LOW CARB DIET???

KATIEHUGGIES
KATIEHUGGIES Posts: 27
in Health and Weight Loss
SO I HAVE P.C.O.S AND MY DOC SAYS ITS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO LOSE WEIGHT WHEN YOU HAVE THIS, AND MOST PEOPLE HAVE SUCCESS IF THEY TRY A LOW CARB DIET SUCH AS SOUTH BEACH DIET. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS DIET... I NEED HELP!!! HAS ANYONE OUT THERE TRIED THIS LIFESTYLE . I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT TO EAT AND HOW MUCH AND WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD!!!!!
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Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Your caps lock is on.

    I have read of PCOS sufferers using low carb diets. www.atkins.com is one place to start - you don't have to buy the products but do read the Program link fully.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    PCOS tends to cause "insulin resistance" and makes it very easy to gain weight, very hard to lose weight. When I was diagnosed with IR about 7 years ago, my doctor told me to cut down to 50g of net carbs a day. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and any sugar alcohols.

    For example: the tortilla I eat at breakfast has 20g of carbs in it. 9g is fiber, so I only *count* 11 grams of carbs

    AND

    Atkins advantage meal bars:total carbs 19g, sugars 1g, sugar alcohols 11g, fiber 5g...so 19g-5g=14-11= 3g that we *count*

    You can pretty much eat anything within moderation. I still eat fruit, but berries tend to be higher fiber, lower carbs. I eat pasta, but only a small portion. Reading the literature on the Atkins diet is a very good idea. Not only will it give you more ideas of how to plan your meals, but you will understand more about WHY the atkins plan works.
  • emmalecras
    emmalecras Posts: 79 Member
    I have PCOS and as I started this jorney I went and saw a dietician that was recommended by my doctor. She told me to avoid going low carb as whilst there would be initial strong weightloss it would be not sustainable. She has suggested that I aim for 50% carbs, 30% fat and 20% protein which I have been doing since January and I am averaging 1kg per week loss.

    A friend is a dietician and specifically works with diabetics and as PCOS is on similar lines she has also suggested and I aim for low GI where possible.
  • AmyMcDonald808
    AmyMcDonald808 Posts: 41
    Hey I have been on the south beach diet since mid february and just reached my first goal weight this week! I love it, you get to eat 5x a day and the foods from the list you get is really delicious(all the information is online so its totally free!) The first 2 weeks I lost 10 lbs many people lose even more the first 2 weeks. The first 2 weeks is called phase 1. You cut all "carbs" so no bread, rice, pasta, nothing. Its pretty hard the first 3 days but then it just become a way of eating. Heres is an example of what I ate on phase 1

    Breakfast: Turkey bacon & Eggs cooked in olive oil or i cnat belive its not butter spray AND a v8 or sauteed mushrooms

    Snack: Celery & Peanut butter

    Lunch; Salad with leftover meat from the night before

    Snack: Almonds or cottage cheese or string cheese

    Dinner: Lean protien (chicken breast, sirloin steak, fish, pork chops theres lots of options) and 2 servings of veggies. Either a big salad with an assortment of veggies (avocado, cucumber, onions, whatever you like) or sauteed or baked veggies and a small salad.

    Dessert: 2 sugarfree fudgesicles or sugar free jello

    these are just my go to foods. here is the entire list of allowed foods and food to avoid for phase 1.
    Foods Allowed in Phase 1

    BEEF Lean cuts, such as:
    Eye of Round
    Ground beef:
    Extra Lean (96/4)
    Lean (92/8)
    Sirloin (90/10)
    Tenderloin
    Top Loin
    Top Round
    LAMB (Remove all visible fat)

    Center Cut
    Chop
    Loin
    PORK

    Boiled ham
    Canadian bacon
    Loin
    Tenderloin


    POULTRY (SKINLESS)

    Cornish hen
    Turkey bacon (2 slices per day)
    Turkey and chicken breast
    SEAFOOD

    All types of fish and shellfish
    TOFU

    Use soft, low-fat or lite varieties
    VEAL

    Chop
    Cutlet, leg
    Top round
    EGGS

    The use of whole eggs is not limited unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Use egg whites and egg substitute if desired.
    LUNCHMEAT

    Fat-free or low-fat only
    MEAT SUBSTITUTES (SOY BASED)

    Bacon - Limit to 2 slices per day
    Burger - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
    Chicken Patties & Nuggets - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
    Hot Dogs - < 3 gms fat per 2-3 oz portion
    Natural Peanut Butter - 2 Tbsp (may use as protein choice or limited nut choice)
    Sausage Pattie - Limit 1 patty per day
    Seiten
    Soy Crumbles
    Soy Nuts - 1/4 cup for a protein snack is suggested serving
    Tempeh
    Yuba
    DAIRY

    Low-fat (1 percent) or fat-free milk or soy milk
    Plain or sugar-free low-fat or fat-free yogurt
    Fat-free half & half
    CHEESE (FAT-FREE OR LOW-FAT)
    American
    Cheddar
    Cottage cheese, 1-2% or fat-free
    Cream cheese substitute, dairy-free
    Feta
    Mozzarella
    Parmesan
    Provolone
    Ricotta
    String


    NUTS (Limit to one serving per day as specified)

    Almonds - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
    Brazil Nuts - 4
    Cashews - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
    Pecans - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
    Macadamia - 8 (Dry roasted recommended)
    Peanut Butter - 1 tsp
    Peanut Butter, Natural = 2 TBS
    Peanuts, 20 small (May use dry roasted or boiled)
    Pine Nuts (Pignolia) - 1 ounce
    Pistachios - 30 (Dry roasted recommended)
    Walnuts - 15 (Dry roasted recommended)
    In place of nuts, may use: Flax Seed - 3 TBS
    VEGETABLE CHOICES (includes legumes) (May use fresh, frozen or canned without added sugar)
    Artichokes
    Asparagus
    Beans, Green
    Beans, Italian
    Beans, Wax
    Beans or Legumes:
    Black Beans
    Butter Beans
    Chickpeas or Garbanzo
    Pigeon Peas
    Soy Beans
    Split Peas
    Broccoli
    Bok Choy
    Cabbage
    Cauliflower
    Celery
    Collard Greens
    Cucumbers
    Eggplant
    Lettuce (All varieties)
    Juice (Limit to 6 ounces per day)
    Tomato
    V-8
    Mushrooms
    Mustard Greens
    Okra
    Onion - Limit to 1/2 per day
    Peppers (All varieties)
    Pickles - Dill or those sweetened with Splenda®
    Radishes (All varieties)
    Rhubarb
    Sauerkraut
    Snow peas
    Spinach
    Sprouts, Alfalfa
    Squash, Spaghetti
    Squash, Summer
    Yellow
    Zucchini
    Tomato - Limit to 1 whole or 10 cherry per serving
    FAT CHOICES (with some suggested serving sizes) The following monounsaturated oils are recommended to be consumed daily:

    Olive Oil
    Canola Oil
    Other Oil Choices that may be chosen (Polyunsaturated or a blend of Monounsaturated):

    Corn
    Enova
    Grape seed
    Safflower
    Soybean
    OTHER FAT CHOICES:

    Avocado - 1/3 whole = 1 TBS oil
    Guacamole - ½ cup = 1 TBS oil
    Margarine - Chose those that do not contain Trans Fatty Acids such as Fleishmann's Premium Olive Oil or Smart Balance
    Mayonnaise - Regular or Low Fat
    Olives (Green or Ripe) 15 = 1/2 TBS
    Salad Dressing - Use those < 3 gms sugar per serving
    TOPPINGS & SAUCES use sparingly (check labels for added sugar)

    Hot Sauce
    Salsa - Limit to 2 TBS during phase 1
    Soy Sauce - 1/2 TBS
    Steak Sauce - 1/2 TBS
    Worcestershire Sauce - 1 TBS
    Whipped Topping (Light) - 2 TBS
    SPICES AND SEASONINGS

    All spices that contain no added sugar
    Broth
    Extracts (almond, vanilla, or others)
    Horseradish sauce
    I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
    Lemon Juice
    Lime Juice Pepper (black, cayenne, red, white)
    SWEET TREATS (Limit to 75 calories per day)

    Candies, hard, sugar-free
    Chocolate powder, no-added-sugar
    Cocoa powder, baking type
    Fudgsicles, sugar-free
    Gelatin, sugar-free
    Gum, sugar-free
    Popsicles, sugar-free
    Sugar substitute Some Sugar Free
    Products may be made with sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol) and are permitted on the SBD. They may have associated side effects of GI distress (abdominal pain, diarrhea & gas) if consumed in excessive amounts.

    SUGAR SUBSTITUTES

    Acesulfame K
    Fructose (needs to be counted as Sweet Treats, Caloric Limit)
    Nutrasweet (Equal)
    Saccharin (Sweet & Low)
    Sucralose (Splenda)
    Stevia (Not approved by FDA)





    Foods NOT Allowed and to be Avoided in Phase 1

    VEGETABLES
    Beets
    Carrots
    Corn
    Potatoes, white
    Potatoes, sweet
    Yams
    BEEF
    Brisket
    Liver
    Other fatty cuts
    Rib steaks
    POULTRY

    Chicken, wings and legs
    Duck
    Goose
    Poultry products, processed
    PORK

    Honey-baked ham
    VEAL

    Breast
    FRUIT
    Avoid ALL fruits and fruit juices in Phase 1, including:

    Apples
    Apricots
    Berries
    Cantaloupe
    Grapefruit
    Peaches
    Pears
    DAIRY
    1/2 cup of plain fat-free yogurt (once per day max.)
    Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2, Nonfat milk, 1% milk,
    Soy milk allowed with coffee. Otherwise avoid all other dairy products (unless listed under protein choices or sweet treats).
    Limit to < 2 TBS per cup of coffee. Otherwise, avoid all milk products in Phase 1, including:
    Yogurt, cup-style and frozen
    Ice cream
    Milk, low-fat, fat-free, whole
    Milk, soy
    STARCHES AND CARBS

    Avoid ALL starchy food in Phase 1, including:

    Bread, all types
    Cereal
    Croutons, all types
    Matzo
    Oatmeal
    Rice, all types
    Pasta, all types
    Pastry and baked goods, all types
    CHEESE

    Brie
    Edam
    Non-reduced fat
    MISCELLANEOUS

    Alcohol of any kind, including beer and wine
    No regular ketchup or cocktail sauce
    No pork rinds - too high in saturated fat
    No jerky - too high in sugar content
    Limit Caffeine-Containing Beverages to 1-2 servings per day


    Anyway as you can tell I love this diet. Im gonna add you as a friend if you decide to do the south beach diet we can be beach buddies!

    PS
    Its better than atkins IMO because you dont have to count points and it doesnt allow a bunch of excess saturated fat like on atkins so its healtier for you not only for weight loss but for your HEALTH.
  • AmyMcDonald808
    AmyMcDonald808 Posts: 41
    Also just wanted to tell you after phase 1 you start eating good carbs so whole grain whole wheat things only. You also get fruit which tastes like candy after 2 weeks of cutting sugar and more dessets.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
    For example: the tortilla I eat at breakfast has 20g of carbs in it. 9g is fiber, so I only *count* 11 grams of carbs

    AND

    Atkins advantage meal bars:total carbs 19g, sugars 1g, sugar alcohols 11g, fiber 5g...so 19g-5g=14-11= 3g that we *count*

    i don't understand your math on the protein bar. why don't you count the sugar alcohol?
  • AmyMcDonald808
    AmyMcDonald808 Posts: 41
    For example: the tortilla I eat at breakfast has 20g of carbs in it. 9g is fiber, so I only *count* 11 grams of carbs

    AND

    Atkins advantage meal bars:total carbs 19g, sugars 1g, sugar alcohols 11g, fiber 5g...so 19g-5g=14-11= 3g that we *count*

    i don't understand your math on the protein bar. why don't you count the sugar alcohol?
    the whole thing confuses me, im so glad i chose south beach.
  • sampcuk
    sampcuk Posts: 12 Member
    bump
  • lulabellewoowoo
    lulabellewoowoo Posts: 3,125 Member
    I also have PCOS. I cut out processed sugars and a lot of starches. Doc says it takes a couple of cycles before you "feel" the difference hormonally. I will say that I am not overweight, but had been slowly gaining as I start towards my 40s and having hormonal fluctuations. In the past four weeks, through trial and error. I have cut my carbs down to 100 to 125 a day, eat 1600 calories a day regardless, cut back on cardio, doing more weightlifting, and I have lost 6 lb. Whatever "diet" you choose, realize you are going to have to tweak it for you. I started with Paleo, sort of edged towards South Beach, and am now doing what has been working and just keeping track of my calories, carbs, and protein. Trial and error. Since this is my first month, I'll be interested to see how it cycles through on the cysts.
  • EmilyDuby
    EmilyDuby Posts: 67
    I am prediabetic and have to be on a low carb diet or my blood sugar goes up and I end up feeling sick. I focus on making protein the main nutrient in each meal and choose smaller portions of anything carb related. I've given up juices and fruits and only occasionally eat a significant amount of breads and pastas.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
    The trick (I think!) to getting low carb right is to avoid processed and pre-packaged food (even those labelled low-carb such as Atkins bars). Stick to fresh food and kick out the sugar and grains. Include non-starchy vegetables and protein at every meal. Think big salads with chicken or tuna, drizzled with olive oil, rump steak with broccoli and green beans, slices of ham or hard boiled eggs as snacks, chicken curry with chopped cauliflower (instead of rice), strawberries with a drizzle of cream.

    Have a look at the Atkins website:http://uk.atkins.com/program/overview/

    And it might be worth buying an Atkins or South Beach book (South Beach includes more fruit and carbs than Atkins, which I found made my weight loss plateau but suits some people better).

    Currently I'm keeping my carbs between 50-100g and setting my daily calorie count to my TDEE minus 20% (calculate your TDEE here: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html). I set my TDEE at sedentary then log any exercise I do (eating back at least 50% of the exercise calories 'earned').

    Also have a look at Mark's Daily Apple - a really useful website about the primal lifestyle, which I find sits well alongside the low-carb way of eating and explains how you can regulate your insulin (to help you lose weight) by eliminating sugar and grains from your diet: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz1wLk54oTt

    There are also low carb groups on MFP. Go on the forums, make some friends, and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it! Have a look here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-group

    Hope this helps!
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    I have been reading a lot about carbs lately. I am not usually a conspiracy nut or anything but I find it very interesting and concerning that grains and soy or so heavily promoted by the government (in the US anyway, not sure about any where else).

    My research (as flawed as it may be) tells me that moderate fruit and significant vegetables are much better for me than grains yet fruit and vegetables receive very little government support. As a result, farmers are almost forced to produce grains v. fruit and vegetables.

    For many reasons, I am currently experimenting with a no grain diet. It has been about a month and I feel better, have more energy and find it easier to do as time goes by.
  • AmyMcDonald808
    AmyMcDonald808 Posts: 41
    I have been reading a lot about carbs lately. I am not usually a conspiracy nut or anything but I find it very interesting and concerning that grains and soy or so heavily promoted by the government (in the US anyway, not sure about any where else).

    My research (as flawed as it may be) tells me that moderate fruit and significant vegetables are much better for me than grains yet fruit and vegetables receive very little government support. As a result, farmers are almost forced to produce grains v. fruit and vegetables.

    For many reasons, I am currently experimenting with a no grain diet. It has been about a month and I feel better, have more energy and find it easier to do as time goes by.

    I totally agree with this! The food pyramid is all wrong in my opinon. The vegetables should be the main thing you eat! There really should be better education about nutrition out there, I literally had to do reseach when I started on my weight loss journey. and the government fees us GMO carbs so we can stay sick and pay doctors and drug companies. HAHA maybe not but sometimes it seems like it..
  • ShrinkingShawna
    ShrinkingShawna Posts: 186 Member
    Have you considered talking to a dietician? They are not expensive (I pay $26 a month). If you go on a "diet", but you don't change your eating habits permanently, then you are likely to just gain whatever you lose right back.
  • 4thehardman
    4thehardman Posts: 731 Member
    The guy that created atkins died of a heart attack. Just sayin'

    OP, there is a PCOS group. They may have very sound advice.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    For example: the tortilla I eat at breakfast has 20g of carbs in it. 9g is fiber, so I only *count* 11 grams of carbs

    AND

    Atkins advantage meal bars:total carbs 19g, sugars 1g, sugar alcohols 11g, fiber 5g...so 19g-5g=14-11= 3g that we *count*

    i don't understand your math on the protein bar. why don't you count the sugar alcohol?

    according to the Atkins book, sugar alcohols have minimal effect on blood sugar--similar to fiber.Therefor, you don't need to count them.
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
    Alright don't panic. I'm gonna go against the grain here. I have PCOS (was diagnosed 3 years ago) and have lost 45 pounds in 5 months WITHOUT a low carb diet. I've been eating around 200 grams of carbs a day since the beginning, sometimes more and losing fine. I eat bread, pasta, potatoes, sugary stuff, ect. I don't restrict anything really, just keep it in my calorie goals. Of course I try to limit "junk" and increase my healthy foods like fruits, veggies and lean proteins. I always try to keep my protein around 100 grams a day or more. My average weight loss is around 2 pounds a week. No, I don't drop weight every week but that has been the average. Some weeks I will lose a lot, some nothing. Not everyone has to go low carb with PCOS to see results. You may not have to either. You never know until you try. I'm not anti-low carb because it certainly has it's place and some people need it. Try it both ways for awhile and see what works for you :smile: The same thing does not work for everyone.
  • digitaltara
    digitaltara Posts: 12 Member
    You may also want to check out the movie FatHead. It was originally done as an answer to Supersize Me (which I refuse to watch) but it has some really interesting information about how (most people's) bodies handle carb, why low fat diets aren't great for you, and why low carb/high protein works the way it does.
  • debzeeU2
    debzeeU2 Posts: 99 Member
    reading later.
  • emmalecras
    emmalecras Posts: 79 Member
    Alright don't panic. I'm gonna go against the grain here. I have PCOS (was diagnosed 3 years ago) and have lost 45 pounds in 5 months WITHOUT a low carb diet. I've been eating around 200 grams of carbs a day since the beginning, sometimes more and losing fine. I eat bread, pasta, potatoes, sugary stuff, ect. I don't restrict anything really, just keep it in my calorie goals. Of course I try to limit "junk" and increase my healthy foods like fruits, veggies and lean proteins. I always try to keep my protein around 100 grams a day or more. My average weight loss is around 2 pounds a week. No, I don't drop weight every week but that has been the average. Some weeks I will lose a lot, some nothing. Not everyone has to go low carb with PCOS to see results. You may not have to either. You never know until you try. I'm not anti-low carb because it certainly has it's place and some people need it. Try it both ways for awhile and see what works for you :smile: The same thing does not work for everyone.


    Pretty much what I have been doing with success.
  • ASAY139
    ASAY139 Posts: 3 Member
    I have P.C.O.S too. I've done the South Beach Diet before and it was successful for me. I lost a little over 20 lbs and kept it off for about a month and then got pregnant. Like someone else said, once you get through the first 3 days, it's not too bad. Your carbs are only really restricted the first two weeks. I bought the book, read it, and tried to follow as closely as I could. It taught me a lot about carbs and the effect carbs/sugar have on my body.

    I'm not strictly doing the South Beach Diet now, but I'm using the principles I learned from it (and many of the recipes). I've custom set my carbs/protein/fat ratio on MFP to be 40/30/30 and also try to keep my sugar to less than 40 g per day (including fruit). For me, it works best to eat my fruit in the a.m. hours so I have time to burn it off. Also, I notice a big difference when I eat low-low carb for my dinner and then don't eat anything after 6 p.m. (this is also because of my medication schedule).

    Good luck!
  • ASAY139
    ASAY139 Posts: 3 Member
    I also have a book...think it's called "The New Glucose Revolution"...and it explains glycemic index (GI). Eating food with a low is really good for those of us with PCOS. Some foods with more carbs are considered low GI and help balance your blood glucose and insulin levels. I definitely recommend looking into information about glycemic index. It's also something my endocrinologist recommended.
  • kimmianne89
    kimmianne89 Posts: 428 Member
    Hello, I also have PCOS. It isn't near to impossible to lose weight but it makes it much more difficult. Low Carbs help, Low GI foods help a lot. It is basically carbs and sugars you have to be limited on.

    I havent heard of this diet but just make sure it is something you can stick to for good (with the slight hiccup here and there) because you don't want to pile it on afterwards.
  • sammniamii
    sammniamii Posts: 669 Member
    South Beach, Atkins, ect.... every person is different and results may vary with everyone. That stated, I went low carb but not with EITHER of the first two. I just cut out potatoes, rice, bread, cereals, pasta and 80% sugar. I stopped all soda as well, but not caffeine. Then to make sure I had LOTS of recipes, I hit the internet first (about.com had alot of good info) and found a book that I liked: 1001 Low Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender.

    It explains alittle on what your are trying to do on a low carb diet, what foods you should look for and and what certain things should avoided. PLUS almost all the recipes are easy, require few ingredients and can be made daily with alittle planning.

    I keep my carbs bwt 50 & 100. I've never managed to loose weight unless I starved myself (less than 1200 cals a day) and did massive amounts of exercise (4 hours). If i stopped, the weight flowed back like water.

    Since I started, about 1.5 months ago, I've lost 25 pounds, have more energy and less stomache/gut issues.

    Just remember one thing - THIS IS A LIFESTYLE change. Not a simple diet. If you loose all the weight you want, then go back to your old eating habits, you will gain everything back. This is why I didn't want to go with Atkins or SB, I wanted something maintainable and easily adaptable to my life or I knew that it wouldn't work long term.
  • emmalecras
    emmalecras Posts: 79 Member
    I also have a book...think it's called "The New Glucose Revolution"...and it explains glycemic index (GI). Eating food with a low is really good for those of us with PCOS. Some foods with more carbs are considered low GI and help balance your blood glucose and insulin levels. I definitely recommend looking into information about glycemic index. It's also something my endocrinologist recommended.


    Brilliant little book!!
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    My cardiologist recommended this diet for me and people who have a large middle. Metabolic syndrome. I do know it works though.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    i don't understand your math on the protein bar. why don't you count the sugar alcohol?
    Some sugar alcohols, and I chose my words carefully, are not absorbed into the blood stream but pass through the GI tract and become a nuisance in the toilet area, so they make no difference to absorbed carbs. Others are absorbed as much as 50% so it all gets a bit messy.

    http://www.mendosa.com/netcarbs.htm
  • Happyhappy352
    Happyhappy352 Posts: 153
    bump
  • Calif_Girl67
    Calif_Girl67 Posts: 526 Member
    SO I HAVE P.C.O.S AND MY DOC SAYS ITS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO LOSE WEIGHT WHEN YOU HAVE THIS, AND MOST PEOPLE HAVE SUCCESS IF THEY TRY A LOW CARB DIET SUCH AS SOUTH BEACH DIET. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS DIET... I NEED HELP!!! HAS ANYONE OUT THERE TRIED THIS LIFESTYLE . I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT TO EAT AND HOW MUCH AND WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS BAD!!!!!


    I was just told that I am Insulin Resistant so im right there with you except i don't have PCOS that Im aware of.
  • DB_1106
    DB_1106 Posts: 154 Member
    The guy that created atkins died of a heart attack. Just sayin'

    Why even comment when you have no clue what in the hell you are talking about.

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