Insulin Resistance anyone?

blueboxgeek

I have PCOS and insulin resistance and really struggle to lose weight. I'm slowly slowly getting there but would love to have some more people in the same situation on my friends list to chat with and follow their progress and also get more of an idea of the things that they eat and how they effect their weight loss.

Anyone else out there? Feel free to add me! xx

Branstin

There are several PCOS groups on MFP.

skyblue2001

I have pcos and progressed to type 2 diabetes. How I got here baffles me sometimes as I've never been seriously overweight. I do fluctuate 20lbs because I'm not a big eater and so tend lose weight and then force myself to eat to put it back on which backfires a lot into putting too much back on. What I can tell you, for me, is that I lose easy and I gain even easier and every last stinking pound goes to my gut. What I've learned about myself in dealing with this for 20 years, is that my body does not handle carbs well. I find that if I keep them lower (not drastically) I do better. I have my limit set at 150 on carbs although I rarely reach it. I also know when I'm lower carb the other horrible symptoms with pcos tend to disappear. When I first tried lower carb many years ago, the hair on my head regrew and it has stayed. (I had thinned quite a bit)

I also take metformin. You should talk to your doctor about this one. This and a few other drugs are supposed to be useful with pcos. The thing with pcos is the insulin resistance. Insulin is actually a master hormone that controls a lot of things and if it's out of wack, it can wreck havoc on many aspects of your health. My best advice would be to talk to your doctor about a diet that's suitable for you and see if they would suggest any medications.

PCOS can be managed. I believe it is much harder work for us and I sometimes don't believe that we can get by with just counting calories. Although that can help with weight loss, we tend to have so many other hormonal issues that need to be addressed and can be done so a lot of times with diet.

Wish you the best of luck, PCOS sucks!!!!

blueboxgeek

Thanks for the replies!

cnc826

I too have insulin resistance and I'm on metformin.

lindsey1979

You'll see quite a few people with IR on here, from PCOS or otherwise. Actually, it's estimate that over 40% of the US population has IR at either pre-diabetic or diabetic levels. When I learned I had it, I was shocked as I only had 30-40 lbs to lose at most.

As a result, I take metformin and keep my carbs low (and avoid grains). I finally lose like a "normal" person with this change in diet. I've recently starting IFing and love it. Feel free to add me as a friend.

agrafina

I was diagnosed with insulin resistance about two months ago, despite having normal blood sugars. No PCOS, just IR. I also take metformin and try to minimize grains, getting most of my carbs from beans, veggies, and fruit. Add me if you like!

louisekerry86

another Whovian!

I have PCOS and IR too, I'll add you

Novus175

"The Insulin Resistance Diet" by Hart and Grossman provides a lot of very useful information. I don't necessarily agree with everything in the book but I learned a lot from it.

Two principles from this book that I've applied to my way of eating and have found beneficial are:

1. The Two Hour Fat Window – Your body can only do two things with carbohydrates: use them as energy or turn them into fat. Your body makes this decision within a two-hour period. Eating more carbohydrates than your body can use for energy during this interval will force your body to turn them into fat. The IR Diet recommends eating no more than 30 grams of carbs at a time.
2. Link and Balance – Link the 30 grams of carbs with at least 14 grams of protein. Linking works because mixing a protein with other foods counteracts and lowers insulin’s reaction to those foods. Adequate protein in your diet is important because it helps build muscle, and because it is needed for the body to make dopamine, a chemical that signals whether you are hungry or full and helps to maintain feelings of well-being.

Eating low carb (<100g/day) and reducing/eliminating grains and starches has been the key to my weight loss. And I find that eating breakfast is very important for regulating my blood glucose. I do not take any prescription medications but do take supplements that help with PCOS/IR.

SharonNehring

Great replies and suggestions! I just wanted to add that you do not need to be overweight to develop type 2 diabetes. Yes, it raises your risk, but there are many overweight folks who never develop it along with the slim folks who do.

With PCOS, reduced carbs is the key. I'm not talking Atkins 20gms a day, but more like 100-130gms a day. The lower I keep mine the better I feel.

uchube

diagnosed a few years ago weighing 104lbs, and was put on 500mg metformin 3x a day. had great success, periods returned after a 7year absence and i had energy, with no more brain fog. weight fluctuated as normal up to 108ish then back down. I am petite 5ft 2.

now i've gained up to 117lbs after being bold and comfort eating during study this winter- all on the gut! so hard to get off. feel free to add me. i'm lowcarbing and doing 2x weekly heavy lifting.

itsbasschick

type 2 here. had an A1C of 12.5 in april (!!!), so on may 1 i started a food diary and started eating 5 to 6 smaller meals per day, 175 to 210 calories each, each with no more than 20 grams carbs and often less. i'm also either walking or working out 6 days per week. i'm losing weight at about a pound a week and my blood sugar is way down, in fact yesterday's waking blood sugar was 123, and today's at 154 was still a LOT better than it was on the last day of april.