Metformin blocking weight loss?

SisterGoth

SisterGoth

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi - I am type 2 diabetic, diagnosed January 2022. Currently taking 4 x 500mg Metformin (2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, normal kind not slow release). I am eating a low carb diet and have completely cut out any processed sugar/white flour&carbs/diet pop/crisps etc. I am still the same weight I was back in Jan 2022 and it is becoming very frustrating (my BMI is in the obese readings around 40).

I asked the GP if I could try the soup and shake diet and they said they didn't know anything about it so they referred me to the local NHS health trainer service instead. I have been going there for 6 weeks now, I need to complete 12 weeks of this course and they have agreed they can see absolutely nothing wrong with my food intake or portion sizes. I average around 12000 steps per day (mainly before and after work as I have a desk based job role which involves sitting at a desk or attending meetings again sitting down).

The health trainer told me last week that Metformin can, for some patients, actually stop weight loss and make it harder. I wondered if any of you lovely people have had this happen and what, if anything, you did to counteract the issue........... I feel a bit stuck and unsure of what to do for the best now.
 
Maybe stop the Metformin as an experiment and see if you start to get lighter or shrink down around the middle ( as type 2 diabetics tend to carry their weight in their mid section ).
I lost around 12 inches off my waist eating low carb, and it is usually very effective. I did take Metformin for a few weeks but it made me so ill I had to stop it.
Would you like to post your usual diet and maybe some advice can be given?
I used a Spirit Healthcare Tee 2+ meter to check my blood glucose levels after eating and that did help me decide on what to chose to eat. Once I got my after meal numbers down to 8mmol/l I saw continued improvement, and I am told that I have lost around 70lb from my heaviest recorded weight.
 
Metformin is known to actually help with weight loss in some people. I've never heard of it causing weight gain.

Hormones, poor sleep, stress, other medical conditions might be preventing weight loss...
 
SisterGoth said:
Hi - I am type 2 diabetic, diagnosed January 2022. Currently taking 4 x 500mg Metformin (2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, normal kind not slow release). I am eating a low carb diet and have completely cut out any processed sugar/white flour&carbs/diet pop/crisps etc. I am still the same weight I was back in Jan 2022 and it is becoming very frustrating (my BMI is in the obese readings around 40).
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Low carb without calorie reduction isn't going to do anything for weight loss (after an initial period where you might lose some extra water weight) - despite what the Internet might tell you. I would talk to a nutritionist or whoever about this.

Never heard of Metformin having a negative effect on weight loss.
 
Eddy Edson said:
Low carb without calorie reduction isn't going to do anything for weight loss (after an initial period where you might lose some extra water weight) - despite what the Internet might tell you. I would talk to a nutritionist or whoever about this.

Never heard of Metformin having a negative effect on weight loss.
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Not everyone finds that. I'm pretty certain I consume more calories low carb than I ever did on a "normal diet". Of course, for me, it's a long time since I did anything other than low carb or keto, so tricky to be certain.
 
SisterGoth said:
Hi - I am type 2 diabetic, diagnosed January 2022. Currently taking 4 x 500mg Metformin (2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, normal kind not slow release). I am eating a low carb diet and have completely cut out any processed sugar/white flour&carbs/diet pop/crisps etc. I am still the same weight I was back in Jan 2022 and it is becoming very frustrating (my BMI is in the obese readings around 40).

I asked the GP if I could try the soup and shake diet and they said they didn't know anything about it so they referred me to the local NHS health trainer service instead. I have been going there for 6 weeks now, I need to complete 12 weeks of this course and they have agreed they can see absolutely nothing wrong with my food intake or portion sizes. I average around 12000 steps per day (mainly before and after work as I have a desk based job role which involves sitting at a desk or attending meetings again sitting down).

The health trainer told me last week that Metformin can, for some patients, actually stop weight loss and make it harder. I wondered if any of you lovely people have had this happen and what, if anything, you did to counteract the issue........... I feel a bit stuck and unsure of what to do for the best now.
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Sister Goth, is your shape changing at all? Some find their shape changes before their bathroom scales show results.

I can't say I have heard of Metformin preventing weight loss. I have heard of it not really helping with weight loss, but not referred to as a barrier to it.
 
AndBreathe said:
Not everyone finds that. I'm pretty certain I consume more calories low carb than I ever did on a "normal diet". Of course, for me, it's a long time since I did anything other than low carb or keto, so tricky to be certain.
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It's surprising how many hidden calories there are out there.
And the common mantra is fat is more satiating, you feel full for longer, it's carbs that make you feel hungry etc, only when I kept a food diary did I realise just how much I was overeating.

The inverse is also true though, fat is twice a calorific, replacing carbs quantity for quantity with fat, puts a lot more calories into the system, as is often the response when low carbers want to stop losing weight.
 
Do you keep a food diary? Even though I’m following a low carb approach for my diabetes, I’m still having to restrict overall daily calories to achieve any weight loss and a food diary helps me to do this.
 
Deb_l said:
Do you keep a food diary? Even though I’m following a low carb approach for my diabetes, I’m still having to restrict overall daily calories to achieve any weight loss and a food diary helps me to do this.
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i put on 4 kg.... after losing nearly 13 so now restricting again. As a mid 50s office working woman I actually only need between 1000 and 1250 calories a day and only 60g of those should be 'carbs' as in bread/actual carbs. that means two sandwich thins a day max, or one protein bagel. I need to fill up on eggs, fish, meat, full fat dairy and at least 300g of green leafy veg. I have snack tendencies and these are my undoing.
 
as an update I just got hba1c back and it's 38. so putting on 4kg didn't hurt as I stick to below 80g of carbs a day. still gonna lose it again but LOW CARB is the type 2 solution for me. xxx
 
Mrs Mimoo said:
as an update I just got hba1c back and it's 38. so putting on 4kg didn't hurt as I stick to below 80g of carbs a day. still gonna lose it again but LOW CARB is the type 2 solution for me. xxx
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Wow that’s great to hear. 80g of carbs a day is super low. I think I have that in one mouthful . What sort of food do you have instead of the carbs? I need ideas please! X
 
@NeoUser I have about 70g per day, never have rice, use black bean or edamame bean pasta with more sauce than pasta, butternut squash, plenty green veg and salads, meat, cheese, eggs, fish, berries, half apple or pear, ryvita or similar crackers, 1 slice bread at a time, full fat yoghurt, no snacks, sugarfree jelly with berries in and cream or high protein yoghurt or Kvarg deserts.
You may find the book or app Carbs and Cals useful as it gives carb values of various portions of a whole range of foods and meals. It was my bible when first diagnosed.
 
Leadinglights said:
@NeoUser I have about 70g per day, never have rice, use black bean or edamame bean pasta with more sauce than pasta, butternut squash, plenty green veg and salads, meat, cheese, eggs, fish, berries, half apple or pear, ryvita or similar crackers, 1 slice bread at a time, full fat yoghurt, no snacks, sugarfree jelly with berries in and cream or high protein yoghurt or Kvarg deserts.
You may find the book or app Carbs and Cals useful as it gives carb values of various portions of a whole range of foods and meals. It was my bible when first diagnosed.
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Thank you, that’s super helpful!
 
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