The Truth About Fat Loss: It’s Simpler Than Gurus Say
For years, media platforms and gurus have touted new ways to lose fat, and super secret supplements that prompt fat loss, and well, now we just shoot an injection into us without asking what happens long term. The truth is, fat loss is not a complicated feat. You need less energy stored in the body than you consume. But in the world of “health food” marketing gimmicks and supplements with hidden ingredients, it’s beneficial to know how fat loss occurs (or doesn’t occur) in the body. Let’s learn how to time carbs for max burn & muscle gain, starting with food.
Digestion 101: How Your Body Really Sees Food
Digestion starts as soon as you take a bite. Well, even before that, if you get really technical, smelling and anticipating food revs up the body’s mechanisms. In any case, there are enzymes that start breaking down food. Amalyse is a star player who breaks down starches into simple sugars. We have to re-frame our mind on how we look at food. What does the body see it as? Well, it breaks everything down to the molecular level and uses it or stores it as energy.
How Insulin Shuttles Glucose to Muscles & Locks Fat Away
We’re not chowing down on pizza for the vibes. Our gut (trillions of microbes) is dismantling it into amino acids, glucose, fatty acids, and micronutrient confetti, then shuttling it to mitochondria for ATP production or storing extras into glycogen/fat reserves for later. When you eat carbs (or even big protein hits), blood sugar rises, triggering an insulin release. The hormone insulin kicks in and acts like a shuttle. It drives glucose into muscles and liver for energy storage (as glycogen) and tells fat cells to lock down their stores. Quick rundown of insulin.
What is Insulin and Where is it Made?
Insulin is produced by the beta (β) cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. When blood glucose rises (for example, after a carbohydrate‑containing meal), beta cells sense this and release insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin then promotes glucose uptake into tissues (muscle and fat), stimulates glycogen synthesis (mainly in liver and muscle), and suppresses hepatic glucose output, which together lower blood glucose levels. Glycogen is just a bunch of glucose “squished”together and then used in muscle for energy. Or noted in the liver for later use.
In muscle: glycogen is used locally by that muscle for energy during activity.
In the liver: glycogen is broken down to free glucose and released into the blood to keep blood sugar stable for the whole body.
Glucagon, the Underrated Partner in Crime
Glucagon is the yin to insulin’s yang. When the body needs to mobilize energy, this hormone kicks in. Released from the alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans, glucagon rises when blood glucose levels are low and signals the liver to break down glycogen and release glucose into the bloodstream. It also promotes the release of fatty acids from adipose tissue and their use as fuel. In other terms, when blood sugar drops, glucagon from pancreatic alpha cells tells the liver to release stored glucose and encourages fat cells to free up fatty acids for fuel. Pretty neat.
Refined Carbs. Pretzels Are the Real Enemy
With carb-heavy meals or snacks, insulin stays constantly elevated. This then suppresses glucagon signaling and therefore reduces fat oxidation. We also see an increase in triglycerides from the liver due to de novo lipogenesis. Which is often thought of as too much fat, increasing blood levels in triglycerides and cholesterol levels, to include VLDL and LDL. But in reality, this could be mitigated by the reduction of insulin-spiking food consumption. Pretzels and saltine crackers are some of the worst offenders. Fat is good for you, check out why in this blog.
Fat Loss Stops with Refined Carbs.
All this to say, insulin is going to store excess energy. And it is also a key factor in inciting hormone-sensitive lipase, which is an enzyme that kicks off fat oxidation. So if you are looking to burn excess energy off your hips, then you don’t want insulin. So remove refined carbs. Check out the study here for more info
The Anabolic Window Hack: Time Carbs for Muscle Without Fat Gain
And what of the case that insulin is bifocal for anabolic window, increasing the amount of nutrient uptake in the digestive system? Absolutely a thing. But if the goal is to trim up and get peeled, whilst building muscles, the most productive avenue would be with targeted carb consumption.
Post-Workout Carbs (20-50g): Honey Yogurt for 20-30% Muscle Gains
Glucose is an effective muscle builder. Studies show 20-30% increases in muscle size over several weeks. But the most strategic and simplest way to do this would be to train fasted, or nearly, with a few scoops of Greek yogurt before, and then post training session, eat s high quality carbs, 20-50g. This gives you the best of all worlds. Allowing for fat oxidation while training, because you aren’t feeding yourself insulin-spiking carb bombs before. And then getting the re-feed benefits of glucose without spiking insulin. It is essentially privatized into muscle rebuilding. If you did a hard workout, that is. We’re not talking the stair stepper for 20 minutes while watching Teen Mom.
Go ‘Glucagonic’: Build Habits for Sustainable Fat Loss
This is a great way to organize your eating habits. To do this and stay “glucagonic” (my new term) is an extremely beneficial way lose unwanted fat. (Too many people ruined the term “keto”)
Many health issues stem from highly processed food and refined carbs. And to add, overconsumption of anything is bad. Even if you eat a giant pile of pure protein, insulin still has to come in and store it. Although carbs uniquely flood the system while slamming the “store everything” button hardest.
What Your Goal? Now Get After It.
The end goal is to be healthy, not fall into the fads or newest influencer catch words. Have an understanding of the body. Make the decision: Is health worth the investment? There is power in simplicity. And we all have the ability to make decisions. Do it, or don’t do it. Then get a result.
Blood Panel Review, and Nutrition Guidance.
If you want to dive more into nutrition, talk blood panels, or weight training, send an email to info@solutons2wellness.org
