Before I dive in, I need to point out that the process is the same as the progression for men and women. It will just express differently through a man’s genetic personality and male phenotype. Keep that in mind. 

You are just as hormonal as she, I suggest more, and she is as emotionally immature as you, I suggest more. But that’s another post.

Think of a pyramid of physical changes or damage accumulating as we grow and age, with one tier stacked firmly onto the one below.

Insulin resistance is the base of the pyramid, the foundation that the rest need in order for their tier to elevate to cause the issues they do.

Insulin resistance is the original hormone disrupter and is secretly behind every other hormonal issue outside of direct trauma, a lesion like a tumor, and the story that terminally unique people insist makes them different from other humans.

What does insulin resistance look like? Look down at your belt. It’s your beer belly, your waistline increase over the years, and usually, what’s behind what distracts what you have below the belt.

The average American man is 24 lbs overweight. That qualifies, but if you need more evidence to build this case, check these metrics out: 

• An increased waistline to 40 in or more for men and 35 in or more for women is positive for Metabolic Syndrome, and 38 to 40 and 33.5 to 35 ranges indicate insulin resistance. 
• Fasting Blood Sugar: 87-99 for insulin resistance, 100-124 for prediabetes, 125 up for diabetes. 
• Triglycerides over 100 for insulin resistance, and 150 and above is Metabolic Syndrome (which is advanced insulin resistance)
• Vitamin D is under 50 for IR and under 30 for big-time IR.
• Low T is IR
• Fatty Liver is IR.
• You can use an online free calculator to see your Triglyceride-Glucose Index score, telling you if you have IR. You need to know what your blood sugar and triglyceride numbers are. 

Ok, in time, unknowingly, as you progress, eventually, you will develop the next block on the pyramid, Metabolic Syndrome. 

The first tier is associated with weight gain and changes in your eating habits like emotional eating, stress eating, junk binges, and mindless eating. The second tier usually sees changes in your sleep duration or quality and mood changes like irritability and anger/temper issues. 

Now your momentum is rolling along, and before you know it, here comes tier three with an exaggerated or heightened response to stress and some evident and frustrating fatigue and brain fog or trouble concentrating or remembering things.

Oh, somewhere between tier two and three is where the low “T” is found or felt or used as an excuse. It’s hard to tell which, but it usually shows up.

Those three blocks stacked against you become the stairway for the last block to top it all off with depression, loss of motivation for life or work, alcohol and substance dependence, dark times, and the feeling like there’s no way out or anything you can do about it.

For men, this is a really bad place to be, spend time in, or ignore. It’s terrible, my man, because we gents kill ourselves there and do it fast and without warning to those around us. Terrible.

Let me pause here, brother. If, for any reason, you find yourself in that space and frame of mind, or even think you are near there, call someone, call anyone, call me, ask a stupid question, or just how their day is going. They will tell you, and it won’t be long until you feel that iron fog lifting enough to shift that tunnel vision focused on that one option that isn’t an option for you.

Ok. That’s the summary version, my fellow, just for you.

Now what? You can’t fix these things by going backward through the process or the top-down approach. You need to get to the roots and start at the foundation of the tower of scour. 

Yeah, yeah, I got you covered for that. If you know my work, you know it’s my gig. I’ll get more specifics out soon, but I have written over 1,000 articles on all things insulin resistance you can start with in my group “Insulin Friendly Fasting Secrets” or by scrolling back on my wall, website, or message me if you are ready to get going on a program. 

Denial is so male, don’t feed those cackles, and be honest. Get moving, and let’s change this thing, my man!

We can do better!

Dr. Don