Just got diagnosed with PCOS - looking for new friends!

Charlotte012

Hello cysters,

My husband and I have been ttc for a year and half. Our unsucess led to tests that showed my polykistic follicules and so here I am. This is still pretty new and there is a bunch of other tests coming so I still don't know if I am insulin resistan and wether or not we will be able to conceive naturally. So lots of questions, but since I have been struggling with my weight, body hair and depression/anxiety for a great deal of my life, it is both a shock and a release to put a cause to some of these issues.

I could use support and tips on exercice/nutrition specific to PCOS so feel free to add me

Dragonwolf

It's entirely possible for you to conceive naturally. A lot of women have been able to conceive naturally, even after being told that they are completely infertile or very nearly so (even to the point that the doctors said IVF probably wouldn't work).

I am a big fan of low-carb/high-fat Paleo/Primal way of eating. Here are guidlines for that:

Avoid grains, particularly gluten grains. They're high-carb and not the most nutrient-dense compared to other foods.

Limit or avoid dairy - Milk generates an insulin response that compares to white bread, because it's not just the sugar. The whey in dairy also generates a significant insulin response (moreso than any other protein). Butter is the exception to this, since it is nearly entirely just the fat, which doesn't have these properties. Clarified butter, or ghee, is even better if you find yourself very sensitive to the sugars or proteins in milk, because it only has trace amounts left and is about as pure butterfat as you can get.

Avoid or greatly limit soy - Soy is high in phytoestrogens, which elevates our own estrogen. Since PCOS women generally already run high, this makes our lives even worse.

Eat plenty of fats. Fats are essential for hormonal balance, cell health, and vitamin synthesis and absorption. Saturated fats are not the devil, and in fact, coconut oil (a fat that is over 90% saturated) can help improve insulin resistance. So be liberal with your fats -- cook your foods in butter, coconut oil, tallow, or lard; toss your veggies and salads with olive, macadamia, or avocado oils. Avoid vegetable and seed oils (vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, etc), because they're heavily processed and primarily Omega-6, which is extremely heat-sensitive and oxidize easily (a bad thing). And, of course, avoid trans fats -- hydrogenated oils, etc. -- like the plague.

Get adequate protein. You don't need a ton. About 100g worth, give or take about 20g. It generally works out to about a serving per meal. Don't replace carbs with protein if you decide to lower your carbs. Protein is not fuel, and the body does not do well if you try to live primarily on protein.

Get carbs primarily from non-starchy vegetables. Load up non-starchy vegetables -- leafy greens, peppers, asparagus, etc. These food are high in lots of micronutrients, and most of their carbs come from fiber, which is used by our gut flora. Healthy gut flora staves off a wide range of problems.

Limit fruit and stick to low sugar varieties. Sugar is sugar, especially if you're insulin resistant. Fructose also isn't better just because it has less of an effect on blood sugar levels. Fructose gets shuttled off to the liver, where it's converted to triglycerides. Stick to lower sugar fruits -- berries, avocado, etc (see here for a more comprehensive list of fruits with relative sugar content -- http://www.justmeblog.com/2012/01/06/which-fruits-have-the-most-and-least-sugar/ ). By sticking with lower sugar fruits, you can get the most nutritional bang for your sugar buck.

Avoid refined sugars and limit all sources of sugar. This overlaps with the previous, but we're talking about sugar sources in general -- granulated sugar, HFCS, honey, maple syrup, etc. Like I said, sugar is sugar. Fruit, honey, and maple syrup are marginally better, because they have various micronutrients and other beneficial effects (honey is a potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent, for example, and maple syrup has a lot of manganese). However, the calories they have come entirely from sugar, so be sure to limit them. The refined sugars don't even have that.

Lift heavy. No, you won't gain a ton of muscle, not even if your testosterone is elevated. Not even guys can accidentally generate a ton of muscle mass. What it will do is tone you up, burn body fat, and (from what I can tell) help balance hormones.

Do some low-level cardio. AKA - walk a lot. For cardiovascular health, walking is just as beneficial as running. So try to walk as much as you can. You don't need to train for marathons or whatever to get the benefits, but if you like other forms of cardio, that's fine, too. It doesn't have to be mid to high intensity, though.

Get outside Women with PCOS (and people in general) tend to be deficient in Vitamin D, so make sure to get outside and get some sun, which is the best way to get Vitamin D.

Alright, I think I've overwhelmed you enough for one day. Feel free to ask any other questions, or drop me a friend request.

Catter_05

It's entirely possible for you to conceive naturally. A lot of women have been able to conceive naturally, even after being told that they are completely infertile or very nearly so (even to the point that the doctors said IVF probably wouldn't work).

I am a big fan of low-carb/high-fat Paleo/Primal way of eating. Here are guidlines for that:

Avoid grains, particularly gluten grains. They're high-carb and not the most nutrient-dense compared to other foods.

Limit or avoid dairy - Milk generates an insulin response that compares to white bread, because it's not just the sugar. The whey in dairy also generates a significant insulin response (moreso than any other protein). Butter is the exception to this, since it is nearly entirely just the fat, which doesn't have these properties. Clarified butter, or ghee, is even better if you find yourself very sensitive to the sugars or proteins in milk, because it only has trace amounts left and is about as pure butterfat as you can get.

Avoid or greatly limit soy - Soy is high in phytoestrogens, which elevates our own estrogen. Since PCOS women generally already run high, this makes our lives even worse.

Eat plenty of fats. Fats are essential for hormonal balance, cell health, and vitamin synthesis and absorption. Saturated fats are not the devil, and in fact, coconut oil (a fat that is over 90% saturated) can help improve insulin resistance. So be liberal with your fats -- cook your foods in butter, coconut oil, tallow, or lard; toss your veggies and salads with olive, macadamia, or avocado oils. Avoid vegetable and seed oils (vegetable oil, peanut oil, canola oil, etc), because they're heavily processed and primarily Omega-6, which is extremely heat-sensitive and oxidize easily (a bad thing). And, of course, avoid trans fats -- hydrogenated oils, etc. -- like the plague.

Get adequate protein. You don't need a ton. About 100g worth, give or take about 20g. It generally works out to about a serving per meal. Don't replace carbs with protein if you decide to lower your carbs. Protein is not fuel, and the body does not do well if you try to live primarily on protein.

Get carbs primarily from non-starchy vegetables. Load up non-starchy vegetables -- leafy greens, peppers, asparagus, etc. These food are high in lots of micronutrients, and most of their carbs come from fiber, which is used by our gut flora. Healthy gut flora staves off a wide range of problems.

Limit fruit and stick to low sugar varieties. Sugar is sugar, especially if you're insulin resistant. Fructose also isn't better just because it has less of an effect on blood sugar levels. Fructose gets shuttled off to the liver, where it's converted to triglycerides. Stick to lower sugar fruits -- berries, avocado, etc (see here for a more comprehensive list of fruits with relative sugar content -- http://www.justmeblog.com/2012/01/06/which-fruits-have-the-most-and-least-sugar/ ). By sticking with lower sugar fruits, you can get the most nutritional bang for your sugar buck.

Avoid refined sugars and limit all sources of sugar. This overlaps with the previous, but we're talking about sugar sources in general -- granulated sugar, HFCS, honey, maple syrup, etc. Like I said, sugar is sugar. Fruit, honey, and maple syrup are marginally better, because they have various micronutrients and other beneficial effects (honey is a potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent, for example, and maple syrup has a lot of manganese). However, the calories they have come entirely from sugar, so be sure to limit them. The refined sugars don't even have that.

Lift heavy. No, you won't gain a ton of muscle, not even if your testosterone is elevated. Not even guys can accidentally generate a ton of muscle mass. What it will do is tone you up, burn body fat, and (from what I can tell) help balance hormones.

Do some low-level cardio. AKA - walk a lot. For cardiovascular health, walking is just as beneficial as running. So try to walk as much as you can. You don't need to train for marathons or whatever to get the benefits, but if you like other forms of cardio, that's fine, too. It doesn't have to be mid to high intensity, though.

Get outside Women with PCOS (and people in general) tend to be deficient in Vitamin D, so make sure to get outside and get some sun, which is the best way to get Vitamin D.

Alright, I think I've overwhelmed you enough for one day. Feel free to ask any other questions, or drop me a friend request.

Great advice! I will reiterate the advice to avoid refined sugar. Try to limit how much of any sugars you have at the same time. When you eat carbs, be sure they are nutritious. PCOS sufferers tend to have a tough time with carbs so make it worth it when you eat them.

Charlotte012

Thanks Dragonwolf!

I already cut refined sugar and I exercice a lot. Carbs are a challenge that I am working on. I am meeting soon with a nutritionnist so I hope she'll be able to help as well.

sardelsa

Hi Charlotte. I am sorry you are struggling with TTC. It sounds very similar to what we went through, when I was finally diagnosed with PCOS (after 15 months ttc) it was a mixture of emotions because I was relieved we figured out the problem but at the same time worried about what that meant for our journey.

Dragonwolf gave you some fantastic advice re: nutrition and fitness. I did not have insulin resistance but I found following the PCOS diet helped my hormone levels. It is not impossible to conceive with PCOS but it can take time. I highly recommend taking your basal body temperature (if you are not already) and using ovulation cues (OPK tests, CM etc) to properly time intercourse since cycles can typically be all over the place. There is hope!
Good luck!