JJ Virgin asks about metformin's effects on mitochondria and fitness. The guest recommends cycling it at low doses. For many people, metformin breaks the restrict-binge cycle by allowing balanced eating without the guilt and shame that comes from strict restriction followed by rebound eating.
I've always been concerned with metformin and what it does with mitochondria and exercise and reducing exercise capacity. Do you have any issues with that? Do you see that as a problem?
I definitely think it can be, and I think it should be cycled on and off in low doses. It almost rehabilitates their relationship with food. I can't lose weight. I've gotta restrain, restrain, restrain, control, control, control. Oh, of course, inevitably I fail and I give in to Catalina Crunch, and then I feel guilty and ashamed. And what this does, and what I've seen it do, is break that cycle. It's, oh, they're able to eat well in a very balanced way, have their Catalina Crunch, and not suffer severe rebound. And so slowly over time, that mechanism of guilt and shame associated with food gets broken.
