When it comes to weight loss, many people think that all they have to do is eat fewer calories and exercise more to get lasting results. While this is true, there are other factors at play as well.
One of the most important things to consider during your weight loss efforts is your blood sugar levels. You can do everything right. But if your glucose levels aren’t where they should be, you can struggle to lose 15, 10, even 5 pounds.
This article will explain how blood sugar levels impact your weight and offer tips for maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. By restoring your blood sugar levels, you can boost your metabolism and achieve lasting weight loss.
What Is Blood Sugar?
When you eat foods that contain carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into blood sugar, also known as blood glucose. These sugars then travel through your bloodstream to your cells, which are used for energy.
Your blood sugar levels refer to the amount of glucose in your bloodstream. These levels go up and down throughout the day, depending on the types of sugar in the foods you eat. There are three types of sugar:
- Glucose: This is the primary type of sugar found in the blood. When you eat foods that contain carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, or fruit, your body breaks them down into glucose. These sugars then travel through your bloodstream to your cells, which are used for energy.
- Fructose: This is a sugar that is found in fruit and honey. It is converted into glucose when digested in the body.
- Galactose is a sugar found in milk and dairy products that is also converted into glucose by the body.
The main difference between these blood sugars is their structure and source. Glucose is a simple sugar, while fructose and galactose are complex sugars. As a result, the body can use glucose for energy immediately, but it needs to break down fructose and galactose into blood glucose before using them.
This process takes a little longer, which is why blood sugar levels can spike after eating sugary foods.
How Do Blood Glucose Levels Impact Your Weight?
Blood sugar levels play a significant role in weight loss and weight gain. When you eat foods that contain carbohydrates, your body breaks them down into blood sugars. Once broken down, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. This hormone helps transport the sugars from your bloodstream into your cells, which are used for energy.
If you eat more sugar than your body needs for energy, this will lead to increased insulin levels. These excess sugars will be stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen. Glycogen is made up of long chains of glucose molecules and can be broken down back into glucose when needed for energy.
When you have too much glycogen stored in your body, it can lead to weight gain. This is because the extra glycogen is stored in your fat cells and makes them expand. In addition, when there is more glycogen in your body, it means that there is also more insulin being produced. Insulin promotes fat storage in the body, causing your body to gain more weight.
On the other hand, when you have low blood sugar levels, you may feel tired or hungry. This is because low blood sugar can disrupt the body’s normal functioning. To fix this, your body will start to break down glycogen stores for energy. This process of breaking down glycogen is called glycogenolysis.
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Importance of Maintaining Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
1. It helps you make better food choices.
Not all carbohydrates are created equal. People who better understand how sugar levels impact their weight are more likely to choose healthier carbs.
For example, when you know which foods will cause your blood sugar levels to spike (known as foods high on the glycemic index), you can avoid them and instead focus on eating foods that will help to keep your blood sugar levels stable (foods low on the glycemic index). This can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Foods high on the glycemic index often include processed foods, sugary drinks, fast food, white bread, potatoes, and white rice. Because these foods contain simple carbohydrates, they’re quickly broken down into glucose, leading to a large spike in blood sugar levels.
Foods low on the glycemic index take longer for your body to break down and thus do not cause such dramatic spikes in blood sugar levels. They include green vegetables, most fruits, beans, carrots, whole-fat milk, and nuts.
If you are focused on losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight, following a low glycemic diet is an easy way to shed extra pounds while improving your overall health. For those who struggle to stick to a diet, it can also feel a lot less restrictive than traditional diets or fasting.
2. It helps prevent deadly diseases.
High blood sugar levels are often the precursor for severe health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Diabetes is when your body can’t properly break down sugars. When this happens, the sugar stays in your blood, damaging your organs over time and leading to other health problems. Type II diabetes is often linked to insulin resistance caused by obesity.
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Heart disease is also closely linked to high blood sugar levels. This is because having too much sugar in your blood can cause a build-up of plaque in your arteries. This plaque can harden and narrow your arteries, greatly increasing your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
By maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, you can reach a healthy weight (and stay there) while also reducing your risk of developing severe health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
3. It boosts your energy levels.
One of the most common symptoms of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is fatigue. When your blood sugar levels are low, your body has to work harder to break down glycogen for energy. Your brain doesn’t receive the energy it needs to function properly, leading to impaired cognitive function and “brain fog.”
But low blood sugar isn’t the only glucose-related condition that causes fatigue. When your blood sugar gets too high, you may also feel tired as your body is working hard to process all the sugar in your blood.
Not only does your pancreas use energy to produce insulin, which drops your blood sugar levels back down, but you’re also at risk of developing ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition when you don’t have enough insulin in your body to lower glucose levels. Instead, your liver breaks down fat for energy.
This can seem like a good thing (after all, the goal is weight loss, right?), but this produces ketones. Ketones make your blood too acidic, which poisons your body.
Many people with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) feel exhausted no matter how much sleep or exercise they get. In fact, research has found that as many as 61% of people with high blood sugar experience fatigue.
When your sugar levels are stable, you will have more energy. Therefore, by maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, you can help to ensure that you have enough energy throughout the day while preventing the dangers of ketoacidosis or extreme hypoglycemia.
6 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Blood Sugar Level
High blood sugar can do a number on your waistline, energy levels, and overall health. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help maintain a healthy blood sugar level.
1. Eat regular meals and snacks.
Eating on a regular schedule helps to keep your glucose levels stable. Eating small meals and snacks every few hours is better than large meals. A good rule of thumb is to eat a balanced snack (with plenty of proteins and healthy fats) every two hours.
2. Check your glucose levels frequently.
Glucose tracking is an excellent way to see how well your body manages blood sugar. You can use a home blood sugar monitor, or go to your doctor for a checkup to have your A1C and glucose levels tested.
If you don’t remember to manually check your levels the recommended 10 times a day, or you have a hard time checking your blood sugar, a continuous glucose monitor may be a good option. These devices aren’t as accurate as finger-pricking, but they are convenient and provide a clearer picture of your daily glucose levels.
3. Avoid high-glycemic foods.
Foods high in the glycemic index are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates that cause your glucose levels to rise. These foods include candy, cookies, cake, white bread, and white rice. Instead, opt for complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain bread and brown rice.
Check out this chart for a full list of foods that are high and low on the glycemic index.
4. Exercise regularly.
Exercise helps lower blood sugar levels by promoting glycogen storage in the muscles. In addition, exercise also helps to improve insulin sensitivity by making cells more responsive to insulin.
You don’t have to do high-intensity cardio workouts to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Simply walking for 30-40 minutes every day can make a dramatic improvement on how you feel and your overall health.
5. Manage your stress levels.
Stress can cause your influence your glucose levels. To help manage stress, try to get regular exercise, get enough sleep, and practice relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation.
6. Limit your alcohol intake.
Alcohol can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. If you drink, your body will prioritize breaking down alcohol for energy over other nutrients. This can cause your glucose levels to drop and lead to fatigue and feelings of hunger.
If you drink alcohol, it is essential to do so in moderation and with food. But if you can, try to cut out alcohol or limit it to 1-2 drinks per week.
Bottom Line: Your Glucose Level Influences Your Ability to Lose Weight
Maintaining a healthy blood sugar level is essential for overall health. When your blood sugar levels are stable, you have more energy, avoid severe health conditions, and can maintain a healthy weight.
You can do several things to help keep your blood sugar levels in check, including eating regular meals and snacks, avoiding sugary foods, exercising regularly, managing stress, and limiting alcohol intake. These simple tweaks can help you keep those extra pounds down—without having to count calories, taking out a gym membership, or trying dangerous fad diets.
If you suspect you might have high blood sugar levels, or your weight won’t go down regardless of what you try, The Resurge Clinic is here to help. Our Trim & Fit weight loss program uses objective data—your personal bloodwork—to measure your improvement and help you feel your best while promoting optimal well-being.
Schedule a consultation now to get started now!
