Insulin Sensitivity help

[chrystalr]

So I did a contest in early August - right after I went to a wedding in Texas and didn't eat too well... For about a week or 2 after that I've been snacking on some not so great foods as well. I'm starting to get back into the healthy eating (chicken, rice, yams, tuna, fish, etc) but find that I want my body back "NOW".

Now I know I screwered up my insulin sensitivity with the sweets and the junky foods, but my questions is this: How long does it take your body to readjust to the healthier foods? Also, what can one do in order to help the process along. While I'm familiar with alot of things in the fitness field I don't have this re-adjustment of the body down quite yet, so any information would be greatly appreciated

Thanks!!
~C

[beckie]

I personally think it can be done in a matter of weeks-once I have a plan I don't usually deviate from it,whether it be mass building or contest prep. its times like now when I'm not training that frequently that my blood sugar goes a bit crazy.
I don't know how you get on going cold turkey from all the junk but for me its a matter of doing a gradual elimination and substitution process-sometimes I even have to use chromium to help me 'over the hump'

[chrystalr]

Well apparently I'm having a hard time cold turkey with the weight loss... It's sad that I can put away the sweets for a contest, but can't seem to do it because I'm getting fat...

Guess I'll have to go back to the good-ol' text books to get my brain back on the right track.

Thanks for the thoughts Beckie - Chromium huh... haven't thought of that, perhaps it's worth a try.

[OptimumJoe]

Insulin sensitivity can be affected by Chromium, Omega 3's, and ALA. Obviously eating right is important.

It's also easier to put away the sweets when you have a goal and a date you have to be in shape, when it's just for the sake of loosing weight with no goal, it can be very hard. I know the feeling!

[sicario]

Don't be so hard on yourself. After such "extreme" dieting for a show, your body and mind need a break, we all do it. After my first show, my PT told me to "get lost" and not to show up in the gym for two weeks. In that time I managed to put on 20 pounds (thanks to eating such things as Pop Tart "Sandwiches" LOL). I did my second show two months later and was just as lean as the first one. There are also a few "tricks" that you can use to minimize the "damage" from the sweets until you can ween yourself off of them. The first is to eat something with a lot of fiber in it (like a salad) before eating the junk food. The fiber not only fills you up so that you will eat less, but the fiber also lowers the G.I. rating of all those simple carbs. The second trick is taking in protein before the junk food. Protein also lowers the G.I. index of the simple carbs. As far as how long it takes to get your body to readjust to eating healthy again, I think it's quite individual depending on each particular person. However, I think it shouldn't take more than a few weeks. I know that in my case I can see changes after the first week of eating "clean" again, Vin.