PCOS - Low Glycemic Load Ideas

Shoebacha1

I am having to battle PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) naturally due to the medication making me too sick. The key is low glycemic load food snacks throughout the day and lots of exercise to battle the insulin resistance. I have made many changes in my diet, but I know it is only a matter of time before I become bored and will start wanting to go back to my old ways. If you have some recipes, I would love to hear them. I will post a few for now that are my favorite.

Shoebacha1

Fish Tacos for two

4 Swai fillets, 6 limes, broccoli slaw, real mayonnaise, creole, olive oil non stick spray, head iceberg lettuce, cilantro, shredded taco cheese

pan fry swai fillets until mostly cooked in olive oil non stick spray. Sprinkle creole on both sides.
Put swai in bowl and mash with fork or potato masher until finely shredded
Put swai back in pan, add lime juice and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes
Mix mayonnaise and broccoli slaw in bowl
pull leaves of lettuce keeping as large as possible, place on plate
Finely cut cilantro, place in bowl

On top of lettuce leaf, use draining spoon to place fish on lettuce. Add broccoli slaw, cheese and cilantro to taste, wrap in lettuce leaf and enjoy!

I also enjoy salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on mine...this can make them very messy, so have lots of paper towels near by.

Shoebacha1

Tuna wrap

Ole Spinach and herb flax seed olive oil tortilla, 1 cup young spring mix, 1 tablespoon EVOO lemon herb salad dressing, .25 cup shredded cheese, 1 pouch lemon pepper tuna by sunkist.

Place 1/2 of spring mix in tortilla, add cheese and tuna, then rest of spring mix. Add salad dressing and wrap tightly. Enjoy!

Again, I enjoy guacamole on this.

Shoebacha1

Salmon Salad

2 cups young spring mix, .5 cup shredded cheese, 1 pouch smoked salmon, 1 packet of Papa John's special seasoning, 1 packet of Papa John's parm cheese, .5 can of dark red kidney beans, and 2 table spoons of greek salad dressing.

Place all in covered bowl, shake and coat well...enjoy!

jaystacers

Thanks for posting these recipes! I also have PCOS and have troubles with my weight. It is so darn hard to lose it and even harder keeping it off. I was reading on another website that taking chromium daily helps people who are insulin resistant. I think im going to give a try. This is not what a doctor told me, but what I read on some diet website, so i guess i will see what happens.

draco706

I had burger and fries with a salad.
lean ground lamb seasoned with out salt 4oz.
rutabaga fries. Remove outer layer. slice so they look like french fries (size and shape). toss lightly in olive oil. season to taste (salt, pepper, old bay)
bake 40 mins at 450*

Although my weight hasn't been dropping that fast, I have brought my HBA1C from a 6.4 to a 5.6 over 2 years.

Shoebacha1

I have never heard of rutabaga? I will have to look into that!

Shoebacha1

I am so glad you guys are here. I hate feeling alone in this struggle. My husband is supportive, but he does not understand the urges to binge eat, the cravings, the struggle of working your *kitten* off and results taking their time to show, depression...etc. Now that I have been reading up on this, I know it is normal and not just me. All women who struggle with PCOS have these issues. It is not my head or ME that is messed up, its this damn disease. We can do this, we will help each other. It will take determination and sacrifice, but at least we can help each other through them! I hope it means as much to you as it does to me.

aSearch4Me

I also have PCOS. I lost about 60# this in 7 months with a lower carb diet (not super-low)...and finally got pregnant after nearly 6 years of trying

There's a great PCOS group on here if you weren't aware. Anyone w/ PCOS is welcome to join. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis

You also might find this Low Carb group helpful http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group. People are always sharing lower carb/lower glycemic recipes on there. Some of the members are on "no carb" diets & others are on "lowered carb". I personally, when not pregnant was on a distributed 60-80g/total carb diet/day. Some people need to go lower to get results, others are fine at around the 120g mark or so.

Shoebacha1

Congrats on getting pregnant! Thanks for the info. I will look into this.

Shoebacha1

Before I read about it in the PCOS for Dummies book, I always thought it was just a problem with me....but knowing that PCOS is what is causing this urge to binge eat on occasion helps me ignore and control it. Now instead of feeling like I have piss poor self control and am a self-sabatager, I understand the urge is actually chemically induced. Lets me feel I am in control of myself again, and helps me know the hunger pains are not really me being hungry, but my out of whack system telling me lies. I will continue to eat as normal and increase my water intake, and give the finger to these lies from my tummy.

mimismommy11

Shoebacha1 wrote: »

Before I read about it in the PCOS for Dummies book, I always thought it was just a problem with me....but knowing that PCOS is what is causing this urge to binge eat on occasion helps me ignore and control it. Now instead of feeling like I have piss poor self control and am a self-sabatager, I understand the urge is actually chemically induced. Lets me feel I am in control of myself again, and helps me know the hunger pains are not really me being hungry, but my out of whack system telling me lies. I will continue to eat as normal and increase my water intake, and give the finger to these lies from my tummy.

I had no idea that PCOS made us more likely to binge. I would probably be in a normal weight range if I could control my binges and self sabotage moments. I might have to look into that book!

RodaRose

No crust pizza! http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/504805060/no-crust-pizza/?locale=en_US
Hubby loves this.

Shoebacha1

I gave into the binge urge a bit last night. On top of the internal struggle, my lovely coworkers added a long stressful and stupidity filled night so went through a drive through. Being a quality assurance manager in a prison can make stress eating a challenge. But, I did just get the burger and only ate 11 of the husband's fries and 2 drinks of his soda. Overall, I can be proud it was my first time in 2 weeks to go over my calorie allowance and only ate 1/4 of what I WANTED to eat.

draco706

There are less bad drive through options at a lot of the chains. I have my favs (mcdonalds mighty kids mcnuggets with apples and choc milk) is under 500 cals even with 2 katchups. If you know you are going to indulge having a go to is nice. the nuggets also reduces my carb v. a burger.
Rutabags are actually good. they will taste like a sweeter french fry.

draco706

ps yep those are rutabaga fries.

Shoebacha1

Havent had much time to cook, but I have taken up a habit of getting microwavable fish and bags of steamed veggies. Today will be lemon pepper cod grilled fillet with steamed ranch seasoned broccoli. Yesterday was hickory smoked tuna with steamed greenbeans, carrots and red potatoes in a rosemary butter sauce. Not too shabby!

Shoebacha1

Are all carbohydrates the same?

No. Even if you eat two foods that have the same amount of carbohydrate, they may have a different effect on your insulin level. This effect has a lot to do with the type of carbohydrate the food has. Carbohydrate foods with fiber such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are usually the best to eat if you’re trying to keep your insulin level down. Carbohydrate foods that are sugary or refined (such as soda, juice, white bread, and white rice) can cause insulin levels to go up. Foods and drinks like this are also not very filling (which means you may feel hungry shortly after eating them). Try to choose high–fiber, low–sugar carbohydrate foods most of the time.

Shoebacha1

I am down 9 pounds! Must be doing something right. Actually starting to enjoy this new way of eating.

Francl27

Shoebacha1 wrote: »

I am down 9 pounds! Must be doing something right. Actually starting to enjoy this new way of eating.

I have to do it 10 days a month and it's torture LOL.

Shoebacha1

I have a new found love of steamed asparagus. Also, my new found love of guacamole is getting out of hand. LOL

Francl27

Ok my staples when I have to do it...

Ham steak and lentils
Eggs and bacon/sausage
Eggs and refried beans
Crustless quiches
Full fat cottage cheese and berries
Avocado and shrimp
Smoked sausage and white beans in tomato sauce
I made these twice and they were gobbled up every time http://servingupfortcollins.com/eggplant-parmesan-rollatini-transport-yourself-to-old-world-italy/
Love spaghetti squash and meat sauce too (I just brown some turkey with onions and mix in some pasta sauce)
Been eating a lot of roasted peppers and red onions lately too

I typically have a low sugar yogurt (like Siggi's) and fruit for dessert.

My issue is that meat and veggies just doesn't fill me up, so I always need complex carbs. I eat a lot of beans/lentils or whole grains during that time (steel cut oats, barley - I need to make a new batch). I have potatoes but only in the evening.

Shoebacha1

I am really digging beanitos pinto bean chips and simple guacamole. Just avacado, mustard, garlic and jalapeno salt.

Shoebacha1

It is taking EVERYTHING I have in me not to weigh in. I have had to make several trips to the medical department, passing that stupid scale. I had to put a belt on to keep my size 20 jeans up! I have had 4 different people ask if I have lost weight. I am wearing a shirt I have not worn in forever (without spanks anyway) and I went up a hook on my bra. BAM!

Shoebacha1

I am down 18 pounds!

kbmh611

I have PCOS but never had a doctor explain to me the correlation between PCOS and why I so easily gain weight. I always say it's like I have zero metabolism. Everything I eat seems to go right to fat. This thread has opened my eyes. Thank you for the insight.

Shoebacha1

It is very frustrating. Eat lots of veggies and fruits, whole grains and water. It will sort itself out. I feel much better knowing that PCOS is responsible for my urges to binge eat from time to time....like today. GGRRRR

suvoth

I too have PCOS (and I am a type 2 diabetic). Since January 11th, 2015 I have lost 135 lbs and now weigh 151. Ladies, you can do it. Don't give up. I eat the Southbeach diet lifestyle and did no excercise. I just recently started to excercise to help me get to my goal weight of 140. Remember that this disease isn't a crutch (not that I am saying you are taking it as a crutch). If you do your part, you too can reach your goals

cpike88

I also have this and am not taking medication. I have done a lot of research. I have found a lot of recommendations to try a dairy free and gluten free diet as the gluten causes inflammation in the joints and bloating, and the dairy can cause inflammation and bloating as well but can also cause the cystic acne (Don't know if you suffer from this or not) as well as other skin blemishes.

Shoebacha1

I was doing great and feeling awesome. I fell off the wagon and back to joint pain, being breathless and unpredictable poos. Starting back at square one today. Will stick to it this time. Diet really does matter.

Shoebacha1

Only in day 4 of being strictly back on PCOS friendly diet and feel 10 x better than I did when I started. Already my knee joints are less achy and my heel spurs are less painful. Excess energy this time of day rather than begging for a nap.