macro carb??

ShrinkinMel

Hi. I reduced my macro to reflect 40% carbs over 50% it does on standard. So far its easy to keep in that range. I may drop it later.

Where does everyone have their macros for successful loss with insulin resistances issues?? I've just got the tracking and the exercise(cardio and strength) going this week consistently. So we will see in a few weeks how it does. I'm limiting grain carbs mostly because wheat and gluten seem to cause my IBS symptoms based on a few weeks of paper journaling I did(just foods no macros or anything). So those are cut down a lot but I'll keep working around to see what helps the weight loss if it struggles with the workouts and tracking to my calorie goal.

KnitOrMiss

I had to drop mine to 5-10% AND include some intermittent fasting in order to bring mine down. I am not taking Metformin any longer. But, I had some bad carb/wheat/stress issues the week of my 6 month check in with my endocrinologist, so my insulin had cranked back up to triple what it was 6 months prior. I'm still recovering from it being up so high (little to no fat burning)...

However, I do not work out (I'm working on a program atm, but having to figure out how to work it in when my work days went from 10 hour days to 12 hour days), and I know that is a large piece of the insulin control I'm missing.

aSearch4Me

My weight loss was the best as long as I was 60-80g TOTAL carbs/max a day (i.e. not subtracting fiber for "net carbs."). I lost the quickest if doing 40-60g TOTAL carbs/day...regardless of how much I was or was not working out.

I'm currently on a much higher carb level due to pregnancy right now, but am planning on stepping back down soon. I also have insulin resistance. I'm on Metformin 1000mg Extended-Release b.i.d & 4g of Inositol

ShrinkinMel

Okay thanks for responses so far I'll see how it goes at this 40% figure before dropping too much lower. I've lost before with it at the 50% but it's been pretty easy to keep under the 40% because I'm working at eliminating gluten for the tummy issues. It has been great the last few days. The last intestinal cramping I felt was Tuesday, it also happens to be the last time I had gluten when I had a quesadilla with a flour tortilla. I was reading a lot of info on gluten and PCOS and I am thinking it could be more that than "carbs" in a general sense but I will see. Just had a feeling a lot would swear by WAY less. I'll work down to if I don't see results. This week was up .1(but weighed in the evening instead of morning) but I'm also starting my cycle and am bloated a lot. I know I had a lot of sodium on some of the days this week too.

In my "diet" for IBS it mentioned beans but we had 15 bean soup last night and I didn't have any symptoms beyond a very mild gas this morning, not sure about overnight. LOL It will be a relief if beans are not causing a problem there because I do like them but know they are high in carbs too. WHOA

Red13

I found the Keto range to be the difference maker. I tried for months to lose with about 80-120g carbs and nothing happened. I have way less cravings with 10% carbs and keeps me away from all the junk that would somehow sneak into my day here and there. It may not be for everyone and I won't make it a forever plan, i just want to get to goal and then I know I can maintain at a lower carb diet. You could gradually work your way down but if you have a percentage that works stick with it, you may just need some reduction when stalls happen.

ShrinkinMel

Well right now I'm losing with up to 189-200 grams(my calories range 1600-1800) it is set at the 40% but goes up and down of course on the grams with exercise calories. I lost 2.6 lbs last week in that range. So maybe I'm not quite as insulin resistant? I dunno. On a good side note my fasting glucose was 102 this morning and 108 yesterday so it's dropping, YAY!!. It was in the 110-120's a lot of times.

KnitOrMiss

Aren't you also pretty active?

I do find that most of us have multiple weight loss thresholds...whether carbs or calories. It's about hitting the marks. If you are losing consistently, I would not worry overly much about changing up, but remember, it's typically easier to lose in the beginning. You might have to fine tune more as time goes on.

And I don't know about more or less insulin resistant. I personally am horribly insulin resistant, but in the past decade, my fasting glucose has been over 90 once, and usually below 90, so if I had a 102 and 108 fasting glucose, I'd probably be flipping out personally, because I've never had one that high as far as I know... So my insulin numbers are worse than my glucose, etc.

ShrinkinMel

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

Aren't you also pretty active?

I do find that most of us have multiple weight loss thresholds...whether carbs or calories. It's about hitting the marks. If you are losing consistently, I would not worry overly much about changing up, but remember, it's typically easier to lose in the beginning. You might have to fine tune more as time goes on.

And I don't know about more or less insulin resistant. I personally am horribly insulin resistant, but in the past decade, my fasting glucose has been over 90 once, and usually below 90, so if I had a 102 and 108 fasting glucose, I'd probably be flipping out personally, because I've never had one that high as far as I know... So my insulin numbers are worse than my glucose, etc.

Yeah but just within the last few weeks only though. I have been very active going to the gym 5-6 days a week and doing cardio for at least 30 minutes but sometimes longer PLUS resistance/strength machines. In the third week of that change and down 5 lbs after two. My calorie goal is 1690 sometimes I'm right under or right over but a few times was way over. But that varies based on exercise I did. So yeah I'm having a deficit but keeping the net 1200-1500 and so far its working. Most days I'm staying under the 40% carbs I put in. Some I have gone over though.

I've seen my fasting in 120s it is a bit scary because I don't want to get diabetic. Its funny because I can check during the day and it will be 90. lol My A1C had gotten back to normal with the meds. Even when I was seeing 108 and stuff like that my A1C came back normal which is intriguing to me how accurate those little machine really are. They've never checked my actual insulin levels. ARGH It seems like I have some high but my A1C was normal and I was seeing low 100s on random checks. At one time the A1C was approaching the border.

I'll get it but when I do the work and track the food I seem to lose pretty consistent. So glad I have more buddy system in place for the exercise portion. We are enjoying it.

KnitOrMiss

There are a lot of factors that can make that fasting number crazy. Not enough sleep, bursts of stress, life, and all that is before you even get to food and exercise!

Sounds like you've got a good solid plan! And see, I'm the opposite, my fasting and A1C have always been normal, but my insulin is wacky. Hopefully I don't get to the point where it becomes and issue. My mother and her father both had adult onset T2D...

ShrinkinMel

Yep my mother and father both have had adult onset type 2. One aunt is hypoglycemic. She is overweight as well but goes the other way. I used to be more hypoglycemic. More added weight and it changed. I do know I've seen some changes in fasting level so it will take time. My dad's side didn't seem to have an issue my dad's increased with weight gain and he controls it by eating better and exercise. I've been tempted to go off Metformin. Afraid of gaining though. Most of the family has weight problems on my mom's side though. My dad's parents were slim and fit. My grandma is slender and walks a lot.

KnitOrMiss

Awareness is the first step in changing all these things.

I forget, do you do the Inositol? That can help with the insulin resistance and all, but basically, if you aren't going to get active and say active - getting off the Met BEFORE getting your IR fully under control would be bad. I speak from experience. I really don't want to have to get back on it, but I have to admit, it's cross my mind. I hope to find out in a couple weeks if it's still that bad...

My dad's mom has been hypoglycemic her entire life, it never flipped. I think it's likely she was IR, but just managed it well. As far as I know, there were no other problems on that side, other than extended family. My mom's side was a mess. Grandma, mom, and aunt - all unverified hypothyroid, all unverified PCOS, mom and aunt now confirmed T2D, as well as their dad. Their mom died of cancer, dad died of diabetes complications (assumed)... Trying to head off the stacked cards against me at the pass. Coming up on 40 in a couple months means that time clock is ticking down faster than ever!

Good luck to us all!

ShrinkinMel

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

Awareness is the first step in changing all these things.

I forget, do you do the Inositol? That can help with the insulin resistance and all, but basically, if you aren't going to get active and say active - getting off the Met BEFORE getting your IR fully under control would be bad. I speak from experience. I really don't want to have to get back on it, but I have to admit, it's cross my mind. I hope to find out in a couple weeks if it's still that bad...

My dad's mom has been hypoglycemic her entire life, it never flipped. I think it's likely she was IR, but just managed it well. As far as I know, there were no other problems on that side, other than extended family. My mom's side was a mess. Grandma, mom, and aunt - all unverified hypothyroid, all unverified PCOS, mom and aunt now confirmed T2D, as well as their dad. Their mom died of cancer, dad died of diabetes complications (assumed)... Trying to head off the stacked cards against me at the pass. Coming up on 40 in a couple months means that time clock is ticking down faster than ever!

Good luck to us all!

No, no Inositol never really heard of it. But I may check it out. Well I have a commitment to the gym for 12 months and I don't plan on stopping. I think I will wait and see since avoiding gluten really seems to help my tummy issues and that is the only problematic issued I'd have is if it were contributing to that. Which it may I've heard so many people say that Met only gives them problems when the eat bread and such. So who knows. But I'll get my labs done soon and see where I'm at. Then again in 4-6 months. Hopefully I'll have quite a bit of weight gone by then but so far in two weeks I'm averaging 2.2 lbs a week but it's just the start. I don't see myself stopping any time soon because I'm liking the results already. I'll see what tomorrow brings. Off to bed now so I can make sure I get at least 8 hours.

KnitOrMiss

My problems with Met were mainly dairy and sugar. I couldn't have dairy 2-4 hours either side of a dose, and having sugars made the diarrhea effect exponentially increase! Good luck to you. Knowing so much is great - and can slow us down sometimes, too. That being said, Inositol is B8. Our bodies make it, but generally, they just don't make enough, so it's mostly a natural supplement and doesn't generally interfere with anything - just tries to bring hormonal balance, stress relief, etc.

bellaa_x0

i always read about inositol on here when someone posts about PCOS, but my doctor said none of her patients have benefited from taking inositol. do you guys have proof that it is helping you? like in your bloodwork, etc.?

KnitOrMiss

If I had to guess, @bellaa_x0 - I would say it's because most of those patients didn't ramp up to therapeutic levels, which are quite high. For me, it helped with energy levels - and it kept trying to fix my cycles. Too bad I was on continuous birth control pills to not have them (I have pelvic organ prolapse, and it was causing a lot of stress on my internal problems - and I'm working to avoid surgery.). So, it didn't start doing that right away, but I can tell you that if I was taking it to balance my hormones, I had first hand evidence (and I tried several dosage levels to mitigate the effects, and after the "first run," my body reacted to even partial doses in the same manner!) that the inositol was working very heavily to regulate my hormones and cycles. @Dragonwolf and @Alliwan should also have some first hand stories.

Dragonwolf

Yeah, odds are, they weren't taking enough and/or they weren't looking at the right things to see change. According to the studies I've seen, the minimum known amount for PCOS benefit is around 4g of myo-inositol, though you can get away with less if you can get your hands on D-chiro inositol.

Additionally, whether it helps with weight depends entirely on the underlying cause of your weight issues. The big thing it influences are the hormones that affect egg development and menstrual cycle. If your weight is due to excess estrogen or testosterone, then this is probably sufficient to prompt weight loss. However, if your weight is due to insulin, then it is likely to be more hit or miss. Lack of weight loss does not mean it's not working, though.

bellaa_x0

interesting... thanks guys! @KnitOrMiss @Dragonwolf

HayleyAnne012911

Hello everyone,

Currently I'm doing carbs 20%, fat 50%, and Protein 30%.
I did hear that if you have to much protein vs not enough "healthy" fats that you'll gain.
Everyone is different though.
I was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I am on 2,000 mg of metformin er and 25 mg of jardinance. I have heard so many tell me to try inositol because currently my periods are absent (and I'm not on birth control) I do eventually want to have a baby so I'm working so hard on getting this taken care of. I used to weigh 425 pounds in 2010. I started exercising and everything on 4/12/16 when I found out my diagnosis. Also quit soda cold turkey that day. I don't eat a lot of pasta, rice, bread etc along with processed foods. Most of my carbs come from fruits and veggies. I do drink a lot of water. I recently got a fitbit that helps me track everything. Along with a second job as my job is in an office so my max steps I hit when not exercising is about 4,000 if that. I am holding out on weighing til my next appt, but everyone is telling me i'm losing! I started at 318 beginning of april 2016, went to a weight seminar for possible weight surgery on 4-28-16 and weighed 307.5. I'll update you ladies once I weigh again. But I'm not hungry, which is great.
I also have started a multi vitamin hoping to try to bring my hormones back to normal. I would like to start my period on my own without meds like birth control.
any advice for me is welcome! I added all you ladies above me

Dragonwolf

Inositol is worth a try. I use this one -- http://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Inositol-Supports-Function/dp/B0013OUKPC/

You can use about a teaspoon (which is around 4g) and mix it in some water and drink it. You'll likely notice a difference within a month, possibly even sooner (to compare, I got my period in about a week). And you don't have to be afraid to bump it up if you need to. There's no known upper limit, since Inositol is a B vitamin (B8, specifically), so it's water soluble (so any excess you take in will simply be flushed out). They actually use it at doses around 18g for neurological issues and haven't had so much as side effects from it.

Red13

I second that inositol is worth trying. I didn't realize how much it reduced my pms symptoms and overall mood until I ran out of the pill form and was waiting for my powder to arrive. Let's just say the couple weeks I was off weren't pretty and my family probably hated me. Lol. So I take it for that reason alone and from reading some more I might bump up my dose to see if that helps the weight aspect

HayleyAnne012911

@Dragonwolf thank you! I will check it out! someone else mentioned pregnatude from walgreens. I wonder what the difference between them are.

KnitOrMiss

Name brand, lower doses, more expensive, but overall, same basic product.

ShrinkinMel

HayleyAnne012911 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

Currently I'm doing carbs 20%, fat 50%, and Protein 30%.
I did hear that if you have to much protein vs not enough "healthy" fats that you'll gain.
Everyone is different though.
I was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I am on 2,000 mg of metformin er and 25 mg of jardinance. I have heard so many tell me to try inositol because currently my periods are absent (and I'm not on birth control) I do eventually want to have a baby so I'm working so hard on getting this taken care of. I used to weigh 425 pounds in 2010. I started exercising and everything on 4/12/16 when I found out my diagnosis. Also quit soda cold turkey that day. I don't eat a lot of pasta, rice, bread etc along with processed foods. Most of my carbs come from fruits and veggies. I do drink a lot of water. I recently got a fitbit that helps me track everything. Along with a second job as my job is in an office so my max steps I hit when not exercising is about 4,000 if that. I am holding out on weighing til my next appt, but everyone is telling me i'm losing! I started at 318 beginning of april 2016, went to a weight seminar for possible weight surgery on 4-28-16 and weighed 307.5. I'll update you ladies once I weigh again. But I'm not hungry, which is great.
I also have started a multi vitamin hoping to try to bring my hormones back to normal. I would like to start my period on my own without meds like birth control.
any advice for me is welcome! I added all you ladies above me

I'm shocked Metformin hasn't helped your cycles. Mine are so freaking regular I hate it. LOL I was used to one every other or every third month. hehe. My OB/GYN would not put me on the pill after my daughter because of my hypertension that started while pregnant. Well he did but it was the mini pill and when my daughter quit nursing he said it wouldn't be so effective so I switched to a diaphragm and well I just know when I ovulate. I can hardly miss it since it can be so painful for me. I had regulated finally by the time my daughter was 6 or so but not fully with Met I've been 28-32 days on the dot. ARGH Sometimes I wish I could go on the pill to avoid them because they are painful and heavy for a couple days. Well some of them. If I didn't want the option open to have another baby some day I'd end them. Being 36 I don't have too long left but still possible. Keep dropping weight and I'm sure your cycles will return. I was on the pill before conceiving my daughter. I conceived her the first cycle off I ovulated day 15 right on target. Before I was on the pill I knew my cycles ran more like 6 weeks long.

ShrinkinMel

One question you ladies taking it may know is it safe for use with Hypertension and beta blockers? I really hate to add another supplement my D and B complex are costing so much I stopped my fish oil I had been taking. I may start that again though because I've had some anxiety issues popping up in the car so I keep thinking I may need it again. I started with fish oil and niacin because of triglycerides being up but I had read they will go up with beta blocker(like I said above somewhere) but saw only a little difference. Hoping in another 25 lbs they will be regulated. I'm at 25 lbs lost from my highest weight when my triglycerides had gotten to 299, I think. Perhaps tomorrow I'll fast and get the new labs done so I can see where I'm at a month into my exercise routine and food tracking to compare later in 4-6 months.

KnitOrMiss

Will what? Inositol? It is B8. As far as I know, there are no contraindications of any kind (and I've researched a TON!) unless you're like me in a medically induced state that the Inositol naturally works to regulate...

ShrinkinMel

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

My problems with Met were mainly dairy and sugar. I couldn't have dairy 2-4 hours either side of a dose, and having sugars made the diarrhea effect exponentially increase! Good luck to you. Knowing so much is great - and can slow us down sometimes, too. That being said, Inositol is B8. Our bodies make it, but generally, they just don't make enough, so it's mostly a natural supplement and doesn't generally interfere with anything - just tries to bring hormonal balance, stress relief, etc.

Yeah I could be wrong on gluten being the cause but rather how gluten(the carbs and sugar) react with Met that causes my stomach aches/cramping and urgency issues. Might explain why some days I can have pizza and it doesn't bother me and others it does. I do know if I have the gluten earlier in the day it will be worse than within a couple hours of taking it. So timing might be key. In the beginning I did notice less sickness and blah feelings if I take them with food. Just has to be certain foods maybe.

KnitOrMiss

I hate how our bodies feel like a game of Russian Roulette sometimes...firing the sickness bullets at ourselves until we figure out the sweet spot to avoid feeling like crap.

HayleyAnne012911

ShrinkinMel wrote: »

HayleyAnne012911 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

Currently I'm doing carbs 20%, fat 50%, and Protein 30%.
I did hear that if you have to much protein vs not enough "healthy" fats that you'll gain.
Everyone is different though.
I was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I am on 2,000 mg of metformin er and 25 mg of jardinance. I have heard so many tell me to try inositol because currently my periods are absent (and I'm not on birth control) I do eventually want to have a baby so I'm working so hard on getting this taken care of. I used to weigh 425 pounds in 2010. I started exercising and everything on 4/12/16 when I found out my diagnosis. Also quit soda cold turkey that day. I don't eat a lot of pasta, rice, bread etc along with processed foods. Most of my carbs come from fruits and veggies. I do drink a lot of water. I recently got a fitbit that helps me track everything. Along with a second job as my job is in an office so my max steps I hit when not exercising is about 4,000 if that. I am holding out on weighing til my next appt, but everyone is telling me i'm losing! I started at 318 beginning of april 2016, went to a weight seminar for possible weight surgery on 4-28-16 and weighed 307.5. I'll update you ladies once I weigh again. But I'm not hungry, which is great.
I also have started a multi vitamin hoping to try to bring my hormones back to normal. I would like to start my period on my own without meds like birth control.
any advice for me is welcome! I added all you ladies above me

I'm shocked Metformin hasn't helped your cycles. Mine are so freaking regular I hate it. LOL I was used to one every other or every third month. hehe. My OB/GYN would not put me on the pill after my daughter because of my hypertension that started while pregnant. Well he did but it was the mini pill and when my daughter quit nursing he said it wouldn't be so effective so I switched to a diaphragm and well I just know when I ovulate. I can hardly miss it since it can be so painful for me. I had regulated finally by the time my daughter was 6 or so but not fully with Met I've been 28-32 days on the dot. ARGH Sometimes I wish I could go on the pill to avoid them because they are painful and heavy for a couple days. Well some of them. If I didn't want the option open to have another baby some day I'd end them. Being 36 I don't have too long left but still possible. Keep dropping weight and I'm sure your cycles will return. I was on the pill before conceiving my daughter. I conceived her the first cycle off I ovulated day 15 right on target. Before I was on the pill I knew my cycles ran more like 6 weeks long.

To be honest, I'm not sure if it Met will help them or not, I've only been on them a month now. I'm just wanting a normal cycle for once in my life. I was 425 pounds as a teen and they never came til my gyn gave a pill to make me start. Then I was on birth control for a while and then my insurance and jobs changed and i couldnt get a refill for it. So I've been off it for about a yr and a half now and nothing, no period. I know most people are like you should be happy etc, but i'm not. I want to be normal. I want to be able to have a baby. I want to be able to feel like a girl. And I've heard it's not healthy to not have one. and it can interrupt with fertility issues. I should have the inositol sunday. My friend ordered it for me with Amazon Prime.

aSearch4Me

HayleyAnne012911 wrote: »

So I've been off it for about a yr and a half now and nothing, no period. I know most people are like you should be happy etc, but i'm not. I want to be normal. I want to be able to have a baby. I want to be able to feel like a girl. And I've heard it's not healthy to not have one. and it can interrupt with fertility issues. I should have the inositol sunday. My friend ordered it for me with Amazon Prime.

@HayleyAnne012911 I just wanted to chime in & say, if you haven't had a period in 1.5 years, you probably need to get into the OB/GYN for an exam & a course of Progesterone (i.e. name brand: Provera) to induce one. This is probably the same med you had initially to begin your cycle as a teen.

I totally get your feelings of wanting to have a baby & not feeling normal by not having regular cycles. I was there for YEARS. My husband & tried for nearly 6 years unsuccessfully to conceive, and numerous different physicians just told me to "lose weight". I finally found a great doctor who discovered/diagnosed my PCOS & put me on a LCHF diet paired with high dose Metformin (1000mg extended-release b.i.d). I would go long cycles (6+ months), and the Metformin didn't regulate my cycles until after I had had a Provera-induced cycle. My doctor described it as pushing the "reset" button on my hormone system. Then the Metformin regulated my cycles to a clock work 33-34 day cycle. Within 6 months I had lost nearly 60# & had a positive pregnancy test in January. We're now currently expecting a little girl in early October.

I'm really proud of you for taking charge of your fertility & health so young! I'm 33 & wish I had done so a decade ago . Good luck on your journey!

ShrinkinMel

Yes @HayleyAnne012911 great job taking charge of it all. I was thinking on the treadmill the other night oh how I wish I had kept it up in my early 20s. When my max weight was 215ish. I had dropped some(but unsure what I had weighed as we didn't have a scale I think I weighed in under 200 at the gym one though) and was running 10 min mile. I can't wait to get my pace up. I feel like a granny walking at 3.0 and having to turn that down in intervals. But in 4 weeks I lost 6 gained some back this week though. ARGH I'm not too worried I'll keep it going and if I have to cut out more carbs I will. In fact highly considering Whole30 for the month of June. Would be tough we have two kiddos birthdays in the fam. YIKES Usually they share a party at a pizza place. Even salads there wouldn't really meet guidelines but maybe if I bring my own homemade dressing. I usually pass on her cake choices anyway they always have that nasty whipped cream frosting and it gives me a tummy ache anyway.

HayleyAnne012911

@aSearch4Me Thanks for your support! Is provera a birth control? I don't want put on another one of those. I want to have these naturally with supplements if possible. This is day 3 on inositol. I've heard a lot of people have good results with this. If I don't start in a month, I'll make a gyn appt. I just want to try this first.