Low-carb diets and intermittent fasting are often promoted as quick fixes for weight loss or blood sugar control. While these strategies may help in the short term, extreme carb restriction or meal skipping can actually put the body under metabolic stress, leading to worsened insulin resistance over time.
Metabolic Stress: What It Means
Metabolic stress occurs when the body perceives an energy shortage and shifts into a “survival mode.” Without enough carbohydrates, glucose availability drops, and the body must rely on stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to raise blood sugar levels.
This constant “fight-or-flight” signaling forces the liver to release stored glucose (gluconeogenesis) and keeps blood sugar levels fluctuating instead of stable.
The body actually increases circulating insulin in an attempt to control these swings. Over time, this cycle makes the body less sensitive to insulin, not more.
Low-Carb Diets and Insulin Resistance
Carbohydrates are not the enemy—they are a vital part of insulin sensitivity. When you consistently under-eat carbs or skip meals, cells stop responding as efficiently to insulin, since glucose delivery is inconsistent. The body also compensates by releasing more insulin, creating a hyperinsulimemic state. This paradoxically mirrors the very problem many people are trying to avoid: worsening insulin resistance.
Skipping Meals: A Hidden Blood Sugar Saboteur
Fasting or missing meals may sound like a way to keep blood sugar low, but for many people it creates the opposite effect: blood sugar initially drops too low, the stress response kicks in, raising cortisol and blood sugar, and this rollercoaster teaches the body to hold onto glucose more tightly, fueling insulin resistance.
Instead of a smooth and predictable glucose curve, the body experiences spikes and dips—exactly the pattern linked to long-term metabolic dysfunction.
Long-Term Consequences
Chronic metabolic stress from overly restrictive diets or meal skipping can lead to increased belly fat storage (driven by cortisol), poorer recovery from exercise, sleep disruption and fatigue.
Most concerning – it leads to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes or worsening existing insulin resistance.
The Balanced Approach
Rather than eliminating carbs or skipping meals, the better strategy is to support metabolic flexibility. Eat consistent, balanced meals to reduce stress signaling, include high-quality carbohydrates (fruit, legumes, whole grains, starchy vegetables), pair carbs with protein and healthy fats to blunt spikes, use meal timing and portion control to support, rather than fight, natural blood sugar rhythms.
The body thrives on balance, not extremes. Cutting carbs too harshly or skipping meals may seem like a way to “control” blood sugar, but the hidden cost is metabolic stress and increased insulin resistance. Protecting your long-term health means giving your body the steady fuel it needs—without forcing it into survival mode.