Hi All,

I am a type II diabetic on Atkins. I have lost probably 40-50 pounds
in the year I have been on the diet. I also feel great.

However for the last 4 or 5 months, I have been stalling. I am eating
less than 30 carbs a day and exercising as I have since day one. It
seems I lost most of my weight easily in the first few months. I have
another 110-130 to go. My HbA1c has always been in the mid 5's and my
doctor is very pleased with my glucose control with diet and (later)
exercise alone.

When I saw my doctor today and asked her about stalling, she told me
she would test my insulin levels. Because has seen low carb dieters
run into long stalls and slow loss because of higher insulin levels
EVEN if they have good HbA1c AND good fasting glucose (mines in the
upper 80's usually). I have always struggled to loose weight.

Questions:

Does the above sound reasonable (good blood sugar control, but high
insulin levels)? And could this be my problem?

Also, I tried Glucophage when I was initially diagnosed with Diabetes.
I could *NOT* tolerate this medication. I tried it four 3-4 weeks and
it punished my digestive system. However it was an excellent motivator
to eat right and exercise.

So, my doctor told me that if my insulin levels were high I could go
on Avandia to help lower insulin levels. She initially recommended
Glucophage and also mentioned Glucophage XR, but I am nervous about
considering either because of my very bad Glucophage experience. So
she suggested Avaindia. Yet, I read on Atkins sight that Avandia can
cause stall's!

So, one more question: If my insulin level is high (and that could
cause the above stall/loss problems), should I try the Avandia?

Thanks for reading and any advice you can give! I need it.

Matt