flavor and freshness are your friends; excess salt, fat, and sugar are not.

4) If you really struggle with toxins you may need to reduce dairy, meat, eggs, salmon, tuna, other toxic fish, etc.  Tip:  Use extra lemons when eating any fatty fish – the citric acid in lemons helps chelate toxins including mercury and PCBs.  Eating organically raised produce or fish from clean waters is likely to have less chemicals, including PCBs.

5) You must eat while you are losing weight so don’t get too paranoid about toxins in food.  Only try eliminating a category of food (like dairy or red meat) if you are stuck and just can’t seem to make progress even though you are doing everything else right.  In general it’s a numbers game; eat better more often – especially when progress slows.  Your body can readily handle a certain amount of toxicity.  The issue is important, so pay attention.

Dietary Supplements and Weight Loss Detoxification

By far the most important substance to have in your diet during weight loss is adequate fiber – which is a general toxin absorbing substance.  It is common to eat less bread or whole grains on a diet, which may lower your fiber too low to keep your bowels moving well.  If your bowels slow down while you are dieting or you start to feel too toxic, then first try some extra fiber. 

My favorite product for this is Fiber Helper™ which provides a great source of three different soluble fibers that help absorb toxic waste.*

Fat soluble toxins, including PCBs, furans, and dioxins must be cleared by the Phase 1 detoxification system of your liver.  The best basic natural support product for this is Daily Balancer™.  It is designed to protect your liver as well as assist your liver with both Phase1 and Phase 2 detoxification chores.  It is formulated to bind metal toxins, including mercury, and assist their removal.*

You must keep your bile flowing well through your gall bladder, as this is how these fat soluble toxins get out (they are put into bile and then go into your digestive tract for fiber to help clear).  The problem during weight loss is that fat and excess cholesterol may also be competing for excretion through the same system, leading to potential gall bladder stagnation or sludge.  You need lipotropic nutrients to keep stagnant sludge from forming in your gall bladder and to keep everything flowing along that is trying to get out.  If you start feeling tired and toxic then I suggest Activator Plus™.  It is formulated with liver helpful sulfur-containing amino acids, lipotropic nutrients choline and inositol that dissolve sludge, and needed B vitamin cofactors and Krebs bionutrients (toxin chelating mineral complexes).*

If you are sensitive to nail polish, perfume, diesel fumes, alcohol, or other aldehyde-based chemicals – which typically goes with a foggy brain feeling, then Pantethine is a great option.  It is the co-enzyme form of vitamin B5, which helps make an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase that clears many fat soluble aldehyde-based chemicals that are common in today’s pollution (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde).*

Any of these detoxification nutrients can be used in any combination, as desired.  You need enough support to stay on track.  For more information on how your detoxification systems work and other options that may be of help, go to my Detoxification health page.

Core to the issue is how your head feels.  If it runs out of energy, feels heavy or agitated, then you are likely to eat.  If you are eating and you don’t get a full signal, you will keep eating even if you know you have already had too much.  And most of the time you will eat whatever portion of food is in front of you – even if you get a full signal and are only ½ done.

There are various reasons why this takes place, and can be summed up under the heading of “powerful survival urges gone wrong.” To get in charge of this situation you need to be more in control of the messages that are registering on your subconscious brain.  When you do it right you don’t have to worry about eating too much because you simply don’t want to.

Here are My Top Tips to Keep Your Appetite in Check

Daily Protein Plus is an ideal high protein breakfast that activates your metabolism and helps you eat less later in the day.  It is a fast and easy breakfast that elevates CCK, a natural metabolic full signal made in your digestive tract.  It also contains oat fiber, another good food that helps smooth out your blood sugar and reduce fluctuations following a meal.  Mix a scoop to 1 ½ scoops in the beverage of your choice.  Blend in a piece of fruit (like a banana) or mix with a spoon and eat the fruit after.*

Pine Nut Oil is a fast and easy way to help elevate two leptin-supportive full signals; cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) A recent randomized, double-blind cross-over trial showed that Pine Nut Oil helps regulate appetite. Within 30 minutes of ingesting 3 grams of the oil, women reported a 29% reduction in the desire to eat.  Researchers showed this was because CCK was elevated 60% and GLP1 by 25%, a result that lasted four hours.  Many people taking Pine Nut Oil report their head feels more awake.  These can be taken with meals or between meals, as needed.*

LeptiSlim® and Cinnamon Plus are the two most popular products to help control sugar cravings.  A sweet tooth spells doom for anyone’s dieting efforts.  Either product works, a lot of people use both if the cravings are tough to deal with.  They both reduce the urge for sugar as well as helping your body maintain normal sugar-related functions between meals.

Calcium AEP provides yet another option to help keep your brain in a satisfied condition.  Calcium has a suppressing affect on Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a primary signal that makes you want to eat food.  New research showed that your stomach makes more NPY once you are overweight, locking in the subconscious drive to eat even when you know you don’t need to.  Calcium AEP in doses ranging from 3-12 per day can help tame the appetite tiger.

Thyroid Helper® assists your head to stay awake, especially in the afternoon.  A heavy head is a distinct thyroid-related sensation that is sure to cause you to crave food.  When T4 levels elevate in your brain, your head conks out.  Thyroid Helper® assists your body to take the T4 and turn it into T3 so you can stay energized – and awake!*

Stress Helper® is designed to keep your head out of a state of friction or “pain.” The unpleasant feelings of stress can be offset with a “food fix” which quickly travels to your stomach for storage.  Not only does Stress Helper® directly help you burn fatty acids as fuel, it helps keep your head above the stress eating problem.*

Leptin is the key hormone that must get into your brain to turn on your energy as well as keeping you truly satisfied.  Being able to follow the five rules of the Leptin Diet is vital to regulating improper desires for food over time.  Our convenient Leptin Control Pack® is often used to help keep you on a good eating plan.  It contains Thyroid Helper®, Stress Helper®, Pine Nut Oil, LeptiSlim®, and Cinnamon Plus.

How much support you personally need will be based on your “weak spots” that cause you to eat too much as well as the results you get when you start trying various products.  Some people follow all of these tips and others find that one or two of them make the most difference.  When you can stay on the Leptin Diet by using only minor will power and self-discipline then you have enough support. 

Keep using whatever nutrients got you on track for at least a month, before trying to cut back.  Once a healthy pattern takes hold you won’t need as much support to stay that way unless you get stressed out.

To understand what the twins research means I will place it in context.  True genetic adaptation takes place over tens of thousands of years.  For example, one new study shows that you are genetically predisposed to obesity if your ancestors came from Northern climates.  Likewise, running is a genetic evolutionary event that is wired for fat burning.  If you don’t run you’ll have a much harder time turning on your natural fat burning genes.  While other genetic risk factors for obesity are sure to exist, my point is that these take tens of thousands of years to evolve.

In comparison, another problem is prenatal and postnatal programming of the nervous system.  In this case numerous factors come to bear on the growing fetus, and along with events that occur during the first few weeks of life, produce “nerve imprints” that can have a life-long impact on obesity risk.  I discuss these in more depth in my Prenatal Nutrition and Postpartum Nutrition sections of our website.  The important point here is that imprints made on the developing nervous system are more like changes in “hardware” than “software” – like writing messages on a blank chalkboard that will determine subconscious behavior for years to come.  Poor fetal programming may have an adverse affect on several generations.

The interesting thing about twins is that their genetic history is the same, and most often their prenatal and postnatal programming is also similar.  It is common that twins are the same weight within a few pounds.  Thus, when it is found that one twin is more overweight than the other it creates a rare opportunity to examine what the differences are that caused the problem.  This means that under the influence of environmental and dietary factors various gene switches will be operating differently, even though genetics is the same.  This can help everyone to understand exactly what goes wrong that causes obesity. 

In a study published this week, a detailed genetic analysis of 14 different pairs of twins, wherein one twin was on average 33 lbs (20%) heavier than the other, has helped clarify the nature of the obesity problem.  The researchers found that the obese twins had more abdominal fat, more fatty build up in the liver, larger fat cells, insulin resistance, and low adiponectin.

A detailed genomic analysis was performed, identifying 19 specific metabolic pathways that were inappropriately activated.  15 of these pathways involved immune-generated inflammation.  The most over-activated gene (5.9 times normal) involved the recruitment of macrophages into stored fat.  As I point out in another recent posting this problem is directly linked to the production of more fat cells – locking in obesity.  As different from the simplistic ideas of exercising more and eating less – this data shows beyond the shadow of any doubt that resistant obesity is an inflammatory problem.

The researchers went on to prove that this set of inflammatory problems, which includes a build up of fat in all the wrong places, actually clogs metabolic function of cells.  Cell engines (mitochondria) within stored were found to have less DNA in their mitochondria, indicating a seriously reduced ability to perform normally (meaning a lessened ability to burn calories).  Another metabolic problem was identified for the first time: the inability to naturally use branch chain amino acids in metabolism – resulting in higher blood levels of insulin that helped to lock in insulin resistance and set the stage for diabetes risk.

These are key findings that help pinpoint precise “gene switch” problems faced by a majority of people who are overweight and can’t get their weight off simply by exercising and eating better.

In essence, the problem is one of “sprained fat,” similar to the idea of a sprained ankle.  Unfortunately, the types of gene switches that are inappropriately stuck in the on position tend to self-perpetuate the problem – meaning an overweight person has great difficulty ever recovering from sprained fat and therefore has a compromised ability to burn calories as fuel.  It’s like being stuck with a metabolism that just limps along and can hardly keep up.

Solutions:
1) Eat in harmony with leptin, as explained in The Leptin Diet, as doing so helps reverse every problem identified in the obese twins.
2) Manage stress of any kind as well as possible, as stress fuels the types of inflammatory problems identified in the obese twins.  This explains why a “bad day” can simply shut down metabolism – even when you may not have had any extra food.
3) Consistent refreshing exercise is helpful, but so much should not be done that it is too tiring (physically stressful).
4) Use enough nutrients to help reduce inflammation within stored fat – helping to overcome the key problem of sprained fat.  I designed Leptinal® specifically to reduce inflammation in stored fat – which is why the product works so well.  All products in the Leptin Control Pack® (which also contains Leptinal®) are designed to lower the inflammatory burden in way one, shape, or form – while significantly enhancing your body’s ability to naturally burn calories as fuel – a comprehensive solution for a difficult metabolic problem.

As always, consistently doing everything right the majority of days in a month is the only way to get anywhere as time goes by.  A clear path to improvement is now plain to take for those who wish to lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off.

The key organ in your body that distributes sugar into your bloodstream is your liver.  When you eat a meal insulin levels rise, in turn transporting sugar to your liver and elsewhere in your body that needs fuel replenishment.  Your liver converts extra sugar to glycogen, storing it for later use (about 60% of the calories from any meal may be stored by your liver in this way).  Your liver acts as a warehouse for sugar that can readily be distributed back into your blood, as needed.  If your liver-warehouse is already full, then extra sugar is packaged up into fat and sent to storage (weight gain).

Eating too often raises insulin frequently, causing numbness in the blood sugar metabolism system.  This is like having a repetitive strain injury in your blood sugar processing system.  This has been obvious for some time and is explained in my books on the Leptin Diet.  It is why snacking is so bad for your health – regardless of how many calories you snack on or the quality of the snack.  Snacking causes hormones and their related switches not to work right.

The new research sheds light on the precise genetic mechanism involved.  When you haven’t eaten for 3-4 hours then your insulin levels decline, as insulin is no longer needed to transport calories from ingested food.  Your pancreas now sends out glucagon which signals your liver to get in gear and release some of its stored sugar so that your blood sugar levels do not drop too low.  Yes, you are supposed to get a snack but it is supposed to come from your liver.

During this “fasting period” your liver turns on a gene switch called CRTC2, which tells your liver to convert stored sugar (glycogen) back into glucose and release it into your blood.  In normal health, under the influence of glucagon and CRTC2, your liver sustains your energy level by providing 60% of your calories from this stored sugar and 40% of your calories from fatty acids (fat burning).  During sleep this ratio flips around and you are supposed to be burning 60% of your calories from fatty acids (a true fat burning time) and 40% from the liver’s supply of stored sugar. 

Next time you eat your insulin level rises, in turn throwing a different liver switch (SIK2) that renders CRTC2 inactive.  This shuts of your liver’s sugar raising feature, as the calories coming in from new food are supplying plenty of blood sugar for the next several hours.

When you snack between meals or eat before bed your liver never has a chance to use up its storage of glycogen – meaning that your blood sugar levels start to ebb higher too often during the day, natural fat burning is blunted, and you are more likely to gain weight.  The new discovery is that it is the higher blood sugar itself that locks the CRTC2 gene in the on position, causing your liver to keep making sugar even though you have just eaten.

When this problem first starts up you will notice that you gain weight too easily from eating carbohydrates and your fasting blood sugar levels are going up above 90.  As the problem magnifies it turns into type II diabetes, as your liver just keeps cranking out too much sugar all the time.  This new discovery is a fundamental breakthrough in metabolic science – though the researchers don’t seem to grasp the meaning of what they have discovered (apparently because they are interested in drug design rather than how this finding applies to eating).

The five rules of the Leptin Diet, especially the main point about not snacking between meals, conditions your liver to be healthy, your insulin to work better, and obviously improves the normal function of the CRTC2 switch so that you do not make extra blood sugar in an out-of-control manner.  This is why so many people with type II diabetes have seen their problem go away when they consistently follow the Leptin Diet for a number of months.

Abdominal fat metabolism is controlled by leptin and its cousin, adiponectin.  New research is showing that as the waistline expands abdominal fat cells swell in size causing too much leptin and depressing adiponectin.  As it turns out, the liver uses adiponectin to orchestrate fat-burning in muscles and the liver itself, as well as regulating the liver’s insulin sensitivity and consequently the ability to metabolize carbohydrates normally. 

In order to maintain normal and healthy abdominal fat cell size and proper liver structure and function it is vital to follow the five rules of the Leptin Diet.  These rules are designed to condition the liver into a state of metabolic fat-burning fitness, just as jogging produces aerobic fitness.  Nutrients can be used to support healthy leptin function, to help the liver metabolize fat, and to boost antioxidant protection in the liver – all three of these approaches have been shown to promote liver clearance of fat.

The simple approach to this is to use our popular Daily Energy Multiple Vitamin along with the Leptin Control Pack – a combination that provides comprehensive nutritional support for all three of these categories.*

Some individuals may need additional liver-related support.  Those who are sensitive to chemicals like nail polish, perfume, gas fumes, diesel fumes, etc. already have a liver that is working overtime on detoxification chores.  The nutrients in Daily Balancer are potent liver protecting antioxidants as well as supporting the liver’s ability to naturally clear toxins.  A person will notice less sensitivity to chemicals on Daily Balancer.*

In some cases, a high potency of liver-activating nutrients may be required to help get fat flowing from the liver.  Our top product for this is called Activator Plus, which contains amino acids that jump start liver metabolism as well as high amounts of choline and inositol which help liquefy sluggish fat in the liver.  Activator Plus is the best single remedy for a tired and unfit liver.  A person taking 2 of these in the morning who needs this kind of help will notice better energy all day.  Another favorite time to take them is in the middle of the afternoon to help prevent an energy crash at this important time of the day.*

The liver is the metabolic factory of your body and keeping it in prime working condition is vital to the proper metabolism of all types of calories.  When your liver is working well it is a lot easier to get more energy from less food as metabolism is simply far more efficient.

The simple plan given below will help jump start your metabolism, tame your cravings, boost your energy, and shrink the size of your stomach.  You can do the program for 2-4 days or you can stay on it a few weeks. 

In addition to the diet suggestions you need to make sure you are getting at least seven hours of sleep per night and can do at least moderate exercise for ½ hour every morning (walking, jogging, weights, stretching, yoga, etc.).  Schedule permitting, the sooner in the day you get your exercise going the better – as it turns on gene switches that help burn calories.

The Plan

This is what I personally do and it is rather simple – especially after the first day or two.  I have three protein drinks a day.  I use 1 ½ scoops of Daily Protein Plus and I mix in 1 heaping tablespoon of Fiber Helper.  I mix this in 2% milk, though you can use rice milk, almond milk, or 50% fruit juice and 50% water (stay away from soy milk as it slows down metabolism).  The extra fiber is really important otherwise bowels will slow down and toxins will back up, making you feel crummy and bringing weight loss to a halt.

In addition to the protein drinks I have two pieces of fruit per day, but I always have them at meal times and never as a snack.  My wife likes to blend the fruit into her protein drinks; I mix mine with a spoon and eat the fruit.  I usually have a banana for breakfast and some other fruit at lunch or dinner.  I have a cup or two of coffee for breakfast and sometimes at lunch, with 1 tbl. of cream added (real cream).  I never add sweetener to anything. 

The first day is the hardest, as the leptin urges to eat are still in full swing.  I always notice my cravings disappear by day two, day three at the latest.

Have a Meal Once in a While

If I decide to stay on this program for a week or two then I have an average size meal (500 – 600 calories) with no dessert.  Sometimes I do this program for three days, sometimes for seven, and sometimes for several weeks.  I keep doing it until I get off the number of pounds I want off. Then I go back to two meals a day and one protein/fiber drink for breakfast (which I have most mornings anyway).

When I finish the program I can always tell that I get a full signal eating far less food, as my stomach seems to have literally shrunk in size.  Keeping on track at this point means paying attention to that full signal and never going past it – even if there is still food on the plate.  This is a real life skill and easier said than done, but required for long terms success.  It is leptin problems that make a person feel that they must keep eating – when you consistently do it right then leptin functions much better and weight loss is much easier.

Dietary Supplements

I personally find it quite helpful to use metabolic support nutrients while I’m doing this program.  They aren’t required but in my opinion they really help a lot and certainly make it easier.  I take a Daily Super Pack and Leptin Control Pack twice a day on this program, usually at breakfast and lunch.  I love the new Pine Nut Oil and take 2-3 in the afternoon.  It really keeps my head awake and appetite under control.  Of course, any nutrients that help sleep, as needed, are a good idea before bed.  Do not try to do this program if your schedule does not allow you to get seven hours of sleep per night.

Why the Program Works

Our high grade whey protein is a true superfood (its not a cheap whey with broken protein molecules and a bitter taste, like many companies try to sell).  Protein is the main metabolic activator of the liver – your body’s primary metabolic organ and control operator for fat burning.  When your liver is working well you can increase your metabolic rate by 30% for as long as 12 hours, whereas carbohydrate or fat only increase liver activity by 4%.  Protein is like 2 x 4s and plywood showing up at your liver’s construction site, which is why protein is always good to have at breakfast.  On top of that, whey protein has been proven to help reduce your appetite – especially 3-6 hours after a meal. 

Our Fiber Helper is a blessing for any person trying to lose weight.  Not only does extra fiber help you feel full, help stabilize your blood sugar levels following a meal, and help reduce heart disease risk, it is also a huge sponge for soaking up toxins.  Not only must your bowels keep moving when you aren’t eating bread and other starches, but your stored fat is often loaded with toxins and these must get out of you in order for your body to give up the fat.  Otherwise, you will just feel irritable, tired, and hungry when you try to lose weight. 

You need to have some saturated fat (or monounsaturate – like olive oil), carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids on this program.  I personally use fruit, cream, and Leptinal (essential fatty acids in the Leptin Control Pack.) It is almost impossible for the liver to burn fat normally without some carbohydrates and saturated fat present in the diet.

Don’t wait until the spring to dread the summer.  Get on top of your weight issues now.  Be consistent over the next three to four months and when next summer comes you will be one happy camper.  If you have not yet read the Leptin Diet, get a copy and do so.  It is the owner’s manual for your body and explains your relationship with food and how you can stay in charge.

The number one issue that gets in the way of weight management is the subconscious craving for food.  While willpower and self-discipline are important traits of any successful dieter, cravings are a real monkey wrench that get in the way of the best efforts of anyone.

Cravings are subconscious in nature and they are wired to the drive to survive.  While most cravings are inappropriate, they are stilled wired directly to the subconscious brain as “not eating is a threat to survival.” Like any threat to survival (e.g., someone pulling their car out in front of you requiring fast action to avert danger), these impulses are powerful and will override willpower.  The best way to conquer the urge to eat is to not have the urge. 

In this regard, evolutionary history is working against you.  There are 15 signals to eat for every signal that says not to eat.  These were necessary for survival of the human race as one of the main stressors during evolution was a scarcity of food.  Your subconscious brain does not know there is food on every corner in America today – thus this old wiring kicks in when it is not managed properly.

The key is eating in harmony with the hormone leptin.  Leptin runs the switchboard in your subconscious brain, telling you when you are hungry or not hungry.  Leptin takes input from multiple signals relating to energy need.  Some of these signals come from the digestive tract itself, others are triggered by activity or stress, and others are simply monitoring nutritional, blood sugar, and energy status within the body and reacting to changes that are occurring.

Pine Nut Oil is a major tool that can help you tame the urge to eat.  It works in part by dampening two signals (CCK - cholecystokinin and GLP-1 - glucagon-like peptide-1) that tell the leptin center in your subconscious brain that it is time to eat.  It is the only dietary source of a unique fatty acid called pinolenic acid, which is responsible for this unique ability.*

Pine Nut Oil has been in traditional use for thousands of years and has often been used during times of low food supply (such as the winters in Siberia) to help people maintain energy and not be hungry.  Indeed, the energizing aspects of Pine Nut Oil are being constantly reported to us.  Many people notice they simply are not getting cravings for food and yet their head feels wide awake. Several have notices they need little or no caffeine when taking Pine Nut Oil.

These reports on Pine Nut Oil are particularly interesting because the oil is not a stimulant of the central nervous system, it is a natural energizer in the family of GLA (an essential fatty acid).  I do not consider many appetite suppressants to be safe to take.  Stimulants simply ramp up the nerves and artificially depress leptin while stressing the heart and kidneys.  As soon as there use is discontinued leptin will command calories to be stored as fat.  Compounds that block fat or starch uptake are likewise brainless, interfering with proper absorption of food.

Another example is Hoodia.  I will never put Hoodia in any Wellness Resources product until it has science showing it is safe and effective.  While Hoodia has a lot of internet hype, Pfizer gave up on its marketing rights because the compound contains components that damage the liver.  You can rest assured that if a drug company gave up on a potential weight loss drug it must have major problems.

At Wellness Resources your health is always our number one concern.  Pine Nut Oil is a tool to help keep you on track.  Some people are taking 2-3 capsules in the afternoon to prevent the afternoon power-outage and food cravings.  Others are taking 1-3 capsules every meal, as needed, to help stay energized and on track.

I have added Pine Nut Oil to our top-selling Leptin Control Pack.  The Leptin Control Pack is a tour de force of nutrients that support healthy metabolism and appetite regulation, all working synergistically with a good diet and exercise to help you in your weight management efforts.* Successful weight management requires consistency.  Nutrients such as Pine Nut Oil can be used as a powerful tool to help keep you on track and to help prevent you from getting in a wrestling match with subconscious cravings that are difficult to overcome.*

Generally, you know all too well if you fit into the too cold category.  You always want the thermostat set higher than everyone else or you have on an extra layer of clothes.  You go to bed with socks on your feet or you want extra layers of blankets.  When this type of coldness matches up with the symptoms of thyroid-related fatigue, you fall into the classic pattern of sluggish thyroid.

The Basal Temperature Test

In many cases of poor thyroid function a cold feeling is not quite so obvious.  Dr. Broda Barnes pioneered the use of the basal temperature test to help identify sluggish thyroid function.  This is done by placing a thermometer (not digital) under your arm for ten minutes before getting out of bed.  This should be done ten days in a row, averaging the daily reading.  Menstruating women should start their ten day test when their menstrual cycle begins, as basal temperature naturally rises 2 degrees at ovulation.  If your waking temperature averages from 97.8 to 98.2 degrees it is normal.  Less than 97.8 reflects sluggish thyroid function.

Other Factors that can Make You Cold

It should be noted that there are other factors besides thyroid that can make a person run too cold.  Common ones include:
A) Protein malnutrition that is resulting in a loss of muscle.  Individuals with borderline thyroid should eat at least ½ their ideal weight in grams of protein per day (avoiding excessive intake of soy protein).
B) Nutrients lacking for cellular energy production (co-enzyme B vitamins, malic acid, Q10, magnesium).
C) Nutrients lacking to implement cellular DNA thyroid instructions (iron or zinc).
D) Excessive stress, which pools blood around central organs and makes hands and feet cold.  Anti-inflammatory nutrients are required to fix this, along with stress management.  Fish oil and squalene are very helpful. 
E) A viral infection, even a subclinical viral infection.  Viruses hijack cellular energy production, shutting down energy and heat production, and making excess lactic acid.  This leaves one feeling cold and achy from the lactic acid.  This is why you get the chills from the flu.  Many viruses, like Epstein-Barr or cytomegalovirus, can operate on a low grade basis – enough to make a person cold, tired, and achy.  Such individuals often wake up with a sore throat in the morning.

These coldness issues can masquerade as thyroid problems, and in some cases may in fact be the primary cause of the low thyroid symptoms.  The proof of the source of the problem is in the solution.  Whatever helps get energy on and temperature up is what is needed.  Sometimes this means thyroid support nutrition.  Sometimes it is addressing any issue in A-E above.  And many times it is some combination of approaches, including thyroid support.

Cell Function Determines Heat

Many individuals with sluggish thyroid symptoms are not cold and may even be hot.  Remember, normal cell energy production is 65% energy and 35% heat.  In classic low thyroid both numbers drop.  However, if thyroid hormone is still signaling cells to go, but cells lack nutrients to properly make energy, then a person may make 50% energy and 50% heat.  If the problem worsens a person could make 35% energy and 65% heat.  Such a problem will present itself as low thyroid, but it is really a deficiency in energy-producing nutrients like co-enzyme B vitamins, malic acid, Q10, magnesium, and antioxidants.*

A common reason for low thyroid symptoms with excess heat occurs in the overweight individual.  In this case the body is trying to dispose of surplus fat calories by converting them to 100% heat.  Even though cells are not making adequate energy or heat for proper metabolic purposes, the heat is coming from the desperate attempt of the body to get rid of fat so it doesn’t clog organs, cells, and arteries.  Eating according to the Leptin Diet really helps solve this problem.

Those with thyroid problems often have trouble with temperature extremes, especially hot and cold days.  Hot humid days are stressful; frigid winter days are stressful.  The body’s heat regulating system simply struggles to keep up with environmental demands, especially when they are more extreme. 

The ability to heat up during exercise and cool down following exercise is a test of the thyroid system and a vital necessity for staying physically fit.  Easily overheating from exercise, especially in warmer weather, is a sign of weakness in the thyroid system as is becoming too weak or dizzy during moderate exercise.  Aging is generally associated with deteriorating thyroid function and troubles regulating body temperature.

Fall Season May Trigger Thyroid-Induced Mood Problems

It could be a beautiful Indian summer fall day, but if you have a sluggish thyroid your mood may already be taking a beating.  Fall and spring are often difficult times if you have a struggling thyroid gland.  Large fluctuations in temperature pose a unique stress to the thyroid system. 

Thyroid hormone adjusts itself once every seven days (the half life of the hormone).  While the liver has some ability to slightly modulate the rate at which T4 is converted to T3 on a daily basis, the basic production of thyroid hormone changes more slowly.  When daytime high temperatures vary 25 – 40 degrees over a period of a few days, the thyroid system really struggles to keep up.

The Northern states have been through a tough fall this year from the thyroid point of view.  The first and most obvious symptom is just feeling jolted by the weather changes.  Other symptoms include feeling more sluggish, more tired, and your mood starts to suffer.  The desire for sweet tasting food increases and you may put on a few pounds. 

If you have a borderline thyroid status entering the fall season, it is not uncommon to find yourself in a mental funk, even feeling depressed.  Extra nutrient support for the thyroid is vital during this time.  Heading into the holidays with a sweet tooth raving and an unstable mood is setting the stage for bottoming out in the winter months.

Understanding your body’s heating and cooling system is central to effectively managing thyroid health.

Related articles:
How cold weather shocks your thyroid system.
How thyroid problems cause fatigue.

Thyroid hormone governs the basal metabolic rate, which is like the idling speed of a car engine.  Even when you are sitting in a chair or sleeping your 100 trillion cells keep making energy.  This type of energy production is the foundation for all other energy and hormonal systems.  If it is not up to par, no other system in your body works as well as it should. 

When you step on the gas pedal during the day, this is not thyroid hormone that goes into action.  Increased activity of any kind is controlled by adrenaline, muscle activity, increased calorie burning, and an increased speed at which your cells make energy.  If you have a sluggish thyroid you may still be able to make yourself have the energy to do things based on adrenaline-driven necessity.  You may also notice that you have too much reliance on stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, or cigarettes. 

A demanding day may deplete muscles of fuel and induce enough wear and tear so that natural tiredness follows.  Such fatigue is normal and why we need to sleep.  Even pushing it day after day and cutting sleep short may not be a thyroid problem.  However, such a poor lifestyle is pushing your system and you may eventually develop a thyroid problem as a result.  Getting less than seven hours of sleep per night is asking for trouble.

Thyroid-related fatigue starts to show up when you cannot sustain energy long enough, especially when compared to a past level of fitness or ability.  If the thyroid foundation is weak, sustaining energy output is difficult.  You will notice you just don’t seem to have the energy to do the things you used to be able to do. 

The menstrual cycle, pregnancy, exercise, stress, and physical demands are all examples of increased energy demands requiring increased energy output.  Thus, PMS is almost always a thyroid problem to a degree.  The increased energy demands of the menstrual cycle are simply too much, partly due to an underlying thyroid weakness.  Pregnancy is always a major test of the thyroid, as one’s thyroid is called upon to do metabolic work for two bodies.  This is why thyroid issues often flare up during or following pregnancy. 

Thyroid hormone is synergistic with growth hormone in muscles, and when these two are working properly together then muscles feel fit.  Exercise conditions thyroid hormone to work properly to assist general energy production and a lack of exercise contributes to poor thyroid function.  The more fit your muscles feel, the less likely thyroid-related fatigue will be an issue for you.  If you have poor thyroid function you frequently feel like you don’t have the energy to exercise and usually don’t on a consistent basis.  Muscle weakness is a classic hypothyroid symptom.

One of the key symptoms of thyroid fatigue is a heavy or tired head, especially in the afternoon.  Thyroid hormone activity is regulated differently in the brain than anywhere else in the body, as brain cells themselves convert T4 to T3 (active thyroid hormone).  Your head is a very sensitive indicator of thyroid hormone status.  This is different than low blood sugar symptoms from not having eaten for a while.  The head just feels sluggish or tired, lacking clarity or sharpness.  When this head tiredness occurs too many hours in the day then you will feel like you want to sleep all the time and you will feel depressed, signs of more advanced thyroid-related fatigue.

Another key sign of thyroid fatigue is conking out as soon as you sit down and don’t actually have to do something (there is no necessity making you have to do something).  In this case it feels like your body is a car idling too slowly at a stop sign and it just stalls and goes to sleep.  This is a clear sign of thyroid fatigue.

You either do or don’t have the symptoms of thyroid-related fatigue.  If you wake up energized, maintain decent energy throughout the day, are able to maintain mental alertness/sharpness, have energy as needed to meet demands, and your muscles feel fit, you do not have thyroid-related fatigue.  The more you don’t feel this way, the greater the problem.  No lab test is needed.  In many cases thyroid lab tests may still be normal, even though you clearly are not.  The symptoms tell the story and they never lie.

Related Articles:
Byron explains Oprah’s publicly announced thyroid problem
Body Temperature and Thyroid Problems