Metformin/Plateau/Stop $#%^ Eating So Much??

fatninja111

Excuse my randomized topic title. It is a short summary of what I have been thinking of posting for a while. So I need some insight/comments/help.(?) Here is a short history. Pretty much always been fat. Had given up/Didn't really care. June 2013 weighed about 245 (didn't regularly weigh myself) diagnosed with diabetes (starting a1c 9.7). Started really taking medicine sporadically (Metformin 500 twice daily). Really started following medicine prescription guidelines about October of last year. Noticed I wasn't as hungry as usual. Which is EXTREMELY RARE because for as long as I can remember I have always been hungry. For some reason, haven't really pinpointed why, at the end of November decided to make a change. Started MFP (I had another account before this one), tried to change what I ate, exercised, yadda, yadda, yadda. Fast forward. I have lost 50 pounds as of today. At the last doctor's appt. my a1c was 5.5. The doctor refused to remove my metformin prescription, which seriously made me angry. Surprisingly, the weight loss didn't seem like it was terribly hard. Maybe I am just forgetting.
And SPEEDBUMP. Since June I have been losing/gaining the same 5 pounds. I can't tell if it is just normal fluctuations or actual gain but I haven't moved for 3 months. Granted, I have not been at a deficit BUT during the previous 6 months there were months where I wasn't at a deficit and still lost weight. For example, in April I lost 7 pounds, but total net calories for the month were somewhere around 56,000, which is over a deficit (and then some). I averaged about 7-8 pounds in weight loss from December - May. I did cut out Coke completely (still drink diet) and when I began I limited carbs (but no longer do so).
Here are my questions for you the awesome MFP community. I stopped taking my Metformin at the end of July. Monitoring my sugar at home and still under acceptable levels. I always thought that the metformin controlled my appetite somewhat. Anyone else believe this? Gain weight or stop losing weight as a result of stopping metformin?
Could this still be a plateau? How long do these last? What do you do to break it?
I fully subscribe to and believe the calorie in/out mantra and know that I need to calm down my eating but it still doesn't explain the 6 month losing streak with overages. Anyone else been in this situation or have a similar one to give advice from?
Thanks for any help/comments.

lavagirlangie

My situation is similar to yours. A couple years ago I was diagnosed as diabetic, I am obese at 240 lbs on a 5'2" 65 yr old woman. I haven't take my metformin very seriously, sometimes forgetting to take it for 4-5 days. I am going to a nutritionist for counseling about diabetes and just last week she mentioned that if I were taking the Metformin regularly I could expect to lose about 10 lbs. But no more than that. Guess who's taking her medicine now??? I really like MFP. Being accountable to a machine seems crazy but its working so far. Good luck in your effort to be who you want to be.
:flowerforyou:

cw106

to answer your ramble as i see it, here are my 3 tips
1 as a type 2 diabetic i take my doctors advice seriously.suggest you re- visit doc before deciding to self prescribe.
2 i have learned from the diabetic forum on here that metformin is used as a weight loss prescription sometimes.
search the diabetic forum and post there maybe.
3 counting calories,exercising AND taking my prescribed meds has put me on a healthy weight loss journey.
hope this helps.
good luck.