Insulin Resistance and Weight Gain

Brandy Buro, MS, RD, LD

August 3, 2026

originally written July 2022 and updated July 2026

It seems that lately everybody has THE solution to lose weight. New weight loss medications, intense juice cleanses or detox plans, elimination diets and calorie counting, or the old cabbage soup diet all come to mind. Let me shed some light on something you probably already know: fad diets don't work. Low fat, low calorie diets aren't sustainable. Quick fixes don't cut it, and you're going to feel hangry.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lose weight is thinking of their new way of eating as a temporary fix and not a lifestyle change. This approach to weight loss will only leave you frustrated and back to square one.

Are you ready to quit the fad diets and crazy cleanses and discover what is really going on with your metabolism, once and for all?

If you've been on diet after diet and watched the weight go up and down on the scale, but you just can't seem to keep it off, you may have become insulin resistant.

What is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance happens to be one of the most prevalent metabolic problems people have. So, what does that really mean? Often, it means that for too long you have been eating too much sugar and processed carbohydrates.

Processed foods such as pretzels, chips, cookies, popcorn, that bowl of cereal for breakfast, treats from the breakroom at work, and that pasta dish at your favorite restaurant are all processed carbohydrates that can create insulin resistance in your body.

These processed carbohydrates convert quickly into sugar, spiking blood sugar and insulin levels. When your cells are constantly bathed in insulin, they become overwhelmed and stop responding to insulin properly, as if the key no longer fits the lock. The cells are now insulin resistant, where insulin no longer moves sugar from the blood into your cells quite as well, and sugar stays in your bloodstream longer.

Understanding insulin resistance:

Let's say you eat a processed carbohydrate such as a bagel.
The bagel breaks down into sugar (AKA glucose), which then enters your blood stream (alarmingly, 14 ¼ teaspoons of sugar).
This rise in blood sugar tells the pancreas to release the hormone insulin to help bring the blood sugar back down to a normal level. Insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into our cells where it is turned into energy.
Over time, excess sugar from processed carbohydrates and the increased demand for insulin to lower blood sugar creates insulin resistance. This is a condition where your cells start to resist or ignore insulin's signal, and too much sugar remains floating in your bloodstream. The excess sugar needs to go somewhere, so it gets stored as body fat.
For a while, the pancreas will try harder to get insulin to the cells by releasing more and more insulin. Eventually, the pancreas is over-worked, and can't produce insulin as effectively anymore.
Insulin resistance and lower production of insulin by the pancreas leads to high blood sugar levels that the body can't lower on its own. This is what leads to pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes

How do I know if I'm insulin resistant?

Are you are gaining weight, particularly around your midsection?
Are you easily gaining weight, even though you haven't changed much about your eating habits?
Are you hungry all the time, or do you deal with stubborn sugar cravings?
Do you have a big energy crash after eating?

These are a few warning signs you may be insulin resistant.

Why insulin resistance leads to weight gain

Insulin is often called the fat storage hormone, and for good reason. When your cells stop responding well to insulin, your pancreas compensates by pumping out even more of it. Chronically high insulin levels signal your body to store fat rather than burn it. This weight gain tends to show up specifically around your midsection. And to make matters worse, belly fat increases inflammation in the body, which also increases insulin resistance.

This is also why cutting calories often stops working the way it used to. Weight gain isn't only about calories in versus calories out, it's also a hormonal issue. Until you treat the insulin resistance, restricting food tends to leave you hungry, tired, and frustrated rather than lighter and energized.

But you don't have to be overweight to have insulin resistance! That's what makes this metabolic issue so tricky. Insulin resistance doesn't just affect your weight, it's also connected to:

High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Nerve damage (neuropathy), even without a diabetes diagnosis
Increased risk of gestational diabetes, pre-diabetes, and type 2 diabetes
Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS, previously known as PCOS)

How is insulin diagnosed?

There are several blood tests your doctor can use to diagnose insulin resistance, including hemoglobin A1C level, fasting plasma glucose, or an oral glucose tolerance test. A fasting blood glucose is a snapshot of your blood sugar at the time your blood is drawn, while a hemoglobin A1C gives a bigger picture, an average of your blood sugar control over about three months. For an even earlier warning sign, you can ask your provider to test your fasting insulin level. Fasting insulin levels often start to increase before you see changes in your fasting glucose or A1C, so this test can catch insulin resistance years before it would otherwise show up on routine labs. Fasting insulin isn't part of a routine physical, so you may need to specifically request it.

If you learn that you have insulin resistance, don't lose hope. The good news is that it is reversible!

How can I stop insulin resistance in my body?

Losing weight is much easier once you heal insulin resistance first, rather than the other way around. The goal isn't cutting calories, it's lowering the amount of insulin your body needs to produce. Weight loss becomes a byproduct of optimizing blood sugar levels, reversing the insulin resistance, and healing your metabolism.

One thing worth watching that's easy to miss: what you're drinking throughout the day. Sugary coffee drinks, sweet tea, and sodas can sneak in far more sugar than most people realize, sometimes 15 to 20 teaspoons in a single coffee. Starting your day that way sets you up for blood sugar swings before you've even eaten anything.

It all starts with balanced eating and physical activity.

By eating real foods in balance every time you eat, you have better control over your blood sugar level and can reverse insulin resistance. To prevent your blood sugar from increasing too quickly, include animal protein, healthy fat, and nutrient-rich carbohydrates from plants with each meal and snack.

An example of a day of balanced eating:

Breakfast: Ditch the cereal and toast! These are two processed carbohydrates that spike your blood sugar too high. Choose this balanced option instead: eggs for your protein, sautéed peppers and zucchini with a ½ cup of sweet potato for your carbohydrates, and 1 tablespoon of real butter for your fat.
Snack: You know the junky vending machine foods aren't good for your metabolism because they are all processed carbs! Try packing one of my favorite snacks: 2 meatballs for protein, ½ cup of carrots for the carbohydrate, and olives for a fat.
Lunch: Skip the fast food that leaves you feeling sluggish all afternoon. Plan a quick lunch using leftover rotisserie chicken (protein) with a side of cabbage slaw packed with flavor (cabbage and carrots for vegetable carbohydrates, nuts and mayo for healthy fat).
Dinner: Replace the pizza and pasta, which lead to insulin resistance, with two cups of chili topped with guacamole. Protein from the ground beef or turkey, fiber-rich carbohydrates from beans and veggies, and healthy fat from guacamole keep you feeling full and your blood sugar stable.
Bedtime Snack: Instead of mindlessly munching on popcorn while you unwind, have a balanced snack that will keep your blood sugar stable while you sleep so you wake up feeling refreshed. Try 3/4 cup blueberries with ¼ cup almonds, or celery sticks with 1-2 tablespoons of Green Veggie Dip.

Exercise helps & lifestyle changes give you more insulin sensitivity

Regular physical activity encourages cells to take in sugar from the blood because they need energy to sustain the movement your muscles are doing. This reduces the need for insulin and puts less work on your pancreas while retraining your cells to absorb the sugar for fuel.

Research shows that moving your body for at least 30 minutes a day and getting seven to eight hours of sleep can help your cells become more sensitive to insulin; even a short walk after a meal has been shown to help.

Insulin resistance doesn't appear overnight, so you can't expect to reverse it overnight. But if you eat in balance consistently, over time, you are making steps toward reversing insulin resistance and restoring your metabolism.

Put in the time and get support for restoring your metabolism in our 12-week series Nutrition 4 Weight Loss. New students get two 1:1 counseling sessions with a nutritionist or dietitian for even more personalized care.

It's Your Time!

Before trying yet another diet gimmick, consider sitting down with one of the dietitians or nutritionists at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. We will teach you how eating real foods in balance is the sustainable weight loss and metabolism-boosting solution you've been looking for. We can customize a meal plan that fits your lifestyle and help brainstorm ways to fit movement you love into your schedule (while making sure you have enough delicious meals and snacks to fuel your exercise!).