PCOS and food sensitivity?!?

dosesr4winners20

So I found out this year I have PCOS, and I went low carb to control blood sugars etc. Followed everything and only lost about 12 lbs in 3 months. Still good I know. Basically my problem is this, everytime I try to add anything back into my diet to "stabilize" I gain and not just like .1 but like 2 lbs over night. I can't eat pasta, rice, bread, sugar, potatoes, mostly anything with some oil, avacado, anything too processed like salad dressings, cheese, milk, chocolate, cakes, pizza, good cereals, etc. Basically anything I like

I take BC b/c the dr.'s said it normalize my hormones then I'd be fine. I've been taking it for almost 8 months and it's still a struggle to lose or eat the things I want.

Is there such a thing as food sensitivity or am I doomed to be a vegan (which isn't bad but I love fish and cheese)?
Anyone else have PCOS and how do you deal/eat/lose?

NikkisNewStart

Anyone else have PCOS and how do you deal/eat/lose?

I have PCOS and I burn more calories than I consume = weight loss. Simple.

Hannah_Banana

Hey! I know I'm just one of many women here who have it. But my best advice is SUBSTITUTION! I had to give up a lot of foods I like the most, but I've learned to substitute, or make lower carb versions of the same meals. There are a lot of low carb products out there - like low carb pasta, bread, even sweets (however these are generally made with malitol and we can argue the nutritional info of something like that elsewhere). But food affects everyone differently. I can eat Dreamsfield pasta, or Healthy Life bread and Adkins chocolate bars but your body may respond more negatively to even those foods.

I've been diagnosed for 7 years now, and I've VERY slowly made adjustments. Its a learning process, with PCOS - as with many things - there is no one size fits all solution. I know people who go low GI, people who eat under 125 carbs/day, people who only eat whole grains, the list is endless. Just experiment.

And most importantly, since you're experimenting with something you intend to do for life, don't get frustrated by the time it takes. With PCOS, our bodies simply don't drop the weight like 'normal people' and its discouraging sometimes to see people consistantly losing 2lbs+ week. Just acknolwedge you are working JUST as hard and doing JUST as well, your hormones are just out of wack. :flowerforyou:

Emismom77

Hey there! I also have PCOS and I don't believe in removing everything from your diet... just eat in moderation. The thing with PCOS is all about portion control. Here's what I am doing now... breakfast is usually a pack of instant oatmeal, lunch is a garden salad (lots of veggies, light cheese- if any) with a low fat or fat free dressing ( yes it sucks), for dinner - try eating your meats grilled or baked and incorporate lots of fruits & veggies into your diet. Try to drink more water & eat smaller meals. It'll be very hard at first, but it is possible! I don't eat several meals, but have incorporated 2 snacks into my day. It has kicked up my metabolism a little. BC will help, but I had to come off all forms b/c I was having terrible migraines. Let me know if you have any other questions & I'll try to help as much as possible.

Hannah_Banana

Anyone else have PCOS and how do you deal/eat/lose?

I have PCOS and I burn more calories than I consume = weight loss. Simple.

Sorry, insane oversimplification. I did this for a year, measuring every bite of food and bought a body bugg and fluxtuated in the same 10lb range all year.

dosesr4winners20

I eat less than 1000 a day in fruits and veggies and work out constantly. I wish it were so simple for me too as just eat and work out.

vannie18

I have PCOS and I eat everything in moderation. You can try taking Metformin, it really helps me with the cravings. Check with your doctor. Good luck!!!!!

dosesr4winners20

I have PCOS and I eat everything in moderation. You can try taking Metformin, it really helps me with the cravings. Check with your doctor. Good luck!!!!!

Thanks I will be asking my dr. if this is right for me or not!

Caperfae

I lost 37 lbs last year ... gained a lot back for obvious reasons this year) All I did was watch what I ate, quit drinking pop, burned more calories than I ate. If I wanted to indulge for a meal (special occasions) then I'd do an extra workout to allow for more calories through food.
I wasn't on Metformin because for me it never worked. I've been on it without success. This site was the only way I succeeded with losing weight. I can't wait to get back in the game in the Fall.

youngmomtaz

Bump because I want to see replys too. I was diagnosed 5 years ago. Never had fertillity problems and have had 3 childern in the last 11 years. This past year my Dad had quadruple bipass surgery due to hardening of the arteries caused by undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. That scared me and I started paying attention to me and getting the doc to run some tests. Found out I am insulin resistant and they were very close to medicating me(metformin) my weight loss journey began that day with the threat of meds and my promise that I would hit 150lbs by the end of the year. So far my sucsess is due to eating high protien, tons of veggies and keeping my carbs below 100gm/day. I will start adding in more fruit and whole grains once I hit my goal but for now will try to stick with a lower carb system. I, like the OP tend to have issues with processed foods. In my case bloat that in turn makes my weight look higher. My solution for that is a tbsp or 2 a day of apple cider vinegar in water. Other than that I am not much help.

All I know is that I cannot eat the way the Canadian government advocates. I ate following the food guide, counting calories, and exercising for years and lost next to nothing until I went higher protien. My body just functions better this way.

mialsya

Did you have the food sensitivities before? I was diagnosed back in 2000 and have no sensitivities other than a few allergies, mainly to fruits (I'm not the only one in my family with fruit allergies - my dad has them too). I haven't heard of PCOS causing that kind of sensitivities in the past. If you are having that many issues with that many different foods, you might want to see a dietician and see if any of them have a common ingredient or link that may be causing the sensitivity. That, or you may have developed an allergy. I take cinnamon with chromium supplements (2g, or 2,000mg, a day) and it helps a lot. I also take fish oil supplements (360mg 2x a day). I try to space my meals no more than 3 hours apart and have small meals and snacks under 200 calories each. I have one large meal up to 800 calories a day. I eat 6 times a day so I average around 1400-1500 calories a day. I work out every day and will alternate a day of straight cardio for an hour with a day of cardio warmup for 15 minutes followed by an hour of strength training. I am down 19 pounds since the 1st of the month doing this, but the first 12 or so was really fast (within 10 days) and the rest has been slowly coming off. I weigh every day and my weight fluctuates from day to day. I only chart when I hit a new lowest number. I also take weekly measurements and go more off of those than the scale.

electromg

Personally, i just don't take the birth control. Not taking it means greater ability to lose weight and at a lower weight, i feel my body stabilizes a lot better. My periods became regular when I was eating totally healthy and reached a BMI of 24. When I was 20 pounds heavier I didn't have my period for a year.

dosesr4winners20

These are all great tips! Thanks for all the imput Ladies!

janeosu

I have PCOS. Over the years I have realized that avoiding processed foods, sticking to mostly whole foods, and exercise seems to be the answer for me. Also, I stick to percentages of 40-40-20 on carbs/proteins/fats.

cshine06

Anyone else have PCOS and how do you deal/eat/lose?

I have PCOS and I burn more calories than I consume = weight loss. Simple.

Sorry, insane oversimplification. I did this for a year, measuring every bite of food and bought a body bugg and fluxtuated in the same 10lb range all year.

I counted every calorie and worked out like crazy and still didn't drop a pound. I am going to a weight loss doctor now to lose my last 15-20 pounds.