MensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex
  • Nutrition
  • Style
  • Weight Loss
  • Life
  • Podcasts
  • Motoring
  • Video
MensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex
  • Nutrition
  • Style
  • Weight Loss
  • Life
  • Podcasts
  • Motoring
  • Video
Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic
Watch 0:10

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic

{headline}

{headline}

How Lewis Hamilton Uses Altitude Training To Get ‘His Mind And Body Right’

How Lewis Hamilton Uses Altitude Training To Get ‘His Mind And Body Right’

Is It Healthy To Combine Intermittent Fasting With Keto?

Is It Healthy To Combine Intermittent Fasting With Keto?

11 Reasons You've Hit A Plateau With Your Training

11 Reasons You've Hit A Plateau With Your Training

The 'Lazy Keto' Is Way Easier To Follow, But Does It Work?

The 'Lazy Keto' Is Way Easier To Follow, But Does It Work?

{headline}

{headline}

These 20 Vegetables Are Surprising Sources Protein

These 20 Vegetables Are Surprising Sources Protein

5 Simple Tricks That Helped Chris Pratt Get Shredded

5 Simple Tricks That Helped Chris Pratt Get Shredded

MasterChef's Reece's 35kg Weight Loss Is Seriously Impressive

MasterChef's Reece's 35kg Weight Loss Is Seriously Impressive

{headline}

{headline}

Mark Walhberg Explains How He Shred 4.5kg In 5 Days

Mark Walhberg Explains How He Shred 4.5kg In 5 Days

'Jersey Shore' Star Vinny Guadagnino Shares Incredible Weight Loss

'Jersey Shore' Star Vinny Guadagnino Shares Incredible Weight Loss

A Simple Workout Plan And Calorie Tracking Helped This Guy Lose 18Kg

A Simple Workout Plan And Calorie Tracking Helped This Guy Lose 18Kg

Survivor Star Zach Kozyrski Lost 13Kg In Just Over A Month

Survivor Star Zach Kozyrski Lost 13Kg In Just Over A Month

4 Ways To Curb Your Sugar Cravings

4 Ways To Curb Your Sugar Cravings

What It Really Takes To Lose 127Kg, From A Guy Who Did It

What It Really Takes To Lose 127Kg, From A Guy Who Did It

Mark Wahlberg Shares How He Got In Shape For Spenser Confidential

Mark Wahlberg Shares How He Got In Shape For Spenser Confidential

  1. Home
  2. Weight Loss

Hack Your Hormones, Bust Your Gut

Balance your body chemistry to burn more fat - by K. ALEISHA FETTERS
  • 17 Aug 2016
Hack Your Hormones, Bust Your Gut
SHUTTERSTOCK

Fat Burner

Irisin

 

If you haven’t heard of brown fat, here’s your primer: unlike the white fat that jiggles when you do burpees, the brown stuff is firm and metabolically active. Fifty grams of brown fat burns about 1250 kilojoules a day. And as it turns out, a hormone exists that can turn your white fat brown. It’s called irisin. Its existence in humans was confirmed only recently, says Dr Christiane Wrann, of the Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. If you can get your veins to course with irisin, you might be able to eliminate that burpee jiggle.

 

FREEZE YOUR ARSE OFF 

Shivering for 10-15 minutes increases your irisin production about as much as an hour of moderate exercise does, according to research from the US National Institutes of Health. If you’re not willing to freeze then keep your biggest muscles – the ones in your legs – contracting, says Wrann. Running and cycling will do the trick.

 

Related: Get On Your Bike

 

Hunger Regulators

Ghrelin and Leptin

 

These two characters are constantly fighting to tell you how much food you need to eat. Ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry, is secreted by the stomach walls. Leptin, released from fat cells, tells your body that your energy stores are full.

 

Once in your bloodstream, both hormones flow towards your brain’s hypothalamus. In healthy men, the one that shows up in the greatest numbers wins. But when you stop taking care of yourself, your body becomes resistant to leptin. The result: ghrelin – the hunger-causing hormone – starts winning the battles.

 

LIGHTS OUT 

According to researchers at Pennsylvania State University, people who sleep fewer than six hours a night see appetite-inducing ghrelin levels surge while leptin declines. And no, sleeping in at the weekend doesn’t compensate for the damage. If you want a flat belly, you need plenty of shut-eye every night.

 

Related: 5 Bedtime Beverages That Can Help You Lose Weight

 

Metabolism Boosters

Thyroid Hormones

 

The thyroid, a bat-shaped gland in your neck, churns out the hormones T3 and T4, which travel through your body, telling each cell how much energy to produce and expend. That determines your basal metabolic rate – how many kilojoules you burn before factoring in daily activities and exercise, says Dr Steven Lamm, of New York University’s Tisch Centre for Men’s Health. Even small dips in T3 and T4 can cause your metabolism to stall and the kilos to mount. If the dip is sudden, it could be due to a tumour or autoimmune condition, such as Hashimoto’s disease.

 

DINE ON IODINE  

If your body weight spikes, see your doctor, says Lamm. A simple blood test can determine whether you have a thyroid disorder. Otherwise, keep the gland healthy by consuming about 150 micrograms of dietary iodine a day. The mineral is essential for your body’s T3 and T4 production. Saltwater seafood, dairy and eggs are all good sources.

 

Related: Plate Up A Weight-Loss Boost

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Recommended to you

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic
Watch 0:10

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic

{headline}

{headline}

How Lewis Hamilton Uses Altitude Training To Get ‘His Mind And Body Right’

How Lewis Hamilton Uses Altitude Training To Get ‘His Mind And Body Right’

Is It Healthy To Combine Intermittent Fasting With Keto?

Is It Healthy To Combine Intermittent Fasting With Keto?

11 Reasons You've Hit A Plateau With Your Training

11 Reasons You've Hit A Plateau With Your Training

The 'Lazy Keto' Is Way Easier To Follow, But Does It Work?

The 'Lazy Keto' Is Way Easier To Follow, But Does It Work?

{headline}

{headline}

These 20 Vegetables Are Surprising Sources Protein

These 20 Vegetables Are Surprising Sources Protein

5 Simple Tricks That Helped Chris Pratt Get Shredded

5 Simple Tricks That Helped Chris Pratt Get Shredded

MasterChef's Reece's 35kg Weight Loss Is Seriously Impressive

MasterChef's Reece's 35kg Weight Loss Is Seriously Impressive

{headline}

{headline}

Mark Walhberg Explains How He Shred 4.5kg In 5 Days

Mark Walhberg Explains How He Shred 4.5kg In 5 Days

'Jersey Shore' Star Vinny Guadagnino Shares Incredible Weight Loss

'Jersey Shore' Star Vinny Guadagnino Shares Incredible Weight Loss

A Simple Workout Plan And Calorie Tracking Helped This Guy Lose 18Kg

A Simple Workout Plan And Calorie Tracking Helped This Guy Lose 18Kg

Survivor Star Zach Kozyrski Lost 13Kg In Just Over A Month

Survivor Star Zach Kozyrski Lost 13Kg In Just Over A Month

4 Ways To Curb Your Sugar Cravings

4 Ways To Curb Your Sugar Cravings

What It Really Takes To Lose 127Kg, From A Guy Who Did It

What It Really Takes To Lose 127Kg, From A Guy Who Did It

Mark Wahlberg Shares How He Got In Shape For Spenser Confidential

Mark Wahlberg Shares How He Got In Shape For Spenser Confidential

MensHealth
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

Brands

  • Women's Health

Our Network

  • Paragon Media Pty Ltd
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Men's Health

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe Now-

Shop This Offer
Subscribe Now