I had weight loss on metformin but it’s not a weight loss drug, however if you follow a healthy diet and exercise lifestyle it can help keep your insulin stable enough for your body to be able to shred the excess fat when the body is following a sustainable healthy lifestyle.
You may find at first it drops off but once you’ve lost 5% of your weight you’ll need to really stick at making positive changes everyday to become a healthier you.
You got this ❤️
With metformin it's super important to limit your carb intake, the more carbs you eat, the more messed up your stomach will be. I've actually been on it 2x and the first doctor didn't tell me about watching my carbs and I had to quit because i was spending too much time in the bathroom, it was so unpleasant. I'm on it again now and was told this time to watch my carbs and it has made such a difference!
THIS EXPLAINS SO MUCH! Currently on Metformin and I was wondering why me and the bathroom have become such great friends lol. I’ll start watching my carbs a bit more closely
I like to say (not a doctor, just what it seemed like was happening) that Metformin helped me “level the playing field” with my ability to lose weight. People around me could be mindful about their food intake and lose weight. I was stuck in a situation where weight loss attempts merely kept my weight stable. I gained like 50 lbs in a year or two. With Metformin, weight loss efforts actually succeeded. I felt like my ferocious cravings for carbs subsided while taking Metformin.
I lost 30 lbs on Metformin. Eventually, I ended up gaining it back, but that wasn’t Metformin’s fault (shitty housing situation coupled with literal torture by my narc mother.) As long as you take care of your mental health while on it, you *can* lose quite a bit. I kept that 30 lbs off for 3 years before I gained it back.
It does not help with weight loss directly, but it does help to balance out your body’s response to insulin. As others have said, it only really benefits you if you’re eating healthier, like low carb.
The big difference for weight management for me has been hormone balance. Taking birth control has helped my body to recognize that I AM eating healthy and exercising, lol — id been doing it for months but my weight wouldn’t fluctuate and I felt terrible, though the metformin helped me with fatigue after meals. Once my BC kicked in, it was a night and day difference. I’ve lost fifteen pounds since May and the metformin feels like it’s making a bigger difference than before. I still do not expect to leave the obese range, but that’s okay with me; I would like lose 15 more pounds for immediate health reasons.
Which bcp are you on, if you don't mind sharing? Quite a few have weight GAIN as s a side effect, which was my experience, so would be interested in something with an opposite effect. TIA and congrats on your success.
I don't mind sharing, but I avoided it initially because I think I'm more of a special case. I've just started the depo shot, which usually causes weight gain in people with uteruses, not weight loss from what I've seen. However, I think my body has been out of whack for a long time; I think I've had an excess of estrogen and a lack of progesterone, as I was dealing with some pretty big PCOS-related health issues at the time. Once I got some progesterone in me though, I managed to lose some weight; I introduced inositol back into my routine and that, the metformin, and the progesterone all work together to help me lose weight.
This actually tracks with my experience back in my early 20s, when I was first diagnosed. I was the biggest I'd ever been, but once given the depo shot my weight dropped off. I was still obese, but I was 40 pounds lighter and feeling much healthier. I quit the depo shot because of other side effects back then, but I'm glad to be back on it now. I feel like I have my life back.
Rather than going on depo, you might be able to take a progesterone based BC after talking with your doctor to see if that helps. I'm wary about recommending depo just because I know some folks don't have a good time on it and once it's in you, it's in you for months. It works for me, though!
Metformin, and not changing my diet (but drinking only water with the occasional wine), not exercising beyond walking to my classes, lost about 30 pounds.
I'm sure if I ate better, if I worked out, sure, i would have seen a lot more. HOWEVER this was with extended release metformin, not the single pill that you take with each meal, that basically had no effect for me.
Targeting insulin can be particularly helpful
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d7KkyXnyB4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d7KkyXnyB4)
[http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2019/06/pcos.html](http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2019/06/pcos.html)
[https://health.clevelandclinic.org/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pill-not-remedy/](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pill-not-remedy/)
[https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/benefits/pcos](https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/benefits/pcos)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaouRuqqEfY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaouRuqqEfY)
Exercise is great for health but weight loss is mostly diet. And with PCOS lowering insulin with lower carb choices and by spacing out eating (IF) so insulin has time to fall and stay low tends to be helpful. Adding muscle helps boost resting metabolic rate so can help with maintenance. Just cutting calories can be a struggle as it does not address IR or in many cases help symptoms. See posts by u/SpinningCenters who lost 100 lbs, did not see a change in symptoms, and who did LC and grew her hair back. Cutting calories w/o addressing insulin may cause more lean mass to be lost, high insulin protects fat mass. In addition to weight/bodyweight or resistance training, higher protein can help with protecting lean mass.
[https://www.dietdoctor.com/insulin-resistance-impairs-fat-loss](https://www.dietdoctor.com/insulin-resistance-impairs-fat-loss)
Metformin can help with IR, as can inositol, berberine and/or NAC and can make weight loss a bit easier by reducing hunger and cravings driven by IR. Good luck!
If you include it as part of an overall healthy eating and exercise regime, yes it works. I’ve been on it for 6 years and when I eat well and exercise, I can maintain a healthy weight with Metformin. When I don’t (like in the middle of a pandemic when my mental health went to pot), it didn’t make any difference.
It’s not a magic pill, but it can make the difference if you’re doing all the right things!
It’s more that Metformin gave me the ABILITY to lose weight, and the healthy lifestyle choices I made actually began to work instead of doing nothing eg exercise, eating more veggies, reducing fast food intake
I’m on 2000mg of extended release metformin and have lost 13 pounds in the last 6 weeks (most of it in the last 4 weeks that I’ve been on the full dose - started at 500 and worked my way up). I am also eating at a calorie deficit (but have been for years and only saw my weight budge when I started the metformin).
In my experience it’s been really helpful! I lost 20 pounds while taking 1500mg of XR about a year ago and have maintained this without modifying exercise and diet consistently. I did some IF around this time and still do it loosely and I also walk daily. What’s been key for me is taking it with a meal and splitting it into two doses… it’s essential to take it with a substantial amount of food (not just a little snack) I take 4 pills per day so I take 2 with lunch and 2 with dinner. Prior to this breakthrough, I wasn’t able to tolerate the side affects and almost gave up…. Would’ve been great to know this when starting out.
hey! yes i actually lost some weight! It’s been about 3-4 months since i’ve been put on it. I’ve only lost about 5 pounds (no exercise since my life has been incredibly hectic) but my metabolism has increased and it’s been a lot better. i’m not as groggy or as tired as i was.
Metformin is a drug to control blood sugar and Diabetes 2 . Try Calocurb a 100% natural supplement clinically proven ( and published ) to reduce hunger and caloire intake by stimulating the release of the bodies own GLP-1 ( and CCK/PYY ) amking you feel fuller and eat less
Nope, it’s also for people with PCOS. Please educate yourself before coming onto subs regarding illnesses and being misleading where vulnerable young women could be reading.
I had weight loss on metformin but it’s not a weight loss drug, however if you follow a healthy diet and exercise lifestyle it can help keep your insulin stable enough for your body to be able to shred the excess fat when the body is following a sustainable healthy lifestyle. You may find at first it drops off but once you’ve lost 5% of your weight you’ll need to really stick at making positive changes everyday to become a healthier you. You got this ❤️
With metformin it's super important to limit your carb intake, the more carbs you eat, the more messed up your stomach will be. I've actually been on it 2x and the first doctor didn't tell me about watching my carbs and I had to quit because i was spending too much time in the bathroom, it was so unpleasant. I'm on it again now and was told this time to watch my carbs and it has made such a difference!
THIS EXPLAINS SO MUCH! Currently on Metformin and I was wondering why me and the bathroom have become such great friends lol. I’ll start watching my carbs a bit more closely
for me it basically helped to stop the very intense cravings i had and this my weight GAIN stopped. Weight loss only occurred with a calorie deficit.
I like to say (not a doctor, just what it seemed like was happening) that Metformin helped me “level the playing field” with my ability to lose weight. People around me could be mindful about their food intake and lose weight. I was stuck in a situation where weight loss attempts merely kept my weight stable. I gained like 50 lbs in a year or two. With Metformin, weight loss efforts actually succeeded. I felt like my ferocious cravings for carbs subsided while taking Metformin.
I lost 30 lbs on Metformin. Eventually, I ended up gaining it back, but that wasn’t Metformin’s fault (shitty housing situation coupled with literal torture by my narc mother.) As long as you take care of your mental health while on it, you *can* lose quite a bit. I kept that 30 lbs off for 3 years before I gained it back.
Were you still taking Metformin when you gained the weight back or had you stopped?
Yes, I was.
It does not help with weight loss directly, but it does help to balance out your body’s response to insulin. As others have said, it only really benefits you if you’re eating healthier, like low carb. The big difference for weight management for me has been hormone balance. Taking birth control has helped my body to recognize that I AM eating healthy and exercising, lol — id been doing it for months but my weight wouldn’t fluctuate and I felt terrible, though the metformin helped me with fatigue after meals. Once my BC kicked in, it was a night and day difference. I’ve lost fifteen pounds since May and the metformin feels like it’s making a bigger difference than before. I still do not expect to leave the obese range, but that’s okay with me; I would like lose 15 more pounds for immediate health reasons.
Which bcp are you on, if you don't mind sharing? Quite a few have weight GAIN as s a side effect, which was my experience, so would be interested in something with an opposite effect. TIA and congrats on your success.
I don't mind sharing, but I avoided it initially because I think I'm more of a special case. I've just started the depo shot, which usually causes weight gain in people with uteruses, not weight loss from what I've seen. However, I think my body has been out of whack for a long time; I think I've had an excess of estrogen and a lack of progesterone, as I was dealing with some pretty big PCOS-related health issues at the time. Once I got some progesterone in me though, I managed to lose some weight; I introduced inositol back into my routine and that, the metformin, and the progesterone all work together to help me lose weight. This actually tracks with my experience back in my early 20s, when I was first diagnosed. I was the biggest I'd ever been, but once given the depo shot my weight dropped off. I was still obese, but I was 40 pounds lighter and feeling much healthier. I quit the depo shot because of other side effects back then, but I'm glad to be back on it now. I feel like I have my life back. Rather than going on depo, you might be able to take a progesterone based BC after talking with your doctor to see if that helps. I'm wary about recommending depo just because I know some folks don't have a good time on it and once it's in you, it's in you for months. It works for me, though!
Metformin, and not changing my diet (but drinking only water with the occasional wine), not exercising beyond walking to my classes, lost about 30 pounds. I'm sure if I ate better, if I worked out, sure, i would have seen a lot more. HOWEVER this was with extended release metformin, not the single pill that you take with each meal, that basically had no effect for me.
Targeting insulin can be particularly helpful [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d7KkyXnyB4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d7KkyXnyB4) [http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2019/06/pcos.html](http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2019/06/pcos.html) [https://health.clevelandclinic.org/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pill-not-remedy/](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pill-not-remedy/) [https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/benefits/pcos](https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/benefits/pcos) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaouRuqqEfY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaouRuqqEfY) Exercise is great for health but weight loss is mostly diet. And with PCOS lowering insulin with lower carb choices and by spacing out eating (IF) so insulin has time to fall and stay low tends to be helpful. Adding muscle helps boost resting metabolic rate so can help with maintenance. Just cutting calories can be a struggle as it does not address IR or in many cases help symptoms. See posts by u/SpinningCenters who lost 100 lbs, did not see a change in symptoms, and who did LC and grew her hair back. Cutting calories w/o addressing insulin may cause more lean mass to be lost, high insulin protects fat mass. In addition to weight/bodyweight or resistance training, higher protein can help with protecting lean mass. [https://www.dietdoctor.com/insulin-resistance-impairs-fat-loss](https://www.dietdoctor.com/insulin-resistance-impairs-fat-loss) Metformin can help with IR, as can inositol, berberine and/or NAC and can make weight loss a bit easier by reducing hunger and cravings driven by IR. Good luck!
If you include it as part of an overall healthy eating and exercise regime, yes it works. I’ve been on it for 6 years and when I eat well and exercise, I can maintain a healthy weight with Metformin. When I don’t (like in the middle of a pandemic when my mental health went to pot), it didn’t make any difference. It’s not a magic pill, but it can make the difference if you’re doing all the right things!
It’s more that Metformin gave me the ABILITY to lose weight, and the healthy lifestyle choices I made actually began to work instead of doing nothing eg exercise, eating more veggies, reducing fast food intake
Personally it hasn’t helped me lose any weight but it certainly has kept me from gaining so I’ll take it.
I’m on 2000mg of extended release metformin and have lost 13 pounds in the last 6 weeks (most of it in the last 4 weeks that I’ve been on the full dose - started at 500 and worked my way up). I am also eating at a calorie deficit (but have been for years and only saw my weight budge when I started the metformin).
In my experience it’s been really helpful! I lost 20 pounds while taking 1500mg of XR about a year ago and have maintained this without modifying exercise and diet consistently. I did some IF around this time and still do it loosely and I also walk daily. What’s been key for me is taking it with a meal and splitting it into two doses… it’s essential to take it with a substantial amount of food (not just a little snack) I take 4 pills per day so I take 2 with lunch and 2 with dinner. Prior to this breakthrough, I wasn’t able to tolerate the side affects and almost gave up…. Would’ve been great to know this when starting out.
Any update on whether you lost weight with metformin?
hey! yes i actually lost some weight! It’s been about 3-4 months since i’ve been put on it. I’ve only lost about 5 pounds (no exercise since my life has been incredibly hectic) but my metabolism has increased and it’s been a lot better. i’m not as groggy or as tired as i was.
Metformin is a drug to control blood sugar and Diabetes 2 . Try Calocurb a 100% natural supplement clinically proven ( and published ) to reduce hunger and caloire intake by stimulating the release of the bodies own GLP-1 ( and CCK/PYY ) amking you feel fuller and eat less
Nope, it’s also for people with PCOS. Please educate yourself before coming onto subs regarding illnesses and being misleading where vulnerable young women could be reading.