What are the differences..what would be best for me?

mjrose514

Ok so I have been slamming my brain with all the amazing info! But I'm very overwhelmed lol. So what are the main differences and similarities between all these "diets"? What seems to be best for pcos and insulin resistance while maintainable? I

I can probably reduce carbs once budget evens out and cut back on refined sugars if I can still have veggies and fruit... Love my fruit and v8fusion smoothies with redi whip cream (or the cheap substitute), but I occasionally still want that splurge, can't see giving them up completely forever... I know I need more potassium, iron, healthy fats and just general nutrients. I LOVE a good steak or shrimp, but it's rare we can afford even the non organic stuff never mind organic. I LOVE cheese, especially sharp cheddar and feta. I drink lots of water, no sodas or anything, every once in a blue moon alcohol, but I have acid reflux so it's rare. I do love bread, good bread not slice bread, but I can limit it to once a week or special occasions. I've done zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, and cauliflower pizza and am good with them all... At least in those forms lol.

So out of...
Keto
Paleo
Primal
South beach
Mediterranean
Low glycemic
Gluten free (realize this is one portion to an overall plan)
Lc/hf (or is this again a part of a bigger plan)
Hormone diet
Insulin resistance diet
Body shape or blood type (though I have no idea what my blood type is)
Whatever the heck I'm missing....

What are the differences, similarities? Do you think bits and pieces could be combined to create a great plan? What would you suggest might be sustainable for me? Best resources for that?

I know it's based on a lot of stuff, but hoping to get help clearing the clutter I guess lol.

Thanks!

atrjohnson

Hi,

This can be overwhelming and may sound crazy but you really have to figure out what is best for you. My diet tends to be strict because my body was never able to adjust to Metformin. By strict I mean in regards to sweets which have been a major weakness for me. I tend to eat lots of protein and lots of veggies. I still have potatoes but in much smaller amounts(the amount in a tv dinner). I even have to watch my fruit intake because my body responds rapidly(grapefruit yes, pineapple no or very little). I eat every two to three hours. I tried to become a vegetarian but my body prefers some meat.

I think you have to know how your body responds to sugar, if you are taking medication, and how you can plan your meals. Some days I have to stick to tv dinners for lunch. Other times I can cook dinner and have lunch from the leftovers. If really takes trial and error, at least for me. I was fine for the past 8 months but slipped and am now climbing back on the horse again.

Alliwan

I agree, you really have to find what works for you as we are all 'special snowflakes' in our own right.

I dont follow a set path either. I guess i do LC/HF but no set diet plan like Atkins/South Beach/Etc. I keep my carbs under 50g a day net, most of them coming from veggies and/or beans. If i want an apple with peanut butter, ill eat that tho and just make it fit with my carb goals. I eat about 100g of protein a day and fill the rest in with fats. Since i keep my carbs low, i dont eat bread and other baked goodies, which helps me stay off wheat anyway. I also dont drink milk because it upsets my tummy but i can eat cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, cream, etc just fine. If i do a protein shake, coffee or something else with a decent amount of milk, i use coconut milk.

Fats can be easy to get once you realize what you've been missing. I will fresh strawberries or blue berries, whip up real cream as a 'cool whip' type topping. Great fats and great taste. I use cheese, cream cheese, cream and butter mixture to put on top of veggies, also good fats and good taste. I use coconut oil generously, to fry whole eggs, to fry up meat, to bake some zucchini, squash, and bell peppers in and that's a really good fat and doesnt taste like coconut. I also use it in coffee sometimes if i do bulletproof coffee. If i crave a meat and cheese sandwich, i will roll the sliced meat and cheese together with a little mayo or mustard if i want and eat them that way. No need for bread.

I eat nuts, fish, good cuts of beef and pork because they have more fat in them usually than the lean ones.

But I've tried South Beach diet, WW, Low GI and others and none have them have worked for me past the initial water weight loss. LC/HF is the only thing that consistantly works for me, but only if i stick with it. I find that if i cheat and eat bread with toast, or pancakes or some other high carb meal, i crave carbs for days afterwards. If i stick with my fat intake and skip the carbs its a breeze for me.

But those other diets have worked for others. So you need to try out what works for you, both physically and mentally. If you jsut cant give up your carbs, try the low gi diet or south beach which allows you whole grain carbs. See if it works, if you lose weight if you can stick to it. If you cant, LC/HF and see if it works. Make sure you have your percentages right first so you dont have too much protein and too little fat.

You have to find something that works with you, your lifestyle, budget, body, emotions, etc. Only you can determine what works best for you. Give it a good 2-3 weeks per try to see how it affects your body before you decide something doesnt work.

Hang in there! We're here for you and you can always come back and ask questions.

mjrose514

I wish there was a "like" option lol. Thanks ladies! I just wish I knew what to do lol. Especially when I have a nutritionist helping from here, but she says I shouldn't eat butter and cream or cheese. Then I read the pcos forums and I keep hearing it's actually good... If I could afford it I'd eat all organic, have a vitamix, hire a trainer, and get a personalized meal plan lol. Alas I don't foresee that happening. I also have to figure out how to still go to networking lunches, eat with my in laws who's only idea of a vegetable comes out of a can unless it's tomatoes that goes on a biscuit, and eat what is provided to me at the weddings I work. During busy portrait months I'm on the road a lot and so have to figure out how to work that as well when I'm subbing. My schedule is never the same lol. I definitely have an addiction to good tasting carbs/sugars, some days worse than others. There are some days where eating bad is all I can think of and others where none or just a small amount is satisfying. Then there days like yesterday and today where I seem to want to eat the whole house!

sharimedina

I have tried a lot. For me it is just 'doing' something. I am on a 1500 calorie diet. I have a food addiction, so I just have to stay on plan. Period. Start something and adjust as necessary. Think of it as a life long eating plan. For me it is about my health (diabetes and pcos) Eat to live don't live to eat...that is my motto. Stay accountable. I think you will succeed here. Don't leave, even if you have a bad day. I am not perfect, but I have made the promise to be honest and accountable. It has helped. Good luck!!

mjrose514

Awe thanks! The hardest part for me is in the past I'll be ready to cut carbs and all that, but my husband and his family think it's crazy and it just got to hard to keep up bc my husband was insistent that carbs be a part of our meal. I was watching and reading the stuff here- http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf and it just seemed to click! (His graphs didn't hurt lol) and when my husband called and I was all excited he was at first too when I mentioned butter, but as soon as he started to realize it meant no bread or pasta he started to freak. He said he'd try, but I know it will be a battle. So I'm going to try and go from there.. Well after this week lol. I wish I had the money to start today, but alas no I must continue to feel hungry after my carbs... Lol