Even after all that I have learned about subject the past few years I'm still not sure that know exactly what insulin resistance is. I don't know if it is one thing or a combination of things. However, I do believe that it exists and that I suffered from its effects for years. I also believe that I have made significant headway in resolving - even reversing - my insulin resistance. It didn't happen overnight, though. When I first started testing my BG levels after 9 months of consistent low carb eating I was surprised to see how sensitive I still was to carbs - even just a few carbs. I went a little nuts with the BG tracking for a while - testing 5 to 10 time each day. I wanted to see how different foods affected me. While I was at it, I may have even captured the period where significant progress was made towards regaining my insulin sensitivity.


On the left side of the chart (January 2015) you see my average BG plummeting by about 20 to 25 points over a very short period of time. Coincidentally (or not) I had just started introducing IFs into my regular LC routine. I also eliminated snacking and that was giving me a 12 hour fast period on a daily basis. Anyway - after that BG lowering event I seemed to tolerate carbs much better. When I first started testing my BG in the fall of 2014 I would still get BG rising above 150 following a good, low carb dinner (10 to 15 net carbs). After this event, a 10 or 15 carb dinner often had little effect on my BG (rarely rising over 100 from a low carb meal). In fact, the higher readings seen in later periods on that chart include me testing out higher carb foods and higher carb (but still low carb) meals. I could have a 25 to 30 net carb dinner without having my BG spike much above 100.

So what does this prove? I'm not sure. I do know that I am more insulin sensitive now and I was still quite obese when my insulin sensitivity returned. Staying consistent with low carb is what did that. Is my insulin resistance fully reversed? Am I as insulin sensitive as I was in my youth? If I returned to eating crap-for-food, would my insulin resistance return with a vengeance? I don't know the answer to these questions. I don't want to find out. I like staying on the insulin sensitive side of the fence. To do that I need to stay low carb.