Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, occurs when there is more insulin than glucose in your bloodstream. When your body needs glucose, you may feel tired or hungry with a craving for sweets. Hypoglycemia can make losing weight a challenge because low blood sugar often leads to overeating or eating high-calorie foods. One key to weight loss is to prevent hypoglycemia, which will help control cravings and overall calorie consumption.
The Glucose/Insulin Cycle
Your body's primary source of energy is glucose, which is produced from the food you eat, specifically two types of carbohydrates, sugar and starch. The more of these simple carbs you eat, the faster and higher your glucose levels rise. In response to rising blood sugar, your pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that helps transport glucose into your cells for use. However, when glucose levels rise too quickly, your pancreas often produces too much insulin. Once all the glucose has been moved into your cells, excess insulin in your bloodstream causes the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Your brain is tricked into thinking you need more glucose, and you find yourself hungry again, just a couple of hours after eating. This cycle of high and low blood sugar often leads to weight gain, as glucose that's not used immediately is stored for later use as fat.
Regulate Insulin and Lose Weight
High insulin levels in your blood make you feel hungry, and the only way to treat hypoglycemia is to eat. This is your opportunity to stop the cycle of high and low blood sugar. Instead of eating foods that quickly turn into glucose, choose slow-digesting foods, such as high-fiber carbs, protein and fat. By slowing digestion, you slow the production of glucose and the release of insulin. Stabilizing your glucose and insulin production will reduce food cravings, allow you to go longer between meals and consume fewer total calories. Losing weight depends on burning more calories than you consume.
Calories and Weight Loss
Weight loss is basically a mathematical equation: Eat fewer calories than you need, and your body will convert stored fat into energy -- and you'll lose weight. It takes a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose 1 lb. In other words, eating 500 fewer calories each day will result in losing 1 lb. a week. Lowering your calorie count further will speed weight loss, but only to a certain point. If you don't eat enough calories, your metabolism will slow down to hold onto as much fat as possible; it's a biological survival mechanism that helped our ancestors during times of famine. According to the Harvard Medical School, women need at least 1,200 calories and men need at least 1,500 calories daily. Go below this number, and weight loss will stall.
What and When to Eat
You don't need to follow a low-carb diet, but you do need to limit certain types of carbs -- those high in sugar and starch. Eat nutrient-dense, high-fiber carbs, such as legumes, vegetables, whole grains and fruit. Choose lean protein and unsaturated fats and eat a combination of all three macronutrients to slow digestion. Space your meals evenly throughout the day; avoid hypoglycemia by eating every four hours. If you wait too long between meals, blood sugar levels will drop and you risk overeating or making poor food choices out of hunger. Practice portion control; eating too much raises glucose levels, even if you are making healthy food choices.
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