Insulin is the hormone that unlocks your cells to let glucose in. When insulin resistance sets in, your cells start ignoring the signal. Your pancreas responds by producing more insulin. Blood glucose stays normal on basic labs, which is exactly why the pattern gets missed. Meanwhile you feel constantly hungry even after eating, mentally foggy after carb-heavy meals, tired in a way that sleep does not fix, and wired at 10pm. This pattern is common in women in their 40s. It is rarely named until it shows on a standard panel, by which point it has been building for years. React with 💛 if any of this describes what you have been living.