How Carb-Sensitive People Lose Inches Around Their Waistlines

People whose bodies are sensitive to carbohydrates can sometimes have a difficult time losing weight around their midsection, especially when they continue to eat the carbs their bodies dislike. To beat belly fat and lose inches, you'll first need to determine what foods you should eat and what foods you should avoid. To ensure you're giving your body what it needs, see a doctor. Together you can assess your metabolic situation and determine the lifestyle changes you'll need to make to stay healthy.

When carb-sensitive people eat carbohydrates such as white bread, potatoes or sugar, they experience blood sugar spikes. To help process the excess blood sugar, their bodies also release extra insulin. This often leads to weight gain, especially around the waist. Because carbohydrate sensitivity can range from mild to severe, treatment depends on the individual. For some, simply cutting back on carbs is enough. For people with more serious sensitivities and conditions such as celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that causes gluten intolerance, all carbohydrates containing gluten must be removed from the diet.

The first step in conquering carbohydrate sensitivity involves medical testing to assess blood sugar and insulin levels. One of the more common tests doctors use is called the oral glucose tolerance test. Other tests used to assess carb sensitivity include the fasting blood glucose test, the fasting blood insulin test and the two-hour postprandial insulin test. Test results that show low blood glucose levels may indicate hypoglycemia, which is an early sign of carb sensitivity. High blood glucose levels might indicate prediabetes or diabetes, which occurs in the later stages of carb sensitivity. These tests can help doctors assess a person's carbohydrate metabolism and guide them in developing a treatment plan.

If you're carb-sensitive, the key to weight loss and losing stubborn belly fat involves more than just cutting back on carbs. To lose inches and stay healthy, often a more comprehensive lifestyle change is necessary. To determine a meal plan to treat your condition, work with your doctor or nutritionist to identify the specific foods you need to avoid as well as those you need to incorporate into your diet. Often this means avoiding simple carbohydrates and sugars such as white bread and pasta and focusing on low glycemic foods that won't cause blood sugar spikes. Regular exercise is also a key factor in balancing your metabolism and returning your body to proper health.

Even those without significant carbohydrate sensitivity successfully lose pounds and inches following low-carb diets, though removing excess carbs isn't a magic solution to weight loss. Eliminating carbohydrates that your body has difficulty processing may reduce bloating and fat buildup in your midsection, but you'll still need to reduce your overall caloric intake to lose the fat that's already there. By following a healthful meal plan, avoiding excess calories and exercising regularly, even people with carb sensitivity can successfully narrow their midsection and lose stubborn fat.