PCOS

leolioness0486

I am back to MyFitnessPal to try to get motivated. I have had many ups and downs along the way, but I think my biggest struggle is finding what I should/shouldn't be eating having PCOS. It seems like I have to be perfect to make any real progress, which can be overwhelming. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I want to succeed and feel like this is enjoyable at least a little lol many best wishes to you all to reach your goals!!

jlfeath829

I got my PCOS diagnosis 6 years ago, and worked with a dietician briefly - the recommendations she had were to eat a low-carb diet (50g/day). Basically following phase 1 of the South Beach diet. That didn't work for me personally; I lost weight, but had zero energy and felt like crap. I'm now working with another dietician who recommends a low-carb high-fat (LCHF or keto) diet, because your body will need something to burn for energy, so if you're not eating enough carbs for that your body will burn fat for energy instead. Hope this helps!

chokhas

for me just eating a balanced diet works. just my deficit needs to be bigger like eating only half of my sport calories plus deficit. maintenance I cant eat all calories without gaining so I have to eat a bit less as my metabolism seems a bit slow.

apullum

You don't have to be perfect. I have (had?) PCOS, and I just followed the calorie goals on MFP. It's worked for me so far. I've lost 97 pounds so far and been off all meds for the past year.

__TMac__

Me too. Moderate deficit (1 lb/wk), moderate carb (~150g), exercise (30-45m/6 days), and patience.

58 lbs down, 19 to go. Age 46.

xesixb

Well, I did try eating a low-carb diet as well but I could not keep up with it. However, there a several lifestyle changes I have made.
-Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Milk free (I drink unsweetened almond milk) and Soya Free (although I love tofu and soya milk)
I went gluten free because I always felt tired and bloated after eating. I do not buy gluten free products, but instead cook my own food and eat plenty of vegetables. The other day I was reading that following a low GI diet might improve PCOS. I have been trying to cut down on fruit, but it is a bit harder than eliminating bread. Once you go sugar free, your taste buds will start changing as well and you will start craving different foods (healthier ones).

Even though we may all of us have PCOS, we have different symptoms and react to different foods differently. My advice is to write down and try to understand your body and which foods have a positive and a negative impact on it. A healthy lifestyle is the best treatment for PCOS. The Mediterranean diet is a rich and hearty diet and you can get very creative with cooking.

PCOS can be overwhelming, as when you start eliminating food groups, you feel like you have little choices out there.

Vegetables like: spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes (they taste amazing, but a little bit expensive) beetroots, courgettes, fennel, onion, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, ginger, okra, etc
Fruits: apples, pears, melon, strawberries, blueberries, avocados, lemons, etc
Peas, lentils, beans, chickpeas
sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles (no added sugar)
Tahini, peanut butter, pumpkin seed butter
olive oil, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, pumpkin seeds oil
Fish (trout, mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines), chicken, turkey (try to stay away from sausages and deli meat), eggs (lots of them, I have at least 7 per week), nuts (I tend to have them not so often, because I always overdo it), Greek yogurt (drop one tsp of raw honey and cinnamon. Also when buying yogurt and cheese, I'd recommend going for full fat as low-fat products are usually full of sugar.)
Tea: fennel and liquorice root tea, green tea

Eat balanced meals, drink 2-3 liters of water, exercise daily (yoga, long speedy walks, running, take the stairs instead of the elevator), meal prep, and ask yourself if you are really hungry, drink a glass of water and then eat.

These are changes that have worked for me and I'm not saying that they will definitely work for you. I am still trying to find the balance as well.

Good Luck!
X

allenic10

I have PCOS as well, and had the low carb- high protein diet recommended by my doctor. I've tried it several times with small, short term results. I think the most important thing is to remember that we're making a lifestyle change... not just going on a diet. I've had much more success using MFP and maintaining a caloric deficit than I ever did on low carb. BUT, different things work better for different people. Whichever you choose, just be consistent. And try setting goals that don't require you to step on a scale. For me, it's moving down a pant size

Good luck!

FreyasRebirth

I was diagnosed with PCOS at 19 after being hospitalized with a ruptured and infected ovarian cyst. I had hot flashes, very irregular cycles, ect, but I wasn't overweight. The doctor put me on Metformin, which didn't help me. Reducing my dairy helped a lot. Now I'm moderately lactose intolerant (I can have cheese but no milk, yogurt. Ice cream is hit or miss). The diet I feel most comfortable with is 30-40% of my calories from fat and 15-20% from protein. Fat has more calories per gram (9 v 4) but it helps me go a few hours without eating again. I have a breakfast burrito in the morning and it will hold me over for 3-4 hours.