Why do we have so much trouble losing weight and keeping the weight off over time? This is an important question that millions of people are struggling with everyday.
For decades, doctors, fitness professionals and even the government have promoted the idea that weight loss is simply a calorie problem. To have success, all you have to do is follow the simple math concept of reducing your calories and increase your exercise and then magically watch the pounds drop off.
What seems to be a logical premise of eating less and exercising more, does not result in long-term weight loss success. The body is too complicated for this simple math equation to work.
This is because weight loss is a hormone problem not a calorie problem. Do calories matter? Yes, calories do matter to an extent, but actually the body is more sensitive to a drop in calories than an excess of calories over time. When someone starts a calorie restriction based diet, they lose weight initially in the first 3 to 6 months, but then end up regaining the weight over the next 6 to 12 months.
The body has an elaborate, hormonal mechanism to compensate for a drop in calories, which is what causes this inevitable rebound weight gain.
What matters more then calories is the body’s hormone landscape, specifically the hormone insulin, which is secreted from the pancreas in response to a rise blood glucose. Also, insulin is the only fat storing hormone in the body, so it has to be in the discussion about weight loss.
In a new book written by Dr. Jason Fung, which is titled The Obesity Code also talks about insulin resistance and the role it plays in the weight loss process. Dr. Fung is an Nephrologist in Canada who deals with lots of diabetic patients that end up having kidney problems, which is a complication related to diabetes.
In order to help his patients improve, Dr. Fung helps them lose weight with a nutrition technique called Intermittent Fasting. Using this nutritional technique, the goal is to lower insulin over time, which will result in weight loss and improved diabetes status.
Type I Diabetes accounts for only about 10% of all Diabetes, with only about 90% being Type II and continues to rise. With Type I Diabetes, there is a lack of insulin production, whereas Type II Diabetes there is an excess of insulin. They are very different diseases, the only similarity is that both result in a person having high blood sugar levels.
Metabolic Syndrome Criteria: (3 or more)
Diseases Related to Insulin:
Dr. Joseph Kraft was a pathologist in Chicago who performed over 14,000 glucose tolerance test with insulin response tests and found that people develop Type II Diabetes well before they ever get officially diagnosed.
Reference Range for fasting Insulin: 2 – 20 uIU/mL
Ideal fasting insulin level should be between 2 – 7 uIU/mL
If you are curious and would like to get your insulin level tested then check out our Weight Loss Panel in the store.
If you have questions, please feel free to leave a comment below, you can contact us directly.
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