Overwhelmed by PCOS
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RebeccaMaunder wrote: »Thank you everyone for your responses. I know that my choices with food have been mine alone. I do not blame carbs or anything else for that. I chose to put food on my mouth. My point I was making with the original post was admitting that I've used pcos as an excuse because of what a doc said. I want to change it. I was really looking for helpful ideas for that. I get the cico thing and measuring your food... Which I do sometimes... I need to be consistent but I guess I wanted to know what types of things people are eating what are you doing to combat what you are dealing with.
Thank you all
Calories in calories out. If you are insulin resistant, space your carbs throughout the day. No low carb, just not eating more than 40-60 grams per meal. And exercise. Not just to burn more calories, being physically active on its own helps with PCOS. Nothing dramatic, just half an hour a day or trying to walk a bit more than usual etc.
Would it also be helpful for her, if she is IR, to be mindful of combining her carbs with either fat or protein? I've heard some other people with the condition to find that strategy to be helpful as well.
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Yes, she has put on about 30 lbs and is always fatigued was looking for insight as to what things We could try to help get her energy back and help take the weight off. Sometimes it's more effective to ask the question rather than be blunt and turn people away. I apologize for not explaining my intentions right off hand.0
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Yes, she has put on about 30 lbs and is always fatigued was looking for insight as to what things We could try to help get her energy back and help take the weight off. Sometimes it's more effective to ask the question rather than be blunt and turn people away. I apologize for not explaining my intentions right off hand.
Is she being monitored by an endocrinologist? I would honestly start there first especially if she's already on meds because that means they might need to be adjusted. PCOS is not a one solution fits most or even many type situations, and thyroid conditions only further complicate matters.0 -
Yes her endo is a *kitten* head, she needs to up the meds but there has to be things we can do now. She gets extremely fatigued after cardio or weights and I've read that yoga is a good option0
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RebeccaMaunder wrote: »When I was told I had it the doctor told me that I could eat salads every day and still door overweight of malnutrition.
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Could you restate it?
PCOS by itself is very manageable and really should not cause suffering per se. I was diagnosed more than 20 years ago. I was always able to maintain a healthy weight until I started dealing with some additional, more serious, metabolic issues.
If you are not seeing an endocrinologist, you really should. It sounds like your current doctor might not be giving you the best treatment. Are you taking Metformin?
What about swimming as a way to begin to be more active again? It doesn't put stress on your joints, you don't have to sweat or worry about feeling overheated and it is a good activity because you can easily see your progress.0 -
Yes her endo is a *kitten* head, she needs to up the meds but there has to be things we can do now. She gets extremely fatigued after cardio or weights and I've read that yoga is a good option
It might help short term, but I'm going to guess that until her meds are adjusted she will continue to feel fatigued. With PCOS losing weight helps with the insulin aspect, but when it comes to thyroid there isn't a lot to be done that will make substantial changes over the long term save for the levothyroxine. I would find a new endo who takes your wife's health seriously.0 -
Yes, she has put on about 30 lbs and is always fatigued was looking for insight as to what things We could try to help get her energy back and help take the weight off. Sometimes it's more effective to ask the question rather than be blunt and turn people away. I apologize for not explaining my intentions right off hand.
That does sound like it could be her thyroid. I would suggest finding a better endo, firstly.
Thyroid issues can be horribly treated by some doctors, especially if they rely on treating patients by the numbers, rather than going by their symptoms to judge the effectiveness of their current treatment.
Use that information to screen when looking for a new doctor. It's really your only hope, because it's sadly the bottom line. If you're wife is still feeling symptoms of hypothyroidism, she's not being properly medicated for it yet. You can test within normal range, but not be within what's optimal for you.
@blankiefinder has a chart she posts with some general guidelines on optimum vs. lab ranges, and to be honest, the optimum numbers listed on her chart are on the high side for my own personal levels. Your wife will need to find a new doctor to find her own number, but the chart will give her a starting reference point to shoot for.
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She takes metformin and levothyroxine0
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PeachyCarol wrote: »Yes, she has put on about 30 lbs and is always fatigued was looking for insight as to what things We could try to help get her energy back and help take the weight off. Sometimes it's more effective to ask the question rather than be blunt and turn people away. I apologize for not explaining my intentions right off hand.
That does sound like it could be her thyroid. I would suggest finding a better endo, firstly.
Thyroid issues can be horribly treated by some doctors, especially if they rely on treating patients by the numbers, rather than going by their symptoms to judge the effectiveness of their current treatment.
Use that information to screen when looking for a new doctor. It's really your only hope, because it's sadly the bottom line. If you're wife is still feeling symptoms of hypothyroidism, she's not being properly medicated for it yet. You can test within normal range, but not be within what's optimal for you.
@blankiefinder has a chart she posts with some general guidelines on optimum vs. lab ranges, and to be honest, the optimum numbers listed on her chart are on the high side for my own personal levels. Your wife will need to find a new doctor to find her own number, but the chart will give her a starting reference point to shoot for.
Here it is. Unfortunately, most dr's only care if your numbers are in the abnormal range. I would consider the optimal range to be a good starting point, and then see how she feels.
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PeachyCarol wrote: »
Nonsequitur.
Come on. People decide they like palatable food more than making choices within a limit. It's easy to overeat. That's not the food's fault.
What draws them to the food ? the food has no power, marketing is ineffective ?
Seems to me food has a lot of power over many people.
People can give anything power, including food. It does not make the decision to control us, we make the decision to relinquish control to it (whatever it is).
I don't give a hoot about marketing, and it's superfluous to this conversation.0 -
There's a lot of hate going on in this thread and it's pretty sad. Bottom line is no one here is a certified doctor experienced with PCOS. Everyone's body is different, it's not going to be the same as yours.
The OP is clearly struggling and realizes something needs to change. Offering her suggestions like foods that keep you feeling fuller would be a better idea, especially compared to telling her she's overeating and it's her your fault. If you knew so much about PCOS you'd know that depression is usually hot on the trail.
Overeating is usually the issue, but there's a reason. We eat because we're hungry. We're hungry because we have a disease that wants us to eat. It's difficult to deal with, especially when you're depressed.
I'm ashamed to see the lack of support and outright disgusting behaviours by some. The OP was reaching out in desperation for support and all you can say is "you're fat and it's your fault"?0 -
Re hypothyroidism: she should check with her pharmacist to make sure that certain foods do not interfere with her medications.PeachyCarol wrote: »
I was asking because my wife has pcos and has hypothyroidism, but I appreciate your blunt expression of my need for a new thread thanks for your...help?
Re PCOS: She needs to log her foods and eat less. Some people find it easier to eat less if they are reducing carbs and increasing fats and protein.0 -
Re the endo: many of them are useless. (Sorry about that.) Yoga and walking are good.Yes her endo is a *kitten* head, she needs to up the meds but there has to be things we can do now. She gets extremely fatigued after cardio or weights and I've read that yoga is a good option
Be careful doing yoga without a teacher. Breathing yoga techniques on YouTube are great.
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Yes, she has put on about 30 lbs and is always fatigued was looking for insight as to what things We could try to help get her energy back and help take the weight off.
Perhaps she should try Atkins 40 for a couple of months and form her own conclusion. Or talk to a female RD with relevant experience.
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KatherineNadeau wrote: »There's a lot of hate going on in this thread and it's pretty sad. Bottom line is no one here is a certified doctor experienced with PCOS. Everyone's body is different, it's not going to be the same as yours.
The OP is clearly struggling and realizes something needs to change. Offering her suggestions like foods that keep you feeling fuller would be a better idea, especially compared to telling her she's overeating and it's her your fault. If you knew so much about PCOS you'd know that depression is usually hot on the trail.
Overeating is usually the issue, but there's a reason. We eat because we're hungry. We're hungry because we have a disease that wants us to eat. It's difficult to deal with, especially when you're depressed.
I'm ashamed to see the lack of support and outright disgusting behaviours by some. The OP was reaching out in desperation for support and all you can say is "you're fat and it's your fault"?
There are two separate issues here.
Different foods make different people feel fuller, and hunger is a complicated thing and very individual thing, made even more complicated by the issues of PCOS. Each person needs to find a way to do with that individually.
Some people are volume eaters. They find low fat, high volume foods like heaps of spaghetti squash with lashings of pepper and a squirt of lemon juice, or a big bowl of mixed greens and cucumber with some vinegar and a spritz of olive oil to be just the thing. For others? Give them some protein. Yet others? A spoon of peanut butter. Still others? It's a mix of the the two. Pick another person? That peanut butter needs to be on a piece of bread, or give them a baked potato with some yogurt or cottage cheese.
The bottom line all of us really do have to face at some point though? HUNGER IS NOT AN IMPERATIVE. We have control over what we put in our mouths. We make the choice to eat. Some of us face more challenges, and for a while, we may have done a lot of things on autopilot, AND THAT'S OKAY. It's time to acknowledge we're not operating from lack of not understanding how the whole deal works anymore and move forward into a period of life operating with a better understanding of ourselves and how this whole process works.
All of what was said in this thread was said to help the OP understand that.
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KatherineNadeau wrote: »There's a lot of hate going on in this thread and it's pretty sad. Bottom line is no one here is a certified doctor experienced with PCOS. Everyone's body is different, it's not going to be the same as yours.
The OP is clearly struggling and realizes something needs to change. Offering her suggestions like foods that keep you feeling fuller would be a better idea, especially compared to telling her she's overeating and it's her your fault. If you knew so much about PCOS you'd know that depression is usually hot on the trail.
Overeating is usually the issue, but there's a reason. We eat because we're hungry. We're hungry because we have a disease that wants us to eat. It's difficult to deal with, especially when you're depressed.
I'm ashamed to see the lack of support and outright disgusting behaviours by some. The OP was reaching out in desperation for support and all you can say is "you're fat and it's your fault"?
Re-read the OP. Her doctor told her that no matter what she ate she would always be overweight because of PCOS. So hearing from people with PCOS who have successfully lost weight is simply evidence to the contrary and a reason not to give up. It isn't hateful.0 -
I think there were a few harsh statements in this thread, namely that being overweight causes PCOS, this just is not true and kind of blaming her for her condition. Weight is at fault for worsening symptoms, but not the cause of the root issues.
I think it is helpful to share that calories in and calories out help, low carb/low GI for me tends to help with regulating my cycle more than just cico. I lost 40 lbs just controlling calories and not carbs but didn't get my hormones under control just doing that.
I think some of us could have been kinder in our explanations, not sure tough love is always required. I am also not sure some of these were intended to be as harsh as maybe they seem without facial expressions or tone of voice. Folks tend to get a bit excited when we see false or misleading information coming from a medical professional of all people.0 -
sdraper2014 wrote: »I think there were a few harsh statements in this thread, namely that being overweight causes PCOS, this just is not true and kind of blaming her for her condition. Weight is at fault for worsening symptoms, but not the cause of the root issues.
I think it is helpful to share that calories in and calories out help, low carb/low GI for me tends to help with regulating my cycle more than just cico. I lost 40 lbs just controlling calories and not carbs but didn't get my hormones under control just doing that.
I think some of us could have been kinder in our explanations, not sure tough love is always required. I am also not sure some of these were intended to be as harsh as maybe they seem without facial expressions or tone of voice. Folks tend to get a bit excited when we see false or misleading information coming from a medical professional of all people.
This is what I'm saying. There appears to be some individuals on here that believes that 'tough love' will inflate their ego; perhaps they're not realizing it but their almighty God-complex is a bit insulting.
I read OPs message very clearly, they are depressed and looking for help. I'm sure they know that overeating is the issue, but you don't need to rub it in their face.
Like I said, how about you try some more supportive comments next time? You're coming off as extremely rude, no matter how you put it.
This website wasn't designed for unwarranted shaming. Unless you've been in her shoes you won't know the mental and physical pain she's going through.
It's easy for you to say that being hungry is fine but when you've spent the last ten years with overeating habits, your mind and body goes into panic mode. There are ways to deal with it, whether it's medication or therapy; the 'get over it' suggestion to a complete stranger seeking advice is pathetic.
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The irony is fairly dripping off the last two posts.
There is no shaming in pointing out factual information.0 -
I agree with @KatherineNadeau Actually I had a visceral response to some of the replies.
I mean the OP said, in her post, that she felt she ate a lot. Off the bat. So much of what followed was unnecessary and shaming. People could have just presented their strategies, and left it at that. Obviously different approaches are working for people in different ways, and the condition itself is variable.0 -
PeachyCarol wrote: »The irony is fairly dripping off the last two posts.
There is no shaming in pointing out factual information.
Maybe not in theory but there was a lot of shaming in this thread.0 -
I agree with @KatherineNadeau Actually I had a visceral response to some of the replies.
I mean the OP said, in her post, that she felt she ate a lot. Off the bat. So much of what followed was unnecessary and shaming. People could have just presented their strategies, and left it at that. Obviously different approaches are working for people in different ways, and the condition itself is variable.
They weren't replies to the OP, though. Reread the thread. In order.
The OP had her head on straight, thankfully. A bunch of people, still working through their issues, have come to her rescue and are projecting their issues into her discussion, and some of us responded to THEM. Not her.
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PeachyCarol wrote: »The irony is fairly dripping off the last two posts.
There is no shaming in pointing out factual information.
I think that all depends on how a person chooses to point it out actually.
I can be told factual information in a fairly rude way and have a pretty negative response, or I can be told in a way that is considered polite by most, and I and more likely to be welcoming of that information; I think this is true of most people. In my opinion the mode of delivery does matter.
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PeachyCarol wrote: »I agree with @KatherineNadeau Actually I had a visceral response to some of the replies.
I mean the OP said, in her post, that she felt she ate a lot. Off the bat. So much of what followed was unnecessary and shaming. People could have just presented their strategies, and left it at that. Obviously different approaches are working for people in different ways, and the condition itself is variable.
They weren't replies to the OP, though. Reread the thread. In order.
The OP had her head on straight, thankfully. A bunch of people, still working through their issues, have come to her rescue and are projecting their issues into her discussion, and some of us responded to THEM. Not her.
I didn't think the nature of replies to that poster - who presented the current medical view - was warranted, either.sdraper2014 wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »The irony is fairly dripping off the last two posts.
There is no shaming in pointing out factual information.
I think that all depends on how a person chooses to point it out actually.
I can be told factual information in a fairly rude way and have a pretty negative response, or I can be told in a way that is considered polite by most, and I and more likely to be welcoming of that information; I think this is true of most people. In my opinion the mode of delivery does matter.
It's essential. Otherwise you have a lot of shrieking and people just not hearing each other.0 -
I didn't see shaming. What I did see was a discussion about PCOS and especially IR and how that affects the ability to lose that wasn't even directed at anything the OP said, so couldn't have been meant to negatively toward her at all. If anything they were directed at her doctor's comments and in agreement with her initial post somewhat.
Moving to the OP:RebeccaMaunder wrote: »Thank you everyone for your responses. I know that my choices with food have been mine alone. I do not blame carbs or anything else for that. I chose to put food on my mouth. My point I was making with the original post was admitting that I've used pcos as an excuse because of what a doc said. I want to change it. I was really looking for helpful ideas for that. I get the cico thing and measuring your food... Which I do sometimes... I need to be consistent but I guess I wanted to know what types of things people are eating what are you doing to combat what you are dealing with.
I don't have PCOS and suspect the group that was linked might be quite helpful for you to check out.
When it comes to figuring out how to cut calories successfully, though, I think for everyone starting out it's really helpful to understand where your extra calories are coming from and why. In other words, log or think about your normal days, what you eat when, and why. Do you overeat at meals? Do you eat between meals? Do you eat a bunch at night before bed? If you eat between meals is it because you are hungry or because it's there and looks tasty or because you have certain habits associated with food?
If you are struggling with hunger, and not simply habits or emotional eating, then it's again useful to think about why. Some people have a habit of trying to eat very little throughout the day and then end up binging at night. Going to a more regular meal plan and eating more earlier can help them. Others--and this relates to PeachyCarol's comments about food choice above--are choosing foods that don't satiate them.
The problem is (contrary to what some low carb advocates claim) what is satiating to people varies, so you have to experiment. In that insulin resistance is common for people with PCOS and the obese in general, though, it's worth trying the changes someone with IR would make if you tend to be hungry. That means lowering carbs and increasing fat and protein AND, especially, making sure that you eat fat and protein with your carbs. For example, if you usually eat a sandwich with lots of bread and maybe some fruit on the side, change that to a salad with protein which reduces the carbs and increases the protein, usually, make sure there's some fat on the salad, and see if that makes a difference. Stuff like that.
It takes some trial and error for many, so don't beat yourself up if it takes a while to figure out.0 -
PeachyCarol wrote: »I agree with @KatherineNadeau Actually I had a visceral response to some of the replies.
I mean the OP said, in her post, that she felt she ate a lot. Off the bat. So much of what followed was unnecessary and shaming. People could have just presented their strategies, and left it at that. Obviously different approaches are working for people in different ways, and the condition itself is variable.
They weren't replies to the OP, though. Reread the thread. In order.
The OP had her head on straight, thankfully. A bunch of people, still working through their issues, have come to her rescue and are projecting their issues into her discussion, and some of us responded to THEM. Not her.
I didn't think the nature of replies to that poster - who presented the current medical view - was warranted, either.sdraper2014 wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »The irony is fairly dripping off the last two posts.
There is no shaming in pointing out factual information.
I think that all depends on how a person chooses to point it out actually.
I can be told factual information in a fairly rude way and have a pretty negative response, or I can be told in a way that is considered polite by most, and I and more likely to be welcoming of that information; I think this is true of most people. In my opinion the mode of delivery does matter.
It's essential. Otherwise you have a lot of shrieking and people just not hearing each other.
She did not represent the current medical view. She represented the view of low carb advocates.
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PeachyCarol wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »I agree with @KatherineNadeau Actually I had a visceral response to some of the replies.
I mean the OP said, in her post, that she felt she ate a lot. Off the bat. So much of what followed was unnecessary and shaming. People could have just presented their strategies, and left it at that. Obviously different approaches are working for people in different ways, and the condition itself is variable.
They weren't replies to the OP, though. Reread the thread. In order.
The OP had her head on straight, thankfully. A bunch of people, still working through their issues, have come to her rescue and are projecting their issues into her discussion, and some of us responded to THEM. Not her.
I didn't think the nature of replies to that poster - who presented the current medical view - was warranted, either.sdraper2014 wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »The irony is fairly dripping off the last two posts.
There is no shaming in pointing out factual information.
I think that all depends on how a person chooses to point it out actually.
I can be told factual information in a fairly rude way and have a pretty negative response, or I can be told in a way that is considered polite by most, and I and more likely to be welcoming of that information; I think this is true of most people. In my opinion the mode of delivery does matter.
It's essential. Otherwise you have a lot of shrieking and people just not hearing each other.
She did not represent the current medical view. She represented the view of low carb advocates.
She did, actually. Lower carb isn't the only way to deal with it, but it's recommended by many.
Wikipedia overview
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#Management
http://www.guidelines.co.uk/obstetrics_gynaecology_urology_PCOUK-PCOS_OCT12#.VY65HqYXppk
The right diet for an individual is one that is practical, sustainable and compatible with her lifestyle. It is sensible to reduce glycaemic load by lowering sugar content in favour of more complex carbohydrates and to avoid fatty foods; it is often helpful to refer to a dietitian, if available - See more at: http://www.guidelines.co.uk/obstetrics_gynaecology_urology_PCOUK-PCOS_OCT12#.VY65HqYXppk0
This discussion has been closed.
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