My Low-Fat Type 2 Diabetes Experiment: What Happened When I Paused Metformin

Disclaimer:
I’m not a doctor, and this is not medical advice. This is simply my personal experiment and lived experience with Type 2 Diabetes. Always talk to your own healthcare provider before changing medications or making major shifts to your nutrition or lifestyle.

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Welcome to My Experiment

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in February 2020. Like most people, I followed everything my doctor told me for a while — the appointments, the increasing medications, the “standard” advice.

But as more prescriptions were added, something inside me — the part of me that is curious, pioneering, and unwilling to just accept the status quo — started to stir. I began to wonder whether there was another way to support my blood sugar, my liver, and my overall metabolic health.

So I did what many of us with T2D do:
I experimented. A lot.

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All the Eating Styles I Tried

Over the past few years, I tried nearly every major dietary approach you can imagine in the quest to regulate blood sugar:

• Dr. John McDougall / Starch Solution (high-carb, low-fat vegan)
Huge bowls of potatoes, rice, veggies. I loved the volume, but it didn’t stabilize my blood sugar long-term.

• Keto (very low carb, high fat)
I was strict — like actually in ketosis strict. It worked on paper, but I never felt fueled enough. My body wanted carbs.

• Durianrider / Raw Till 4
Honestly, I felt good energy-wise. But my blood sugar? Sky-high.

• Ray Peat / Pro-Metabolic Inspired Eating
This has been on my radar for over a decade — focusing on metabolic support, easy-to-digest foods, and gentle carbs. There were pieces that clicked… but not quite the whole puzzle.

Through all of these swings — high starch > low fat to high fat > low carb — I never quite landed on something sustainable for my body.

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What Sparked This New 2-Week Experiment

Recently, I watched a video explaining the actual mechanism of how Metformin lowers A1c.
It made me pause.

I didn’t feel afraid — I felt curious.

So I decided to do a 2-week experiment:

• Stop Metformin
• Stay on my other medications (Januvia + Jardiance)
• See what my body does when I adjust my nutrition intentionally

I made a clear agreement with myself:
This is not rebellion. This is observation.

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My Current Low-Fat, Balanced-Carb Approach

What I arrived at — with ChatGPT as my thinking partner — is surprisingly simple:

• Solid meals rather than grazing
This allows my blood sugar to clear before adding more food.

• Lean proteins
Chicken tenders, lean beef, turkey slices, egg whites, low-fat deli meats, nonfat Greek yogurt.

• Satisfying carbohydrates
Rice, potatoes, fruit, bread, polenta, homemade protein bread, wraps, and other gentle carbs that digest well.

• The main rule: Keep fat low
Not zero — but consistently low. Nothing heavy. Nothing oily. No sneaky hidden fats. I have to be honest here.

And something shifted.

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What Happened to My Blood Sugar

In just the first week:

• I saw the lowest fasting blood sugar I’ve had in 6 years.
• I saw midday numbers I haven’t touched since before diagnosis.
• And this morning, my fasting number was 98 — the first double-digit number I’ve seen since 2020.

This wasn’t magic.
It wasn’t extreme.
It was balance — and it was satiating.

I really feel good.
And honestly? I’m starting to see my jawline again. I’ve looked puffy for years — and something is changing.

This was low-fat, enough carbs, enough protein, and no grazing.
And I feel more hopeful than I have in a long time.

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What This Experiment Is (and Isn’t)

This is:
• A real-time look at my personal Type 2 Diabetes journey
• An honest reflection on trying a low-fat approach
• A curiosity-driven experiment about blood sugar and liver function
• A way to understand my own body without extremes

This is not:
• A recommendation for anyone to stop their medication
• A replacement for medical guidance
• A universal template for T2D management

Every body is different.
But this is what’s happening inside mine — and sharing honestly feels important.

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Where I’m Going Next

I’m continuing the experiment for the full two weeks — and possibly longer.

I’ll be posting updates, recipes, and reflections here on my Low Fat Lotus blog, and maybe expanding this into a Medium article for people who appreciate real, nuanced stories of living with Type 2 Diabetes outside the extremes.

If you’re on a similar path, I hope this brings you a little clarity, curiosity, and companionship.

More soon.