The Hidden Hormone That Was Holding Me Back
It’s easy to focus on blood sugar — after all, that’s what doctors have been telling us to watch for decades. But what if the real issue isn’t your blood sugar… it’s your insulin?
That’s something I had to learn the hard way.
The Wake-Up Call
In the first week of March, I started getting concerned about my morning fasting blood sugar. It was hanging around the 5.2 to 5.9 mmol/L mark, and while that wasn’t terrifying on its own, something didn’t feel right. I’ve been pretty on top of my health for years now — good nutrition, daily walking, strength training, sauna, HBOT — so this felt out of place.
Still, I’d been inactive for over three months recovering from a broken fibula, and I knew that was taking a toll.
I decided to run a full panel of blood tests through my doctors at Kasih Ibu Hospital in Bali, where I also do regular HBOT sessions. The results were sobering:
HbA1c: 6.1 — officially in the pre-diabetic range.
Fasting Glucose: 5.9 mmol/L
Fasting Insulin: 64.4 pmol/L
Then came a test I’d never heard of before: HOMA-IR. My result was 2.3, above the ideal threshold of under 2.0, indicating that I was already insulin resistant.
If I hadn’t been listening to podcasts by Professor Ben Bikman, I wouldn’t have known what any of that meant.
What is HOMA-IR?
HOMA-IR stands for Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance. It’s a formula that gives a better picture of your metabolic health by combining your fasting glucose and fasting insulin numbers.
Here’s the basic formula:
HOMA-IR = (Fasting Glucose x Fasting Insulin) / 22.5
It helps identify insulin resistance — a condition where your cells no longer respond efficiently to insulin.
Even if your blood sugar is “normal,” a high HOMA-IR means your pancreas is working overtime to pump out insulin.
What is Insulin Resistance?
Insulin resistance is when your cells become desensitized to insulin. Your body keeps producing more to compensate, but over time, this leads to:
Weight gain
High blood sugar
Fatigue and brain fog
Increased fat storage around the trunk
Eventually, Type 2 Diabetes or metabolic syndrome
Your body is no longer efficiently pulling glucose out of the bloodstream and into your cells for energy. Instead, glucose lingers in your blood, and insulin levels stay elevated — sometimes for years.
What is Hyperinsulinemia?
Hyperinsulinemia is when insulin levels in your blood remain chronically high, even if your blood sugar seems normal. It’s a silent condition, and most doctors don’t routinely test for it.
It blocks your ability to burn fat.
It suppresses ketone production.
It increases inflammation and oxidative stress.
It contributes to nerve damage, liver issues, and even cancer risk.
This is what I was dealing with — and I had no idea.
My Protocol: Fasting, Keto, and a Lot of Discipline
Since the diagnosis, I’ve been on a very strict ketogenic diet — nearly zero carbs, lots of healthy fats, and moderate protein. I also started intermittent fasting, eating within a tight 4–6 hour window, often just one meal a day (OMAD). I’ve prepared almost all my own meals, tracked my macros, and stayed consistent.
And still… it hasn’t been easy.
For the past five weeks, I’ve struggled to get my ketones above 1.5 mmol/L. That’s new for me. I used to hit 3–4 easily and get my GKI (Glucose Ketone Index) down to 1 or 2.
But now I know why — elevated insulin levels make it harder to switch to fat-burning mode. My body was still clearing the backlog of metabolic dysfunction from years of subtle, creeping insulin resistance — worsened by three months of inactivity.
Why Testing Matters
Most people walk around with these issues without knowing it. Unless you ask for the right tests, like:
Fasting insulin
HbA1c
HOMA-IR
…you’ll never see it coming. Your doctor might tell you your fasting glucose looks “fine” and send you on your way.
If I hadn’t gotten curious — if I hadn’t listened to some interviews, run the tests, and really dug into the numbers — I would still be in the dark. I wouldn’t have known I was insulin resistant. I wouldn’t have known I had hyperinsulinemia. I wouldn’t have understood why my ketones were low, why my fat loss had stalled, or why I just didn’t feel like myself.
Now I know. And now I can do something about it.
Why I’m Sharing This
I’m not writing this for sympathy or applause. I’m writing this because I believe there are millions of people out therein exactly the same position — confused, frustrated, maybe scared, and not getting the right answers.
If that’s you — ask for the tests. Question the defaults. Learn how your metabolism works. You don’t have to be sick to start healing.
My journey’s not over. I still have fat to lose, insulin to tame, and nerve regeneration to continue. But I’m on the path, and I’m better every day.
I hope this post helps light the way for someone else.
