Elevated insulin causes weight gain?
About 85% of people who have Type 2 Diabetes are heavier people1https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/03/the-big-setup/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20becoming,percent%20of%20diabetics%20are%20overweight.
No matter what you have heard or been told, this is not due to laziness. There are many reasons for elevated insulin. Insulin resistance is the main culprit.
How does elevated insulin contribute to weight gain?
One of the ways in which elevated insulin levels contribute to weight gain is by stimulating the storage of fat in cells. High insulin levels signal the body to store more calories as fat, rather than using them for energy.
This can lead to weight gain over time, especially if a person is not getting enough physical activity. In addition, high insulin levels can also increase appetite, leading to more food intake and further weight gain.
Also, our body puts excess blood sugar in storage when there is too much of it in our bloodstream.
When we consume sugar in excess of what our body needs for immediate energy, it begins to store the sugar in our liver and muscles. However, when these stores are full, our body starts to convert sugar into fat. Over time, this can lead to weight gain. This of course starts to cause weight gain.
What you need to know about Type 2 Diabetes medications.
Why does elevated insulin cause weight gain?
Unfortunately, when our blood sugar and insulin levels get out of balance, we start to experience a variety of changes that make weight gain likely. Weight gain then causes further insulin resistance issues. Now we are caught in a cycle of high blood sugars, weight gain, and getting worse and worse.
I know that for me, my diagnosis of Prediabetes was after I had a very hard time getting some extra weight off. For over 10 years I struggled with this. Even though I was eating a paleo-style diet that was very low carb, I still had trouble losing the extra weight. I also have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes on my father’s side. Hormones were an issue for many years. Apparently, the combination of these things added up, and my insulin resistance got worse. This made it even harder to get some of this weight off.
When there is a lot of excess blood sugar in our system, it signals that we need to store it.
Our body can store some sugar in our body, however, it starts to store the sugar as fat when the liver and muscles cannot store any more. This is the main reason that elevated insulin levels cause weight gain.
If you have been diagnosed with Prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes, you need to pay attention to your weight if you are a heavier person and start on the changes that will help the most. This disease can be put into remission with lifestyle and diet. We have many articles on this site that can help you, like this one on how to lose 5 pounds if you have Type 2 Diabetes.
Weight gain is one cause of elevated insulin
This is the cycle:
- Someone gains weight for various reasons.
- The weight gain causes elevated insulin.
- The elevated insulin causes more weight gain.
This is called a vicious cycle. In order to change it, you have to change something.
Diet, also called your “way of eating,” is the best place to begin.
Also, the time of day that you eat is very important. Read more about how eating at night can impact weight gain.
According to expert consensus: diet as a primary intervention for T2D can achieve remission in many adults with T2D and is related to the intensity of the intervention
Also, your doctor may prescribe medications to bring down your elevated insulin, and it is very important that you follow their instructions. There are also medications these days that have been approved for both insulin resistance AND that help people lose weight.
Her tragic family history of Type 2 Diabetes, and her own diagnosis of prediabetes in 2021 caused her to research more deeply, leading to a passion in educating people on how to hopefully put this disease into remission.
