Starving Again—and I Know Why, by Joy Sypher
Starving Again—and I Know Why
I love Keto. I love what keto does for my energy. I love what keto does to my body. I love what keto does to my health. Most of all I love what keto does to my appetite.
A ketogenic way of eating, known as keto, is a high fat, low carbohydrate, moderate protein diet that can trigger a metabolic state in the body called ketosis. Ketosis is when your body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose.
For me, the most transformative aspect of keto has been how it helped me tackle insulin resistance (IR), a condition that many people don't even realize they have. Insulin resistance is when your body's cells no longer respond to insulin properly. Insulin has many functions in the body but a key function is to carry glucose to the cells. When your cells are resistant to insulin, the body compensates by producing more of it, which can lead to hyperinsulinemia. This is a precursor for prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
Sadly, fasting insulin tests, which can detect IR, aren't always ordered by doctors. But it's easy to get one through private labs like ownyourlabs.com if you're curious about your own levels. Common Sense Labs: Blood Labs Demystified by Dr Ken Berry and Kim Howerton is an excellent resource to understanding fasting insulin and other laboratory test results. I highly recommend this book.
My keto journey
I've used the ketogenic way of eating to reverse my insulin resistance for over 5 years. I've followed a low carb diet for over 20 years but it was the strict keto approach that made a huge difference. Over the years I've watched my health improve in ways I never expected.
I've been very pleased with my progress. Many of my health concerns have been alleviated. My medical team has even removed me from 4 different diabetes medications as I healed over the years. I also lost over 80 pounds, and saw my BMI to the very low range of normal for my height.
Wheat Free for 5 years
I've been wheat free for 5 years. I am not Celiac, but I noticed an immediate change when I eliminated wheat from my diet. The immediate easing of inflammation and bloating made sticking to that self-imposed rule easy to follow.
Recently I spent a few days in the hospital. After glucose IV drips and a standard 75g carb per meal diabetic diet, I am no longer in ketosis.
I do need to point out that I did not eat the full 75g carbs per meal. However, it was a stressful stay and I understand how and when I kicked myself out of ketosis.
The biggest change from my stay was ending my 5 year wheat free diet.
The Return of IR symptoms
4.5 weeks later, my IR symptoms have returned full force. I'm starving. There are portions of my day where if I'm not actively eating I feel intense hunger pains. Some brain fog has returned. Some skin irritation issues and bloating have returned. And there has been significant weight gain.
My Insulin Resistance is reversible
I've done it before. I know how to do it. I've coached others on how to reverse insulin resistance. Now it's my turn to be the coached. My personal goal is under 6.0 mIU/L. I achieved this 2 years into my journey and have maintained under 6.2 mIU/L since then. My 4 week post hospital stay has my fasting insulin reading at 7.7 mIU/L. This is still within the medical diagnosis of not having IR, however it is very interesting to me that my IR symptoms have already returned.
5 years ago it took 5 weeks to see results in reversing my insulin resistance and relief of symptoms. After my event I find myself experiencing the same symptoms in less than 5 weeks.
5 weeks for such a significant change in my health for the good and bad. My keto journey isn't over. It's a long road, but I'm ready for the next step.
If you're facing similar challenges, know that you're not alone. The road to healing can be bumpy, but with the right knowledge, mindset, and support, it's always possible to get back on track.
Written by Joy Sypher
Published March 22nd, 2025
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