PCOS: Caloric intake lower than 1200 cals

13»

Replies

  • 4bettermenow
    4bettermenow Posts: 166 Member
    corinne1977 wrote: »
    My doctor put me on BCP because of my PCOS. I haven't started them yet b/c I'm training for a half-marathon that's on Nov. 22nd. My fear is more weight gain and throw my cycle all off. Does one BCP better for PCOS than another? I also have uterine fibroid tumors so I know a hysterectomy is in my future but for now, should the BCP help?

    Its hard to say. What I have discovered with PCOS research is that no two women are exactly alike in symptoms and how they react to dealing with it. BCP jump started me on losing weight. Meaning, I haven't changed my "diet" in the last year and wasn't losing anything. When I started on bcp, I started losing. They also have regulated my periods, taken away all my cramps, seemingly diminished my acne overnight, dropped my bp that was starting to rise, etc. I went on the lo version of the bcp I was on for years before I had a tubal ligation. It had worked for me before, so my dr decided it was worth trying the same brand. And as I said earlier, once I hit a better weight in which I feel my body can deal with it better and I am healthier overall, then I will go off bcp and see how it goes. But everyone reacts differently to bcp. :neutral_face: For me, it was end of the road and I was willing to try anything.
  • blbst36
    blbst36 Posts: 54 Member
    But you aren't helping the issue. You are actively ignoring it. You are still at risk for any NUMBER of side effects from this syndrome. It doesn't kick start your ovulation. Just because you are getting your period every month doesn't mean that everything is hunky dory. That is what BCP is for.

    PLEASE do your research. Do not take everything your doctor says as fact. There is no reason to take the least effective treatment for this.

    No need to respond to me, this is the last time I am going to respond to this thread because it seriously angers me when people take such a subversive approach to their health. Especially when someone who has been dealing with this for 20 years offers up suggestions to look into.
  • corinne1977
    corinne1977 Posts: 144 Member
    4bettermenow wrote: »
    corinne1977 wrote: »
    My doctor put me on BCP because of my PCOS. I haven't started them yet b/c I'm training for a half-marathon that's on Nov. 22nd. My fear is more weight gain and throw my cycle all off. Does one BCP better for PCOS than another? I also have uterine fibroid tumors so I know a hysterectomy is in my future but for now, should the BCP help?

    Its hard to say. What I have discovered with PCOS research is that no two women are exactly alike in symptoms and how they react to dealing with it. BCP jump started me on losing weight. Meaning, I haven't changed my "diet" in the last year and wasn't losing anything. When I started on bcp, I started losing. They also have regulated my periods, taken away all my cramps, seemingly diminished my acne overnight, dropped my bp that was starting to rise, etc. I went on the lo version of the bcp I was on for years before I had a tubal ligation. It had worked for me before, so my dr decided it was worth trying the same brand. And as I said earlier, once I hit a better weight in which I feel my body can deal with it better and I am healthier overall, then I will go off bcp and see how it goes. But everyone reacts differently to bcp. :neutral_face: For me, it was end of the road and I was willing to try anything.

    Thanks for your response. I guess its just a trial and error situation at this point. I'm just always leary when I need to start a new med. By the way, the new BCP is Lo Loestrin. As long as it helps with the nagging cysts, weight gain is better than being in pain.
  • 4bettermenow
    4bettermenow Posts: 166 Member
    blbst36 wrote: »
    But you aren't helping the issue. You are actively ignoring it. You are still at risk for any NUMBER of side effects from this syndrome. It doesn't kick start your ovulation. Just because you are getting your period every month doesn't mean that everything is hunky dory. That is what BCP is for.

    PLEASE do your research. Do not take everything your doctor says as fact. There is no reason to take the least effective treatment for this.

    No need to respond to me, this is the last time I am going to respond to this thread because it seriously angers me when people take such a subversive approach to their health. Especially when someone who has been dealing with this for 20 years offers up suggestions to look into.

    Please do not assume I have not done research and that I am not making the best possible choices for my health. The number one being I need the weight gone to avoid other health issues. There is no need to become angered if someone handles their health issues different than the way you do. What that means is that every is different and responds to various treatments differently. To believe that your way is the only way is naive, even if you have been dealing with it for 20 yrs.
  • lola_zzz
    lola_zzz Posts: 4 Member
    4bettermenow wrote: »
    I have pcos. I only lose on a diet of 1000 to 1200 a day. I am on bcp which has helped me tremendously as well. I workout five days a week for at least 30 min. And I rarely eat back my exercise calories. I keep my sugar low and my carbs low. After five years of trying different things, this is what works for me and is the only way I have started losing weight. I currently weigh 186 down from 203. And I am 5'2".

    Hi, what is BCP (probably a silly question)? I have PCOS, and the gyno recommended that I go low GI diet to lose weight. My GP also said that if I was not able to I could go Metaformin which I think regulates insulin.

    I agree with your thoughts regarding weight loss strategy having been on a range of diets (low GI, atkins, dukan, etc) over the last two years, and lost no or at best limited weight. I have 1000-1100 calories a day ("clean" eating and low-gi), and exercise 5-6 times a week.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,981 Member
    BCP - birth control pill
  • Miss_1999
    Miss_1999 Posts: 747 Member
    I realize this is an old thread, but I've seen several ladies posting on this asking questions. I'll be honest, I've never been told to restrict my calories to less than 1200 a day, only to watch carbohydrates. I've most likely lived with PCOS my entire life, but did not get a formal diagnosis and begin treatment until age 24. I've written up a small guide with some Q & A for women who are newly diagnosed or even those living with PCOS but maybe wanting some more information here:

    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1448249/diagnosed-living-with-pcos-read-me/p1
  • khutchings09
    khutchings09 Posts: 2 Member
    I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 17. I am now 27, the only time I have ever been able to lose weight is when I stay between 800 and 1,100 calories a day. For years I tried to stay on the 1,200 cal a day diet and if I was lucky, I would lose 3 lbs of water and then no more, no matter how much I exercised. I even found out I had a gluten issue and cut all gluten out and still, not so much as a budge. My endocrinologist suggested Atkins, I tried that and it failed.
    Then before my wedding I did a modified version of JJ Virgin's diet and dropped my calories to between 800 and 1,000 a day (alternating so that my body doesn't feel starved) and I was able to knock 20 lbs off. I restarted 2 weeks ago and another 5 lbs down.... this is the lightest I have been since high school!!
    This seems to work. I am not a doctor, but I have tried so long and hard and this is what works. So I will continue, but I really think you need to listen to what your body says and how you feel (I feel great) and take a vitamin or eat a shake with a lot of vitamins and minerals in it to off set the lower caloric intake.
  • rainbowblu
    rainbowblu Posts: 119 Member
    I have PCOS as well,personally I hate meds..I managed to regulate my cycle(which only came ONCE a year) with a high fat, low carb diet. I can go from no period in MONTHS to a period in 2 days when I eat lots of avocado,nuts,salmon,tuna,and red meat...it works every time,my eyebrows also grow back when I eat this way..people think that I'm lucky to have no periods but its not a good idea for the lining to build up inside of me for too long.
  • madhattedmadness
    madhattedmadness Posts: 8 Member
    I have read about this online. I read a normal female requires around 1845 calories a day while someone with PCOS is 1445 a day. So eating 1200 or less calories a day helps with weight loss. That being said if I eat even 1100 calories a day and don't work out then i lose no weight
  • netitheyeti
    netitheyeti Posts: 539 Member
    edited December 2018
    madhattedmadness wrote: »
    I have read about this online. I read a normal female requires around 1845 calories a day while someone with PCOS is 1445 a day. So eating 1200 or less calories a day helps with weight loss. That being said if I eat even 1100 calories a day and don't work out then i lose no weight

    The problem with that is - what's "normal"? I have PCOS, when I'm at my goal weight (which puts me around BMI 21-22) and exercise somewhat regularly I maintain on roughly 1700, maybe 1800kcal a day.
    BUT - if I'm almost completely sedentary, then yeah, I maintain that weight at roughly 1500. But so will most other people who are my weight and height (5'2).

    I'm currently mildly overweight (BMI 26ish?) and I lose weight on 1200ish net kcal just fine, provided I'm careful with my logging... I do think having PCOS makes a slight difference, but it (personally) doesn't feel like a several-hundred-calories-per-day worth - when I compare my calorie/weight logs and the estimates mfp/online calculators give me

    The one thing my doctor told me was to be careful with my carb intake - but I don't do well on low carb diets so I mostly just try to avoid junk with large amounts of added sugar
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    i don't have PCOS but the attached links are from the nutrition team that i work with - many of whom of PhD's and advanced degrees in nutrition, metabolism and exercise physiology

    https://www.eattoperform.com/2016/06/18/pcos-insulin-resistance-side-story/
    https://www.eattoperform.com/2015/08/28/pcos-is-not-a-death-sentence-learning-to-work-with-your-handicaps-by-lori-walsh/
  • LiLee2018
    LiLee2018 Posts: 1,389 Member
    I've never heard that before and that just seems to low to me.
    I do know that a lot of women have a lot of success doing low carb diets to help with their PCOS. It has helped me a great deal.
  • HaleCry
    HaleCry Posts: 386 Member
    I have PCOS. I eat 1200 calories a day as well as 1/2 my exercise calories, and I eat carbs like normal. I lost 60lbs last year doing this, I didn’t do nothing special just because I have PCOS. Every body is different.

Categories