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If you’re reading this, I know you are motivated to get your unwanted fat off. My hope is that what I share with you today will help you accomplish just that.

Last week I wrote about a faithful servant called insulin and how it diligently works to store glucose when we eat carbohydrates. (If you missed it, click here!)

This week I’m writing to you about its handsome athletic cousin: glucagon.

In the most extreme sense, glucagon releases sugar into the blood to avoid severely low blood sugar levels. But if you can get your body to produce glucagon, it will release stored energy. And when you produce enough of it, it will force your body to tap into its long term stored energy- which is fat!

While the hormone insulin’s job is to store, glucagon’s job is to release. And that’s what we want. To get rid of the stubborn fat that clings to us. So, how do we do that?

I want you to imagine a seesaw at the playground. Two cousins playing on the playground and the first thing they run to is the seesaw. On one side sits insulin and on the other side glucagon. Ideally we want the seesaw to be balanced, with both of them dangling their feet in the air, but if you’re hanging on to unwanted fat, we need to tip the seesaw in the direction of glucagon.

Produce less insulin and more glucagon.

When you eat carbohydrates, you send a signal to your pancreas to produce insulin. As you digest those carbohydrates (whether it’s whole grain such as whole wheat bread or sugar such as a popsicle), the food is broken into glucose molecules, just like charms in a Brighton bracelet. Insulin takes those charms and adds them to a chain of glucose called glycogen and stores it in your liver and muscles. The chains lie in waiting until you need them.

However, when you eat protein, you send a signal to your pancreas to produce glucagon. The glucagon will make its way to your stored chains and take a charm off to use as energy.

Why does it do that?

Well, protein is not an energy source for our body. Instead, it helps repair things. So, when you eat protein and your body needs energy to break it down and use it, your body will use your stored sugar to help.

And if your sugar levels get low, more glucagon is released…if enough glucagon is produced, your body will tap into your fat stores to change fat into sugar to be used. And so you begin to use up your stored fat.

The real issue with our extra fat isn’t that we aren’t eating enough protein. It’s that we are eating too many carbohydrates for what we burn (plus when we do eat protein we tend to eat a lot of fatty protein as Americans. but that’s another discussion).

So if carbs are the issue, how much do you reduce them?
Well, that really depends on you. Your situation, your body and what you can sustain. If you really want that fat gone forever, you have to agree to something you can do forever. And that typically breaks into two phases: eat to drop weight and eat to maintain weight, with as you can imagine, the former being the more aggressive phase.

Some people decide to completely switch to a fat burning diet called a ketogenic diet. It has its pros and cons like most eating plans, and you can check it out here. Others take a more conservative approach, like 40-30-30 (Zone) or intermittent fasting or “No carbs after X o’clock”.

If you’ve read this far, you’re definitely motivated. So… now that you know how to produce more glucagon by eating less carbohydrates, I encourage you to do something about your carbohydrate intake. Do something different with it. That’s the only way you’ll change from where you are now.

Go slow if you’re concerned you won’t succeed. Change out two servings of carbs for two servings of protein. Half the size of your starch on your plate and replace it with veggies (less concentrated carbs). Trade the chips and salsa for veggies and hummus. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as you change something.

And just remember: Less carbs means less insulin, and tips the seesaw toward glucagon. Produce more glucagon and you release more fat. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.

Keep moving!
Priscilla

p.s. Know what you want but not sure how to get there? That’s where we come in. We give you step by step instruction on what to do next. With all the ideas, diet advice and newest forms of exercise, it can be overwhelming. So let us help you determine your next step. Click here if you’d like to set up a free consultation.
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