31: Insulin Resistance: Why You Can't Lose Weight and What to Do About It

Statistics suggest that around 80% of women having prediabetes or diabetes go undiagnosed. This is a staggering statistic, especially considering the number of minor health issues that many of us deal with on a daily basis; things like poor sleep patterns, severe, insatiable cravings, mental fog, and trouble losing weight, that you may never consider attributing to high blood sugar and insulin resistance.

Maybe it’s time to take a harder look at those lingering health issues instead of just writing them off as side effects of aging. I deal with patients every day that struggle with symptoms of diabetes and prediabetes. Here are some potential warning signs to look out for that could indicate your elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance could be problematic for you.

• You have trouble losing weight
• You struggle trying to manage severe cravings
• Your hunger levels are frequently high
• You experience drastic fluctuations in mood
• Your sleep quality is poor 
• You are plagued by fatigue
• You deal with frequent joint inflammation
• You often experience mental “fog” or a poor memory

If these sound like you, it might be time to take a closer look at your blood sugar levels. 

With that being said, I am not the type to encourage you to make drastic changes that won't be sustainable for you long term. If you have been listening long or you work with me, you know that one of my main teaching principles is working to create a systematic, slow pattern of 1% changes over time that lead to a healthier lifestyle long term. It makes no sense to implement these insane “New Year’s resolution” style changes, only to revert back to your former ways after a short amount of time. 

Sometimes when the topic of blood sugar is brought up, people go into panic mode thinking “how am I ever going to make these huge changes all at once?!” I’m here to tell you that that’s not the goal here. Two myths that I dispel when my clients get worried about blood sugar management are: 

“I’m going to have to lose a significant amount of weight in order to regulate my blood sugar.” 

My answer: You do not need to lose massive amounts of weight to see improvements in your blood sugar. Many of my clients have reversed severe symptoms of prediabetes and diabetes just by running the marathon, not the sprint! It is possible through slow changes, and that’s really the only way to get sustainable results. 

“I have to get rid of all carbs forever!”

My answer: The emphasis here should be on quality, balance, and timing when we’re looking at diet. This does NOT mean you can never have chocolate again! I work closely with my clients, finding creative ways to make sustainable improvements while still enjoying the foods that they like. There are many strategies that you can employ to improve your blood sugar in a way that’s sustainable for you.

If you’ve made it to this point and are asking yourself “Dr. Rentea, what kind of sustainable changes can I make to bring long term results?” Here are my Three Tops Tips that I talk about in the podcast to do this: 

• Give your carbs a “friend”: Pair your carbs with a healthier option like a fiber or a protein. Notice that this doesn't require you to remove carbs from your meal! Focus instead on creating balance and variety in your meals to help soften those blood sugar spikes. 

• Consider timing and order when eating: Try placing your fiber or protein before your carbs in your meal, again, to help mitigate the rise in blood sugar. 

• Incorporate exercise: Work within or alongside your current routine to create spaces for exercise throughout the day. Even if it seems small, like a short walk after dinner or marching in place for five minutes in your living room, incorporating exercise into your routine can do wonders to build up and maintain some muscle mass, which in turn helps to lower insulin resistance. 

Focusing on incremental changes and incorporating these techniques, it is absolutely possible to slow down and even reverse the effects of diabetes and prediabetes. But this is just the tip of the iceberg; there is so much more to blood sugar management, and it would take me many podcast episodes to cover all of the relevant information I have to share with you.

This is why, beginning October 2nd, I will be hosting my Blood Sugar Mastermind! This course offers invaluable resources including information-packed meetings with myself and guest medical professionals, a support and accountability system, a community of like-minded women, and so much more! Registration is now OPEN, so if you want to learn more about this amazing opportunity, including an optional extended Women’s Metabolic Coaching Group, CLICK HERE. I’ll see you in the next episode!

To register for Blood Sugar Mastermind, CLICK HERE. 

To register for the Mastermind & Women’s Metabolic Coaching Group, CLICK HERE.

If you are an MD or DO and are interested in a Coaching Group exclusively open to medical professionals, email me at [email protected]!