Special thanks to John Gunstad, professor with the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University, for speaking with us about his cutting-edge research on how losing weight affects brain function.
Following is the transcript of the video:
Here’s what losing weight does to your body and brain.
During the first week, you may find it easy to lose weight by simply switching to a healthier diet. But as your metabolism adjusts, you won’t burn as many calories as you used to.
So losing additional weight will become harder.
Making matters worse, as the fat melts away, you’ll start to experience an increase in appetite. After a meal, fat cells release a hormone called leptin into the bloodstream.
This surge in leptin levels signals to your brain you’re full and should stop eating. But with less overall fat, people who lose weight show a measurable dip in leptin.
Brain scans of obese patients who had lost 10% of their body weight revealed that less leptin leads to increased activity in regions of the brain that control our desire to eat.
The result isn’t just an increased appetite but an even stronger urge to eat fatty, high-calorie foods, because your brain is trying to restore the body’s leptin levels to normal.
However, fighting that early impulse to gorge on pizza and donuts is worth it in the long run.
Besides the decreased risk of heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, scientists studying overweight people discovered that losing just one pound of body weight reduces four pounds of pressure on knee joints.
Losing excess weight also reduces strain on the blood vessels, increases blood flow to the brain, and boosts overall brain function.
Several studies have shown that people who underwent weight-loss surgery saw an improvement in memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills in as soon as three months.
Plus, brain scans indicate that people who lost weight and kept it off for nine months reacted differently when shown images of high-calorie foods than before they lost the weight.
The brain regions that process reward, motivation, and taste didn’t react as strongly, whereas the areas that promote overall self-control had a boost in activity.
So fighting those cravings early on might make them easier to control later. Turns out — like anything else — losing weight can get easier with practice.
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What Losing Weight Does To Your Body And Brain | The Human Body
Do you think if calories screemed when you burned them you would be more motivated to exercise(i would)
Something no one will tell you about losing weight. You’ll be cold AF all the time. Coming from someone who lost 70lbs.
Have to say after losing 20kg in 7 months my cravings for high carb/fatty foods like pizza have dipped drastically. First few months the cravings were high but with a cheat day once a week it kept it all in check.
STAY STRONG PEOPLE, weight loss is about patience and commitment. Good luck!
My mans went on one run that lasted 4 seasons….
Thank you so much this is just what I needed to hear! Im actually on that constant hungry feeling at the moment. Now I know how important it is that I restrain myself. Again thank you!!!
Intermittent Fasting + daily workout change my life.
Did you hear about Agoge Diet? These guys deserve a medal. Their customized training and diet plan helped me change my life. I can’t thank them enough
I was so bored during the quarantine period that I started working out to kill time. Now I have a top notch body.
moral of the story: Get bored.
The hardest part, at least for me, is getting started. I’m beginning to reduce my sugar intake and raise my water intake and look to increase my activity level. So sensible changes that can last a while.
I lost almost 10kgs in 5weeks. Only the first n second week u will feel the urge and cravings, but the weeks after that are relatively easy. Your body is really good at adjusting. At 6th week, you can go with just one meal and not feeling hungry at all until ur next meal the next day. And still feel energized. Just drink plenty of plain water. And good luck to anyone going on weight loss journey ♥️♥️
My dad went on a run, 32 years ago… He must have some stamina
Great video and straight to the point. I’ve just started to get myself in shape because I honestly hate being overweight and need to change for good!!!