For me.. less movement can be enough to increase my insulin resistance. No matter my diet or amount of injected insulin. I can lose weight on the right amount of insulin. My hba1c is also 51 but I only produce some of my own insulin which I top up manually.
The more insulin resistant I am the more I add weight. Plain and simple.
I can do strict low carb and still need the extra insulin. I guess for my protein. Protein which isn't as IR as carbs.
I hv to feed my system high protein or my bgs just increase slowly to a situation which can only be controlled by more insulin.
Metformin works with the Liver. It helps regulate some of the body's converting food to glucose. Any which the liver is responsible for. No where else, for me. In some the gullet conversion is assisted by metformin. Not me, I feel.