Svelte is passionate about helping people meet their weight loss in Orlando goals. While every person’s situation is different, those with type 2 diabetes sometimes experience weight gain as a result of insulin treatments. Here, we’ll explain why insulin may be responsible for your weight gain and what you can do about it.
Why Insulin Can Result in Weight Gain
Insulin is often used as part of a treatment plan to control diabetes, particularly when diet, exercise, and oral medications aren’t cutting it. However, insulin frequently leads to weight gain which, ironically, can end up making diabetes more difficult to manage, reducing insulin’s overall ability to help to manage the disease.
While insulin helps your cells absorb the sugar in your blood, your body may end up retaining fluid to make up for any dehydration that was occurring prior to beginning insulin treatment. This is great for managing blood sugar levels and, therefore, controlling diabetes, but can lead to weight gain on two counts:
- Temporary weight gain from increased fluid retention
- Long term weight gain due to increased sugar absorption
If weight gain wasn’t an issue prior to taking insulin, this could very well be the explanation for any weight gain you’re now experiencing.
Avoiding Insulin-Related Weight Gain
Here are some tips on how to manage your weight if you need to take insulin as part of your diabetes management program:
- Take in Fewer Calories – While you don’t want to drastically reduce your overall caloric intake, work with your doctor to determine the ideal number of calories you should be consuming each day.
- Eat Frequent Meals – Eat small meals and snacks every few hours to avoid having your blood sugar levels drop too low and to keep your metabolism stabilized and working efficiently.
- Exercise More – Exercise helps burn off excess calories and serves to complement a healthy diet.
Be sure to speak with a medical professional before making any drastic changes to your diabetes management plan, including any changes to your diet and exercise program.
Contact Svelte Weight Loss Center today for weight loss in Orlando, and learn how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.