Insulin resistance - anyone successfully reverse it and have insight?

abundantlyme

I'm GOING to reverse my insulin resistance. Everything I read says that exercise (including both cardio and strength training), watching carbs, staying within calorie budget all help - and some supplements. I currently take Magnesium, Berberine, Cinnamon and Chromium.

Any other tips? I want to start becoming more insulin sensitive quickly so that my weight loss isn't so sluggish, so whatever I can do to get there sooner than later, I'd like to consider.

Insight from any of you who have successfully reversed this condition? How long did it take you to become insulin sensitive - and when did you start to notice the change in your metabolism?

Thank you!

CharlieBeansmomTracey

most of those supplements arent proven to help with IR except berberine(berberine says it can help with reducing glucose levels-https://examine.com/supplements/berberine/ ),in many cases you may need a medication that does help. have you seen an endocrinologist? talk to a dr before taking any supplements especially if you are on any other meds. Diet,exercise and reduction in carbs should work without the supplements over time.

DietPrada

Yes. At 38 my doctor told me I'd be diabetic by the time I was 40. The signs were there. My whole family had diabetes. It killed my father last year.

I switched my diet to low carb high fat (or Ketogenic) meaning my body burns fat for fuel, not sugar, therefore no insulin spikes. Today, over 4 years on, my doctor has confirmed (several times over the last couple of years) that I no longer have pre-diabetes, or diabetes, or any other issues of concern.

nvmomketo

Low carb high fat diets are the fastest way to improve your blood glucose. If you really lower carbs, your BG could start coming down in in a matter of days.

Do you have a glucose monitor yet? Checking your BG before and after meals is the best way to determine what foods you should be eating - foods that don't spike BG. Consider buying a glucometre if you don't have one yet.

The book, Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution is the best LCHF plan for diabetics, IMO. Bernstein is a T1D who invented home testing. His goal for diabetics is normal BG, and not just "diabetic normal" BG, which is not very healthy.

Weight loss definitely helps too. I think that partially depends on how much you need to lose and whether your IR is linked to obesity. Mine started when I was only 15-20 lbs overweight. I then gained more while trying to get control of it through moderation. (I'm not good at moderation LOL.) While losing weight my numbers were perfect but once I stopped losing, when I hit goal weight, my BG numbers rebounded somewhat. Now, my LCHF diet is what keeps my BG low.

A regular exercise regimen helps too. I never hit that point where it helped me though. I wasn't a regular exerciser for long enough.

Some think fasting can help with IR too. I know it helps my BG numbers in the short term. I'm not sure about long term..

So for me, eating LCHF has been the best solution for me. I have normal BG (4's to 5's) as long as I eat LCHF. If I eat higher carb foods (bread, sweets, potato, etc) my BG goes right back up. I'm a low carber for life.

Good luck.

abundantlyme

Thanks everyone! And congrats to those of you who have gotten yourselves so healthy!

lorrpb

Mine reversed after I lost the first 25 lbs and started strength training a couple times a week and walking.
It's just an ancient footnote to my medical history now!

gettingreallyfedupnow

You might find it helpful to read one of Jason Fung's books. He's a nephrologist who became interested in using fasting to correct insulin resistance, obesity and type 2 diabetes in his patients. He goes into the physiological processes in far more detail than I can explain easily here and has had good results in terms of his patients losing weight and no longer needing medication.

LisaTcan

nvmomketo wrote: »

Low carb high fat diets are the fastest way to improve your blood glucose. If you really lower carbs, your BG could start coming down in in a matter of days.

Do you have a glucose monitor yet? Checking your BG before and after meals is the best way to determine what foods you should be eating - foods that don't spike BG. Consider buying a glucometre if you don't have one yet.

The book, Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution is the best LCHF plan for diabetics, IMO. Bernstein is a T1D who invented home testing. His goal for diabetics is normal BG, and not just "diabetic normal" BG, which is not very healthy.

Weight loss definitely helps too. I think that partially depends on how much you need to lose and whether your IR is linked to obesity. Mine started when I was only 15-20 lbs overweight. I then gained more while trying to get control of it through moderation. (I'm not good at moderation LOL.) While losing weight my numbers were perfect but once I stopped losing, when I hit goal weight, my BG numbers rebounded somewhat. Now, my LCHF diet is what keeps my BG low.

A regular exercise regimen helps too. I never hit that point where it helped me though. I wasn't a regular exerciser for long enough.

Some think fasting can help with IR too. I know it helps my BG numbers in the short term. I'm not sure about long term..

So for me, eating LCHF has been the best solution for me. I have normal BG (4's to 5's) as long as I eat LCHF. If I eat higher carb foods (bread, sweets, potato, etc) my BG goes right back up. I'm a low carber for life.

Good luck.

Would you mind telling me what your macros are? I'm not sure exactly what LFHC is. I don't have pre-diabetes but my mom and several family members do and I am trying to be proactive about preventing it.

mblasser

Has anyone read "The Fat Resistant Diet"? It had great tips, and help me to lose 14 lbs in my first two weeks and my energy skyrocketed! It is sure what I needed.

ronjsteele1

My doctor swears by intermittent fasting for lowering BG. I have done it and like it but for some reason can't bring myself to do it these days. Otherwise, for me, lift progressively heavier and moderating carbs (not even low carb) has helped tremendously. Cardio does not really work for me in terms of lowering BG but I do it just to burn calories. I keep my macros around 40C/40F/20P.

nvmomketo

LisaTcan wrote: »

nvmomketo wrote: »

Low carb high fat diets are the fastest way to improve your blood glucose. If you really lower carbs, your BG could start coming down in in a matter of days.

Do you have a glucose monitor yet? Checking your BG before and after meals is the best way to determine what foods you should be eating - foods that don't spike BG. Consider buying a glucometre if you don't have one yet.

The book, Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution is the best LCHF plan for diabetics, IMO. Bernstein is a T1D who invented home testing. His goal for diabetics is normal BG, and not just "diabetic normal" BG, which is not very healthy.

Weight loss definitely helps too. I think that partially depends on how much you need to lose and whether your IR is linked to obesity. Mine started when I was only 15-20 lbs overweight. I then gained more while trying to get control of it through moderation. (I'm not good at moderation LOL.) While losing weight my numbers were perfect but once I stopped losing, when I hit goal weight, my BG numbers rebounded somewhat. Now, my LCHF diet is what keeps my BG low.

A regular exercise regimen helps too. I never hit that point where it helped me though. I wasn't a regular exerciser for long enough.

Some think fasting can help with IR too. I know it helps my BG numbers in the short term. I'm not sure about long term..

So for me, eating LCHF has been the best solution for me. I have normal BG (4's to 5's) as long as I eat LCHF. If I eat higher carb foods (bread, sweets, potato, etc) my BG goes right back up. I'm a low carber for life.

Good luck.

Would you mind telling me what your macros are? I'm not sure exactly what LFHC is. I don't have pre-diabetes but my mom and several family members do and I am trying to be proactive about preventing it.

LCHF is low carb high fat. Low carb is usually considered to be under 100-150 g per day and can go as low as almost zero. Some find around a 100g is low enough to help with blood glucose, but others find going even lower has even more impact, like me. My carbs are set at about 5-10% and tends to be between 20-30g per day. This is also a ketogenic diet (less than 50g carbs).

Fats are usually close to or over half of all calories depending on how low carbs are. My fats are at about 70-75% which is usually between 110-130g of fat per day.

Protein is often kept moderate. Mine is about 20%, or between 70-90g.

jelleigh

@nvmomketo would you be willing to post what an average day of food looks like for you (sorry don't mean to highjack the post but am curious about what those macros look like in an actual menu/diet)

nvmomketo

jelleigh wrote: »

@nvmomketo would you be willing to post what an average day of food looks like for you (sorry don't mean to highjack the post but am curious about what those macros look like in an actual menu/diet)

I don't log often anymore so I am not sure how close to those macros I am.

Today Was not my best day but I had coffee with coconut cream, 2 pepperoni sticks, a taco bowl with seasoned ground beef, sour cream and avocado, and a 1/2c to 1c of macadamia nuts and cashews.

On Saturday I had an egg with mushrooms and peppers plus a strip of bacon, coffee with coconut cream, a can of mussels, roast beef, green beans with butter and worchestershire sauce, a very small scoop of mashed sweet potatoes, and some almonds.

Yesterday I ate bacon, a burger patty with cheese, coffee and coconut cream, snap peas, and a homemade coconut flour hemp pumpkin muffin.

The Low Carber Daily MFP group has food threads going most of the time. It would be a good place to go for food ideas... Often more interesting than my meals.