Women with PCOS RE: Low Glycemic Index

hellonurse524

So I'm newly diagnosed with PCOS. Had been trying to lose weight for about 6 months, exercising and eating between 1200-1500 cals per day and exercising about 3 days a week with only a 10 pound loss.

My doc recently (last week) started me on Glucophage to see if it will help with the insulin resistance. I'm not diabetic, or even pre diabetic (I read my lab results and I"m a nurse, my fasting BS is 97, and my HgBA1C was 92). My hormones are off, which is what he diagnosed me based on.

I was just curious to know if anyone else out there had seen results with exericse, diet, and the glucophage or if eating foods with a low glycemic index helped? I've never tried it but I eat fairly well. *honestly just looked up low glycemic foods and I'm pretty confused by it*

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

questionablemethods

Okay, so I don't have PCOS (that I know of) but I do know that I have some pretty wonky blood sugar issues (not diabetic but maybe hypoglycemic or insulin resistant?)

Personally, I am also pretty confused by the glycemic index stuff. I mean, I understand it on a theoretical level, but I think that it is hard to apply to everyone because different people can have quite different reactions to different foods. What I have found through my own trial and error is that I seem to do best when I limit my carbohydrates across the board. For example, I used eat a big bowl of steel cut oats with milk for breakfast plus some fruit. Super high fiber and supposedly really filling, right? Not for me. I would be ravenously hungry just an hour later. But when I eat 2-3 eggs and some mushrooms and red peppers (cooked in a nice dollop of butter), I am not hungry until lunchtime -- sometimes even 1 or 2 pm! I just have a much steadier appetite and I no longer get what I call "hangry" (hungry + angry).

I still eat some carbs in the form of fruit and sweet potatoes and squash, etc. But I generally keep it to around 80-100g/day of whole food carbohydrates (so not processed foods, no flour, no sweets). Some people might say that is too restrictive, but it keeps me sane and keeps me from feeling like I could eat everything in the kitchen.

All that said, I don't think you have anything to lose by sticking to low glycemic foods but just know that you might react differently to some foods than others. Some people even go so far as to get a blood glucose meter and do some self-experimentation to really see how different foods effect them.

servilia

I don't have PCOS but know many women who do. Even when a person with PCOS is not technically diabetic (and even when they're thin), it could be the case that they are slightly insulin resistant and hence why various diets (not a "set diet" but a way of eating) can be beneficial. In this case it would be a pattern of eating that doesn't cause huge insulin spikes. One piece of advice I have seen given to such women is to limit sugar and other simple carbs. Good luck.

Elizabeth_C34

So I'm newly diagnosed with PCOS. Had been trying to lose weight for about 6 months, exercising and eating between 1200-1500 cals per day and exercising about 3 days a week with only a 10 pound loss.

My doc recently (last week) started me on Glucophage to see if it will help with the insulin resistance. I'm not diabetic, or even pre diabetic (I read my lab results and I"m a nurse, my fasting BS is 97, and my HgBA1C was 92). My hormones are off, which is what he diagnosed me based on.

I was just curious to know if anyone else out there had seen results with exericse, diet, and the glucophage or if eating foods with a low glycemic index helped? I've never tried it but I eat fairly well. *honestly just looked up low glycemic foods and I'm pretty confused by it*

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Your best bet is to talk to your doctor. Symptoms and complications from conditions that affect your metabolism vary quite a bit depending on the person, and he/she would know how to answer you better than anyone here can.

irdietinfo

Yes, a change in diet and regular exercise is beneficial. if you have PCOS, you are almost certainly insulin resistant. I have been eating quite low carb for about 6 months but have not cut them out completely - I choose low GI versions of carbs where possible and they're great! It is not difficult to substitute refined carbs with low GI ones, once you look into it, and they help you to not feel deprived.

Caperfae

I have PCOS with IR and I had Gestational Diabetes with both pregnancies.
My advice is to just cut out most or all refined sugars (white breads and pastas, sweets, pop) .. Read the nutrition label on your foods and base it on both actual sugar content as well as carbohydrates/glucides. The lower those numbers the better for blood sugar.
I was on Metformin years ago but stopped it because it wasn't helping me lose weight or anything. I had my best result with watching what I put in my mouth, portion control and regular exercise.