New Years has come and gone, and you’re probably knee deep into your resolution to lose weight. What’s more, is you’re also starting to feel the effects of hunger cravings. Nighttime comes, and you’re suddenly struck with a craving for bread. Not just one slice, we’re talking about car battery sized loaves!

Is this a symptom of improper dieting? Possibly. But more than likely, you’re suffering from the hormone re-balancing associated with dieting. All this clean food is starting to reprogram your bodies ability to regulate two very important hormones:

Leptin and Ghrelin.

Leptin is a hormone released by the fat stored in your body. The more body fat you have, the higher your leptin levels. These higher levels signal your body to stop making the hunger cravings hormone, Ghrelin. But here’s the rub…

If you have been carrying excess amounts of body fat for too long, your body has desensitized to Leptin signals to reduce hunger cravings . This means that even though you are overweight, you still feel hunger. Now, as you begin to lose body fat, you lower the amount of leptin in your system. So not only are you decreasing the leptin in your system, but you are also still desensitized to it. This causes a two-front attack on your hunger. A perfect storm of insensitivity to leptin and increased ghrelin release from the lowered leptin amounts. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the sheer willpower to overcome these hunger hormones every time they pop up. What can we do?

Vegetables are your best weapon against the hunger battle. They’re low calorie, packed full of vitamins and minerals, and fiber…heaps of it. Fiber will keep you full, and help to quell the onslaught of Ghrelin coursing through your system. After a few weeks, your body will begin to normalize and become Leptin sensitive.

Not only will you feel less hungry, but your body will receive the nutrients vital to a proper digestive system. You’ll begin to process food more efficiently, which means the food that you ARE consuming, will help you train better, focus more, and live longer.

Don’t get me wrong, going from a diet of mostly processed foods like cereal, bread, and chicken fingers (you know who you are, don’t lie to yourself!) is difficult. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth having ever is. Be an adult, and do what you need to do to improve your standard of health. I promise, after it’s all said and done, you’ll never be able to go back to eating the junk food you used to!