How Blood Sugar Levels Affect Weight Loss

Being aware of how your blood sugar affects your body can help you maintain a healthier, more active lifestyle. Your blood sugar level affects how hungry you are and how energetic you feel, and it also tells your body whether to burn fat or store it a key for weight loss.

The insulin hormone transports blood sugar from your blood to your body’s cells, where it is converted into energy. When you eat carbohydrate-rich foods, higher levels of insulin are produced, telling your body that you have plenty of energy. As a result, your body stops burning fat and starts to store it. Even worse, though, this insulin surge results in your insulin and blood sugar levels eventually being too low, and you start feeling hungry and tired, and then you want to eat something carbohydrate-rich again, which creates a vicious cycle.

Regulating your blood sugar level is an effective way to avoid insulin overproduction and maintain the level of fat-burning your body is used to. Avoid simple carbohydrates, which include the various types of sugar. Avoid ingredient names ending in “-ose,” such as glucose or fructose, as these are usually simple carbohydrates that can wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels. Sugar can show up in processed foods and in beverages, so get in the habit of reading nutrition facts labels on everything you eat or drink. In fat-free products, sugar is often used to supplement the flavor when fat is lost, and without the fat to slow down the absorption, the sugar is absorbed into your blood even faster. Make sure to keep an eye on “no-sugar added” products as well—natural sugars such as fructose can be just a bad for you.

Try to eat three meals a day and limit your snacks to healthy ones. Eating frequently can prevent binges and also prevent your body from going into “starvation mode” when you do finally eat. By focusing on high-fiber snacks and meals as well, you can feel more full while avoiding the insulin overproduction. Understanding why your body reacts to carbohydrates the way it does and taking steps to avoid the vicious cycle of insulin overproduction and carbohydrate introduction is essential to a healthier lifestyle.