Stupid PCOS!

LeanLioness

Where do you live?

A natural doctor can help you a lot..............

JenniferMann24

Where do you live?

A natural doctor can help you a lot..............

I live in Georgia......ill have to look and see if we have one around here

azwildcatfan94

In terms of Low carb... Atkins didn't work for me. Well, it did for a short period of time and then, I just couldn't do it anymore and the weight came back. But, if atkins works for you, go for it!

When I started all of this (exercising almost a year ago and diet last March) I had multiple issues: PCOS, type 2 diabetes, borderline high blood pressure, borderline high cholesterol, and of course, obesity. When I started exercising, the high blood pressure improved. When I started the diet, my blood sugar and cholesterol improved (though still high triglycerides). While still obese, I feel a ton better and am looking forward to losing another 40 pounds and getting to the "overweight" category.

What I find that works for me is LOWER carb and moderate fats. If I eat bread, tortillas, or pasta, I pick the whole grain brands. I can't tell you the last time I ate a potato or corn. I will eat brown rice (it is a whole grain). I also avoid peas. If I eat a fat, as much as possible, I try to have it be the fat that is naturally in a food (nuts, avocados, lean meat, etc.) If I add an oil to something, I try to make it olive oil. And, I stay within my calorie amounts recommended by MFP. Oh yeah, whenever possible, I avoid processed sugar. But, I do eat fruit, including bananas. My fasting/ pre-meal blood sugar is usually in the 80's, 2 hours after eating, 120 - 140.

I have found that exercise is critical to maintaining my health. It keeps everything lower... blood sugar, BP, and cholesterol. Frequently, it is difficult to get motivated to go to the gym, but I am always glad when I do go.

For those of you new to PCOS, do your homework on it. Be willing to try different things to see what works for you. And, be aware that PCOS and type 2 diabetes is closely linked, so start reducing your sugar now, before diabetes and all the associated medical problems hit. My step-children have no problems eating the whole grain foods. We just explained that it is healthier for them. When it is taco night for dinner, I eat a taco salad and I might have one small whole grain tortilla, and they can have taco shells.

LeanLioness

In terms of Low carb... Atkins didn't work for me. Well, it did for a short period of time and then, I just couldn't do it anymore and the weight came back. But, if atkins works for you, go for it!

When I started all of this (exercising almost a year ago and diet last March) I had multiple issues: PCOS, type 2 diabetes, borderline high blood pressure, borderline high cholesterol, and of course, obesity. When I started exercising, the high blood pressure improved. When I started the diet, my blood sugar and cholesterol improved (though still high triglycerides). While still obese, I feel a ton better and am looking forward to losing another 40 pounds and getting to the "overweight" category.

What I find that works for me is LOWER carb and moderate fats. If I eat bread, tortillas, or pasta, I pick the whole grain brands. I can't tell you the last time I ate a potato or corn. I will eat brown rice (it is a whole grain). I also avoid peas. If I eat a fat, as much as possible, I try to have it be the fat that is naturally in a food (nuts, avocados, lean meat, etc.) If I add an oil to something, I try to make it olive oil. And, I stay within my calorie amounts recommended by MFP. Oh yeah, whenever possible, I avoid processed sugar. But, I do eat fruit, including bananas. My fasting/ pre-meal blood sugar is usually in the 80's, 2 hours after eating, 120 - 140.

I have found that exercise is critical to maintaining my health. It keeps everything lower... blood sugar, BP, and cholesterol. Frequently, it is difficult to get motivated to go to the gym, but I am always glad when I do go.

For those of you new to PCOS, do your homework on it. Be willing to try different things to see what works for you. And, be aware that PCOS and type 2 diabetes is closely linked, so start reducing your sugar now, before diabetes and all the associated medical problems hit. My step-children have no problems eating the whole grain foods. We just explained that it is healthier for them. When it is taco night for dinner, I eat a taco salad and I might have one small whole grain tortilla, and they can have taco shells.

The way you are eating is basically Atkins all 4 phases rolled up into 1............

I eat whole grains, mostly oats, quinoa and occasionally brown rice. I eat a ton of vegetables and fruits, moderate fats.........etc .......

We are eating the same way. The only difference is, I added foods in one at a time to see how my body reacted (for food allergy purposes), but Atkins is the way you are eating.........

There are actually a LOT of people that eat mostly natural and lightly processed foods that are basically eating "Atkins Maintenance" style...............

LeanLioness

Where do you live?

A natural doctor can help you a lot..............

I live in Georgia......ill have to look and see if we have one around here

Did you check out the website for recipe ideas???

My hubby has liked every recipe I have fixed from her website and he is a very picky eater.

gemiwing

A website that helps me a lot is Soul Cysters. They cover the whole gambit including meds, nutrition, natural remedies, weight loss and ttc issues.

((((Hugs to all my BEAUTIFUL Cysters)))))

azwildcatfan94

"The way you are eating is basically Atkins all 4 phases rolled up into 1"

Maybe, I don't think I ever got to "maintenance" because I still wanted to lose weight. What I remember from Atkins that didn't work for me was measuring/counting carb grams and staying below a given number. It was too low for me to maintain. And, I'm not doing that now. At that time, I was also avoiding all breads, rice, grains, and fruit. So the only carbs I was getting was from veggies. I was also eating a higher amount of fat. And a higer proportion of that was the bad fats. I do agree that the description of what you and I eat are fairly similar, no matter what we call it.

I know what I am doing can be considered low glycemic index. It could also be considered close to South Beach because it minimizes processed foods. However, I don't follow those specific plans.

My main focus is on being at or below my calorie budget and getting in the exercise. Because of the diabetes and high cholesterol, I am on lower carbs and no processed sugar.

But, overall, I think my main point was just to do whatever it is that both works for you in terms of weightloss, overall health, and long term staying power. There is a definite connection between PCOS, insilun resistance, obesity, and diabetes. So, figuring out what works for "us" is really important for our long term health. I think it is good that the people on these boards are taking control of their lives. No one else will take as good care of us than us.

And for me, I didn't just immediately start doing all the stuff I said I do now. I mean, when I first started dieting, my goal was to stay below 1800 calories and I was mostly eating lean cuisine, weight watcher, healthy choice, etc. However, I needed to make adjustments and lower my carb intake because of my triglycerides. Then when I found this site, I learned my calorie count could be reduced. But, I don't think I would have made it past the first week if I had tried to start much lower than I did. I had to work my way down.

LeanLioness

"The way you are eating is basically Atkins all 4 phases rolled up into 1"

Maybe, I don't think I ever got to "maintenance" because I still wanted to lose weight. What I remember from Atkins that didn't work for me was measuring/counting carb grams and staying below a given number. It was too low for me to maintain. And, I'm not doing that now. At that time, I was also avoiding all breads, rice, grains, and fruit. So the only carbs I was getting was from veggies. I was also eating a higher amount of fat. And a higer proportion of that was the bad fats. I do agree that the description of what you and I eat are fairly similar, no matter what we call it.

I know what I am doing can be considered low glycemic index. It could also be considered close to South Beach because it minimizes processed foods. However, I don't follow those specific plans.

My main focus is on being at or below my calorie budget and getting in the exercise. Because of the diabetes and high cholesterol, I am on lower carbs and no processed sugar.

But, overall, I think my main point was just to do whatever it is that both works for you in terms of weightloss, overall health, and long term staying power. There is a definite connection between PCOS, insilun resistance, obesity, and diabetes. So, figuring out what works for "us" is really important for our long term health. I think it is good that the people on these boards are taking control of their lives. No one else will take as good care of us than us.

And for me, I didn't just immediately start doing all the stuff I said I do now. I mean, when I first started dieting, my goal was to stay below 1800 calories and I was mostly eating lean cuisine, weight watcher, healthy choice, etc. However, I needed to make adjustments and lower my carb intake because of my triglycerides. Then when I found this site, I learned my calorie count could be reduced. But, I don't think I would have made it past the first week if I had tried to start much lower than I did. I had to work my way down.

Having a higher fat intake is what lowered my cholesterol and triglycerides.

LeanLioness

A website that helps me a lot is Soul Cysters. They cover the whole gambit including meds, nutrition, natural remedies, weight loss and ttc issues.

((((Hugs to all my BEAUTIFUL Cysters)))))

Yes, I have belonged their since 2003. My SN there is the same as here.