What is meant by low carb for pcos?

thayne8681

I am wondering what my aim for carbs should be while on a low carb diet. My PCOS is so bad right now, but I started working out and eating healthy today. I thought I was doing well, but I am having the hardest time eating enough calories. I am breast feeding, so it says I need 500 more, and I don't think I could even reach my goal without that. I still have to eat over 1000 calories tonight!! I checked my calorie goal twice. I ate 3 meals and 3 snacks today, but there is no way I can eat more food, lol. I did not expect this problem at all. I am also over my caloric goal on protein and sugar, so I guess tomorrow, I will have to change things up a bit.

Alliwan

your diary isnt open but if your struggling to eat enough calories you need to eat more calorie dense foods, like avocado's and nuts, coconut milk and/or oil, etc. Those are all low/no carb but higher in fat and calories to help you be filled up and fill your calorie goals. Since i cant see your diary idk what your eating but those might give you a few ideas.

Dragonwolf

your diary isnt open but if your struggling to eat enough calories you need to eat more calorie dense foods, like avocado's and nuts, coconut milk and/or oil, etc. Those are all low/no carb but higher in fat and calories to help you be filled up and fill your calorie goals. Since i cant see your diary idk what your eating but those might give you a few ideas.

This.

Check out the recipes on the various Primal and Paleo websites, too. They're often lower in carbs and higher in fat by nature (due to the ingredients used, unless it's a tuber recipe), made with whole foods, and often really tasty.

thayne8681

Thanks so much girls. Im going to try to figure out how to open my diary so you can see it. I have been trying to eat a lot of nuts and avocados and I have been drinking coconut milk in spinach smoothies in the morning, but I can do better. I did have one more question though if that is ok? Why does it add calories when you work out? It adds 500 calories for exclusively breastfeeding and then gives me even more calories for exercising. It seems like I would want to eat less and burn more? What am I missing here?

Dragonwolf

Thanks so much girls. Im going to try to figure out how to open my diary so you can see it. I have been trying to eat a lot of nuts and avocados and I have been drinking coconut milk in spinach smoothies in the morning, but I can do better. I did have one more question though if that is ok? Why does it add calories when you work out? It adds 500 calories for exclusively breastfeeding and then gives me even more calories for exercising. It seems like I would want to eat less and burn more? What am I missing here?

MFP builds in the calorie deficit based on the options you picked. So, if you pick lose 1lb/week and sedentary activity level, you would theoretically be able to lose 1lb/week without exercise ("theoretically" because it usually works for people without PCOS, but for us, all bets are off). The exercise you log should be above and beyond what you accounted for when you set your activity level. Since exercise burns calories, it increases your energy expenditure for the day, and increases the amount of weight you'd lose (throwing off the projected progress). However, creating the extra deficit risks under fueling your exercise.

Exercise isn't for losing weight so much as getting healthy ("you can't out run a bad diet"), so you should fuel your workouts so you don't burn yourself out. Generally speaking, it's encouraged to "eat back the calories," though results vary for everyone, especially those of us with PCOS.

Alliwan

Exercise isn't for losing weight so much as getting healthy ("you can't out run a bad diet"), so you should fuel your workouts so you don't burn yourself out. Generally speaking, it's encouraged to "eat back the calories," though results vary for everyone, especially those of us with PCOS.

this is important. many of us with PCOS dont eat back our exercise calories. I rarely eat back all of them and only once in awhile eat back half of them, BUT i still make sure i NET over 1200 to make sure i get all my nutrients in. Its going to be trial and error. More protien and even more fats will help with the lower carbs, at least it does for most of us, but burning more thru exercise is important too. Listen to your body as your breastfeeding, so make sure the baby's health comes first.

try eating your exercise calories back, or most of them and see how it goes, if you dont lose anything, then dont eat them back. dont try to lose toooo much right now, keep your milk supply healthy first, then once your done breastfeeding you can look into losing weight more vigerously.