#59 - Rapid Fire Friday: Better Blood Sugar But No Weight Loss, What Is A Good Protein Source, Is Corn On The Cob OK?

It’s time for another Rapid-Fire Friday ! 

This month we tackle the questions you are asking on the road to diabetes remission. This episode, we’ll answer:

-What is happening when my blood sugar is better but my weight isn’t coming down?

-What exactly is a good source of protein?

-Is corn on the cob ok?

 It’s time to cut through the noise and give you blood sugar clarity!

Ready to take control of your health and stop settling for “managed” diabetes?
    Grab your earbuds and listen in.

Brian & Cory
   Diabetes Remission Partners

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Transcript

Diabetes Remission Mindset Reset

SPEAKER_00 0:02

If you have type 2 diabetes and you're tired of being told it's chronic and something you'll just have to manage forever, if your ANC is control but your medication list keeps growing or stays the same, then you know deep down you're capable of more than this, you're in the right place. This is the Diabetes Remission Roadmap podcast where Brian Bitcher and Corey Jenks, two pharmacists who spent over two decades inside healthcare. And we started this show because we got tired of watching capable people stuck getting managed instead of rebuilt. Here's what most people aren't told. Type 2 diabetes isn't just a blood sugar problem, it's a muscle and energy storage problem. When your body loses strength and metabolic flexibility, blood sugar rises. And you can rebuild that. On this show, we break the scripts that say more meds are inevitable, you're destined to just manage, remission is impossible, and instead we teach you how to build muscle, eat in a way that keeps you full, and regain control of your health again. No extremes, no shame, just practical strategies to help you move toward remission and lead your health again. Let's get to work.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

It's

Rapid Fire Friday Setup

SPEAKER_01 0:59

the end of May 2026, and that means it's time for another Rapid Fire Friday. And when I say rapid, I mean rapid. I think I think we're gonna make this quick, Brian. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_00 1:10

I'm ready, Corey.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Alright. Unlike my baseball team, the Cubs are terrible right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

So actually, nine in a row at this point, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:17

That's that's nine in a row. And that's why I enjoy the winning streaks because the losing streaks will come and it'll feel like you can never lose, and it'll feel like you can never win. A lot of times with your blood sugar, you feel like you get stuck in a rut. So if you ever need help getting out of your rut, keep listening. All right, here we go, Brian.

Better Glucose, No Weight Loss

SPEAKER_01 1:32

I my blood sugar is better, but I'm not losing weight. What gives? Calories. Calories. But if the blood sugar's getting better, isn't the energy toxicity reversing?

SPEAKER_00 1:44

No. No, you could just be power packing or power pairing or whatever people call it these days.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Ooh, okay. You answer your way because I have a different way. I have a different thought.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Corey, so I sent you something today that showed this nice diagram of how the insulin model, and maybe if people are listening that wrote a book about this, hopefully basically the insulin model is not the most complete accurate model. So, still, yes, insulin will trigger fat storage, but only in a caloric surplus state. So if your blood sugar is getting better, it might mean you're eating uh foods that are lower in carbohydrates, spiking you less. It might mean you're moving more, it might mean your insulin sensitivity is improving a little bit, but it does not necessarily mean you are in a calorie deficit, an energy deficit, which is ultimately what is required to lose fat. And you then also body weight. So, okay, you might you might be thinking about this, right?

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Yeah, I was gonna have a much more generous application of question. But you came out.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

There could be two ways. There could be two ways. So it could also be you're working out, you're changing your muscle composition, you are then improving the insulin sensitivity in your muscle, so therefore you're storing more glycogen in your muscle. Glycogen holds onto more water, it then makes you feel like you're getting you're you're holding on to weight more, but it's actually just water weight inside your muscles, but your body composition is changing and you're actually thinner. So take measurements alongside the weight, the scale to get context. And to if you can't get into a DEXA scan, which that's also another really cool tool to use, is to use a DEXA scan to track your progress. So you can track your uh body composition progress as you're going, because the scale by itself is just garbage.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Ooh, yeah, but this is rapid angry fire bride from Brian. No, no, look, the what I was kind of thinking more towards is as your body composition changes, like you say, you can lose body fat, gain muscle, and not see a net change on the scale. But that does not mean you're not improving. And so, as you said, the scale can lie, and especially for the first couple of months. And this is where we see, I've seen a lot of people when I was in my uh uh diabetes clinic in practice and and coaching clients, is that that first month to two is really crucial for continuing. And when you don't see the scale budging like you want, it makes you want to quit. But if you are seeing like inches going down on your waist, it means that your body, the first fat that it wants to get rid of, is the most dangerous fat. And when that's the fat around your liver and midsection. So you're gonna get rid of that. And as you you utilize uh the steady strengthening approach that we preach, you're gonna gain muscle, which weighs something. And as you said, Brian, very well, that when you are holding on to glucose in the form of glycogen in your muscles, which is because muscle is the primary place that we store glucose, so it's a good thing, you won't see the scale budge like you probably want to, but it means that overall your metabolic health is improving and your overall health is improving. So, long story short, stick with it and look at those other measurements other than strictly at the scale.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Yes, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Are you satisfied?

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Yeah, I'm satisfied.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Okay, all right. Moving on. Number

What Counts As Real Protein

SPEAKER_01 4:49

two, what is actually a good source of protein?

SPEAKER_00 4:54

A complete protein. Uh so any protein that you enjoy eating and can do consistently. So non-processed protein is better, is preferred more than processed proteins. Basically, protein shakes, although there's a place for those when you're trying to uh increase your total uh protein intake, but whole food protein is the best source of protein. Need I say more, Corey?

SPEAKER_01 5:19

Well, you might want to get a little more specific because I picked up, I'm gonna use this every time forever, is I picked up my jar of peanut butter and it says eight grams of protein. Well, that's a that's a food that has protein. And so I think that when we're looking at a good source of protein, Brian, I agree a good whole food source, and we could list them all here: chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, a low fat cheese, uh, all are really great sources of protein. And the reason that they're great sources of protein in the context of wanting lower blood sugar is that they don't have a lot of extra energy riding along with them. So when you see something, and especially as we record this in in May of 2026, protein is the hottest thing to put on a package. I saw protein Doritos the other day. And so, oh yeah. And so we taught, we we have talked about the the 10x rule of thumb for for food and protein. And that is you take the grams of protein and multiply it by 10. If that number is greater than the total number of calories, you are uh you're doing good on your protein source. But if it's less, then it's a less helpful source of protein. So I always use peanut butter because it's easy to remember eight grams of protein times 10 is 80, total calories around 200 in a serving. So you are getting way more energy than you are getting protein. But a chicken breast, we'll say it's about 20 grams of protein, so times 10 is 200, about 100 calories. So um that is what I would use to determine a good source of protein is that if you're getting protein and you're not getting a lot of extra caloric energy in the form of carbs and fats along with it, then it's much better. And unfortunately, we've talked about this in previous episodes, talking about health halos. Like I will see like certain ice creams that are lower, like geared towards healthier people that will say like six grams of protein, and some will say, Protein, I've heard that's good, I'll get it. But it's still like 300 calories of serving. So you're it's really not or protein ice cream. Protein is riding along in this calorically dense train, and you're not getting, you know, it's not going to help you get closer to your goals. If your goal is to eat something yummy, great. Um, but that's that's what I would say would be a good source of protein. And as you said, Brian, like I think the bars and the shakes are great supplements when needed, uh, as opposed to eating a candy bar or a smoothie with no protein. Quick pause for a second. If you're finding the podcast helpful and you want more practical ideas to help move your blood sugar in the right direction, come follow us on Instagram at Diabetes RemissionPartners. We share quick tips, food and exercise insights, and blood sugar mistakes people don't even realize they're making. It's also where we can answer your questions directly in the DMs. So if you want more help between episodes, Instagram at diabetes remission partners is the best place to find us. And when you follow us, make sure to say hi.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

All right, back to the show. Exactly. And I'll say this when you differentiate between a complete source of protein versus an incomplete source of protein, which I don't think we really talked about, but animal sources of protein are complete, meaning they have all the essential amino acids versus a lot of plant proteins are incomplete. They don't have all the essential amino acids. So just a little fine point there to make uh is that when so when you're trying to stimulate, and these numbers may be off, these are just based on recall. When you're trying to stimate protein muscle synthesis, so you have to turn on your muscle, like so you're doing the workouts and you're trying to stimulate muscle growth, your body needs to see a certain threshold of protein to really start that process, and it comes from like the leucine. And typically it's well, not typically, it is going to require more plant protein than it is animal-based protein. So it's around 30 grams of animal-based protein or whole or complete protein to start on turn on muscle growth versus like 50-ish plus grams of plant protein to turn on muscle growth, which is important because you don't want to be doing these workouts and then not actually eating enough. You don't like breaking up your protein source of like 10 to 15 grams here, 10 to 15 grams there a couple hours later. Like you just may not get that full uh like amount at one time that your body needs to see to turn on muscle growth.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Yeah. And when you have to eat more grams of plant protein, you have to eat more energy, Brian. Which goes back to also work, yes. Yep. So, all right, we're on to our final question. Uh, this

Corn On The Cob And Food Rules

SPEAKER_01 9:47

one's fun. So let's let's say it. Summer's coming. Can I eat corn on the cob?

SPEAKER_00 9:55

Yes, yeah, sure. I mean, I'm not gonna be there to stop you. So is it aligned with your your goals? Like, what are you eating along with corn on the cob? How often are you eating corn on the cob? I I mean there's so many questions that I will then have to ask this person who's asking if they can eat corn in the cob. Do they have teeth to eat corn on the cob?

SPEAKER_01 10:17

Like that uh I I I pick this question because it highlights a number of things, and that is people look want want black and white hard and fast rules. And the reality is every individual is an individual and there's nuance with it. Uh, I also bring it up because yes, we we people will count corn as a vegetable when in reality it is a grain. Uh, but I did a little digging, Brian. This was a loaded question because I was curious of like a bag of corn chips or like Cheetos. It's a corn-based snack product. And uh a medium ear of corn has about 15 to 20 grams of carbs, and a small one-ounce bag of Cheetos also has about 15 grams of carbs, as I look it up right now. Um and so uh they both have the same amount of carbs, Brian. So obviously the the Cheetos are are you know corn in the cob is as bad as Cheetos. But yeah, go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

I was gonna say, I think this is going somewhere, and I know I know where it's going. Fiber?

SPEAKER_01 11:12

Yeah, right. So when we we have a a snack food like Cheetos, that corn is ground up, you lose all the fiber, you lose all the water, you lose the chewing because let's be honest, Cheetos cheese puffs basically melts in your mouth. So with a corn on the cob, yeah, there's carbs in it, but there's fiber, water, chewing resistance, you get more satiety. And if you're not looking at me personally, you get a slower eating speed because I go after that thing like a typewriter for anyone who's who's uh ever seen a typewriter. But a bag of Cheetos, like you could literally throw the whole thing in your mouth, chew it up, and not be full. Whereas, like the average mortal could eat like a couple years of corn and be like, that's enough.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

And I'll say this the health coach me just has to say it, Corey, is that you're likely eating corn on the cob with family friends as part of a grill out. Very well could be eating it by yourself, grilling it, I don't know. But you're likely eating it with in company, whereas the latter, like the Cheetos or Corn Puffs or whatever you said, it's probably more in solitude.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

It's much easier to eat in solitude, yes. Yes. So yeah. And and with the, you know, you might put a little butter on that corn on the cob, but with a bag of Cheetos, I mean it is coming along with a bunch of industrial oils, uh, preservatives, chemicals, things that are hard to produce. And you could fight back with me with the way our corn is produced, whether it's you know, GMO, non-GO, whatever. Point being, like a a bag of Cheetos is a chemical mess, and an ear of corn corn, the ingredient is corn. So to me, I think you're it's we're not here with high super high blood sugars because we're eating too many ears of corn. Uh, we're eating here probably because we're eating too many ears of corn in the form of chips and Cheetos and other processed foods. So we can't time with this.

SPEAKER_00 12:57

Yeah, go ahead. Time with this. You can eat whatever you want, and just comes down to choosing to eat what is most in line with your goals, and then just thinking about the consistency, the number of times what you're gonna eat this thing. Like you could literally eat corn on the cob every single day in the summer and still be fine and still lose weight and still improve your blood sugar. You could literally eat corn on the cob every single day, and it's not going to impede your results. It just depends on everything else you're doing with it. It depends on the other foods you're eating in that other 23 hours of the day that you're not eating corn on the cob.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

You're eating corn on the cob for an hour a day.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Well, okay, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

I'm here to mess with Brian because he needs to build a chair and up today. So that is that that wraps it for Rapid Fire Friday. The moral of the story is you can eat whatever you want, but there will be consequences one way or the other. And we can't stop you. Uh, and we're also we can't give blanket advice. If you have a corn allergy, no, you can't, you should probably not eat it. Um, there's a whole disclaimer at the end of the episode. So this was a fun way to kick off the summer. Uh, if you enjoyed this, make sure you share it with someone who is eating Cheetos instead of corn on the cob at your summer barbecue. Uh, if you know someone's struggling with their blood sugar, share it with them. And uh, Brian, you look like you had something else to add.

SPEAKER_00 14:09

Uh say make sure you subscribe because we never say that. People need to subscribe.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Yeah, that way you're alerted every every Wednesday you will get a new episode, except for the last Friday of the month. We hit you with a rapid fire Friday, just like today. So, Brian, it was good to see you. Keep smiling. And uh, for everyone out there to make sure you keep it simple and do what works.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

If this episode gave you clarity or hope, share it with one friend who's been stuck in the diabetes trap. That's how this mission grows. One person, one family, one story at a time. And if you haven't yet, leaving a quick review helps more people find the show and realize they're not stuck with meds forever. It takes less than a minute, and it means the world to us. Thanks for being here, and thanks for being part of this movement toward freedom. Thanks for listening to the Diabetes Remission Roadmap. The ideas discussed here are for general informational purposes only, and do not constitute medical or nutritional advice. We are pharmacists, but we're not your personal health care providers. Always consult your own physician or qualified clinician before changing medications, exercise routines, or nutrition plans. Results vary, and what works for one person may not work for another.