Metformin never helped me with weight loss (unless you count the few lbs lost when first starting due to the diarrhea, lol - OK, I know, TMI!). When I finally got serious about losing weight it was on a low-cab diet. I don't doubt that w/o the Met my weight loss would be a lot slower but, Met in and of itself will not make you lose weight. It will only regulate your insulin levels, help keep your hormones in balance, and thus help you shed the weight easier while dieting/exercising.

I've been at it for a month now. Week 1 was 8 lbs, week 2 = 6 lbs, week 3 = 1 lb (but, it was Mother's Day and finals week at school so I ate really poorly that week dining out and such), and today's week 4 weigh in = 5 lbs down. Before Met when I'd try and lose weight it was maybe a lb every couple of weeks - very, very frustrating!! I was also just strictly counting calories. When I switched to a low carb diet; it's really started coming off!

I was put on Metformin (500mg 3x per day) about 3 months ago. My endo also put me on a low carb diet. Its close to Atkins, but not as strict as the induction phase. I have lost about 25lbs so far. I plateaued about 6 weeks ago but I think my thyroid is to blame - it's really messed up and does create issues for me. I dont know if the weight loss is from the Met or the diet or both but I do know that I feel A LOT better!!!

I was on Met for 6 months 500 mg 3 times a day. I didnt lose a single pound the entire time I was on it.

I started losing weight immediately after taking metformin. Although it could have been because It makes me sick.

I was on Metformin for supposed insulin resistance. However, I suspect my doctor, was lying to me because I am not diabetic or even borderline. I suspect he put me on it as a weight loss drug along with a protein/chromium pill. I lost about 20 lbs then plateaued. He asked me if I wanted to also take and anti-depressant because it had a side effect of weight loss. I was also very concerned about the diarrhea I was having. It was WAY too frequent. I quit seeing him that day because he told me to take Imodium to help with the diarrhea and that he would diagnose me with depression just so my insurance company woud pay for the anti-depressant. I was not about to take another pill to counter act a side effect of another medication and there is no way on this God given Earth that I was going to allow him to commit insurance fraud. I should have reported him, but I didn't.

The moral of this story is that as soon as I stopped taking the Metformin, I gained all my weight back. I would only take the medication again if I actually became diabetic. Since no one in my family has been diabetic, despite being overweight, I highly doubt I ever will be. NEVER take a medication for it's side effects. ONLY take it for the purpose it was developed and intended for.

BTW, it did absolutely nothing for my PCOS. If anything, it added to my pain because of all the cramping it caused in my intestinal tract.

I'm seeing a lot of you all having sucess with "low carb" diets, which is great! What is your carb goal like? 50? 100?? To be honest Met kinda freaks me out (because of the possible side effects) but doing a low carb diet doesn't since I've done it before. When I was in high school I did it and lost 30 lbs in 3 months (5-6x a week 2x a day workouts too).

50g?? Golly gee I can do that in one meal!
I'll start off easy and shoot for 100 g and work my way down.
Thanks for the feedback

It is known to help people loose weight, but not on it's own. You have to be watching your diet (not just calories but eating like a diabetic). You also have to exercise. All three things help regulate the blood sugar spikes that you get with insulin resistance which causes your body to store energy as fat ... I know that I was not able to loose very well before taking it and watching my diet. I had been walking/nicking/ running for years and no weight loss for years. It also helped kick everything back into gear after my first baby and make me more fertile. It also decreased the chance of miscarriage with the second during the first trimester. You are at increased risk for miscarriage with PCOS so always check with OB before stopping a med in case you stop something that's has been shown to improve your chance of carrying to term ... My daughter had a great weight and is a happy 4 month old. After all this it is clear to me that my hormones are really screwed up without it ... So until I loose enough weight I am going to continue taking it.

Diet advice from my co-worker at the hospital who is a registered dietician ... I am a pharmacist who bugs her poor GYN to death about everything that he gives me (especially when I am pregnant). I HATE taking medicine and have been known to refuse to take anything even if I am in pain after surgery since i work so closely with meds, but I do take this.

I have been taking Metformin for over 3 years now and it has not helped me to lose weight. Diet and exercise seems to be the only thing that actually help. It would be nice if it was a miracle weight loss drug lol Best of luck to you!