🧠 [Know Your Body to Lose Weight #3-4] Plateaus, Basal Metabolic Rate, and Fat

🧠 [Know Your Body to Lose Weight #3-4] Plateaus, Basal Metabolic Rate, and Fat Burning – The True Story of Insulin Resistance and Your Diet


✅ Introduction

If you're on a diet, you've likely experienced a "plateau" at some point. Initially, weight might drop quickly, but then the scale needle gets stuck, and no matter how much you exercise or stick to your diet, your weight stays the same.
Many interpret this period as a lack of willpower or a failure of appetite. However, it can actually be your body's instinctive response to protect itself. And behind it all, a quiet saboteur might be hidden: insulin resistance.

Today, we'll delve into the real reasons why your diet hits a plateau and explore how insulin resistance precisely impacts your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and fat burning.



1. Why Do Plateaus Happen?


A "plateau" is, as the name suggests, a state where weight has 'stalled'. In the early stages of dieting, weight often drops rapidly as both water and muscle are lost. But after a certain point, your body enters a powerful 'holding mode,' resisting further weight loss.

This is because your body perceives this state as "energy deficit → survival threat" and intentionally begins to lower your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

In other words:
You eat less → Your body shifts to burn less.

At this point, a reverse phenomenon simultaneously appears: fat doesn't decrease well, and muscle, ironically, shrinks.


2. The Link Between Insulin Resistance and Plateaus

When insulin resistance is added into the mix, the situation becomes even more complex.

Insulin is a blood sugar regulating hormone, but it's also a key hormone for fat storage. This means, if insulin is secreted in large amounts → fat accumulates → and fat breakdown is suppressed.

However, when insulin resistance develops:

* Your body produces even more insulin to compensate.
* Cells no longer respond properly to insulin.
* Consequently, blood insulin levels remain consistently high.
* And critically, fat burning is blocked.
Ultimately, insulin resistance creates a body that doesn't break down fat, meaning a constitution where weight loss is difficult.

The core reason for a plateau isn't a 'lack of willpower,' but rather a tangled hormonal signaling system within your body.



3. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Muscle Loss

Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the energy your body uses even when you're doing nothing. It's the minimum energy required for breathing, maintaining body temperature, and organ function.

However, during dieting:

* Muscle mass decreases.
* Activity levels decline.
* Stress accumulates.

And your BMR consequently drops.



📉 When your BMR decreases, this is what happens:

* You gain weight or maintain it even with the same food intake as before.
* Fat doesn't decrease; in fact, abdominal obesity may worsen.
* As muscle shrinks, your overall body shape can deteriorate.
* The risk of yo-yo effect increases.
In short, if muscle decreases instead of fat, your diet isn't a 'success' but a 'setback'.
4. How to Restart Fat Burning?
To break through a plateau, simply exercising more or eating less isn't enough. To shift your body back into fat-burning mode, the following two strategies are key:



✅ Recovering Insulin Sensitivity

* Reduce refined carbohydrates: Minimize intake of sugars, white rice, and refined flour.

* Opt for complex carbohydrates: Structure your diet around whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.

* Practice intermittent fasting or adjust meal spacing: Allow your insulin levels to rest.

* Eat in a specific order: Consume vegetables first, then protein, and finally carbohydrates to mitigate blood sugar spikes.

* Minimize carbohydrate intake in the evening: Reduce carbs when your body's energy needs are lower.



✅ Recovering Basal Metabolic Rate (Maintain Muscle Mass)

* Consume enough protein: Aim for 1.2~1.5g per kg of body weight (to prevent muscle loss and aid recovery).

* Combine walking + strength training: Integrate both cardio and resistance exercises for efficient fat burning and muscle maintenance.

* Stretch and increase daily activity: Reduce sedentary time and keep your body moving.

* Ensure sufficient sleep, manage cortisol: Lack of sleep and stress lead to hormonal imbalances that hinder dieting.

5. Can Supplements Help?
Here are some representative ingredients that can assist in overcoming a plateau:

* Inulin, Indigestible Maltodextrin (dietary fiber): Helps maintain satiety and mitigate blood sugar spikes.

* Chromium, Banaba leaf, Paekgangjam (silkworm powder), Aloe vera whole leaf extract: Helps improve insulin sensitivity.

* ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar): Aids in post-meal blood sugar control and suppresses fat storage.

Important Note: Supplements are merely supporters that complement diet and exercise. The core focus remains on maintaining your basal metabolic rate and stabilizing blood sugar.



🎯 Conclusion

A diet plateau isn't a failure; it's a signal that your body is undergoing a change.

To navigate this period healthily:

* ✅ Correct insulin resistance.
* ✅ Protect your muscle mass.
* ✅ Transition your body to burn fat as fuel.

A plateau is simply a temporary passage. For those who understand and manage their bodies, the 'time for weight loss' will surely return.



📚 References

* Korean Diabetes Association – Data on Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Diseases
* Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency – Basal Metabolic Rate and Obesity Management Guidelines
* Harvard Health Publishing – Weight-loss plateau and metabolism
* National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) – Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes
* PubMed Article (PMID: 14694010) – Vinegar intake reduces the postprandial glycemic response in healthy adults
* Mayo Clinic – Weight loss: 6 strategies for success
* WebMD – What happens during a weight-loss plateau?
* Jessie Inchauspé (The Glucose Goddess), TED Talk – The Power of Blood Sugar Balance
   https://www.ted.com/talks/jessie_inchausp_the_power_of_blood_sugar_balance

📌 Next Up:

[Know Your Body to Lose Weight #3-5] The Hidden Secrets of Fat Burning – The Diet Puzzle Connected to Ketones, Sleep, Stress, and Hormones


📬 Also Check Out Our Other Series~♡

* [#1] Your Liver Might Be Why You're Not Losing Weight!
   👉 https://news0147.tistory.com/m/235

* [#2] Your Kidneys Regulate Swelling – Lose Swelling to Lose Weight!
   👉 https://news0147.tistory.com/m/237

🚀 Know Your Body to Lose Weight #2

* [#3] The Real Impact of Your Pancreas and Insulin on Dieting
   👉 https://news0147.tistory.com/m/239

* [#3-2] Blood Sugar That Turns Into Fat, And The True Face of Insulin
   👉 https://news0147.tistory.com/m/243

🧠 [Know Your Body to Lose Weight #3-2] The Blood Sugar That Turns Into Fat, And

* [#3-3] If High Blood Sugar is the Problem, Should You Cut Carbs?
   👉 https://news0147.tistory.com/m/245

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