Insulin resistance, insulin and weight gain

[LittleGreyCat]

Just posting about random morning shower thoughts.

As posted elsewhere I've given up alcohol for a short while, just because.

In theory this should lessen the load on my liver, help clear out any liver fat I may have, decrease insulin resistance (allegedly tied to a fatty liver).

After a week I have been steadily gaining weight in little jumps (put on about 3.5 lbs in total) without knowingly eating any more or anything different. For me I seem to have a weight change (up or down) of around a pound, then stay at the same weight for a few days.

Just finger pricked about 3 hours after my morning cream/butter/coffee and I read 7.3 which is higher than I would like.

Now I have read from others (insulin users) that if they up their insulin then they gain weight.
I assume that this can mean that if your insulin resistance drops there is a similar effect and you also gain weight.
However this doesn't seem to be the case for me because a reduction in insulin resistance and better clearance of glucose from the blood should result in a lower blood glucose level.

@Kristin251 posted that alcohol increased insulin sensitivity for her which also makes me wonder.

Anyway, I have become complacent about my LCHF lifestyle and have hardly been testing at all because my weight seemed stable.

I think I will have to invoke a bit of strictness, test more, exercise more, and when I have a baseline reintroduce alcohol and see if it makes any difference.

 

[Kristin251]

Just posting about random morning shower thoughts.

As posted elsewhere I've given up alcohol for a short while, just because.

In theory this should lessen the load on my liver, help clear out any liver fat I may have, decrease insulin resistance (allegedly tied to a fatty liver).

After a week I have been steadily gaining weight in little jumps (put on about 3.5 lbs in total) without knowingly eating any more or anything different. For me I seem to have a weight change (up or down) of around a pound, then stay at the same weight for a few days.

Just finger pricked about 3 hours after my morning cream/butter/coffee and I read 7.3 which is higher than I would like.

Now I have read from others (insulin users) that if they up their insulin then they gain weight.
I assume that this can mean that if your insulin resistance drops there is a similar effect and you also gain weight.
However this doesn't seem to be the case for me because a reduction in insulin resistance and better clearance of glucose from the blood should result in a lower blood glucose level.

@Kristin251 posted that alcohol increased insulin sensitivity for her which also makes me wonder.

Anyway, I have become complacent about my LCHF lifestyle and have hardly been testing at all because my weight seemed stable.

I think I will have to invoke a bit of strictness, test more, exercise more, and when I have a baseline reintroduce alcohol and see if it makes any difference.

Alcohol definatley increases my sensitivity. Especially spirits. If I don't have a drink my fastings are always higher.
As far as weight when I switched from red wine to vodka water I lost weight. Recently I went to white wine and I need a small bolus for it and have gained 2 pounds. I chalk that up to the carbs, not the insulin.
There have been periods that I just run higher for no known reason ( of course) and have needed correction boluses and even more insulin with food and did not gain weight. This is just my experience

After your experience I'm not quitting haha. No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Alcohol definatley increases my sensitivity. Especially spirits. If I don't have a drink my fastings are always higher.

Are you sure about this? I only ask because the alcohol is preventing your liver from producing and dumping glucose. So your increased fastings with no alcohol could well be liver dumps. The improved fastings with the alcohol is the alcohol stopping this. Most of us see drops after alcohol. I don't think it is to do with insulin sensitivity. But that is just my opinion.

 

[zand]

Are you sure about this? I only ask because the alcohol is preventing your liver from producing and dumping glucose. So your increased fastings with no alcohol could well be liver dumps. The improved fastings with the alcohol is the alcohol stopping this. Most of us see drops after alcohol. I don't think it is to do with insulin sensitivity. But that is just my opinion.

Yes I agree. I even read about this as a way to 'cheat' on fasting blood tests before diagnosis. Stupidly I did this because I didn't want to be labelled T2 diabetic. It worked, but of course I still was diabetic and got the label officially a few months later.

 

[zand]

@LittleGreyCat If your weight is only around half a stone more than you would like it to be, maybe this is your own personal ideal weight - the weight your body wants to be.

 

[Kristin251]

Are you sure about this? I only ask because the alcohol is preventing your liver from producing and dumping glucose. So your increased fastings with no alcohol could well be liver dumps. The improved fastings with the alcohol is the alcohol stopping this. Most of us see drops after alcohol. I don't think it is to do with insulin sensitivity. But that is just my opinion.

Whatever the mechanism may be, I need less insulin and more food. Not the case with wine but spirits always drop me so I eat a little carbs if I don't want to drop.
Surely the alcohol is gone by morning and I still have lower fastings with alcohol than without.
Today with early morning testing starting at 4:30, 5:15 and 6:15
Went to bed at 78. 4:30 was 82, 5:15 81 and 6:15 98. So around 6 starts my rise. I might try a jab then to stop it.
Can we ever really figure out what where when or why?? Lol

 

[Bluetit1802]

I would still go with a liver dump, around 6am. As your natural insulin is next to nothing and therefore your pancreas is unable to drip feed basal into your system to keep you alive during sleep/fasting, (this is what happens with those with normal natural insulin) your liver will take over when it feels you are going too low.

I'm no scientist and am often wrong.

 

[Kristin251]

I would still go with a liver dump, around 6am. As your natural insulin is next to nothing and therefore your pancreas is unable to drip feed basal into your system to keep you alive during sleep/fasting, (this is what happens with those with normal natural insulin) your liver will take over when it feels you are going too low.

I'm no scientist and am often wrong.

I totally think at that hour it's a dump but WHILE I'm drinking I'm more IS. doesn't last forever unless I keep drinking haha

 

[LittleGreyCat]

@LittleGreyCat If your weight is only around half a stone more than you would like it to be, maybe this is your own personal ideal weight - the weight your body wants to be.

From sad experience I think that my body would very much enjoy being 14 and a half stone.

I think when everything is in balance then your body may well settle to a stable weight. However having T2 means that everything is unfortunately not in balance, and there are risks associated with carrying too much fat in the wrong place (for some people).

So I would like to be 11 stone 7 lbs (my natural weight in my late teens) but would be comfortable anywhere below the magic 12 stone.

A bit more exercise and a bit less food seem to be reversing the weight gain. However I need to see a longer term trend.

Oh, and beer next Thursday!

 

[LittleGreyCat]

Whatever the mechanism may be, I need less insulin and more food. Not the case with wine but spirits always drop me so I eat a little carbs if I don't want to drop.
Surely the alcohol is gone by morning and I still have lower fastings with alcohol than without.
Today with early morning testing starting at 4:30, 5:15 and 6:15
Went to bed at 78. 4:30 was 82, 5:15 81 and 6:15 98. So around 6 starts my rise. I might try a jab then to stop it.
Can we ever really figure out what where when or why?? Lol

Just wondering if the dawn phenomenon (dah de di dah dah, phenomenon da de di dah) can be delayed by a few hours by a nightcap so that you are into your breakfast before the liver dump takes place.

Say you would expect the liver dump at 06:00 but delay it to 08:00 by which time you have had your morning cuppa and are eating breakfast.

 

[Kristin251]

Just wondering if the dawn phenomenon (dah de di dah dah, phenomenon da de di dah) can be delayed by a few hours by a nightcap so that you are into your breakfast before the liver dump takes place.

Say you would expect the liver dump at 06:00 but delay it to 08:00 by which time you have had your morning cuppa and are eating breakfast.

Funny you mention that. I often do that. I small glass of iced vodka before bed. More to help me sleep but It does seem to help most mornings.

Today was good. 86 before bed, 86 3:15, 94 6:45 and 98 at 7:30.
Tired of testing during the night.
However I want to make sure I'm not hypoing like last week. I started a small spoon of avocado before bed and seems to stop the hypo. Or it was just a weird week.