Ep. 99 What Is Insulin Resistance? | Fasting Insulin, Blood Sugar, Weight Gain, and Functional Lab Markers

Text us to let us know what you want to hear on the podcast!In this episode of Reality Check with Jessica and Jillian, Jessica and Jillian break down what insulin resistance actually is, how it develops long before a prediabetes diagnosis, and why so many women are missed when fasting glucose still looks “normal” on paper.This conversation explains why insulin resistance is not just a blood sugar issue. It is a broader energy handling issue shaped by muscle mass, stress, sleep, inflammation, liver health, thyroid function, gut health, dieting history, and recovery capacity. They walk through the early compensation phase, where the body can keep glucose in range by producing more insulin behind the scenes, and why fasting insulin is one of the most important and underused lab markers in that picture.Jessica and Jillian also cover the symptoms that often correlate with early insulin resistance, including cravings, energy crashes, reactive hunger, stubborn midsection fat, brain fog after meals, PCOS-type patterns, fluid retention, and a body that feels less responsive despite eating well and working hard. They explain why conventional labs often miss the pattern, how to interpret markers like fasting insulin, fasting glucose, A1c, triglycerides, HDL, triglyceride-to-HDL ratio, CRP, and HOMA-IR, and why context matters far more than one isolated number.The episode also gets into the real drivers behind insulin resistance, including chronic stress, poor sleep, low muscle mass, inactivity, inflammation, under-fueling, yo-yo dieting, gut dysfunction, thyroid issues, liver burden, and metabolic stress in active women. They unpack why low-carb approaches can improve symptoms quickly without always resolving the deeper physiology, the difference between true insulin resistance and adaptive glucose intolerance after long-term keto, and where GLP-1 medications can help or hurt depending on how they are used.This episode is for the woman who has been told her labs are fine but still deals with unstable energy, cravings, weight loss resistance, hormone issues, or a body that no longer feels metabolically flexible. It offers a more complete functional lens for understanding insulin resistance and what actually improves it.Reviews are everything! We'd love for you to drop us a 5-star rating and anything you want to share if you enjoyed this episode!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Apply for 1:1 coaching-----------------------------------------------------------------------------FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!Jillian: www.instagram.com/jillianrfitJess: www.instagram.com/jesserefitFueled: www.instagram.com/fueledby.balanceReality Check: www.instagram.com/realitycheck_fitpodcast Jillian's TT: www.tiktok.com/@jillianrfit