Mastering Leptin: Your Guide to Permanent Weight Loss and Optimum Health

In 2009 I was told by my doctor that I had low leptin levels. Unfortunately, the doctor also gave me terrible advice for my laundry list of problems: reactive hypoglycemia, high cholesterol, skin problems, high cortisol levels, muscle pain, insomnia, and debilitating cognitive difficulties. My thyroid failed and I moved into menopause abruptly. Thr doctor's dietary advice caused me to gain 30 pounds in 90 days. My former doctor has a successful medical preventative medicine practice in Seattle claiming expertise in metabolism and dietary matters. I had always been slender and fit and I found myself unable to lose the weight. NOTHING worked, even the most draconian dietary methods combined with a serious exercise regime. I began to feel like one of those people we all hear about who say that no matter what, they can't lose weight. Until I was in that spot myself, I could not believe their claims. Fat and sore and miserable, I felt I was on the fast track to dying young. I saw specialists and a naturopath, but made no progress. I was spending a fortune on monthly blood tests and doctor fees and only getting sicker. A blood test showing that I had low leptin levels caught my attention. People who have gastric bypass surgery and anorexia have this problem, and I could not figure out why yet another of my hormone systems was out of balance. I set out to find out if balancing leptin would be the key for me and learned of Byron Richardson's web site and books. It seemed that the leptin "diet" can be used for weight loss, but even more importantly the things you will learn can be used for wellness. Fast forward to 2015: this book literally changed my life. The easy rules allowed me to drop the excess pounds, fixed my reactive hypoglycemia, resolve the brain function issues, eliminated the muscle pain, and even helped with my thyroid. Everything fell back into place for me. I felt better after ten days, so told my doctor about this amazing book. She completely rejected the notion that she could learn something from it. Now she is my former doctor and I have no health problems. I really appreciate the detailed scientific explanations about exactly why certain things (such as eating late at night) are harmful and why other actions/ foods / exercises/ supplements are helpful. This book is not a gimmick - if you follow the program, you will lose weight. And you will never be hungry. I have read and re-read this book on my kindle several times because there is so much information that I find additional value with each re-reading. I'm now at top form, looking and am now feeling truly great. Byron Richards would speak on his podcasts about how he did not want to put together meal plans, but if you purchase Dr. Mark Hyman's website or book "10 Day Detox," the delicious recipes will work for you. His advice is much the same, but I really like the details that Mastering Leptin offers. Just eat whole foods, not things made in factories with ingredients that only a chemist would recognize. Whole foods fill you up. Eat protein first thing for breakfast. Give up breads and sugars. Space your meals. Yes, I can cheat from time to time and I have no guilt about it when I do. I also recognize that when I eat unhealthy things I will not feel well, so I don't cheat often. This book will be well worth the purchase price. You can also use wellness resources.com, the accompanying web site which has additional information. Best of luck to you!

For 30 years I have had a seesaw battle with 15-20 pounds of unwanted weight on my stomach. Earlier this year I had an MRI that revealed that I had a fatty liver. Before studying Mastering Leptin I had all but given up on having a trim waistline. 2 1/2 weeks ago I started following the principals laid out in this regime. Since that time I have easily lost 6 pounds. I was a big snacker. By eliminating this habit the pounds are falling of, my mood and energy level have improved and my gut feels awesome. This is definitely the best way that I have found to live a healthier, fitter life. I intend to follow the teachings of this book for the rest of my life. The results are just too good and the method is too simple not to continue. It works. The author offers a great deal of technical information as to why this method works as well as explaining the pitfalls of eating outside of these parameters. Some of the information is hard to understand for the average non Mensa Joe but would be beneficial to those who can grasp it. The system itself is very easy to work though. A thousand thank you's to the author. I expect to live a longer, more robust, happier life because of him. JAN 1st 2015 Update On my weigh in this morning I was down 12 pounds from my start up on this plan OCT 22nd, 2014 and 17 pounds lighter than I was a year ago on this date.. If I had been adhering more closely to the plan I would have lost even more weight but that's human nature for you. My downfall is chasing my daily cod liver oil tonic with (quite) a few peppermint chocolates. I believe that some of the negative of this book are unfair, especially the one that at this time is listed as the most helpful critical review. I, along with many others only ate three meals a day "however" my hand was all too frequently reaching for snacks in between meals. Although the rules of this program are simple the book also explains in great detail why this system is effective. I continue to be very happy with my purchase of this book. This strategy works for me, I am lighter now than I have been in almost 30 years. I am 3 pounds away from my target weight which I expect to achieve by the end of this month.

Let me start by acknowledging the sudden passing of the author, Byron Richards, who collapsed during a routine jog in March of 2014. Let’s just say that I find it very confusing when a relatively young man who seemed so dedicated to optimizing his health through nutrition and exercise passes away suddenly. I wish more information about this was available. Regarding the book, I did find it very helpful and enlightening, although I didn’t care for the author’s rants against the Atkins Diet. I was able to lose a substantial amount of weight on Atkins and remain convinced that it’s a good nutritional course to follow when done properly. I had reached my goal weight (proper BMI) but was stopped there. I then supplemented Atkins with the advice in Mr. Richards’ book about controlling leptin, and was then able to lose another four or five pounds and did notice a decrease in the remaining belly fat. So, I think Mr. Richards’ methods are helpful and would recommend them to people who are at a weight-loss plateau and need a little something more. But I’m not sure I could have lost the sheer quantity of weight that I did if I had followed just this plan. I think sometimes it’s a matter of what works for each person. At the time I initially read this book, I recall thinking of this book as “the intuitively obvious diet”. The author’s main points, such as not overeating, not snacking between meals, not eating after dinner, eating only three meals per day, proper meal timing, etc, seem to be common sense for someone trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Maybe pulling it off is another matter for some of us. It does counteract a commonly-held dieting belief that you need to eat more smaller meals, and the author explains his reasoning well enough for me to believe that his methods have value. There are literally hundreds of references in this book to various health studies and other publications, so clearly a lot of work went into the author’s research. The book is very detailed and parts of it are hard to follow for non-medical folks. His writing style is a little quirky at times and he seems to make some leaps of faith at times with his reasoning. But enough summaries are presented so that the reader can assimilate the main points without necessarily following every detail (I think there is a condensed / less detailed version of this material in another book of Mr. Richards, but I’m not sure of the title). So, I would certainly recommend this book to those who would like a different perspective on dieting, proper weight maintenance, etc.

I very seldom buy books for my Kindle, but am so glad I bought this one. I've been trying to lose weight seriously for a little over six months. I lost 10 lbs on Plexus and $300 before it quit working. Then I tried a month of Nutrasystem. I don't think I lost any on that, then I stumbled on this book. I've lost 3 lbs in a week. I'm struggling through the book - not the romance novel I usually read. There are so many interesting facts, however, that I am continuing and will probably reread it. I think I could follow these guidelines for the rest of my life, getting healthier every day. I'm eating pretty much everything I want - just during the 3 meals a day. I've even had a few mini pieces of candy, but usually I'm happy with one or two pieces after a meal, not the whole bag. I do get hungry, especially about bedtime, but am able to control any cravings. I am so happy I found this book. *** It has now been four months since I bought this book. I've lost 14 pounds. I realize that isn't a lot, only a little over 3 pounds a month. However, I didn't have a lot to lose; in fact my doctor told me I didn't need to lose anymore, but would like to try for at least 5 more pounds. I still am following the guidelines of 3 meals a day and no snacks. For the most part I don't have any difficulty in following those rules. I am so very happy with the results and know I can eat this way for the rest of my life. I no longer get hungry before bedtime; in fact am not really hungry at mealtime, which helps a lot in controlling my appetite. I highly recommend this book.

There is a lot of research included in this book. Unfortunately, it is all thrown together in incohesive sentences and chapters. There might be something to leptin. Maybe it is the almighty hormone. But I doubt that these authors truly understand it, or how it really works. Anyone who tells you not to eat nuts, seeds, and avocados probably doesn't really know what they are talking about. This is just a low fat/calorie diet in diguise.

This book has been life-changing for me. I knew a lot about nutrition, and in many respects ate well, but was missing some key information, and was unable to lose weight. This book provided the simple rules as well as the detailed explanations to motivate behavior. I'm now reading it for the fourth time, as though it is written in an accessible style, it is so densely packed with information that I've benefitted from multiple passes, and assimilate additional useful nuances each time. I've been steadily losing at 2 pounds per month, and over 15 months have lost 30 pounds. I expect to lose another 20, and be down to the summer weight I was in college, in another 10 months. I expect to eat by these rules for the rest of my life. I love food and love to cook, and am still enjoying that aspect of life under this new regime. If you have some belly fat, or fasting blood glucose levels above 85, or issues with inflammation as evidenced by joint discomfort, or if you just want to learn how your body actually works so that you can feed it what it actually needs, then you would benefit from studying this book and putting its rules into practice. I've given copies to friends, to relatives, and to my endocrinologist, who knew next-to-nothing about Leptin. The information is all derived from peer-reviewed scientific literature, and trustworthy. The unique aspects of the work are Byron Richards' breadth of knowledge, his ability to to explain complex material with simplicity, and its direct applicability to your ability to master your metabolism so that you can lose weight and become truly healthy.

I came across this book by total accident and having an opportunity to read inside the book through the Amazon site I was not disappointed. This book takes you through human physiology so that the reader can understand the human body and how the Leptin Diet works. I brought into it completely given it was backed up by hard research evidence, unlike many others fad diets. The language was simple and to explain human physiology in plain English can be a challenge to the average reader. It offers 5 simple rules to follow which is a major point of difference from other diet books that can be overly prescriptive in terms of food intake. This is a simple eating and exercise philosophy that provides some flexibility to those who wish to give it a try. Having read the book I immediately binned an exercise diet that I was following which had me eating 6 small meals daily. I am living proof that the diet philosophy works having lost some weight while also feeling heaps better. I am convinced that having read this book I will be better armed to manage my own health and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is struggling to lose weight or generally wanting to feel better.

I learned a lot from reading this book (second edition) as I was unfamiliar with leptin. The highlight for me was on WHY one should space out meals 5-6 hours. There are many reviews here that tout all the positive things about the book, so I will list two things that disappointed me: 1) Amidst all the facts, the author felt the need to share his opinion that (page 190) "Atkins is the worst popular diet on the market today. It seeks to solve insulin resistance by eliminating or drastically reducing carbohydrates." It seems this author, as do many Atkins-bashers, only focus on the 2-week induction phase of Atkins without taking into account the overall (and never-ending) program: to reintroduce carbs gradually until you find the # of carbs you as an individual can eat without losing/gaining weight. One could be on Atkins AND still be eating according to the Leptin Diet. 2) He talks about not snacking between meals so as not to cause insulin levels to rise or stay high. I thought it would've been great, though, if he gave snack ideas that do not cause insulin levels to rise, for those who aren't "there" yet. Despite those two disappointments, I am very glad I read the book. I'm now reading " Life Without Bread: How a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Can Save Your Life " to see if I learn anything new from that. Even if I don't, as I've ready tons on insulin resistance/low-carb, so far I enjoy the author's writing style. I got started on this recent food research kick after reading Dr Junger's " Clean -- Expanded Edition: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body's Natural Ability to Heal Itself ." He also suggests a 12-hr window between dinner and breakfast, and snacking only if one is REALLY hungry. Also watched "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead"; "Fat Head"; "Food, Inc."; and up next is "Forks Over Knives." I'm also looking forward to learning more about the Paleo diet. Whether one agrees with the concepts in each of these or not, it's good to be familiar what information is out there.

Con la primera edición, siguiendo sus indicaciones, creo que por el 2005, perdí 18Kgr de 86Kg a 71Kgr. en 6 meses, bajando en razón de 100gr/dia, y aumenté mi masa muscular en 3 kgr. aproximadamente, y me mantuve asi hasta hoy. Ahora en su 3rs edicion supongo que se ha actualizado, porque era un pionero en la aplicacion de los conocimientos en torno a la hormona Leptina que recién se descubrió y comprendió a finales del XX. Solo que hay que leerselo, parrafo pro parrafo, es muy denso, pero si tienes fe basta que sigas los 5 consejos del capitulo 14 y apliques el sentido comun a lo demás.

Endlich eine Erklärung, wissenschaftlich fundiert, warum wir nicht Schuld daran sind wenn wir nicht aufhören können zu essen. Es sind die Hormone! Und noch wichtiger: wie bringen wir das wieder in Ordnung. Es erzählt über den Rhythmus der Hormone. Wenn Sie wie ein Wildtier in der Küche nach Essen dauernd suchen, dann ist dieses Buch die Erklärung und die Lösung. Das Buch ist gut erklärt, sehr überzeugend, und noch überzeugender: die Resultate. Nach 12 Tage dieser Ernährungsumstellung, habe ich keine Heißhungerattaken mehr. Und ich kann sehr gut jetzt dem Essen "widerstehen". Ich habe das Buch gekauft nachdem ich den Autor in Youtube gesehen hatte, mit seine 5 Regeln der Leptin Diät. Ich habe es gesehen, ich habe es probiert, es hat funktioniert. Dann wollte ich wissen wieso. Ich habe das Buch bestellt und bin sehr glücklich darüber (ich habe eine große "Kollektion" vom Abnehmbücher mittlerweile, aber keine hat mir wirklich geholfen, keine hat den Kern getroffen). Das ist keine Diät. Es zeigt wie wir aus weniger Essen mehr Energie holen können. Es ist wichtig WAS wir essen und WANN wir essen, um den Spiel der Hormone wieder auszugleichen. Hier sind die 5 Regeln: 1. NIEMALS nach dem Abendessen naschen. Mindestens 11-12-Stunden zwischen Abendessen und Frühstück. Abendessen soll mindestens 3 Std. vor Schlafengehen enden. 2. NUR drei Malzeiten am Tag. 5-6 Stunden dazwischen. KEIN SNACK dazwischen! Keine Zuckergetränke! Unser Metabolismus ist nicht erschaffen um mit dauerndem knabbern fertig zu werden. Der Snack kommt vom eigene Leber (Glucagon). 3. Nicht zu große Malzeiten. Versuch die Malzeit zu beenden bevor du "voll" bist, dann wann du "fast satt" bist. (auch wenn das nicht sofort klappt, dran bleiben). Langsam essen, das Gehirn braucht etwa 20 Min. um zu registrieren das wir satt sind. 4. Das Frühstück sollte Protein enthalten. 5. Reduziert die Kohlenhydrate (möglichst kein Zucker, wenig bis kein Weizen). Benutzt die 50% 50% Technik: Schau das Essen auf dem Teller: du muß ein Portion Proteine sehen, so groß (und dick) wie deine Hand, und eine Portion KH so groß wie deine Hand, also ein visuelles 50%-50%. Keine Kalorien zählen. Gemüse dazu, Menge nach Wunsch.

Excellent book, well researched. Once you get your head round Leptin and follow the advice on when to eat the weight will slowly drop off. The advice is easy to follow and will stabalise your weight once you have the habit of eating at the correct times. I didn't change much about WHAT I ate. Do not expect to become an unhealthy underweight with this advice...just your correct BMI

This book is a MUST for anyone wanting to understand how to lose excess body weight and to not gain it all back again. Knowledge is power that gets you to first, understand that there are choices and then, enables you to make your own informed choices. This book gives you the power to understand how your body works with regard to the mechanisms involved regarding food cravings, food intake, digestion, fat storage and a whole lot more. The simple rules outlined in the book, enable you to get your body to work to your advantage, when it comes to food intake and fat loss. With all the illustrations and a simple to follow style of writing, the book is a easy to read and to understand.

I found this book to be one of the best reads I have made in years. Address' so many health issues and give such sound reasoning how and why we are in the trouble we are in.