Written by
Louise W Lu, PhD, MPH, BMLS
Written/Reviewed by
Alexandra V Goldberg, Registered Dietitian
Do you often feel hungry again not long after a meal?
Or do you find that even without eating much, your waistline is quietly expanding and your metabolism is slowing down?
Insulin resistance is a very common yet easily overlooked metabolic issue today. At its core, it means your body’s cells respond less effectively to insulin, making it harder for glucose to be used for energy.
While this is not diabetes yet, it is often a precursor to it. In fact, type 2 diabetes almost always involves insulin resistance. Even before diabetes develops, insulin resistance may already be causing you to feel chronically fatigued, store more fat, and experience persistent hunger.
In this article, we’ll start from the basics:
What exactly is insulin?
How does insulin resistance develop?
Why does it quietly change your entire metabolic rhythm?
Who is most at risk (including “lean IR”)?
Jump to Sections:
What is Insulin and What Does It Do?
Blood sugar, or glucose in the blood, is the body’s primary and most immediate source of energy. Whether it’s walking, thinking, maintaining body temperature, or keeping your organs functioning, all of it depends on a steady supply of glucose.
However, for glucose to actually enter cells and be used, it needs a “signal to unlock the door.” You can think of insulin as a key: it unlocks the “door lock” on the surface of cells, allowing glucose from the bloodstream (which rises after meals) to enter the cells and provide energy.
In other words, insulin is the key that opens the energy door of your cells.
You eat a bowl of rice → blood sugar rises → the pancreas releases insulin → insulin 🔑 unlocks the “door” (transporters) on cell surfaces → glucose enters the cells → you get energy, blood sugar goes down.
(Click the image on the right to enlarge)
Sounds like a perfect system, right? But here’s where the problem starts—
Once the insulin “key” starts to fail, the cell doors won’t open. Glucose can’t get in, energy can’t be used, post-meal blood sugar stays high, and problems begin to appear.
The body mistakenly thinks there aren’t enough keys, so the pancreas works overtime to produce more insulin—like trying to force open the door with a whole bunch of keys. This is the beginning of “hyperinsulinemia.” At this stage, you may not have diabetes yet, but your cells are already becoming less and less responsive to insulin.
(Click the image on the right to enlarge)
✔ Feeling hungry again soon after meals
✔ Feeling especially drowsy and low-energy in the afternoon
✔ Gaining fat easily around the waist and belly
✔ Feeling unusually hungry at night—irritable if you don’t eat, but gaining weight if you do
These are actually early signals of insulin resistance. They’re not as obvious as high blood sugar, but they are the body’s metabolic system sending its first warning sign.
6 Everyday Habits That Quietly Make You Insulin Resistant
Many people believe insulin resistance only comes from “eating too much sugar.” That’s partly true—sugar is one culprit, but certainly not the only one.
What’s truly concerning is this: it’s often the habits you think are “harmless” that slowly dull your body’s response to insulin.
We’ve listed six of the most common “silent saboteurs” in modern life. How many of them sound familiar to you?
🍩 1. Too much refined sugar and starch
Cake, milk tea, white toast for breakfast, pasta... These high-glycaemic-index foods cause rapid blood sugar spikes and sudden insulin surges. Repeated over time, it’s like ringing the doorbell nonstop—eventually, the cells just stop responding.
🔁 The faster your blood sugar rises → The more insulin is released → The quicker your cells become “numb”
🍔 2. Overeating or overly high-calorie meals
It’s not just sugar—excess calories also trigger insulin. A meal that’s high in fat and carbs but lacking in vegetables can keep insulin levels elevated around the clock, eventually wearing out the system.
This is especially true if you eat late at night or frequently indulge in fried fast food.
😴 3. Too little sleep—or poor-quality sleep
Sleeping just 4–5 hours, waking often, or staying in a light sleep state due to stress can all disrupt insulin rhythms. Studies show that even one night of sleep deprivation can reduce insulin sensitivity.
If you want your body to listen to insulin again, sleeping well is the first step.
😟 4. Constant psychological stress
Stress hormones (like cortisol) interfere with how insulin works. The more anxious and mentally “switched on” you are, the more likely your body is to resist insulin.
Eating while working or under emotional strain is one of the fastest ways to disrupt your metabolic rhythm.
🔥 5. Ongoing low-grade inflammation
Excess weight, leaky gut, chronic allergies, lack of exercise, or unrelenting stress can all cause a persistent, low-level inflammatory state. This interferes with insulin signalling at the cellular level.
Inflammatory “noise” drowns out the sound of insulin knocking on your cells’ doors.
🪑 6. Sitting too long, not activating your muscles
Muscle cells are where insulin mainly works! The less you move, the less muscle demand you have—and the more the “delivery channel” for insulin shuts down.
If you sit for over 90 minutes straight, insulin receptors in your muscles can start to go dormant.
✅ So what can you do?
You don’t need to change everything at once. But starting with “more muscle movement” and “better sleep” brings the fastest improvements.
In the next section, we’ll help you assess your real insulin status—and show you how to reverse it step by step.
“I'm Not Overweight — Could I Still Have Insulin Resistance?” Take This Quick Self-Check!
Many people assume insulin resistance only affects those who are overweight or obese. However, in clinical settings, we often see a specific type known as lean IR (Insulin Resistance). These individuals have a normal or even low BMI but still experience post-meal drowsiness, energy fluctuations, and unstable moods—classic signs of poor blood sugar regulation.
The danger of lean IR lies in its tendency to go unnoticed. Because these individuals appear slim, the issue is often underestimated. Moreover, standard fasting glucose tests may not detect the problem.
Below are the common clinical and physiological features of lean IR:
| Category | Typical Signs of Lean IR | Self-Check Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Body Composition | Normal or low BMI but waist circumference over 80 cm | ✅ Waist circumference over 80 cm (Asian female standard) |
| Energy Status | Post-meal fatigue, brain fog, or emotional swings | ✅ Feeling extremely sleepy or irritable two hours after meals |
| Blood Sugar | Normal fasting glucose but elevated post-meal blood sugar | ✅ Normal fasting glucose but high postprandial blood sugar |
| Skin Changes | Presence of acanthosis nigricans in armpits or neck; skin darkening | ✅ Dark, rough patches (acanthosis nigricans) under arms or on the neck |
Why Insulin Resistance Is the First Step Toward Trouble
🔶 Insulin resistance can be understood as the body “not following orders.”
Imagine insulin as a key 🔑. Its job is to open your cells’ doors, escort glucose from the bloodstream inside, and turn it into energy.
But if poor diet, high stress, and lack of exercise continue over time, cells become less sensitive to this “key.” The doors no longer open easily, glucose can’t get in—that’s insulin resistance.
And the result? Even though the body already secretes enough—or even too much—insulin, blood sugar still doesn’t come down. The pancreas has to work overtime, producing more and more insulin, creating a vicious cycle.
More importantly, insulin is also a “fat-storing” hormone (an anabolic hormone).
When insulin in the blood stays elevated for a long time, it keeps sending the same command: “Store energy!”
So whether you’re eating rice, noodles, or seemingly healthy snacks, in a high-insulin environment they’re more likely to be converted into fat and stored.
⚠️ Even more concerning: you may look “skinny,” yet still develop slim limbs with a protruding belly due to insulin resistance. That’s actually a sign of rising visceral fat.
And visceral fat is a high-risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
📊 How It Progresses:
| Stage | What Happens | Blood Sugar | Insulin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early IR | Cells begin to ignore insulin signals | Normal | ↑ Elevated |
| Mid-stage IR | Pancreas compensates by producing more insulin | ↑ Slightly elevated | ↑↑ High |
| Late-stage IR / Prediabetes | Pancreas begins to fail | ↑↑ High | ↓ Decreasing |
| Type 2 Diabetes | Insulin production drops significantly | ↑↑↑ Very high | ↓↓ Low |
💡 Bottom Line:
By the time your blood sugar shows up as “high” on a lab report, insulin resistance has likely been silently progressing for years.
That’s why catching early insulin resistance is one of the most important things you can do to protect your metabolic health.
2 comments
Very good question! Before using medication for insulin resistance, it’s important to first confirm whether it’s truly needed. If lifestyle changes (like diet and exercise) haven’t worked, doctors may consider meds like Metformin, GLP-1 agonists (like semaglutide), or SGLT2 inhibitors. Some helpful supplements include chromium, alpha-lipoic acid, magnesium, and cinnamon extract. Check out the link for more information. https://lolu.co.nz/collections/boost-fat-metabolism-step-5
当然可以～在用胰岛素阻抗的药物前，我们首先要确认你是否真的需要吃药。如果你已经尝试调整饮食、运动、减重一段时间，但效果不明显，那医生可能会考虑使用像二甲双胍、GLP-1激动剂（比如司美格鲁肽）或SGLT2抑制剂这类药物来辅助改善。而像铬、α-硫辛酸、镁、肉桂提取物这些天然补充剂，也对胰岛素敏感性有一定帮助哦。可以点击这个链接看看具体内容https://lolu.co.nz/collections/boost-fat-metabolism-step-5
那请问有什么药可帮助胰岛素阻抗呢？谢谢您