Unanswered Need Help W/ Insulin Resistant Diet

[icrackaboy]

I am wondering if anyone could offer me some good meal recipe/high calorie shake recipes that I could have with an insulin resistant diet. They say to cut back high fat dairy, and breads and pastas. It will be difficult to hit my 3,500-4,000 calorie goal not drinking whole milk and eating yogurts. Just a lot of vegetables, lean meats, and fewer carbs and low fat dairies they say. Any way I can do this with such a diet and not stuff myself full? Also I can't eat processed foods at all. No deli meats or canned foods

 

[HIT4ME]

If you are on a diet to control insulin resistance, using shakes kind of misses the point?

If you have insulin resistance, it is likely you have been in a caloric surplus for some time I would think. What are your current stats? What height, weight, bodyfat % are you? Male/female (just to not make assumptions)? What would you estimate the highest bodyfat you've ever been at is?

Why is 3,500-4,000 your goal?

It's hard to really give advice without knowing a little bit more.

 

[icrackaboy]

If you are on a diet to control insulin resistance, using shakes kind of misses the point?

If you have insulin resistance, it is likely you have been in a caloric surplus for some time I would think. What are your current stats? What height, weight, bodyfat % are you? Male/female (just to not make assumptions)? What would you estimate the highest bodyfat you've ever been at is?

Why is 3,500-4,000 your goal?

It's hard to really give advice without knowing a little bit more.

May I ask why shakes miss the point? My height is 5'10
Weight is 175
Body fat percentage is 13%
I am Male
My highest body fat I would assume would have been 25% back when I was 13 before I lost weight. My goal is 3,500-4,000 calories because that is generally what I eat at the current moment to maintain my weight. I feel it will be hard to keep eating my maintanance amount with this new eating style that I am considering. I have veins on my arms, shoulders, and even legs. But my stomach and chest are covered in fat, doctor said I might be a prediabetic soon since my family has history of diabetis. Given the conditions of my chest and stomach fat, and family history, i may have some insulin resistance that is causing me to keep this fat, and get into prediabetes

 

[Resolve10]

I guess I’m just a bit confused. If you truly are 13% and lean and training insulin resistance shouldn’t be a major concern, did your doctor provide any actual tests other than family history?

Also generally losing weight and fat with training are recommendations, probably why there is confusion about shakes and what seemed like gaining weight.

Are you trying to just maintain?

 

[icrackaboy]

I guess I’m just a bit confused. If you truly are 13% and lean and training insulin resistance shouldn’t be a major concern, did your doctor provide any actual tests other than family history?

Also generally losing weight and fat with training are recommendations, probably why there is confusion about shakes and what seemed like gaining weight.

Are you trying to just maintain?

Im trying to lose my gut, but then keep it off with the insulin resistant diet. The insulin resistance is just an issue because of family history and yes, blood tests did show that I am starting to have a problem. I went to the doctor because I was getting extremely tired during random hours of the day and I am a very thirsty person, also hungry. So I want to lose the gut, and then be able to keep off and maintain a new diet. The issue is I don't see how I can maintain even a 3,000 calorie diet with the limited food options

 

[HIT4ME]

Thank you for answering questions to help us better understand - and Resolve10 is thinking pretty much what I was thinking; I am confused a little - insulin resistance is not typically associated with low bodyfat percentages. Being 5'10'', 175 @ 13% bodyfat places you in a pretty good spot, IMO and insulin resistance would not normally be a concern.

So, this is the typical dogma that we like to believe - fat = diabetes. But it turns out, and I thank you for helping me learn here, "lean diabetes" is actually a fairly common 'thing'.

The reason I am saying shakes are counter-intuitive here is that you normally see someone who is becoming diabetic because of caloric overload; and shakes make caloric overload all that much easier to obtain. Plus, they usually have items in them that can hit the blood stream quickly and cause an insulin spike.

If you don't mind sharing - did the Dr. do an A1C? Fasting Glucose Levels? Have you done any glucose monitoring yourself?

How about thyroid levels, has he tested at least TSH and free T4? What about cortisol levels?

Anyone in your family ever been diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome?

How is your blood pressure?

Also, I am just checking for what could be my own possible confusion - but are you like, really, super, uber-active? 3,500 calories at maintenance is a lot for a guy your size unless you are doing quite a bit of work. I'm not saying it isn't true - just want to understand the background because I may be a little confused (and jealous).

 

[jrock645]

At 13% bf I don’t understand how you’d have a “gut” to lose.

 

[Resolve10]

At 13% bf I don’t understand how you’d have a “gut” to lose.

This and what was said above (didn’t quite just due to length).

I don’t want to come off like I’m giving medical advice or going against doctors orders, just also want you to keep in mind if you are trying to lose the gut then you’ll need to drop calories and lose weight, you aren’t going to magically disappear it by dropping certain foods.

 

[icrackaboy]

Thank you for answering questions to help us better understand - and Resolve10 is thinking pretty much what I was thinking; I am confused a little - insulin resistance is not typically associated with low bodyfat percentages. Being 5'10'', 175 @ 13% bodyfat places you in a pretty good spot, IMO and insulin resistance would not normally be a concern.

So, this is the typical dogma that we like to believe - fat = diabetes. But it turns out, and I thank you for helping me learn here, "lean diabetes" is actually a fairly common 'thing'.

The reason I am saying shakes are counter-intuitive here is that you normally see someone who is becoming diabetic because of caloric overload; and shakes make caloric overload all that much easier to obtain. Plus, they usually have items in them that can hit the blood stream quickly and cause an insulin spike.

If you don't mind sharing - did the Dr. do an A1C? Fasting Glucose Levels? Have you done any glucose monitoring yourself?

How about thyroid levels, has he tested at least TSH and free T4? What about cortisol levels?

Anyone in your family ever been diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome?

How is your blood pressure?

Also, I am just checking for what could be my own possible confusion - but are you like, really, super, uber-active? 3,500 calories at maintenance is a lot for a guy your size unless you are doing quite a bit of work. I'm not saying it isn't true - just want to understand the background because I may be a little confused (and jealous).

The doctor did do fasting glucose levels, I do not believe they did an A1C or I am simply ignorant to the fact and I will need to call and find out. The fasting glucose did show that I did have a higher glucose level than I should have. I do have moderate hypertension/high blood pressure.

They have not ran any thyroid tests at all but I am thinking I should get them done. Will having a fast thyroid be a reason that I have higher glucose levels and high blood pressure? I also tend to be able to shovel snow in a t shirt in 10-20 degree weather because I start to sweat.

Also, nobody has been diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome in my family, and Nope. My metabolism has always been fast. When I stopped lifting for about a year I kept eating my 4 meals a day at around 3,500 calories and I didn't lose weight or gain weight. I maintained it perfectly

 

[HIT4ME]

The doctor did do fasting glucose levels, I do not believe they did an A1C or I am simply ignorant to the fact and I will need to call and find out. The fasting glucose did show that I did have a higher glucose level than I should have. I do have moderate hypertension/high blood pressure.

They have not ran any thyroid tests at all but I am thinking I should get them done. Will having a fast thyroid be a reason that I have higher glucose levels and high blood pressure? I also tend to be able to shovel snow in a t shirt in 10-20 degree weather because I start to sweat.

Also, nobody has been diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome in my family, and Nope. My metabolism has always been fast. When I stopped lifting for about a year I kept eating my 4 meals a day at around 3,500 calories and I didn't lose weight or gain weight. I maintained it perfectly

As said above, not trying to go "against" a doctor who is actually examining you.

What is your resting heart rate? What about your body temp when waking? Neither of these things are definitive but it sounds to me like you may have a thyroid or cortisol issue and the dr. may have ruled them out already, but I would make sure.

 

[HIT4ME]

I hesitate to give a list of symptoms because there are so many diseases and they have overlapping symptoms and I could put up a list of symptoms for about a dozen diseases here and you would find a way to make it fit, but here is a link to a decription of Cushings if you are unaware.

Cushing syndrome - Symptoms and causes

www.mayoclinic.org

Hyperthyroidism could also elevate glucose levels, cause a rapid heart rate, elevated body temps, weight loss and accelerated metabolism, etc. Hyperthyroidism is far more common than cushings, but both come to mind in this situation.

Again, your doctor may be ahead of all of us here, and I am not a doctor and I am really guessing over the interwebz here. Your dr. does have the ability to examine you in person and sounds like they have gathered evidence via bloodwork, so I would defer to that - but hopefully this gives a couple useful ideas to eliminate.

 

[HIT4ME]

Also, it should be asked if you were on any medications or supplements when you took the fasting blood glucose test?

Something like prednisone would cause issues, and you would be suprised the things I have seen overlooked.

 

[jmero2]

I'm a diabetic and have had my share of blood work. I would ask for a Kraft test or at the very minimum a fasting insulin test. A high fasting insulin = insulin resistance. A Kraft test will fit you into 5 different categories of insulin secretion per glucose load over 5 hours. In my opinion the best test to see how bad the insulin resistance is.

 

[icrackaboy]

I'm a diabetic and have had my share of blood work. I would ask for a Kraft test or at the very minimum a fasting insulin test. A high fasting insulin = insulin resistance. A Kraft test will fit you into 5 different categories of insulin secretion per glucose load over 5 hours. In my opinion the best test to see how bad the insulin resistance is.

Thank you I will ask for that test. And thank you to everybody on the thread as well!

 

[HIT4ME]

If you have concerns about this, you can also get a glucose meter pretty affordably and test you owm fasting and post prandial levels. You could even give yourself a fasting oral glucose challenge which should give an idea of how your body is handling glucose.

The Kraft Test and a glucose challenge are similar but the glucose challenge measures glucose curves while the Kraft test actually measures insulin curves.

 

[EMPIREMIND]

It’s seems a lot has already been addressed, but for food suggestions I think that fat will be your friend. Eliminate the problem foods, and with your proteins have some healthy fats. Almonds and other nuts, avocado, EVOO, natural nut butters, whole eggs, grass fed butter etc. this can help make up a huge caloric gap in your diet if need be. For shakes you can always add fats to them. Get a good tasting protein powder, select is really good imo, add some coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, butter or nut butter and enjoy. The fats will slow down digestion and prevent your insulin from spiking. To me I would think tryout first priority should be losing body fat, but to each his own.

Also some basic things that can help insulin sensitivity are apple cider vinegar(all vinegars really), fish oil and cinnamon.