Question for PCOSers

macchiatto

Having read a while ago that women with PCOS often have significantly slower metabolisms than their peers without PCOS, even more so for PCOS-IR, I am curious: Based on your rate of weight loss, maintenance, etc., how well do the TDEE calculators, keto calculators, etc., seem to predict your caloric needs for maintenance, weight loss or whatever your goals are? Do they seem very accurate or do you find they tend to overestimate?

I'm still trying to feel that out as I get closer to maintenance but the one thing I know for sure is that I can eat more on keto than I could at a higher carb level, even ~100 carbs/day, and still lose weight. Until a few months ago, my experience did seem to indicate my metabolism was slower than those calculators were estimating.

KnitOrMiss

I lost well last year for about 2 months. Then I had a major weird episode (worked outside for 4 days, got massively dehydrated, and had a downhill slide that I'm still struggling with recovering)....That was in the end of March/beginning of April.

I have a lot of NSV type benefits from this lifestyle, with my IR and PCOS and hypothyroidism.

I've lost sizes and inches, even when the scale is not moving.

I do not want to count calories forever, and tracking and I are anathema to one another, so I just eat to hunger, but I'm re-adapting after some ridiculous escapades in November, December, and January, so I can't figure out if I broke my body worse than before, or what.

I lose slowly compared to others, but I have major injuries and activity limitations that have a kibosh on most exercise programs right now, so I can't add that component. (Sorry, I'm in a really negative mental swing right now)

So, I have no real comparison to say whether TDEE and all that works for me because I haven't had hydrostatic or whatever testing to give me legit numbers. I'm working to learn my body again, and that's a slow process. And I've got massive healing to do, so....it is what it is.

I've always thought that I was in the rare percentage. I told someone today that I feel like I'm stuck "through the mirror darkly" or on full-time "opposite day." I'm difficult to diagnose with anything, because I"m almost always missing major symptoms. I don't react as expected to diet or medications, and I'm tired of being the exception to everything...

With me, it seems like my IR caused or triggered everything else, so that's where my focus is to metabolically soothe or remediate as best I can...

macchiatto

That's helpful. Thank you, @KnitOrMiss. I'm sorry you're in a frustrating place right now.

I realized that research has been in the back of my mind so I always feel a little frustrated w/the calculators and end up second-guessing myself, esp since weight loss tends to slow down anyway when you get close to goal, so I feel like I have no idea what maintenance levels will end up being for me. I mean, for 3 months I was losing well at 1350 once I switched to keto macros, and sometimes it feels like I'm just maintaining now at 1400 (though my trend line says I am still losing slowly). So I think if 1350 was enough of a deficit to lose 1-2 lbs/wk, how can 1400 seem so close to maintenance? I know it's not an exact science and my scale is a lying liarpants though. Maybe I should start shifting to eating to satiety like you do and just keeping an eye on the scale to make sure I don't get off-track.

It would help if I were more consistent with my activity level. Between sickness, the random injuries I've been very prone to over the past 18 months, other medical issues and sometimes general busyness or lack of discipline it ends up being wildly inconsistent.

KnitOrMiss

Honestly, I think my biggest hurdles are water and sleep. When I get enough water several days in a row, I show losses on the scale. When I sleep more (usually weekends), I have decent weigh ins. But these are two of my hugest struggles.

And I screwed myself good. I had about ten days off at Thanksgiving (US, November), almost 3 weeks off at Xmas (December), and a ridiculous 3-day weekend in early January, and I just cannot catch a break. I know it takes time to readapt, and I already have a lot of the clarity and energy and such, but I'm not fitting back into my jeans, the scale isn't moving, and the hunger beast "eat all the foods now" is alive and raging. I don't remember getting a huge decrease in hunger before, but things worked.

When I did all my carb insanity, it's like I broke the progress with my IR (postprandial somnolence, even without carbs or sweet flavors in a meal, has returned with a vengeance) or something... I just can't seem to feel like anything is working....

KnitOrMiss

And thanks. I'm sorry to dump all my doldrums and crap on other people right now... This isn't my normal mindset, and I hate when I get stuck in the mental mud like this.

BalmyD

I have PCOS with IR. On a sort of regular diet, I wasn't losing at 1400, 1300, or 1200 calories per day. And it was difficult to stick with for long periods of time. On a LCHF diet, I am finding that I continue to lose at 1600, 1700, even 1800 calories some days. So the calculator works for me *if* I'm on LCHF. If I'm on any other plan, the calculator is a lying liarpants.

macchiatto

Ugh, I'm sorry, @knitormiss. And don't feel bad at all; you are always so helpful and I'm always happy to e-listen if you need to vent.

@BalmyD, thanks for your reply. You know, that makes a lot of sense and fits well with my experience. I've had times in the past when I was struggling to lose at 1350 or even 1200 (or even lower sometimes!) at higher carb levels, even after trying for months, and I was hungry all the time. But I think you're right; the calc actually does seem fairly close (or even slightly low) based on my first 3 months on keto. I know it's slowing down now and that's to be expected but I am curious to see what I'll be able to eat at maintenance if I do stay LCHF. 1600-1800 would be nice.

Deena_Bean

I have PCOS, but I'm not IR (at least they tell me this is the case, but I'm in a totally skeptical doctor phase right now). I work out a minimum of 5 days a week (right now the cycle is three days lifting weights and 2 days cardio), and my calories are set to 1660 (which I rarely stay under - seems like I'm regularly closer to 1800 or so). I've been staying at or around 100 carbs/day; however, this week I've decided to try and stay under 50 (but won't have a cow if I get up to 75). I've been losing really slowly. I haven't weighed myself in over a week or two, so I don't know what's happened recently. I've actively been avoiding the scale because I can see differences - pants are looser and my husband said my face looks thinner (which he was on the fence about looking healthy or not - bless him). I personally feel positive about the progress I'm making (mental as well), so I'm super hesitant to step on the scale and have it slap me down. Again. Therefore, I'm in avoid mode for now. Maybe in a day or two...but I'm not planning on it, so we'll see. Also, I'm pretty close to maintenance - I'm about 170lbs and I'd be happy between 145-155 (maybe even 160) ((height is 5'7.5")). My doc says I'm "looking pretty lean" and that maybe I could lose 5 pounds, but even that seems non-urgent to her. I don't know what I'm doing most of the time (or at least that's how it feels). Thank the MFP Gods for people like @KnitOrMiss who continually help me pull my head out of the sand and take the reigns back. There's a wealth of information to absorb, so I just expect it to be evolving forever. Goody.

KnitOrMiss

Deena_Bean wrote: »

I have PCOS, but I'm not IR (at least they tell me this is the case, but I'm in a totally skeptical doctor phase right now). I work out a minimum of 5 days a week (right now the cycle is three days lifting weights and 2 days cardio), and my calories are set to 1660 (which I rarely stay under - seems like I'm regularly closer to 1800 or so). I've been staying at or around 100 carbs/day; however, this week I've decided to try and stay under 50 (but won't have a cow if I get up to 75). I've been losing really slowly. I haven't weighed myself in over a week or two, so I don't know what's happened recently. I've actively been avoiding the scale because I can see differences - pants are looser and my husband said my face looks thinner (which he was on the fence about looking healthy or not - bless him). I personally feel positive about the progress I'm making (mental as well), so I'm super hesitant to step on the scale and have it slap me down. Again. Therefore, I'm in avoid mode for now. Maybe in a day or two...but I'm not planning on it, so we'll see. Also, I'm pretty close to maintenance - I'm about 170lbs and I'd be happy between 145-155 (maybe even 160) ((height is 5'7.5")). My doc says I'm "looking pretty lean" and that maybe I could lose 5 pounds, but even that seems non-urgent to her. I don't know what I'm doing most of the time (or at least that's how it feels). Thank the MFP Gods for people like @KnitOrMiss who continually help me pull my head out of the sand and take the reigns back. There's a wealth of information to absorb, so I just expect it to be evolving forever. Goody.

@Deena_Bean LOL! I'm good for head pulling out of the sand stuff! Getting somewhat in control of an uncontrollable situation (at least all the variables are beyond us sometimes!) can save the sanity sometimes. (hugs)

Dragonwolf

BalmyD wrote: »

I have PCOS with IR. On a sort of regular diet, I wasn't losing at 1400, 1300, or 1200 calories per day. And it was difficult to stick with for long periods of time. On a LCHF diet, I am finding that I continue to lose at 1600, 1700, even 1800 calories some days. So the calculator works for me *if* I'm on LCHF. If I'm on any other plan, the calculator is a lying liarpants.

This is me. My intake is generally around 1800-2000 calories and hasn't changed since I started watching what I ate (according to the calculators, that's where I should see a steady 1lb/week or so rate of loss), but what I eat makes all the difference in the world. 2000 calories worth of meat allows me to lose at an average of 1-1.5lb per week. 2000 calories of standard LCHF or Primal and I tend to be weight stable. 2000 calories of SAD/USDA and I gain weight.

When I was eating more along the lines of USDA recommendations, the only time I was able to get the scale to move downward was a three-day stint in which I ate about 900 calories (I was feeling nauseous for some reason) and kept my activity level up at the crazy amount I was doing at the time. By the end of day three, I was about ready to collapse. The scale dropped 1, maybe 2, pounds, which promptly returned when I ate more food and didn't budge afterward.

Panda_Poptarts

My recommendation is like 2200 calories a day, without exercise. I don't feel that I can eat 2200 calories and lose weight - although, to be fair, I haven't tried it.

I do lose weight on 1800 calories better than 1400, it seems, so there may be some sense to it. That being said, I don't think my metabolism is as fast as a "normal" person. Things like the "If every day were like today" reading are always way, way, WAY off, when for other people they seem at least relatively accurate.