Insulin and Weight Loss

You must have read a lot about insulin “turning off” the fat-burning switch, and that no matter whatever you do, you won’t be able to make any progress with your weight loss if your insulin levels are not constant, i.e. fluctuating. The truth is that, the claims about correlation of insulin and weight loss are not backed up with any credible research. In fact, studies show that it is possible to lose weight even when your insulin levels are widely fluctuating, but in that case you need to be burning more calories than you actually consume, by means of regular exercise.

Actually, insulin is a hormone that regulates the storage of energy, and exactly how much insulin you need to store carbohydrates is dependent on many things, including how fit you are and whether you are genetically predisposed toward insulin resistance.

The ability to lose weight on a calorie restricted diet over a short-term period does not vary as a function of insulin resistance i.e. decreased ability of target tissues to respond properly to insulin. Of course, insulin does have a role to play in fat metabolism, but that does not mean that insulin is a culprit in every case of weight gain or obesity. But for those plagued by obesity specially due to fat gain, maintaining a constant level of insulin, without much fluctuation, can really be useful. Hence it is imperative to avoid or restrict consumption of foods which cause sudden spike in blood sugar levels, such as simple carbohydrates, sweets, sweetened beverages, sweetened fruit juice, etc, since this can cause a fluctuation in insulin levels, which is not desirable if you are suffering from obesity. But regular exercise, combined with low calorie food, remains the best and healthiest option for weight loss.