PCOS - Any diet tips

JustCallMeLucky

I've had PCOS for years... but have never followed diets for any significaant length of time. My weight has regularly increased and decreased, and seems to have leveled out at my current weight.

I'm insulin resistant but crave sugar all day.... and night. I was prescribed 850mg of Metformin 3xdaily but for it made me dizzy so rarely take it. I was on reductil before it was taken off the market and lost 4st. It was amazing. I have since regained it all. I weigh more now than I did when I was pregnant. Which is depressing.. very depressing.

My doctor recommended chromium, which is good to curb my cravings but as with any and all medication I take, I'm not very good at taking it regularly.

I'm starting my diet tomorrow again...... but rather than become reliant on meds for the rest of my life I want to become better at regulating my sugar intake.. which seems to be my entire diet and is influencing my son. He sees me snacking and wants to snack too. Which is not acceptable..

sandy2006

Hi, same here with the pcos. I do a low carb diet. I cut out most proccessed foods and count my calories. I do not take met. I exercise everyday. I wish you luck!

JustCallMeLucky

Thanks Sandy.

Janet39

Same boat here

I have altered my eating habits to eat more fat and protein. I have amended my target figures to 40% carb, 30% fat, 30% protein.

I have found that the slightly higher protein, and lower carbs lowers my cravings.

I love my food I use high protein bars in my bag for meals on the go ( Atkins or other makes), and have concocted my own breakfast shake, for speedy breakfasts. ( 2 scoops protein powder for the protein, 1 scoop Slimfast for the texture, 1 tbsp ground oatmeal for the cholesterol benefits)

Try to plan your meals around veg and protein, with dense carbs as a added extra if required.

This is just what suits me, above all be flexible. Life is really variable

Try not to get bogged down by any prescribed diet, find out what works for you.

hailzp

Try to experiment to find out what works best for you. I had to go lowish carb to start to lose weight. It was not mega low carb but no bread, only pasta and rice on days I exercised. As well as cutting down processed things. Good luck

Starla_

I found that eating gluten was my culprit and I have reduced the amount of processed carbs I eat. Not eating gluten has been the biggest thing for me, I feel tons better and my cyst pain isnt constant anymore and I'm nowhere near as bloated or retaining near as much water... Eating less processed carbs was just a side effect of cutting out gluten and now when I eat too many I feel really gross and yuck, as I hate gf bread its not so hard to stick to

I also agree with a higher fat and protein intake

rf1170

I hope you find a solution that works for you! I don't personally have PCOS, but I do follow the blogs of two women who do, and they've offered up lots of insight into how they manage their condition (both of them are committed to their notion of "real food"). Jenny McGruther writes Nourished Kitchen, and you can read about her diagnoses here: http://nourishedkitchen.com/my-story-recovery-from-celiac-disease-pcos-and-autoimmune-thyroid-disease/ Donielle Baker writes Naturally Knocked Up: http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/start-here/about/

I know from the comments of other readers that their advice has helped women with PCOS; if nothing else, it might give you a new direction to head in if you've exhausted your possibilities on this path. Good luck!

skb12573

Same boat here
"
I have altered my eating habits to eat more fat and protein. I have amended my target figures to 40% carb, 30% fat, 30% protein."

I do the same! For the first 5 weeks though, I went NO SUGARS and less than 50 total carbs per day but ate as many calories as I wanted. That pretty much loosened up my addiction to carbs. I totally quit craving them and I lost a quick 20 pounds! I then lowered my calories to MFP suggested range for safe weightloss and upped my carbs to about 40% (worked out to about 100 roral carbs) AND I implemented a walking plan. I did this for about 7 weeks and lost about 25 more pounds in that time. In the last 2 weeks I have added couch to 5k training (yes I am still in the 240's range) and I still do some walking at least 2 or 3 days a week as well. Now, since then I have not lost any weight... but EVERYONE has finally noticed my weight loss and I attribute it to building muscle and losing fat! I am IR and there is no way I can ever eat carbs like everone else and still lose weight. It just gets stored to my liver and other body parts as fat!!!!!!!

Also as others mentioned, I have cut out more and more processed anything! It is just better for me.

scythswife

i have pcos as well but for me i try to make the thing we used to eat a little healthier or i eat smaller portions of it and bigger veggie sides. i don't have to take any meds or anything either. also i just do a lot of working out dvds. biggest thing for me is finding the right calorie intake to lose as it seems to change

zellagrrl

Low carb-- I've been able to stop my metformin. Taking meds regularly though is really important! I keep mine in the bathroom where I remember to take them in the AM, with my toothbrush.

melg126

I have PCOS since about puberty so 22 years. But just recently started changing my diet because last year my bloodwork showed I was pre-diabetic. I try to follow a modified South Beach Diet. I limit my sugar intake which has made a huge difference. Since the time I changed the way I eat I have not only lost weight, I lowered my cholesterol and more importantly my glucose and insulin levels are now normal.

Good luck with everything!

brneydgrlie

Low carb here, too.

Don't eat fruit as breakfast in the morning especially by itself - it will spike your blood sugar and make you hungry faster.

Make sure whenever you have a carb (including veggies) you pair it with a protein. The protein makes it digest slower, which prevents blood sugar spikes, and keeps you feeling fuller longer.

Have your doc check your vitamin D levels. About 80% of us PCOS-ers are D deficient, and it is a vitamin that has been shown to help metabolism, immunity, heart and joint health, and a whole host of other things.

Also, look into Alpha Lipoic Acid. This can be purchased at your local vitamin or health food shop pretty cheaply. Studies have shown that it helps not only detoxify the body (the original purpose), but greatly increases insulin sensitivity.

gypsykitchen

Please don't confuse PCOS and gluten issues - they are two very different things! I have PCOS, and about a year ago went on a very low-carb diet (South Beach). It made my body react in pretty horrible ways - I got dizzy anytime I tried to exercise, and had SERIOUS problems with my period (I'm on the pill, and started bleeding randomly mid-month for like 2 weeks - sorry if that's TMI). Since then, I've talked to my regular doctor and an endocrinologist about this, and they both confirmed that unless you have separate issues with gluten, don't cut carbs for the sake of PCOS. With this disease, your hormones are out of whack already, and any type of drastic reduction in anything will unbalance them even more. If you're absolutely sure you want to cut carbs, do it very very gradually. The same advice goes for everything else: take baby steps towards cutting out foods you don't want in your diet anymore. If you try to make drastic changes all at once, your body will rebel - I think that's good advice for anyone, but especially for those of us who have various imbalance issues!

brneydgrlie

Please don't confuse PCOS and gluten issues - they are two very different things! I have PCOS, and about a year ago went on a very low-carb diet (South Beach). It made my body react in pretty horrible ways - I got dizzy anytime I tried to exercise, and had SERIOUS problems with my period (I'm on the pill, and started bleeding randomly mid-month for like 2 weeks - sorry if that's TMI). Since then, I've talked to my regular doctor and an endocrinologist about this, and they both confirmed that unless you have separate issues with gluten, don't cut carbs for the sake of PCOS. With this disease, your hormones are out of whack already, and any type of drastic reduction in anything will unbalance them even more. If you're absolutely sure you want to cut carbs, do it very very gradually. The same advice goes for everything else: take baby steps towards cutting out foods you don't want in your diet anymore. If you try to make drastic changes all at once, your body will rebel - I think that's good advice for anyone, but especially for those of us who have various imbalance issues!

I would also like to point out the following:

1) Keep in mind, Low carb does not mean NO carb. Fruits and vegetables do indeed contain carbs. And they are necessary to health.

2) Also, what the above poster wrote is valid, but gluten is not the only reason to go low carb. Many PCOS-ers are successful going low carb simply because (sometimes unintentionally) this has the nice side benefit of removing processed, chemical and preservative-laden foods from our diets. These chemicals and preservatives are major contributors to knocking our hormones out of whack in the first place.

There is nothing wrong with experimenting with your diet and finding what is healthy for you. When you do this though, please remember to keep to your calorie goals. It will not do any good for your body if you end up consistently below goal. It may very well seem like you are eating A LOT more food when you remove the junk, but that is a good thing. You will actually feel less deprived, because your portions of healthy foods will be much larger than the same caloric content of junk foods would be.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck with your journey! :happy:

Starla_

Please don't confuse PCOS and gluten issues - they are two very different things! I have PCOS, and about a year ago went on a very low-carb diet (South Beach). It made my body react in pretty horrible ways - I got dizzy anytime I tried to exercise, and had SERIOUS problems with my period (I'm on the pill, and started bleeding randomly mid-month for like 2 weeks - sorry if that's TMI). Since then, I've talked to my regular doctor and an endocrinologist about this, and they both confirmed that unless you have separate issues with gluten, don't cut carbs for the sake of PCOS. With this disease, your hormones are out of whack already, and any type of drastic reduction in anything will unbalance them even more. If you're absolutely sure you want to cut carbs, do it very very gradually. The same advice goes for everything else: take baby steps towards cutting out foods you don't want in your diet anymore. If you try to make drastic changes all at once, your body will rebel - I think that's good advice for anyone, but especially for those of us who have various imbalance issues!

Cutting out gluten doesnt mean cutting out carbs either... I have a gluten intolerance that was never picked up until i cut it out because of the PCOS.. others who feel just as gross while eating carbs may also have an intolerance or they may just find that GF items are easier to digest than gluten items..

I think most of us who eat less processed carbs can agree that that helps as well. I would never think of myself as low carb I just get the bulk of mine from fresh foods rather than processed.

eablakley

I have found, for me, that I eat lean meats, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and carbs that are high in fiber eaten during 5 smaller meals a day in stead of 3 helps me with my weight loss. I have had PCOS for about 15 years now, and my doc just out me on 150mg a day of metformin to help my body use the glucose in my body more efficiently. I am not diabetic, but my PCOS has led to hypothyroidism. I also work out vigorously 5 days a week to increase my cardio health and endurance. Since I've been on metformin, I have had more energy and don't feel the need for naps like I did before I started taking it. I am by no means a pro at this, but my best advise is to have a strong support system set up with your friends and family to help you. It's easy to have the best intentions, but it's the follow though that matters! Good luck to all of you ladies!

PhenomeNae

wow this is really fascinating to know that a majority of you are insulin resistant. I've been diagnosed with both Diabetes and PCOS and now i can see that they're both really kind of linked. I'll keep an eye on this thread for more tips and opinions though...

row_rivers

hi!
i was diagnosed with PCOS about a year ago. and since then, i lost 28 lbs. i know it's slow, but i needed to really drill some habits into my brain. a lot of people say low-carb diet works best, but if you're a mom, you need quite a bit of energy to get through the day. and since energy comes from carbs, you don't want to go overboard with this no-carb diet. i recommend you find a mix between a low carb and low glycemic index diet. this way, your net carbs don't go TOO low and you won't get too tired throughout the day. basically, try to avoid anything WHITE. white potatoes, white bread, white rice, white pasta, white sugar etc etc.

low glycemic index means you're eating carbs, but they are made of more complicated sugars that break down slowly in the blood. it helps you maintain a more constant blood sugar level and prevents the dreaded insulin spike. so replace a lot of your simple carbs with things like brown rice, wheat bread, wheat pasta and yams. THEN, worry about your portion control. just because these are better for you it doesn't mean that you should eat a LOT of them.

now, i'm not saying FOREVER give up your favourite cookies or fries. life like that would be insufferable. there are a few tricks however. if you really need some of those carb-y treats, have them AFTER a vigorous workout. you'll digest carbohydrates more easily at those times. another trick is to pair those carb treats with fibre or some good fats. they also help the digestion of carbohydrates. so if you need your cookie, have a spoonful of natural organic peanut butter. or some flax seeds. or half of an avocado.

there is also some recent research that states that fasting actually helps IMPROVE your insulin resistance. i might get slaughtered for this on MFP, but fasting for about 20 hours once a week has helped pre-diabetics and diabetics become more sensitive to insulin. <-- this is not something i have tried yet, so do your research and talk to your doctor first.

other than that, as soon as you get your healthy lifestyle in place, you will feel the benefits right away. trust me.

all the best!

katejkelley

You might try the South Beach Diet. It's all about regulating insulin, eating good carbs, fats and proteins. The recipes are all very good, too - a lot of variety. I think there are several recipe books out now for the program.

JustCallMeLucky

Hey girls,

Thanks for all the tips. I'm not very good a following diets, but I'll have to look into the south beach diet. It sounds interesting. A lot of people have recommended the smaller meal sizes but to eat more often.. that might work for me so I'll have to try it out too..

Ickaboo

Hi there, I found out about my PCOS about a year ago, also found out that I was border line insulin resistant. Unfortunately I didn't do anything about it until now, considering I gained another 50 pounds since then.
My doctor has put me on a very low dosage of metformin, just to see how my body reacts to it, and she also told me to go see a dietician. Best choice I've ever made!
My diet is really simple, cut out "bad food" like processed, high in sugar and fat and obviously anything I know wont be good for me, and add lots of vegetables!
I'm also following the Canada food guide, meaning I need to have so many portions per day of grains, fruits/vegetables, milk and alternatives, and also meat and alternatives while staying under the calorie goal she has set for me.
It seems so simple but it just didn't click for me until she sat me down and talked to me about it for like an hour. But it all makes so much sense now!
I've only been on this diet two days now, but so far so good! I don't know if it is the metformin (which I take every night with my dinner) or just the fact that I have to have my three healthy meals a day, all portioned out, along with my healthy snacks every 2-3 hours but I dont feel hungry at all like I used to on other diets. I don't get the shakes and sweats, or the dizziness or headaches. I hope this helps, I know its different for everyone but I'm just so impressed with how this is going for me, maybe it can help someone else out too
If you need any motivation at all feel free to add me