Insulin Resistance: This is the little-known reason why you’re not burning fat and losing weight

By William On Feb 21, 2023

If you’re struggling to lose weight despite following a textbook perfect health and exercise regimen, there may be a clinical reason for it that you haven’t considered yet.

Dietitians Susie Burrell and Leanne Ward revealed that there’s a surprisingly common hormonal problem that may explain why people have such a hard time losing weight: insulin resistance.

“Insulin resistance is a clinical condition in which insulin, the hormone secreted by the pancreas to control blood glucose levels in the body, no longer works as efficiently as it should,” dietitian Susie told Leanne Ward. podcast.

“When insulin is not working properly, the body is forced to produce more and more insulin to process the same amount of glucose that we consume in food to fuel our muscles and brain.”

Dietitians Susie Burrell and Leanne Ward (pictured) revealed that there’s a surprisingly common hormonal problem that explains why people have such a hard time losing weight: insulin resistance.

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin is produced by the pancreas.

When we eat foods that contain carbohydrates, they are broken down into glucose in the blood. The normal function of the hormone insulin is to transfer glucose from the blood to the liver and muscle cells, to be used for energy and to control our blood glucose levels.

In people with insulin resistance, the muscles and liver resist the action of insulin, so the body has to produce higher amounts to keep blood glucose levels within a normal range.

Susie said that insulin has a “profound effect” on your body’s ability to burn fat and lose weight, and if you’re insulin resistant, you’ll have a very difficult time losing weight, even if you’re eating at a calorie deficit.

“Someone with insulin resistance could be eating in a calorie deficit and exercising and only lose 100 grams of weight per week,” Susie said.

“95 percent of the time they are overweight and they will have a large waist.”

She added: “They can also have great muscle mass, as their body is in a constant state of storage and development.”

Those most at risk for insulin resistance include former athletes, who have a larger frame and large muscle mass, indigenous people, and those with a family history of type 2 diabetes.

“If you had gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, you also have to watch out for insulin resistance,” Susie said.

“When I see clients, I can usually identify it fairly quickly and you can go right into your diet with clinical help,” Susie said.

“Three million people in Australia have diabetes and I would say all of them are probably insulin resistant and need to be managed as such.”

There are a few nutrition strategies that can help with insulin resistance, including taking a calorie-controlled, low-carb, high-protein approach.

“Many people think that if they just cut carbs they’ll get great results and that’s probably true, but for the vast majority of people it’s not sustainable to cut carbs indefinitely,” Susie said.

Instead, the dietitian recommends that you find the “sweet spot” of reducing your carbs to a manageable amount where you can enjoy some carbs and lose weight.

“Everyone is different, it can be 30, 40 or even 50 percent if you exercise a lot,” he said.

In addition to this, he recommends getting plenty of protein into your diet as “this keeps glucose levels in check.”

You should also watch your calorie intake and try to eat in deficit.

Tips to improve insulin resistance

* Eating smaller portions, being more physically active, and eating fewer energy-dense foods (extra foods) can help reduce weight.

* Include 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.

* Eat at least five servings of vegetables and two pieces of fruit each day.

* Eat whole foods every day, such as high-fiber breakfast cereals, multigrain bread, oatmeal, barley, and cracked wheat.

* Enjoy legumes (dried peas, beans, and lentils) on a regular basis.

*Include low glycemic index (GI) foods. Low GI foods can help by slowing the rate of glucose absorption into the bloodstream, so less insulin is required.

* Reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Limit commercial cakes and cookies, fried take-out foods, butter, lard, cream, and trim visible fat from meat.

Fountain: DAA

If you’re insulin resistant, you can try to manage it at home with a low-carb, high-protein, calorie-controlled diet, said Susie (pictured with Leanne)

Finally, Susie shared the signs that you might be insulin resistant.

The first, and most obvious indicator, is a waist circumference greater than 3 feet, sometimes despite having reasonably toned arms and legs.

Susie said you might as well be insulin resistant if the calories-in-calories-in-calories weight-loss mantra doesn’t ring true.

You will probably also be “very tired and hungry all the time,” he warned.

Lastly, you will have frequent sugar cravings that are otherwise unexplained.

If you suspect you’re insulin resistant, Susie advises seeing both your GP and a dietitian.

“You can also put a day of your diet on MyFitnessPal and take a look and see how many carbs you’re eating,” he said.

‘Nothing is more powerful than a number. If you see that you are eating 200 grams of carbohydrates a day, that is too much.

‘Understand what you’re eating and be honest about it. That is the first way you can change.