How to Lose Weight with Insulin Resistance

Hormones significantly impact our ability to lose weight. Understanding how to lose weight with insulin resistance can help you to improve insulin levels, blood glucose levels, stubborn mid section weight gain and more.

What is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance occurs when the cells in your muscles, fat, and liver become less responsive to insulin, making it harder for glucose to enter the cells. To compensate, your pancreas produces more insulin to help move glucose into the cells. As long as your pancreas can produce enough extra insulin to offset the reduced cell response, your blood sugar levels remain within a healthy range.

What Causes Insulin Resistance?

Sadly, sugar most commonly gets the blame for causing insulin resistance and while sugar may appear to make the symptoms associated with insulin resistance worse, it’s not fair that it gets all the blame.

While sugar and carbs may cause blood sugar levels and insulin to become elevated, the root cause has less to do with sugar and more to do with your bodies inability to respond to sugar appropriately.

Many people who suffer with insulin resistance know how difficult it can be to lose weight. Keto diets, low carb diets and the carnivore diet are often recommended as weight loss solutions for those with insulin resistance and while they may work for some, they fail to resolve the true root cause of insulin resistance and as you begin to reintroduce sugar and carbs, the weight will quickly return.

Why is it so Hard to Lose Weight with Insulin Resistance?

As your cells continue to become less sensitive to insulin, instead of efficiently using glucose for fuel, your body and your cells may increase the rate in which fuel is stored as fat. Other hormone imbalances and metabolic issues tend to accompany insulin resistance including cortisol dysregulation and leptin resistance, these imbalances can also make it harder to lose weight.

What are the Main Drivers of Insulin Resistance?

Chronic stress
Chronic inflammation
Mineral deficiencies
Diet choices: regularly consuming alcohol, processed food, fast food
Sedentary lifestyle

What are the Symptoms of Insulin Resistance?

Stubborn weight gain
Mid section weight gain
Skin tags
Increased hunger
Headaches
Increased appetite
Cravings especially for carbs and sweets
Mid morning or mid afternoon energy crashes

How is Insulin Resistance Diagnosed?

An insulin blood test is required to diagnose insulin resistance. Unfortunately, insulin is not included in a comprehensive blood test, it must be specifically requested and even then, your request may be denied due to Medicare restrictions. An insulin test can be ordered privately through your Naturopath.

An interesting fact about insulin resistance is it can be present even when your blood glucose levels are perfectly within range. This is because one of the main functions of insulin it to ensure blood sugar levels remain as optimal as possible. The problem is, as insulin resistance develops, more insulin is required to do the same job and unfortunately, elevations in your blood glucose levels often develop months or years after insulin has been elevated. Early testing and detection of insulin resistance, followed by effective interventions to manage elevated insulin levels can reduce your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes and the associated complications. If you resonate with the symptoms of insulin resistance, it may be worth exploring testing options to have it either confirmed or ruled out.

Insulin Resistance and PCOS

Women with PCOS know how difficult it can be to lose unwanted weight. In addition to a number of other hormonal imbalances, elevated insulin is often part of the problem and one of the main reasons why losing weight with PCOS can be such a challenge. Improving insulin sensitivity while addressing the other hormone imbalances and nutrient deficiencies associated with PCOS will support the improvement of the symptoms associated with PCOS.

How to Lose Weight with Insulin Resistance?

In order to lose weight with insulin resistance you must focus less on the weight itself and more on the daily behaviours that will allow you to resolve this imbalance. Improvements in insulin levels can happen in as little as a few weeks but consistency is required to ensure the imbalance continues to improve without relapse. As your insulin resistance and metabolic flexibility improves, the weight your desire to lose will begin to drop away.

Here are 5 things you can focus on

Managing Stress

Chronically elevated levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can reduce your cells sensitivity to insulin. Focusing on managing the stress that is within your control will support you in improving insulin sensitivity.

Eating the Right Combination of Food for your body

A balance of protein, carbs and healthy fats are required at each meal to support blood sugar stability, energy and weight loss. When it comes to insulin resistance, protein is vitally important and animal sources of protein are best. Combining your protein with a variety of carbs will help your body respond well to the carbs you choose to eat. A combination of lower carb, higher fibre vegetables like carrot and broccoli combined with some higher carb foods like a small portion of rice or potato will provide you with the energy your metabolism needs to thrive.

Cutting out carbs robs your thyroid and liver of their preferred source of fuel. This can create additional metabolic stress and dysfunction. Many people with insulin resistance and weight loss resistance fear consuming carbs with every meal out of concerns at it will lead to additional weight gain. By working with an experienced practitioner, you can begin to discover how you can enjoy carbs with every meal while feeling better, having more energy, enjoying better sleep and releasing unwanted weight. Seeing people thrive and lose weight as they begin to nourish themselves again is one of my favourite parts of my job.

Consider blood sugar friendly snacks

In the early stages of resolving insulin resistance, snacks containing a combination of protein and carbs may be required to keep blood sugar levels and energy levels stable throughout the day. I provide all clients with a Metabolic Essentials Guide that contains over 20 snack ideas that are sure to satisfy what you may be craving while supporting you to resolve insulin resistance and lose weight.

Exercise

Exercise, especially outdoors is an effective strategy that will help you to improve insulin sensitivity and lose weight. Exercise does not need to be extreme or time consuming, a short 15 – 30 minute walk 3 – 5 times a week is a great start. Resistance training and higher intensity cardio can also be of value once you have established your nutrition routine and worked on your baseline fitness and mobility.

Seek Support

Navigating the nutrition and lifestyle changes required to resolve insulin resistance can feel overwhelming. Choosing to work with a naturopath who specialises in weight loss can help to eliminate that overwhelm. I help my clients to understand exactly what to eat and when to optimise their results, what supplements may be helpful and how to troubleshoot any hiccups or challenges experienced along the way.

Summary

Insulin resistance is misunderstood and commonly overlooked as a primary driver of stubborn weight gain.

Unfortunately, insulin blood tests are rarely performed (even when requested) and patients are regularly told their blood sugars are all good which leads them to assume insulin must be good too. 

If you are struggling with stubborn mid section weight gain, increased appetite and cravings for sweets, energy crashes throughout the day, PCOS or skin changes like skin tags or acne, it may be wise to investigate how your body is responding to insulin.

– High insulin can prevent fat burning and therefore, weight loss.
– Insulin resistance is linked with high insulin and in most cases, normal blood sugar levels
– High levels of insulin cause an increase in hunger, cravings and weight gain
– High insulin is common, affecting at least 46% of adults worldwide (1)
– You can order an insulin blood test with your naturopath if you suspect insulin resistance could be contributing to stubborn weight gain. 

If you are ready regain control over your health, her are three ways I can help:

1. Work with me! Book a consultation in person (Evandale, SA) or AUS + NZ wide online via Zoom

2. Listen to the Holistic Weight Loss Podcast

3. Connect with me on Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook