What Losing Weight Does To Your Body And Brain | The Human Body

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

[phoenixdna]

Another benefit: increased self confidence and that's priceless.

[ihr]

Self control is like a muscle. It gets tired easily in the beginning but the more you exercise it the stronger it gets.

[AdamBorseti]

I've lost 25lb over the summer, just walking every day, lifting weights and trying not to eat as much. It's surprisingly easy to keep the routine going once you get through the first few weeks. Once you start seeing results, you'll start doing more and more just from the positive results and how you feel. At 31, I'm the lightest I've been since I was 17! Interestingly, as I continue to lose weight, friends of mine are finding it! Lol

[afred]

I lost 70 pounds the past 9 months lifting weights, doing cardio exercises and riding a bike. I'm 29 and in even better shape than I was after basic training in the military at 19 years old. If anyone is struggling to lose weight who is reading this..it might be tough, you might want to give up, but keep pushing! Good things will come out of it!

[danielholland]

My mans went on one run that lasted 4 seasons....

[ErnestJay]

Simple :

Losing weight makes you stronger, faster, and smarter.

side effect : "good looking"

[karlbodmer]

Exercising can be hard sometimes but It always makes me feel better. Last year I had almost 300 lbs in body weight. One day I just started moving more, then slow running then I started doing weighted exercises and I was eating clean by following meal plan I got from Next Level Diet. Today I have 200 lbs and I am happy like I never been in my life.

[deansaid]

I've lost 50 pounds over the last four months, and like the video stated, it was easy at first. The pounds literally just melted away, all I would do is walk or jog for an hour 4-5 days a week and have one meal. I was incredulous at the results and berated myself for not starting to lose weight sooner. It seemed so easy, I was highly motivated and had minimal cravings. At around 30 pounds lost, I felt like I hit a plateau, the weight loss slowed, and the cravings(especially late at night) came back in full force. After relapsing I doubled down and made it to losing 40 pounds, but the cravings came back even more intensely, after struggling with that for a while, I pushed on and reached the 50 pound milestone. I still get intense cravings, and it's really hard, but this video helps me understand why and puts things into perspective. Thanks.

[TobasscoJelly]

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!

[GeordieNerdReacts]

My dad went on a run, 32 years ago... He must have some stamina

[macknunez]

For anyone wanting to start or don’t know where to start remember the daily sugar intake for a male is 36 g and the daily intake for a female is 24 g reduce the amount of sugar you take or if can just stop eating sugar at all and you’ll see how much weight you can burn.

[drew]

I was 300lbs just a little over a year ago currently at 207lbs. Getting started is the hardest part but after you get into a routine it’s the simplest thing ever. Best advice to give would be to cut out sugar there are many great zero sugar alternatives out there if you’re craving something sweet. Also working out even if it’s just 3 days a week for an hour you will feel so much better and the results will show in due time.

[JohnQuiroz]

I’ve lost 100 pounds so far this year.

[williamregner]

I used to be really fat. I was on the verge of developing serious health conditions. I remember not being able to tie my shoelaces and my sleep suffered as well. My life changed when I finally set my mind to the thinking that anything is possible if you decide so. I took a meal plan to start with. I created it online, on dietarize, which was super helpful to me. I didn't have to worry about calories, macros, nutrients and all that stuff, I just focused on walking long distances and exercising after I got on a level where I could do some simple workouts. I hope my story will inspire you to do the same. To change your body you must first change your mind!

[Pirelli]

I started using an exercise bike back in March. When I started, I was burning just over 400 calories during my 60 minute workout. Throughout the past nine months, I've increased the difficulty every couple of months and am now up to burning just over 1, 000 calories in 60 minutes. I've been doing this daily since March and lost over 50 pounds. I've been eating healthier, too. I feel healthier, look healthier and my mental state has improved tremendously.

[rw]

For me the tricks to losing and keeping off weight:
-Do small changes gradually: this is a marathon, not a sprint. Do slight adjustments every day means they could be maintained over time.
-Eat a little less than I burn: only eat till I'm not hungry, not till I'm full.
-Befriend slight hunger: be a bit hungry for awhile before I eat. Like intermittent fasting, but not as extreme.
-Reduce sugar intake: I pretty much cut out soft drink, though still eat chocolate once in awhile.
-Use belly fat as a gauge: if I squeeze my belly, and there's still some fat, I could eat a little less.
-Exercise everyday: does not need to be overboard, even a few minutes every day is good.

[alexkoch]

Something no one will tell you about losing weight. You'll be cold AF all the time. Coming from someone who lost 70lbs.

[anthonyb]

Do you think if calories screemed when you burned them you would be more motivated to exercise(i would)

[jrwright]

I’ve been dieting for also 2 years now and I’ve gone from 400 lbs to 238lbs. I went from size 50 pants to 38. My diet was at first diabetic diet then keto. I’m no longer on insulin and control my diabetes with diet. I feel amazing and have more energy. My sleep is more restful and snoring is gone. Losing weight is a battle but it’s worth it.

[zacsstevens]

This is so accurate. I lost 45lbs this year (started 10-months ago). Everything in this video happened to me.