Fat Loss Through Metabolic Flexibility

People with an increased insulin resistance lose weight more easily if they restrict carbohydrates in their diet. 

The  metabolic flexibility  is to use a concept that refers to the ability of the organism, the optimal energy source for metabolism. So it’s not just about reducing fat or carbohydrates in the diet, but also enabling the body to use the best fuel for the respective performance.

Those who can use the metabolic flexibility can break down fat more easily. It is also possible to build up and maintain muscle mass. The body adapts to the appropriate diet. Find out more about it afterwards.

Metabolic flexibility: optimization of energy sources

If you want to lose weight efficiently with diet, it is important to know what sources of energy your  body uses. People with good metabolic flexibility are able to adapt to the fuel that is ingested through diet.

A high-carbohydrate diet in this case means that the body uses glucose as its main source of energy. During a fasting period, however, the organism is able to adapt and obtain energy from fat while the muscle tissue is preserved.

When these people are on a low-carbohydrate diet, the body uses fat as a source of energy,  but does not rely on glycogen stores in the muscles and liver.

But not everyone has this ability, because it is related to the metabolic health of every person. However, there are ways to optimize your metabolism.

Metabolic flexibility depends on insulin resistance

Isulin resistance affects metabolic flexibility. A diabetic will lose weight more easily if they follow a low-carb diet. But people who have normal insulin sensitivity can also reduce body mass with a high-sugar diet.

There are various strategies to reduce insulin resistance and improve this metabolic parameter. Some of them are:

• Intermittent Fasting:  This type of fasting is very effective in this regard, according to an article published in Aging Research Reviews . The effect can be further improved if you reduce your intake of carbohydrates (especially simple sugars).
• Interval training with intense stress and recovery phases:  This training can have a positive effect on diseases such as diabetes, according to a study published in 2015. For this reason, interval training is suitable for reducing the insulin resistance of people with diabetes or prediabetes.

Dieting is easier with metabolic flexibility

People in good health and with good metabolic flexibility  are able to adapt to dietary changes. You can achieve satisfactory results with intermittent fasting without having great appetites and with insignificant losses of lean fat tissue.

However, those who do not have this ability  should opt for a low-carbohydrate (sugar) diet to help them lose weight. The increased insulin resistance can also prevent the person on a low-calorie diet from losing weight if they consume a large amount of carbohydrates.

Diet change for better health

People with sedentary lifestyles who only exercise sporadically often have increased insulin resistance. In this case  , various strategies are recommended to improve metabolic health and thus make weight loss easier.