How to lose weight with insulin resistance
Jul 21, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
Insulin resistance-related weight loss can be achieved through controlling carbohydrate intake, increasing dietary fiber consumption, adhering to regular aerobic exercise, ensuring adequate sleep, and reducing intake of refined sugars. Choose low-glycemic-index carbohydrates, such as whole grains and legumes, and reduce the amount of refined carbohydrates like rice and noodles. These types of foods can slow the rise in blood glucose levels and decrease the demand for insulin secretion.
Generally, weight loss for insulin resistance can be achieved through controlling carbohydrate intake, increasing dietary fiber consumption, adhering to regular aerobic exercise, ensuring adequate sleep, and reducing intake of refined sugars. A detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Control carbohydrate intake: Choose low-glycemic-index carbohydrates such as whole grains and legumes, and reduce the consumption of refined carbohydrates like rice and noodles. These foods can slow the rise in blood glucose levels, lower the demand for insulin secretion, and help improve insulin sensitivity.
2. Increase dietary fiber intake: Eat more fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Dietary fiber delays digestion and absorption of food, reduces post-meal blood glucose fluctuations, alleviates the burden on insulin, and can assist in regulating metabolic status over the long term.
3. Adhere to regular aerobic exercise: Engage in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling. Exercise enhances muscle sensitivity to insulin, promotes glucose utilization, aids in weight reduction, and improves insulin resistance.
4. Ensure adequate sleep: Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily. Sleep deprivation can disrupt hormonal balance, leading to decreased insulin sensitivity and potentially causing appetite dysregulation and increased calorie intake. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule helps preserve normal metabolic function.
5. Reduce intake of refined sugars: Avoid foods high in refined sugars such as sweetened beverages, pastries, and candies. Refined sugars rapidly elevate blood glucose levels, stimulate excessive insulin secretion, worsen insulin resistance, and are easily converted into fat deposits in the body.
Individuals with insulin resistance should commit to long-term healthy lifestyle changes for weight loss and avoid extreme methods aimed at quick results. In daily life, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, improving eating habits, engaging in appropriate physical activity, enhancing physical fitness, and reducing susceptibility to disease are essential.
