I recently had a conversation with my doctor that completely changed the way I look at hunger, dieting, and weight loss. For years, I thought my constant hunger and shakiness while dieting were just part of the my insulin sensitivity which can cause hypoglycemia, despite not being diabetic. Low blood sugar = ravenous hunger and shaking, all hypoglycemic reactions. But as it turns out, my body isn't just reacting to low blood sugar; the issue is leptin resistance.
The Eye-Opening Conversation with My Doctor
Sitting in my doctor’s office, I explained how every diet I tried left me feeling ravenous, exhausted, and shaky. No matter how much I ate (or didn’t eat), it always felt like my body was fighting against me. I had long attributed this to my insulin sensitivity which I touched based on at the beginning of this article. I was diagnosed with insulin sensitivity back in middle school. Insulin essentially equals hunger, and for years, my body was sending me constant signals to eat, even when I logically knew I shouldn’t be hungry. So frustrating!
At times, I even experienced bouts of hypoglycemia—low blood sugar crashes that made me feel weak, dizzy, and desperate for food to the point I felt like I was going pass out if I didn't eat. Again, I’m not diabetic, but these episodes always left me feeling out of control, like my own body was working against me.
I vented all of this to my doctor, expecting the usual advice about eating small meals or cutting carbs. Instead, we ended up having one of the most interesting conversations I’ve ever had about metabolism. That was the first time I had ever heard about leptin—a hormone that plays a major role in hunger regulation.
“Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain you’re full,” he said. “But in people with obesity, the body produces too much of it, and over time, the brain stops responding to it properly.”
That intrigued me. If my brain wasn’t recognizing leptin, no wonder I never felt full! My body was basically ignoring the signals it was supposed to be receiving, leaving me in a state of constant hunger even when I had eaten enough.
What is Inflammation, and Why Does It Matter?
One of the most eye-opening aspects of our conversation was learning how inflammation plays a critical role in leptin resistance. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or stress, but when it becomes chronic, it can disrupt various biological processes—including hormone regulation.
My doctor explained that chronic inflammation, often caused by processed foods, refined sugars, and excessive stress, can interfere with the brain’s ability to recognize leptin. Essentially, the brain becomes “deaf” to satiety signals, making it nearly impossible to feel full. This was an "ah ha!" moment for me. I wasn’t failing at weight loss solely because of a lack of discipline; my body was physically struggling to regulate hunger due to systemic inflammation.
My History with Weight Struggles and the Science That Empowers Me
Something about hearing it framed this way—understanding why I was always so hungry—felt empowering. As a scholar and academic, I’ve always loved digging into the "why" behind things. When I first started my weight loss journey years ago, I approached it like a research project.
Before the pandemic, I was in the best shape of my life. I learned about macronutrients—how protein, fat, and carbs interact with the body—and I even picked up some basic exercise science. I worked with a personal trainer, lifted weights, and even started jogging. At my peak, I had lost 125 pounds and was jogging over six miles a day.
Then COVID happened. The stress, the bad habits, the lack of routine—it all crept back in, and I gained a lot of the weight back. And ever since, it’s felt impossible to recapture that magic from a few years ago.
My “Come to Jesus” Moment
Talking to my doctor about leptin resistance was my real wake-up call. I finally understood a little more of the “why” behind my struggles. I’ve been fortunate—I don’t have any health issues yet, but I am approaching 40, and I know that’s a turning point for many people. That conversation made me realize: I need to tackle this now. I have talked before on this blog about my approaches and yeah, it's been a ride of back and forth with this since my first post on the topic and not many updates about my progress since, because honestly, I have been yo-yoing back and forth.
Learning the science behind it makes me feel empowered rather than defeated. If I understand the mechanisms behind why my body works the way it does, I can try to more effectively take control and work with it rather than feeling like I’m fighting a losing battle.
My New Diet Plan: A Whole Foods Approach
Instead of suggesting a typical low-carb or keto diet, my doctor recommended something a little different. The idea was to stick to the principles of the carnivore diet for protein intake, but still include vegetables and small amounts of fruit to get fiber and micronutrients. The key was keeping it natural—nothing processed, no artificial additives, no refined sugars. My doctor wants me to avoid:
- Grains
- Legumes
- Nuts & seeds
- Sugars & sweeteners (even the “natural” ones)
- Processed foods (which, let’s be honest, should have been off my list already)
Instead, my meals should focus on meat, eggs, and vegetables—real, whole foods that exist in nature. The basic idea is that if it doesn't exist naturally in nature, don't eat it. This is what is meant by "Whole Foods". He emphasized high-protein intake because protein is the most satiating macronutrient and would help reset my hunger cues over time. This of course is something I am well aware of as I am familiar with macronutrients and the science behind them on a basic level.
The Science Behind the Reset
Whole foods reduce inflammation in contrast to processed foods, which is a huge factor in leptin resistance. By eliminating refined sugars, processed carbs, and inflammatory seed oils, I can give my brain a chance to reset and start detecting satiety signals properly again.
Second, protein naturally increases satiety and helps regulate insulin levels. By keeping my meals focused on high-quality protein sources, my body can learn to recognize real hunger versus cravings caused by blood sugar crashes.
And third, removing hyper-palatable processed foods would allow my brain to recalibrate. Foods engineered to make us overeat—like chips, sugary cereals, and fast food—essentially “hijack” hunger cues. By eliminating them, my brain can start detecting real satiety signals again.
The First Week: Carb Withdrawal and Adjustments
I’ve been following this approach for about a week now, and I won’t sugarcoat it—the carb withdrawal was rough. Those first few days, uhg! I felt sluggish, irritable, and my cravings were intense. But I had been here before. Before the pandemic, when I first adopted a high-protein, low-carb diet and counted my macros, I learned all about carb withdrawal firsthand having lived through it once already, and knew it was something I had to push through again. This time, I was ready for it. Thankfully, it only took me about three days to get over that initial hump.
What I’ve Noticed So Far
For the first time in years, I wasn’t constantly thinking about food. I could eat a meal and actually feel satisfied for hours, instead of counting down the minutes until my next snack, just like when I used to count macros prior to the pandemic; I forgot what that felt like! My energy levels have started feeling more stable, and I haven't been experiencing those awful shaky low blood sugar crashes that are the bane of my existence.
I still have a long way to go, but I feel empowered knowing that I finally understand why my body was working against me for so long. Now, I can work with it—and that changes everything.