Insulin resistant

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tinahagar498
tinahagar498 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hi everyone,
I have been diagnosed with insulin resistance and am now taking metformin. I have a very strict diet of 3 slices of brown bread per day, 1 yogurt, low carb vegetables, 2x potatoes the size of eggs or ½ a cup of rice or pasta and chicken, turkey and fish. I can have ½ an apple, banana or 2 kiwis for a desert twice per day.
I've had almost every side effect on the list of the metformin and now it seems it is not working as well as it tatted out. I've been taking it just 9 days but now I am back to feeling starving hungry all the time even though I stick to the food program.

Do any of you have this illness? Do you have recipe/food ideas? I need some inspiration. How does the medication affect you?

Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

Tina.
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Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    If you're always hungry, your calorie intake is probably too low for your activity level. Discuss it with whichever medical professional gave you that diet.

    Do you have PCOS?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    The logic for bread, rice and potatoes should be questioned in IR.
  • tinahagar498
    tinahagar498 Posts: 12 Member
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    I've never been tested for PCOS so I am not sure. The side effects are normal and have passed now but I just need help with a few food ideas. Also some support with anyone going through the same thing would be nice.

    Diabetics are also told to eat bread, rice and potatoes so I'm not concerned. The amounts I am allowed are fairly small. I'm not sure what IR is though?

    Thanks.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
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    Who put you on this diet? It seems very restrictive. IR = insulin resistance. I have IR, but I basically eat regular foods, I just limit my sugary/starchy carbs to 30g per meal and I bumped up protein and fat.
  • MamaSteg
    MamaSteg Posts: 10 Member
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    I just started metformin too. My doc told me to increase my protein and lower my carbs to 100
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    The diet seems on the surface almost backwards

    Not much protein and lots of carbs.

    Pretty much the opposite of what my Dr advised

    Seems like time to talk to your dr and get a clarification

    Make sure you are understanding everything and let them know how it is working

  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
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    I have IR as well, though I'm not taking metformin. My Dr recommended limiting my carb intake from breads, pasta, sweets etc and to get carbs from whole grains and veggies. I limit to around 40-50 g a day sometimes lower.
  • seansquared
    seansquared Posts: 328 Member
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    Your doctor said you're IR and prescribed you 3 slices brown bread a day? Even ignoring the rest, find another doctor.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    You really should be contacting your doctor to run stuff like that by them.

    this
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    I've been on Metformin for more than a decade--you will adjust. The time-release version is easier to tolerate.

    It's odd that you are being encouraged to eat bread, pasta and bananas. A lower-to-moderate carb diet is generally recommended for people with insulin resistance. Are you tracking? How many grams of carbs are you currently eating per day?
  • DittoDan
    DittoDan Posts: 1,850 Member
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    tinahagar498 wrote: »
    hi everyone,
    I have been diagnosed with insulin resistance and am now taking metformin. I have a very strict diet of 3 slices of brown bread per day, 1 yogurt, low carb vegetables, 2x potatoes the size of eggs or ½ a cup of rice or pasta and chicken, turkey and fish. I can have ½ an apple, banana or 2 kiwis for a desert twice per day.
    I've had almost every side effect on the list of the metformin and now it seems it is not working as well as it tatted out. I've been taking it just 9 days but now I am back to feeling starving hungry all the time even though I stick to the food program.

    Do any of you have this illness? Do you have recipe/food ideas? I need some inspiration. How does the medication affect you?

    Thanks in advance for any help/advice.

    Tina.

    Ditto the above. Starchy things like bananas and potatoes are the opposite of what you should be eating. Reduce your carb intake to less than 75gs @ day. Eat more fat.

    I hope this helps,

    Dan the Man from Michigan
    It's Ketogenic or Bariatric! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
    Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet
    DittoDan's Keto Blogs
    How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto
    Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites
    Low Carb Discussion Group on MFP (LCD)
    Ketogenic Diet Discussion Group on MFP

  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    I'm on a very similar diet because I am prediabetic. But it sounds like the overall amount they give you is too low to live on. What the doctor told me is to never eat a carb without pairing it with a protein. and of course those carbs are limited as you have pointed out. I do think it would be good to revisit this with your doctor asap because there's only so long an adult woman can survive on portions suitable for a toddler... and that's ME saying this, I only get 1440 cal a day maintenance! Are you seeing an endocrinologist? If not, it might be a good plan to.
  • ihatetodietalways
    ihatetodietalways Posts: 180 Member
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    I am sorry I didn't read the thread, so this may be redundant, have you upped your fats?
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    gothchiq wrote: »
    I'm on a very similar diet because I am prediabetic. But it sounds like the overall amount they give you is too low to live on. What the doctor told me is to never eat a carb without pairing it with a protein. and of course those carbs are limited as you have pointed out. I do think it would be good to revisit this with your doctor asap because there's only so long an adult woman can survive on portions suitable for a toddler... and that's ME saying this, I only get 1440 cal a day maintenance! Are you seeing an endocrinologist? If not, it might be a good plan to.

    I would say that if you are not, you absolutely SHOULD see an endocrinologist.


  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    edited June 2015
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    ETA: I just looked at your profile and saw where you are living. I've been there!

    You may not have a lot of choices in terms of medical care, but you can certainly track your food on your own. You can play around with your carbs a little bit and see if going lower works for you. I also have IR (and some more complex issues) and I find that 100G/day is great for maintenance and 75G/day is a better level for weight loss.


  • swift13b
    swift13b Posts: 158 Member
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    I have insulin resistance, I was originally put on Metformin but after a while I decided to see if I could just change my lifestyle instead. After a few months of changing my diet and losing ~10kgs (at the time, I've now lost 22) I re-did the sugar drink test. My endo was happy with the results and I don't have to take Metformin anymore.

    The things you've been told to eat are basically all the things I cut out. 3 slices of bread seems crazy to me, especially if you're also eating potato and pasta that day. If I'm going to eat pasta, bread or potatoes I make sure the rest of my meals are as low carb as possible. Ditch the bread, pasta and potatoes, and probably the banana while you're at it. You're better off eating berries instead. As someone else mentioned, make sure you eat protein when you do have carbs. I love apples so I have half of one in the morning with my eggs and then take the other half to work to have with cheese in the afternoon. You can also try spreading peanut butter on them. Yoghurt can be high in carbs, particularly if it's a sweetened or flavoured variety. Stick to a greek yoghurt that is higher in protein than it is in carbs per serve. Another great option is cottage cheese, I have it with frozen berries. You could try having that for breakfast instead of the bread (assuming that's your breakfast) or you could have scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese. Instead of pasta, buy a spiralizer (you can order them online) and make zucchini noodles instead.
  • tinahagar498
    tinahagar498 Posts: 12 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Thanks everyone. It's really good advice. I was very suspicious of the bread and pasta that's for sure. I've not had much appetite so I haven't eaten much. It is true that the health care in chile is not fantastic however I have private medical insurance so it's not as bad as it could be. The doctor gave me this diet. It is all down on a sheet of what I am allowed per day. I'm not allowed to eat fats according to the diet. No nuts, nut butters or butter. Only 1 teaspoon of olive oil per day. I have read that fats worsen insulin resistance - maybe that could be why? I have a few books and the diets I see in them are little different to mine. Some have more carbs and some have less. I have to limit corn, carrots and onions according to the doctors diet and I guess the whole grain bread is to encourage fibre intake?
    I feel like I am struggling to eat food. I can't find anything that I want to eat or enjoy much. I can't find cottage cheese here either which someone suggested.
    At breakfast I am eating a yogurt. I'm only allowed egg whites which I'm not a fan of so it doesn't leave me with many options.

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