Insulin Resistance and Fat Loss
In the last blog, we talked about the importance of keeping glucose (blood sugar) at lower levels (read here if you missed it). In this blog, we will talk about insulin’s role in glucose metabolism and how insulin resistance develops and why it is nearly impossible to lose weight when you have developed insulin resistance. We will also give you pointers on how to correct this situation.
Insulin resistance develops long before a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes occurs. Diabetes ranks 7th among the leading causes of death in the US. That ranking is deceiving however, because type 2 diabetes has a hand in the development of other causes of death like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, etc.
It is important to understand how insulin resistance develops and how to reverse it. Once insulin resistance develops, it controls how we are able to regulate body fat. It occurs long before pre-diabetes or diabetes. It is involved in developing heart disease, fatty liver, infertility, PCOS, erectile dysfunction, cancer, migraines, dementia, stroke and arthritis. Insulin resistance can also be a problem for those with hypothyroidism. Glucose control is so very important.
So, how does insulin resistance develop? Genetics plays a big role in how well your body metabolizes carbohydrates. Have any of your family members developed type 2 diabetes? If so there may be a genetic predisposition for you to develop this condition. You just have to be more diligent than others in keeping your carbohydrates lower and monitoring your glucose levels after a meal.
A person could have no genetic predisposition but because of their diet and sedentary lifestyle they develop insulin resistance as well. It’s not just about genetics!
Every time you eat, your pancreas releases insulin to reduce glucose in the bloodstream. Remember that baseline range between 70-90 mg/dL is where the body wants glucose to be within 2 hours after eating. Protein and fat cause very little rise in insulin. Carbohydrates, especially the sugars and starches, cause a greater insulin release to reduce the glucose level in the blood stream. Insulin attaches to receptor sites on the surface of the cell membrane. Insulin acts like a key, that when put into a lock, can open the door. Insulin opens the door for glucose to get into the cell so it can be turned into energy by the mitochondria inside the cell. The energy produced is called ATP which runs every cell in the body.
The problem is that when we are eating more carbohydrates than our bodies can tolerate, based on genetics, diet and sedentary lifestyle, some of the receptor sites on the surface of our cell membranes become worn out and the insulin “key” doesn’t fit properly and glucose has a harder time entering the cell. The brain detects this higher level of glucose and quickly causes the pancreas to produce more insulin to get the glucose down to a normal level.
Over time, the insulin stays higher in the bloodstream all of the time, even between meals. The insulin level can be as much as 5-7 times higher than normal. To help clear the glucose, insulin packs extra glucose into fat cells where it is stored as fat. Insulin levels need to be lower in order to get fat to be released out of the fat cells to be burned for fuel. With elevated insulin levels, the fat cannot be released and losing weight or fat becomes nearly impossible. High insulin is a double whammy! Fat cells get larger and fat cannot be released to be burned. The liver is less able to convert glucose to glycogen so this is another reason why the glucose levels become higher over time.
For a period of time, as insulin resistance develops, the blood glucose will be in a normal range but the insulin levels remain high. Eventually the blood glucose levels creep up and now there is a situation of high glucose and high insulin.
The pancreas eventually gets worn out and stops producing enough insulin and this is where type 2 diabetes begins.
In hypothyroidism, weight gain and the inability to lose weight is a problem for most patients. When insulin resistance develops, the conversion of the inactive thyroid hormone, T4 to the active form, T3, is reduced. There is an increase in the production of Reverse T3 which clogs up the thyroid hormone receptor sites on the cell as well. This slows the production of the enzymes that are needed for energy production. Fatigue is a common symptom in hypothyroidism due to the lack of energy production.
What are some signs that you may have insulin resistance?
Belly fat – waist circumference greater than 35 inches for females and greater than 40 inches for males.
Skin tags
Darkened skin in the arm pits and in skin folds
Elevated blood sugar 2 hours after a meal greater than 140 mg/dL
Fasting insulin greater than 5 mg/dL
Triglyceride levels greater than 150
Triglyceride/HDL ratio greater than 3
Elevated small dense LDL particles greater than 500
What can you do to correct this condition?
Take an honest look at your diet to see where you might be over consuming carbohydrates. Journaling and tracking what you eat is so important here!
Exercise! Exercising burns up extra glucose in the blood!
Walk! Walking daily is vital to good health! Movement makes the cells more receptive to insulin and glucose.
Resistance training! Muscles consume 80% of the glucose in our body! Muscle is often referred to as a glucose “sink”! As we age, we lose precious muscle that helps us in our daily activity and can lead to insulin resistance.
Intermittent fasting and working up to short term fasting
Are you struggling with losing weight despite eating what you think is a healthy diet? We are here to help you find your carbohydrate balance and help you build muscle to reverse this condition. Please reach out if you would like to learn more!
