How does insulin affect body weight?
Insulin is a hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism in the body. It provides the tissues with the ability to store glucose, literally passing it into the fat cell. Insulin is usually produced in response to an increase in blood sugar - however, this mechanism is impaired in diabetes.
In T2DM, there may be a tendency to overproduction of insulin and/or loss of tissue sensitivity to its action (although not always). In fact, the body loses its ability to lower its glucose levels on its own - which is what medical antidiabetic drugs are intended for.
It is important that such drugs differ in their action potential - it is believed that early-generation drugs are capable of provoking an increase in body fat. Dosage also plays a role. However, any additional details should be clarified by the doctor.
Effects on fat storage:
In the absence of insulin, it is difficult for the body to store excess carbohydrate energy in fat cells - they are unable to take in energy (which is typical of type 1 diabetes). In this case, the body literally runs on fat - which professional athletes actively use when training for drying.
In turn, with an excess of insulin, fat cells are always in the energy conservation mode. This significantly complicates even the theoretical possibility of losing weight - and in practice, diet and exercise do not lead to noticeable fat loss.
The recommendations presented in the article are based on materials from the Cleveland Clinic, the largest American medical center, which employs more than 67 thousand specialists and serves about 8 million patients a year.
Before changing your diet for diabetes or before starting physical exercise for weight loss, we recommend consulting a specialist.
Overweight with diabetes:
Elevated blood glucose is one of the key characteristics of diabetes. However, since the mechanism of insulin production for glucose use is impaired, it is less well stored in fat cells. Plus, high sugar levels can trigger fluid loss - which lowers your weight on the scale.
To normalize sugar levels, a specialist may recommend¹ controlling carbohydrate intake and regular moderately active physical activity - plus, if it is really necessary, hypoglycemic drugs are prescribed (which seriously alter metabolism).
As a result, with the normalization of diabetes, the level of glucose in the blood decreases - in particular, due to the activation of the mechanisms of its assimilation by fat cells. Together with an increase in fluid retention, this can translate into a set of several kilograms of excess weight.
The importance of appetite control:
In practice, high blood sugar levels are often associated with increased appetite - and, consequently, lower glucose levels are associated with fewer food cravings.
However, many people continue to eat large amounts of food “out of habit” - not because they are really hungry. This is why it is important to control portion sizes and not overeat. Remember that only 200-300 extra calories per day are enough for the body to gain excess weight.
Normalizing weight in type 2 diabetes is the key advice any healthcare professional can give. However, there is a risk that, in the desire to lose weight too quickly, a person with diabetes will decide to drastically reduce the calorie intake of the daily diet - neglecting the recommendation of physical training.
At the same time, physical training is one of the few ways to normalize tissue response to insulin and glucose. In particular, muscles use glycogen obtained from carbohydrates for their work. In simple terms, regular sport teaches the body to spend energy - not just store it.
Recall that the World Health Organization recommends that you engage in moderately active sports for 150 minutes a week (for both healthy people and people with diabetes) - moreover, we are talking about maintaining a normal weight, and not about reducing it.
How to avoid weight gain?
1. Control your appetite:
Normalizing blood glucose levels often leads to decreased appetite - and at this stage, it is important to rethink your daily eating habits to avoid eating too much food solely because “it's time to eat”.
2. Exercise regularly:
The presence of diabetes not only does not prohibit physical activity but even implies daily exercise (in a moderate mode). Sport helps normalize tissue response to insulin - and also burns off excess calories.
3. Monitor your stress levels:
Quite often, chronic stress leads to disturbed sleep patterns - which, as a result, can provoke a feeling of "fatigue" during the day. This feeling is mistaken by many people for hunger - expressed in the consumption of excess calories.
4. Learn the side effects:
If you are prescribed antihyperglycemic drugs, carefully read the booklet attached to them - if the text mentions side effects in the form of weight gain, consult your doctor to find other solutions.
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