Over recent years the hormone leptin has been under the spotlight. The role it plays in regulating appetite and fat metabolism may be a key in managing weight. Byron Richards addresses leptin imbalances in his book Mastering Leptin.
Diet Blog reader Dr R. Smith was able to provide me with a brief rundown of the diet (which he currently follows).
The five basic rules of the Leptin Diet
- Never eat after dinner
Never go to bed on a full stomach – leaving a gap of 11-12 hours between dinner and breakfast. This apparently allows enough time for optimum fat burning.
- Eat 3 meals per day
In stark contrast to those programs that advocate eating 5-6 times a day, the leptin diet calls for a gap of 5 hours between eating. During the first 3 hours after a meal, the hormone insulin will be storing the energy from food – and our bodies are not fat-burning mode.
- Do not eat large meals
Regular large meals leads to leptin and insulin resistance.
- Eat a high-protein breakfast
This supports blood sugar levels throughout the day. Late afternoon energy crashes are often due to eating a breakfast high in carbohydrates and little protein. A high carbohydrate breakfast, combined with leptin resistance can lead to overeating.
- Reduce the amount and glycemic index of carbohydrates consumed
This is not implying cutting out all carbs, but reducing, in particular starchy carbs. Top check whether too many carbs were eaten weigh yourself in the morning and at bedtime. If bedtime weight is more than 2 pounds over morning weight (and other rules) followed, then too many carbs were consumed.
Never go to bed on a full stomach – leaving a gap of 11-12 hours between dinner and breakfast. This apparently allows enough time for optimum fat burning.
In stark contrast to those programs that advocate eating 5-6 times a day, the leptin diet calls for a gap of 5 hours between eating. During the first 3 hours after a meal, the hormone insulin will be storing the energy from food – and our bodies are not fat-burning mode.
Regular large meals leads to leptin and insulin resistance.
This supports blood sugar levels throughout the day. Late afternoon energy crashes are often due to eating a breakfast high in carbohydrates and little protein. A high carbohydrate breakfast, combined with leptin resistance can lead to overeating.
This is not implying cutting out all carbs, but reducing, in particular starchy carbs. Top check whether too many carbs were eaten weigh yourself in the morning and at bedtime. If bedtime weight is more than 2 pounds over morning weight (and other rules) followed, then too many carbs were consumed.
I certainly concur with rule 4. This has been a key for me – particularly in managing hypoglycemic symptoms. However, when it comes to any diet I strongly advocate learning as much possible before applying any major changes into your lifestyle.
In many respects leptin research is still in it’s infancy – however the Rosedale diet is also based around the concept of correcting leptin imbalances (and uses similar concepts to Mastering Leptin).
In normal weight people, leptin tells them when to “stop eating”. As people gain more fat, their body may stop listening to the leptin signal, and even more leptin is produced, and an imbalance is created. A diet rich in fish may also help to lower leptin levels (see study).
Crissy, no, leptin is not an injection. Leptin is a natural hormone produced by our own stored fat. We make our own leptin, but if you typically overeat and are overweight, then your normal leptin cycle is messed up. We need to eat right (follow the five rules) in order for the leptin cycle to be corrected. And then you can maintain a health weight.
I think people are confused by the three meals a day thing. Nowhere does he say to eat three SMALL meals a day. You eat three regular meals a day. We’re talking 500-600 calories per meal. If you’re eating the right kinds of foods 5-600 calories can go a long way. Read the book before making comments on it. Thanks!
Hi Shelley, I got this response back from Wellness Resources:
Thank you for your email. Non-caloric beverages (without artificial sweeteners) are okay in between meals and include:
o Black coffee (if you add creamer, you have to drink it with your meals, or it counts as a snack)
o Plain hot or iced tea — may add lemon or lime
o Iced water — may add lemon or lime
Avoid:
o Diet sodas, other drinks that use artificial sweeteners – flavored waters, Crystal Lite, etc *this includes stevia and Splenda
o Soy foods/drinks anytime – soy irritates the thyroid gland and can inhibit weight loss
Hope this helps, I had the same question, so you prompted me to ask them!
Not sure when you wrote this, but I just starting out and I am having trouble balancing my carbs to protein. I do much better when I have some examples. I know that everyone is different, but can you give me a day or two of meals that you eat. I know you are much taller than me, but it will still help me get an idea of how to put the food together. Thanks.
This kind of diet really works for those who wants to lose weight quickly,like me. Im Asian & rice is our staple food. Upon knowing that 1 cup of cooked rice has 204 calories,I stopped including rice in my meal. I ate only 2 meals in a day..7am breakfast (fish/vegetables,black coffee & water) & 2pm my lunch veggie salad (lettuce & tomatoes) & water. After 2pm,its only water & coffee,nothing else.. At first 2 weeks this will really starve your stomach,but u’ll get used to it if you really have motivation in yourself that you really wanna lose weight that’s worth it. Meaning not only sheading off wee pounds say 2-4 lbs in a month. I don’t exercise that much. My work requires 9 hours of sitting,5 days in a week. Eating 5-6 meals in a day was a big lie! You’ll never lose weight on that. When I started this I was 134 lbs,after a month I weigh 113 lbs ( lost 21 lbs) & another month again..now I weigh 97 lbs (lost 16 lbs). Still continuing,my target weight is 92 lbs (my height is 5’3 & 34 yrs of age). I’ve never been happy like this.
I wanted to give my feedback on the Leptin Diet. I read Mastering Leptin in April and have implemented the five rules after reading. I lost an average of 3 pounds per week for the first two months and have continued to lose 1-2 pounds per week after that. I have tried every other diet in the past and I always felt like i was starving myself and food was all i ever thought about. Not with the leptin Diet. I have more energy and only think about food at my meals. I have lost 35 pounds (target 50 lbs) and feel better than I ever have. I would recommend the book and all of the help I received for free on Byron’s website (www.wellnessresources.com). It has been a lifesaver for me.
Byron Richards actually wrote another book, The Leptin Diet, which was a shorter book about Leptin. It’s a great read and not as intense as Mastering Leptin. It focuses on what the average person needs to know about leptin. Byron Richards actually created the five rules of the leptin diet and was the first nutritionist to write about it. If you want to know exactly how to lose weight with the leptin diet, and the basis behind it, I’d read The Leptin Diet straight from the horses mouth.
It’s also important to note that when you eat in harmony with leptin it not only makes you lose weight but you dodge future disease such as cardiovascular problems. Not only is it important to give your body time to burn stored fat for weight loss but it’s important to burn this stored fat to keep your cardiovascular system working properly.
If you can’t eat just three meals a day and must eat all the time because of food cravings I strongly suggest you use natual appetite suppressants to curb cravings such as Pine Nut Oil or Leptislim. If you don’t get those food cravings under control you are on the fast track to high blood pressure and heart disease.
I just wanted to let everyone know that it is now past five weeks since starting The Leptin Diet and I have lost 13 pounds total. I am averaging almost 3 pounds per week and that is about all I want to lose in order to keep it off and be sure that it is truly fat and not muscle or just water. I feel it has been very successful for me alhtough before bedtime I actually have quite a battle as I am usually pretty hungry. But…..I stick with it and faithfully wait the 12 hours before having breakfast. I am trying to get my evening meal worked out to exactly three hours before bedtime in order to beat that “I am so hungry” thing going on. I think that this will help me to avoid the hunger I feel. I eat at least 400 cals in my evening meal and very healhty ones at that so I really should not be that hungry. This puzzles me but I think as I get further into the weight loss I will find that it is a plus and not a minus knowing that my body is burning up stored fat and not “Immediate” calories! I really like the”Mastering Leptin” book Byron Richards wrote but I would not recommend paying for another book unless you have fibromyalgia, diabetes or hypothyoid as it is quite intense and thick book…not anything anyone would want to read unless they have these medical problems.
My husband says I look so much better already..no puffiness in my face and slimmer around the waist and my tummy buldge is disappearing. I knew it was working when my six year old granddaughter said…Nana where has your tummy gone!
I have been on The Leptin Diet for a while now. My sister clued me in on it when she has been so successful on it and she is nearing 70 years of age. I am a Fibromyalgia patient with numerous secondary illnesses such as adrenal insufficieny, IC, IBS, Intestinal Metaplasia, Hypothyroid, HBP, etc., etc. I have battled with my weight these past three years since adrenal insufficiency and the weight piling on after recovery. I am only now seeing that The Leptin Diet is for me. I eat 1200 cals a day and really eat quite a lot at each meal by carefully planning it out. I eat a variety of foods but mostly greens, green smoothies, fish, chicken, eggs, fruit (small amounts at at time) and lots of steamed or baked veggies. Having a big garden helps..nutrition wise and exercise wise. I found that not eating sweets, breads and dairy (other than yogurt in moderation) I have done very well. Sweets have always made me crave more sweets and bread and dairy have always tore my stomach up and caused severe constipation. I am doing so well and feel so much better that I just can hardly believe it. Few flareups of Fibro since starting. It has been raining and that usually means a lot of pain for me ….I am the weather lady around here!!! But I have had no pain these past two rainy days!
But…I find that the more I control what I eat, how much I eat, and no sweets or eating after dinner has been a major factor in regaining my health. When I lose that thirty more pounds I think the doctor will consider taking me off of HBP meds completely! I love the Leptin Diet but call it more a life change in eating habits. At 55 I know I cannot remain this heavy or my health will continue to fail. I know this is not for everyone…but…it is working for me!
What date did you start, ie; how long did it take to lose the 25# and may I ask how much you weighed at start?
I’m 164, 5’5″, and want to lose 14 pounds and when you aren’t THAT overweight, it seems lots harder to stick to and lose since I already (9 years ago) lost 40 pounds and have kept it off but still have fat I need to get rid of.
The basic explanation that he gives for the extra weight gain is that carbohydrate calories not burned and resident in the blood stream tend to attract and glob with water molecules in the system leading to slight water-weight gain when everything goes back in storage. If you don’t use the carbs you eat during the course of the day, you will see a bit of a weight increase at the end of the day. That’s not to say you are necessarily getting fatter – it is saying that you are taking in more than enough carbs to keep your system occupied – which is only unhelpful if you are ttrying to get your body to burn through he carbs you eat during the day to start unlocking some of the fat stores you have overnight…
Agreed with the other comment – he definitely does not means 3 rabbit meals – the general guidelines for someone on the leptin diet who is trying to lose weight is a palm sized portion of protein matched with an equal visual amount of simpler carbohydrates (potatoes, WW pasta, rice) – leafy greens are an exception – these can be added where desired.
Some people, when working out, may add more carbs at the meal prior – any earlier and it simply moves to fat. However, after doing this for awhile I found that I had more energy during workouts without the extra carb (50/50 is great for me) and the quality of my energy actually increased after the first 40-50 minutes of the workout. I also broke through a mass plateau – the suggestion is that if you eat a large meal or more protein than you need, your body gets used to burning both carbs and converted proteins as sugar instead of using them to rebuild… smaller meals prevents extra calories being eaten from being subverted (and setting up bad metabolic pathways) in the first place.
Do not underestimate the power of rule 5. Eliminating excess simple carbs and sugars from your diet is essential to getting the benefits of burning fat. There is no way around it. Frankly, I was skeptical but now I tend to agree, the anticipation of improved performance throughout the day when eating proper foods outweighs any cravings that I generally have for sugar or ‘food rewards.’ I also find that a tablespoon of Norwegian cod liver oil in the AM is a tremendous boost to my performance level throughout the day – and works with the protein breakfast to curb sugar cravings as well.
Hi Steve
I read your testimonial of The Leptin Diet & it has inspired me to give it a go. I recently was diagnosed with having Diabetes 2 & put on Metformin tablets, 1 a day. For the 10 days I took them I had a dreadful headache that made me feel very nauseous. I stopped taking them & feel better but want to bring my blood sugar levels down naturally. I have a machine to prick my finger daily so I can keep track of my levels . I have read thru a site (Dr. Mercola) that taking prescribed tablets for diabetes makes it much worse. Could you reply giving me a rough outline of what your daily diet consists of please? I would appreciate it, Thank you & congratulations you’ve done so well! Sallie.
Check out the rice diet, you may find it very interesting. It was very successful and very do-able for me. And I think coincides quite a bit with the above.
Drinks with calories are snacks. Anything that will cause your blood sugar to rise will have an effect on leptin. So, having 0 calorie drinks, like herbal tea is fine in between meals, just like water. But, if you drink coffee with cream and sugar, or mocha, or a coke, no good – that would not allow your leptin levels to go back to normal. You need 5 hours in between meals.
I always go back to this diet. I get cocky sometimes and think i can snack. Then I get tired, lazy, and gain some poof in my stomach area, and I’m back to the Leptin Diet. It’s not easy b/c of our society’s obsession with the 5-6 meals and snacks a day, but once you make it a habit, it becomes “cake.” Hmmm, did someone say cake?
Hi, when he means three small meals a day he does’nt mean a carrot stick, piece of bread and a glass of water. everyone has there own BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is the rate you burn calories for a 140 lb women your body burns at least 1500 calories a day this is with out doing anything now if you were to consume 1500 calories a day then did some light activities such as gardening or going for a walk you will burn calories and lose weight. Now imagine 1500 calories divided into 3 meals this is 500 calories per meal that really is not so small, you can eat generously if you stay by his 50/50/ rule which is palm size protein and palm size starch and half a plate of veggies.
Tera
C.P.T/C.N.S/C.S.N
Hmmm… I went from eating 3 meals a day to 7-8 small meals – all properly balanced with fat/protein/carbs. I’ve been losing 1-2 pounds per week and have tons of energy. For the first time in my life I haven’t felt the need to binge (well, since high school). My productivity has sky rocketed and haven’t felt this good since… I don’t know when. I guess everyone’s system is different. So many diets… I’m confused.
I am not sure if people are still looking at this post as it is from 2006, but I did want to give my two cents. I started the Leptin Diet in May of 2007. At the time, I weighed 350 pounds(5’10”) and was seriously contemplating surgery to help. I could always lose weight on a diet, but eventually I would get sick of the diet and go off and gain all the weight and more back. Once on the Leptin Diet, I noticed that I had more energy and was able to lose weight like on other diets, but since it was more about changing my eating habits, I never got sick of it. I continued to lose 2-4 pounds a week throughout 2007 and into early 2008. Once I got to 250 pounds (Feb. 2008), I have been a bit less structured, but I do continue to stick closely to plan and have continued to take the weight off slow and steady. I am now 207 pounds (2 years later) and feel alive again. I have no concerns about keeping the weight off as I am “just living my life” as I should have been all along. Thank you… thank you… thank you…
As far as the drink question goes, I was curious and called Wellness Resources (Byron’s company – wonderful health website) and got an answer from a very nice young lady. A drink in between meals counts as a snack if it contains 20 (or so) calories or more. This means tea without sweetner was a great in-between “snack” that didn’t cause a release of insulin.
Did anybody answer on the drinks as snacks issue? I am keen to know what juice/ice tea will count as…..
Amazing. Have gradually lost 8 pounds in two months, and have never felt better. The higher protein at meals has been key, as well as cutting way down on sugar. That said, if I go out to eat with friends, I eat as much as and whatever I want, and simply resume the regular pattern later. It’s very simple, no counting calories, thinking about food constantly, etc.
I have found the best product!!! maxwlx you can
find it at http://www.maxoutyourhealth.com
the weight has really been easier to shed..
of course changing your habits as you have
decribed is perfect. thanks for the ideas..lynn
Thank you for this review. I was going to buy the book and try to follow it, but since I am an insulin diabetic, the doctor advises against it. They have me on three small meals, three small snacks.
Just learning about the leptin diet. Haven’t started it yet. It seems like am awefully lot of food to eat, way more than I’m used to, especially breakfast. I usually only have a protein shake. And what happens after the 5 week plan? And how do you get and answer to your question?
Sorry Byron, that was a typo…..I do know how to spell your name really!
I have been doing this diet since Jan and I love it. Have lost 25 lbs (about 30 to go) and my energy levels have never felt better. Before I used to eat 5-6 small meals a day and the weight piled on and my energy levels were atrocious I used to yo yo between feelings of being full, hyper and hyperglycaemic. I was basically exhausted all the time. When i tried the Leptin Diet the first day of 3 meals no snacks required a lot of will power but the next day was fine and very quickly I started to thrive on it. Not snacking doesn’t make me feel faint or starving hungry, even on a gym day. If you eat 3 sensible balanced meals you shouldn’t need to snack. I don’t believe in dietary supplements for the sake of it so I have done this by sensible eating and upping my exercise alone. No pills, injections, all natural. I am just starting to get into much smaller clothes I haven’t been able to wear for years woohooo! Thank you Bryon Richards you are a life saver!
is leptin an injection? and if so does my doctor give the injection or prescribe it?
The book is vague on the actual rules. Can I have iced tea between meals? Page 166 in Is Caffeine Good or Bad? states “when such drinks are consumed between meals, they are counted as snacks”. However he was talking about coffee drinks like latte and mocha. I am confused. Help please.
But we talk about how man ate years ago. So here is the question. If early man ate so healthy, they were so smart, how come they didn’t live that long. I mean really, all these stories about the potential for people to live to 120 years, really, how often do people live? I think we stress out over what to eat, thus worrying to much, then that alone makes it harder for people to burn off fat…stress.
What about the leptin injections?
Are those effective?
Part of Byron Richards 5 post about the scale is very wrong.
You can gain 5 to 6 pounds of fake weight at night. It doesn’t mean you ate too many carbs. You can be on a very low carb diet and still be heavyer in the night. Has anyone else spotted this but me?
I am not diabetic but diabetics need to eat mini meals.
If you eat small meals at only three times a day you will lose weight but not everyone can stick to that and for some would mean binge city. Also people hate being told when to eat.
I lost weight eating at night and medical studies done say that people can eat late at night as long as they monitor the calories.
Proteins keep you fuller.
.
A lot of times the pharmacological benefits world is running 10x faster than the scientific, which lags due to a number of factors such as competence in research, money, and time. In my lab, a team is working on locating the leptin receptor. So far, they haven’t even been able to identify the size. It’s funny that even though we don’t know how leptin is regulated, we can make money off of what we know it can do.
Don’t go to bed on a full stomach, 5 hours between meals, small meals. Sounds like a typical reduced calorie diet to me.
I agree with his 5 tips he says about weight loss and believe they are an excellent piece of advice. I will have to look a little more into this diet but so far it seems pretty good to me.
After 4 weeks of following this plan I can’t remember feeling better. I have shed 16 pounds of mostly fat in a month and at 6’10″ and 215 I am at my 18 year old weight and am currently 52 years old.
It was difficult the first few days going from 6 meals per day to three – I tended to over eat. This was related to the anxiety of not being able to eat anything else for 6 hours or until morning.
I am no longer very hungry or obsessed with my next meal or snack. Peak energy occurs between 3 – 6 hours after eating for me.
I will put new photos on my website soon.
hi, just been reading your blog on the leptin diet, can i ask you what a typical days food is for you and the times you eat ?
Healthynerd: Yes you may. It never ceases to amaze me how there can be so many different books about the same subject.
Lulu: Great comments. And it is a dilemma. Eat 5-6 “mini-meals” and you can easily overeat. Eat 3 meals, and you have a much higher chance of binging.
I’m done with protein shakes – but I am a believer that for some people – including appropriate amounts of protein does assist satiety and hypoglycemia.
Woohoo!
Make sure you reduce those carbs!!!
If everyone lived by the rules 2 and 3 no one would be overweight, regardless of leptins, carbs or no carbs. The problem is that the rules 2 and 3 are very difficult to follow. If I eat only 3 times a day, there is no way I can keep my meals small. And it means that I am going to balloon to whole new propotions.
On the other hand, the “6 small meals a day” does not work for me, either. That would mean thinking about food all the time, which I cannot do. I am trying to live my life as if there were other things in life than eating all the time and planning my eating. I am sure many of us with emotional eating issues feel the same way as I do.
And this, I think, is the dilemma for most of us struggling with our eating habits. Finding a way to eat sensible, appropriate-sized meals 3-4 times a day, in a way that fits our work schedules etc, without binges and all kinds of weird dieting plans.
However, I am exploring what kind of an effect having enough protein in my diet ( at least 1 gram per every kg of weight) has on the easiness in maintaining a sensible eating pattern (a bit like rule no.4). I have noticed that it does make the management of eating easier. But planning the “enough-protein diet” and even helping it by using protein shakes is not always appealing and easy.
I posted a similar article yesterday, if I may.
Link
3,4 and 5 are spot on. 1 and 2 are…well, how should I put this? Hmm, 1 and 2 are “foggy”, at best.