Comments on: Leptin, low-carb and hunger

By: Tamara Wells

Tamara Wells — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:46:50 +0000

Hi, I have a 13 yr old boy that has medical problems as wells as behavior , but as long as i can remember he has been over weight he weighted 24.6 at 4 mos old . I have done alot to correct this nothing works hes 297 pounds at 13 . My question is when doctors do blood work do they test for this leptin or do have to specify for the test.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:10:28 +0000

Would you speak to leptin levels and keeping carbs too low too long causing stalls?

I’m trying to understand this whole leptin thing. But what I’ve read is that people on LC diets who think going lower is better eventually stall because carbs are too low. Something to do with leptin. If they gradually increased their carbs instead as recommended by Dr. Atkins until they reached the critical level for losing, they don’t stall because whatever too low a carb intake does to leptin doesn’t happen because carbs are adequate. This is where the “refeed” theory and “whoosh after a carb blow-out” discussions come in on many LC bulletin boards.

Could you explain the biology/chemistry of all this in plain talk like you do so well?

Thank you.

By: Rabbi Hirsch Meisels

Rabbi Hirsch Meisels — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:43:38 +0000

I read somewhere that when leptin is high, CRP rises, platelets tend to clot aggressively, and blood pressure rises–all factors contributing to heart disease. What is the story behind the Leptin? is it good or not?
In the following link they seem to be very excited that LCing reduces Leptin.
See http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v12/n11s/full/oby2004276a.html

By: Jennifer B.

Jennifer B. — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:25:39 +0000

Hi there!
Here’s my issue, I am a personal trainer so I workout regularly and keep a daily food log. About 4 years ago, my body started holding on to weight. I went to 2 different nutritionists who weren’t able to do much for me since my diet is very clean. I tried the hi-carb & lo-carb cycling but didn’t see any results in weight loss. At the beginning of May ‘09, I went to a medical clinic who did a blood panel. My Free T3 was 2.9, CRP was 3.13 (should be under 1.5 but, I worked out that day so that may have caused the inflammation), Reverse T3 was 340, and my Leptin level was 4.0. I was also told that I am insulin resistant. So, I was prescribed T3 (10 mcg to start, I’m now up to 40 mcg) and Byetta (5 mcg) which I inject twice daily prior to my meals. I’m on my 2nd month of Byetta. So far I’ve dropped 4 lbs. but don’t know if this is the best course of action or if there is something more I could be doing. Any advice?

For medico-legal reasons, I can’t give personal advice over the internet to people who aren’t patients of mine. I’m not sure, however, that the labs you got indicate insulin resistance. And if I did think you were insulin resistant, I don’t think I would be giving you the Byetta, especially if I wanted to help you lose weight. But you need to work this out with your own physician.

By: Anni Thy

Anni Thy — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:13:07 +0000

Hi
I find your review on this matter quite fascinating, since I just got a newsletter regarding leptin.
Recently, a new e-book on how to lose weight by having an ‘overeating’ day pr. week has been released, where you consume mostly carbs on that one day, while staying on a low calorie diet with mostly protein, fat and complex carbs for the rest of the week. The idea is, that the ‘cheaing day’ will increase leptin levels and hence make you continue to lose weight, since the normal low calorie diet will make your leptin level decrease.
As I understand your point, leptine levels do not decrease, even if you are on a low calorie diet and if that’s right, the ‘cheating day’ would be wasted, if I’m correct?
I have tried to find as much info on this matter as possible but you review seem to be the best available, understandable one I don’t want to waste more energy on useless diets than is strictly necessary.

/Anni

By: Kelsey

Kelsey — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:45:18 +0000

Dr. Eades,

I am creating a website about leptin for my biochemistry class. I am posting to ask permission to use the above image (with the arcuate nucleus). I will disassemble the site after it has been graded in May.

Sure. Go for it. I don’t even remember where I got it.

By: tera

tera — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:30:53 +0000

what do you think of carbohydrate cycling? I just started doing it and lost 11lbs what I do is 3 day low-carb, 4th day higher carb. On the low-carb days I limit my carb intake to 20 NET carbs and on the higher carb day is 100 Net carbs. In doing this it will keep your metabolism from dropping. the carbs i eat on low days are fibrous veggies and on hi days i eat complex carbs and i limit my calorie intake to 1200 daily and i eat six small meals a day.

Some people report success with carb cycling. I’ve never been a big fan. In your case, the higher carb day isn’t all that high. Some people really go after the carbs on ‘carb’ days.

By: nonegiven

nonegiven — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 16:10:08 +0000

If a morbidly obese person is eating gobs of carbs, mostly refined, and is hungry all the time with undiagnosed diabetes, how could this person have triglycerides under 150?

Hard to figure.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:25:25 +0000

Great post. This made it all the way to the atkinsdietbulletinboard.

Glad to see it. Thanks.

By: mike d.

mike d. — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:26:26 +0000

Here is what the AHA says:

“People with high triglycerides may need to substitute monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats —such as those found in canola oil, olive oil or liquid margarine — for saturated fats. ”

They just won’t say too many carbohydrates, only too many calories and or saturated fats are the main concern for most people.