Eating More and Exercising Less Does NOT Cause Fat Gain – Part 4

by | Dec 26, 2011 | BodyCHEK, Weight Loss

OK, so far I’ve discussed how important it is to balance your steroid hormones if you wish to lose weight.

Well, there is another potentially even more important hormone to consider with weight loss. This hormone is insulin.

Fruit & Veg Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in response to eating carbohydrates to keep blood sugar under control. The more carbohydrates eaten, the more insulin is secreted.

Insulin also ensures that muscle cells receive amino acids to aid repair and provide energy. Insulin is also the principle regulator of fat metabolism by allowing fatty acids to enter fat cells.

Insulin also has a direct affect on the enzyme Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) which I have previously discussed. LPL helps to store fat in muscle tissue for energy storage and to store fat in fat cells.

Insulin stimulates LPL on the fat cells, especially around the abdomen. Insulin inhibits LPL on the muscle cells reducing the availability of energy, which is likely to make you feel tired and/or hungry.

Insulin also suppresses another enzyme Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL) which helps us to burn fat, therefore meaning helps us to store more fat. The more insulin is secreted, the more HSL is inhibited, the less fat you can use for energy and the more that will be stored in your fat cells.

Insulin also helps to pump glucose into your fat cells where they make triglycerides. Triglycerides are two fatty acids joined with one glycerol cell. Triglycerides are large and cannot leave a fat cell unless it is broken down into fatty acids.

Insulin also promotes the growth of new fat cells, just in case your current fat cells become full.

Gary Taubes in his book, “Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It”, states that there are a number of stages that the insulin cycle goes through:

  1. You get hungry and think about a meal containing carbohydrates
  2. You begin secreting insulin
  3. The insulin inhibits HSL and stimulates LPL
  4. You get hungrier
  5. You begin eating
  6. More insulin is secreted
  7. As you ingest the carbohydrates, blood sugar increases
  8. More insulin is secreted
  9. Fat is stored as triglycerides in the fat cells
  10. Fat cells get fatter (and so do you)
  11. Fat stays in the fat cells until the insulin levels reduce

So you see, just eating less and exercising more might not get the job done.

Stay tuned for more information. There’s still another important hormone I haven’t mentioned yet…