[dallascowboy]

I'm on a low carb, high protein diet plan and need to lose fat. Where would I want my BG range to be? The reason I ask is because some people say that high glucose is bad for losing weight but some say it's ideal . But many people I've spoken to say that low BG is very bad for losing fat since the glucose you take in to raise your levels gets stored away.

 

[beefy]

I'm on a low carb, high protein diet plan and need to lose fat. Where would I want my BG range to be? The reason I ask is because some people say that high glucose is bad for losing weight but some say it's ideal . But many people I've spoken to say that low BG is very bad for losing fat since the glucose you take in to raise your levels gets stored away.

This is my personal opinion, but do NOT worry about your BG levels when working on fat-loss. If you maintain a healthy low-carb diet and exercise, and take prescribed meds, your BG levels should be well-controlled. And so you want your BG to be in that 'normal' range, under 7.8 (140) 2hrs post meal, and under 5.5 (100) fasting.

Exercising while having low blood glucose will, in most people, cause the liver to respond by secreting more glucose (stored in the liver as glycogen) and raising your BG levels to compensate, and give your body fuel. If you start the exercise at higher BG reading, the BG that's in your system is typically utilized as fuel without the need for the liver convert glycogen to glucose and secrete it into your system. For most people (without liver damage) once you've burned the blood glucose and start to get low, your liver responds by outputting more anyway.

If you experience hypo's (low BG) then you should certainly have SOME complex carbs in your system prior to exercise, and you may need to eat during exercise.

Regarding fat-loss. I personally believe fat-loss is best accomplished by a low-carb, high-protein diet combined with BOTH aerobic exercise and resistance straining. The goal is to eat healthy, eat often (5-6 meals per day, similar carb/protein/fat ratio), maintain a slight calorie deficit (no more than 500cal/day deficit, in my opinion, to avoid the 'starvation' syndrome), and exercise.

Regarding the two types of exercise: The resistance-training will increase your muscle mass, which in-turn increases your metabolic rate, helping you burn fat. The aerobic exercise, when done at the proper intensity level (varies by individual, but usually low to moderate intensity) and for the proper length of time (20+ minutes per session) will use more blood-borne glucose and FFA (free fatty acids, derived from adipose tissue) for fuel rather than muscle glycogen. (Short, intense exercise usually burns muscle glycogen for fuel, rather than the glycogen stored in your liver or the FFA's.)

The combination of the exercise and fat-loss will help your BG levels in the long run.

 

[joe_h]

never heard that BG levels affecting weight. and using your BG levels to control sugars does not sounds like a healthy way to loose weight. know of some type 1s that withold insulin to keep weight off and it's a very dangerous eating disorder.

 

[jwags]

I think what you are referring to is when diabetics bgs are terribly high, glucose cannot get into the cells to be used for energy. Basically your body begins to starve to death and that is why you lose weight. That is not how you want to lose weight, it is very dangerous and may lead to DKA. The best way to lose weight is on a low carb ketogenic diet, where you start to burn fat for energy. This usually happens below 75 carbs a day. If you do that your bgs should fall into a relatively normal range 75-120.

 

[dallascowboy]

Good info beefy! My daily exercise routine consists of mostly weight lifting and light cardio. I just worry that the low BG that I experience now and then as a result of working out won't be the reason for the lack of fat loss since glucose is what I'm putting back into my body.

never heard that BG levels affecting weight. and using your BG levels to control sugars does not sounds like a healthy way to loose weight. know of some type 1s that withold insulin to keep weight off and it's a very dangerous eating disorder.

That's probably what was trying to be communicated. What I'll do is stay on a low carb diet that way I won't need as much insulin.

I think what you are referring to is when diabetics bgs are terribly high, glucose cannot get into the cells to be used for energy. Basically your body begins to starve to death and that is why you lose weight. That is not how you want to lose weight, it is very dangerous and may lead to DKA. The best way to lose weight is on a low carb ketogenic diet, where you start to burn fat for energy. This usually happens below 75 carbs a day. If you do that your bgs should fall into a relatively normal range 75-120.

I'm hoping a ketogenic diet would work. I've already cut my carb intake in half and have increased my protein intake by 40 grams. I'm trying to avoid muscle loss and just shed the fat.

 

[beefy]

The ketogenic diet is indeed the way to go for burning fat, and as an added bonus it helps with blood glucose levels, HbA1c results AND triglycerides. There was a study done that reported on this, taken from here:

Methods
From an outpatient clinic, we recruited 28 overweight participants with type 2 diabetes for a 16-week single-arm pilot diet intervention trial. We provided LCKD counseling, with an initial goal of <20 g carbohydrate/day, while reducing diabetes medication dosages at diet initiation. Participants returned every other week for measurements, counseling, and further medication adjustment. The primary outcome was hemoglobin A1c.

Results
Twenty-one of the 28 participants who were enrolled completed the study. Twenty participants were men; 13 were White, 8 were African-American. The mean [± SD] age was 56.0 ± 7.9 years and BMI was 42.2 ± 5.8 kg/m2. Hemoglobin A1c decreased by 16% from 7.5 ± 1.4% to 6.3 ± 1.0% (p < 0.001) from baseline to week 16. Diabetes medications were discontinued in 7 participants, reduced in 10 participants, and unchanged in 4 participants. The mean body weight decreased by 6.6% from 131.4 ± 18.3 kg to 122.7 ± 18.9 kg (p < 0.001). In linear regression analyses, weight change at 16 weeks did not predict change in hemoglobin A1c. Fasting serum triglyceride decreased 42% from 2.69 ± 2.87 mmol/L to 1.57 ± 1.38 mmol/L (p = 0.001) while other serum lipid measurements did not change significantly.

Conclusion
The LCKD improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes such that diabetes medications were discontinued or reduced in most participants. Because the LCKD can be very effective at lowering blood glucose, patients on diabetes medication who use this diet should be under close medical supervision or capable of adjusting their medication.​

Kinda cool, huh? I think I'm going to lower my carb intake again...