[Gizmo]

My husband isn't on any meds. He flat out refuses to exercise. He has lost about 40 pounds in 6 months by eating LCHF, but there is no way he will exercise. His first A1c was 7.0, his last was 5.9, which is great. I have been cooking a wide variety of good-tasting dishes and making low-carb desserts to make it easier for him to stick to the diet, and it has gone well until the last few days. All at once he seems to be angry that he can't eat some of the things he ate before D, and I can understand that. But this evening we went out to eat. He had eggs and sausage, but he ate a few bites of hash browns and half a biscuit. His 1 hour post-meal bg was 143. I know that isn't disastrous, but I have been trying to keep him under 140 at all times. He says no matter what, he is going to eat a little potatoes, gravy, biscuit or toast sometimes. He eats out at least 3 times a week, so I know he plans to eat extra carbs every time he eats out.

The question I have isn't one I can find an answer to on the web, but I know many of you take Metformin, so you would know the answer. I know Metformin can reduce insulin resistance, but when you take it, are you able to eat at least a few more carbs than if you weren't taking it? If he could just eat a few more carbs without having his bgs hit 140, I think he would keep the carbs down to a dull roar. Otherwise I'm afraid he will give up altogether.

 

[Shanny]

What an ornery old pup! He sounds just like mine! I bet he's beginning to think he's home free because he's lost the weight, dropped that A1c down to a pretty awesome number & now he can reap the rewards.

Would he go on metformin if it were offered? I'm not sure it's going to allow him much more leeway with carbs, but I know if I've been really good most of the time, I can take a few hashbrowns now & then. Not so sure about the biscuits, but . . .

Met can't do any harm if he's willing to work with it . . . it definitely works better with the LC/HF way-of-eating. If he intends to go out 2-3 times a week & eat carbs, then he might wind up gaining weight & losing that nice A1c. But if he were willing to behave himself most of the time & treat himself maybe ONCE a week, mebbe it could work. No guarantees.

 

[Gizmo]

What an ornery old pup! He sounds just like mine! I bet he's beginning to think he's home free because he's lost the weight, dropped that A1c down to a pretty awesome number & now he can reap the rewards.

Would he go on metformin if it were offered? I'm not sure it's going to allow him much more leeway with carbs, but I know if I've been really good most of the time, I can take a few hashbrowns now & then. Not so sure about the biscuits, but . . .

Met can't do any harm if he's willing to work with it . . . it definitely works better with the LC/HF way-of-eating. If he intends to go out 2-3 times a week & eat carbs, then he might wind up gaining weight & losing that nice A1c. But if he were willing to behave himself most of the time & treat himself maybe ONCE a week, mebbe it could work. No guarantees.

He's pretty reasonable when he isn't thinking about how deprived of carbs he is. Maybe I can make a deal with him that he can eat something he shouldn't have once a week, but he has to test 1 hour after eating it. (If I could get him to test once a week, I would consider it a miracle.) My part of the deal would be that I won't say a word to him about his bg number, no matter how high it is. The reason I say that is, I know if it goes up TOO high, he won't eat that item again. He might be a stubborn old cuss, but he doesn't want to lose any of his limbs.

 

[laney1566]

Sounds to me that he is doing pretty good, and testing his blood after 1 hour seems a little soon. 2 hours after a meal is the result I have been told is the important one, but I am on insulin and metformin, so you may have been told different.

 

[Shanny]

That's true too, Laney. But two hours after eating tells you if your BG is dropping back to normal. What Mr. Gizmo needs to know is how high his carb treat spikes him, and a 1-hour test will show him that.

People who aren't on insulin just have to live with their spikes until they come down by themselves, unless they're willing to exercise the spike away. Mr. Gizmo has made it clear that he will not exercise - no way, no how.

 

[jwags]

I take the maximum amount of metformin and it really doesn't allow me to eat more carbs on a regular basis. If I am eating out I will take a few bites of hash browns or a small amount of sweet potatoes and still have a good bg. There are other medications like Starlix or Pranadin that would allow him to eat more carbs at specific times because the stimulate the pancreas. Metformin works in the liver. My husband is also D but is on Actos. He doesn't eat as low carb as I do but is able to keep HbA1c in the 5's for the past 15 years. Since Diabetes is for life I think we all have to work out diets that keep us satisfied. I feel if you eat LC for 85-90% of the time you are doing a good job. I think most of us have cheated here or there and we did find with it. Just don't make it a regular habit.

 

[Scarlet Phantom]

but when you take it, are you able to eat at least a few more carbs than if you weren't taking it? If he could just eat a few more carbs without having his bgs hit 140, I think he would keep the carbs down to a dull roar. Otherwise I'm afraid he will give up altogether.

I've been on Metformin for quite a number of years. I did quite well for a number of years with diet and exercise alone but now my body can't cope without Metformin. I still need to work hard at it. For a while I had free access to a gym and got into (light) weight training. Would you believe my body coped better with everything?

 

[Guest]

My husband isn't on any meds. He flat out refuses to exercise. He has lost about 40 pounds in 6 months by eating LCHF, but there is no way he will exercise. His first A1c was 7.0, his last was 5.9, which is great. I have been cooking a wide variety of good-tasting dishes and making low-carb desserts to make it easier for him to stick to the diet, and it has gone well until the last few days. All at once he seems to be angry that he can't eat some of the things he ate before D, and I can understand that. But this evening we went out to eat. He had eggs and sausage, but he ate a few bites of hash browns and half a biscuit. His 1 hour post-meal bg was 143. I know that isn't disastrous, but I have been trying to keep him under 140 at all times. He says no matter what, he is going to eat a little potatoes, gravy, biscuit or toast sometimes. He eats out at least 3 times a week, so I know he plans to eat extra carbs every time he eats out.

The question I have isn't one I can find an answer to on the web, but I know many of you take Metformin, so you would know the answer. I know Metformin can reduce insulin resistance, but when you take it, are you able to eat at least a few more carbs than if you weren't taking it? If he could just eat a few more carbs without having his bgs hit 140, I think he would keep the carbs down to a dull roar. Otherwise I'm afraid he will give up altogether.

Metformin will reduce insulin resistance, and (assuming your husband is insulin resistant) will help lower BS levels and will likely allow your husband to eat a few more carbs, at least for a while.

But if he's not exercising, then eventually his insulin resistance will get worse and metformin won't be enough, he'll probably need insulin at that point.