Insulin Resistance and Weight Loss

Some people simply fail to lose even an ounce, no matter how rigorously they work out or how little they eat. These people often have to cope with obesity and related problems. Although, there are a myriad other factors which prevent you from losing weight, insulin resistance is considered as one of the most common cause. Insulin resistance and weight loss are very closely associated. However, some people have many misconceptions regarding this fact. While most people think that insulin resistance is observed only in people who are overweight or those who eat plenty of sweets, others might also believe that insulin resistance invariably leads to diabetes and there is nothing you can do about it. To understand how insulin resistance affects weight loss, we need a thorough understanding of the function of insulin.

Function of Insulin
Insulin is primarily responsible for maintaining the glucose levels in the body. Every cell in the body needs a continuous supply of glucose to fulfill its energy demands. Cells cannot directly absorb glucose from the food. Whenever you ingest refined carbohydrates, your body breaks them down to glucose. This glucose is carried to the cells through the bloodstream. However, glucose molecules cannot penetrate the cell wall on their own. This is where insulin comes into picture. Insulin acts as a gatekeeper for the cells by opening and closing the entry to the cells. Insulin helps glucose molecules to gain access to the cells and then seals the entrance so that glucose is not released back. Inside the cell, glucose gets converted into fats and is stored in the form of fat cells.

What is Insulin Resistance
As mentioned above, insulin is directly concerned with the absorption of glucose in the cells. Thus, whenever you eat processed food rich in carbohydrates, your insulin levels are bound to surge. If this happens too often, your insulin levels may remain chronically elevated. As a result, the responsiveness of the cells to the insulin also begins to diminish. The body takes this as a signal to produce even more insulin in order to invoke the cell response. This worsens the situation, as the cells do not get their usual supply of glucose, thereby depriving them of energy. This is the reason why many people with insulin resistance experience fatigue, low energy levels and muscle weakness.

Insulin Resistance and Weight Loss
High levels of insulin in the body are an indication that glucose is not properly utilized by the body. As a result, more amount of glucose is converted to fat and stored in fat cells. Further, insulin also prevents the release of fat from the fat cells. The blockage of fat release results in weight gain. Since, the fat remains trapped inside the fat cells, no amount of diet or exercise can help to reduce this fat. As a result, people with insulin resistance often have trouble losing their weight. If insulin resistance is not controlled on time, it may lead to an array of metabolic disorders. The most serious of these is metabolic syndrome which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, insulin resistance is not something you can never cure. With proper diet and exercises you can control this disorder.

How to Control Insulin Resistance Insulin resistance diet is the first thing you should consider while controlling insulin resistance. Steer clear of high carbohydrate processed foods. Also avoid sweet, sugary foods which can elevate the insulin levels. A low carb diet rich in natural foods is best for insulin resistance. Similarly, exercising also helps to control this disorder as it increases the insulin response of the cells. As a result, body can continue its normal functioning even with little amount of insulin. Weight training exercises in particular are known to be of great help to people with insulin resistance. Every day, make it a point to exercise for at least 30 minutes, to significantly drop your insulin levels.