A misconception that only gets in the way. Yes, losing weight with IR is harder, but not impossible.

Let's break it down with an example.

A client with type 2 diabetes came to me.
What does diabetes have to do with it? Because it's a condition with more severe metabolic disturbances than IR.

Her request was to lose weight, put diabetes into remission, and reduce stress around food.

With such a diagnosis, food often becomes a source of panic: you just don't understand which choice will be "healthy" and "wise," and which will harm. She wanted to learn to choose food calmly, based on knowledge and self-understanding, rather than paralyzing fear of the diagnosis.

How do IR and type 2 diabetes hinder weight loss?

IR is a condition where the body's cells become "deaf" to insulin, and as a result, the pancreas produces much more of it.


1️⃣ High insulin suppresses lipolysis (fat breakdown).

Suppresses, but does not block.

In a calorie deficit, you will still lose weight. This is shown in a large number of clinical studies and meta-analyses.

There are no quality studies where people did not lose weight in a calorie deficit because they had IR.

2️⃣ IR increases hunger.

A person eats more, making it harder to maintain a deficit.
The key point of intervention here is behavior, self-regulation, and diet structure.


3️⃣ With IR, spontaneous activity decreases. A person gets more tired, sits more, gestures less, and generally moves little.

In other words, IR sets the conditions, but behavior will determine the outcome.

With the client, we started work on the behavioral plane, so that later it would be easier to address the physiological part.

→ We removed food judgment. There is no bad or good food. There is food that helps achieve goals and food that doesn't. This position is neutral. It helped reduce stress and panic around food. We were able to move to the next step.

→ We focused on satiety and comfort. First, we worked only on breakfast: we selected options so that there was enough protein and vegetables. So that it was tasty and not annoying. Gradually, we approached other meals as well.

→ As a result, she herself noticed that it was more convenient for her to eat 2 times a day. For IR and diabetes, this is a beneficial strategy: fewer approaches to food — fewer sugar and insulin spikes.
Most importantly: it was her choice and decision. I did not try to push her toward it. She was simply able to make it thanks to the first two steps.

→ She started moving: going for walks during breaks and after work.

Result after 2 months: minus 7 kg
We didn't measure starting weight, but she is not tall, and visually it was very noticeable. She had to buy new shirts for work because the old ones "already hang indecently" :)

You know what's the coolest part?
Weight loss of just 5–10% improves insulin sensitivity. Science hasn't come up with a better "treatment" for this condition yet.

The body doesn't gain weight from thin air. Yes, hormonal problems sometimes create more obstacles, but for the most part, they are behavioral.
And behavior can be influenced.

Yes, a person may feel hunger more acutely, but through a well-structured diet and self-regulation, this can be managed.

I have had clients successfully lose weight even on hormone therapy and with diabetes.
Because they built a system that worked for them and worked on the behavioral aspect as well.

We build such a system within my group "Weight Loss for the Busy"

🔜I am currently forming a new group.
As part of the enrollment, I am conducting free consultations "How to become a witch who eats and doesn't gain weight."

In these consultations, we discuss what steps you specifically need to lose weight and maintain it, even if you have IR, menopause, or other nuances.

To get a consultation, you need to fill out a questionnaire.
After that, I will contact you.

🔜 Filling out the questionnaire does not obligate you to anything.
But there are only five spots in the group, and once I fill the group, I will stop conducting free calls.

Better fill out the questionnaire now