Hi there! I'm sorry it's been a month before I've noticed your posts and I'm glad to meet you! I am sad to hear that your story sounds so similar to mine. My doctor kept telling me the same thing for years and then finally a different doctor diagnosed the PCOS when I was 30 years old. I do not have children, but that is in larger part to the fact that I am not married than it is from the PCOS. I have finally figured out how to lose some weight and to feel better (I am now 44 years old).

I look forward to getting to know you better and hope this group can be an encouragement to you!

Blessings,
Kristina

I am not a star with low carbing, by any means, but I have been able to incorporate that in better than I used to. I started with drinking more water. I then started eating more fruits and vegetables and working out. Once I did that, I naturally craved less sugar/carb stuff to some degree. I then started making sure that the carbs I did take in were whole grain/high fiber. This helps our bodies absorb them less quickly and kick out less insulin (lower glycemic index). The hardest things for me to get rid of were pizza crust, pasta, and bread for sandwiches. I use Healthy Life bread (35 calories per slice and high fiber) or Ole or other brands of low carb/high fiber tortillas. I rarely eat pizza, but have enjoyed making Hungry Girl's Pizza-fied chicken or other things that give that pizza taste without all the carbs...because there are many pizza sauces that aren't bad and most of the toppings can be low carb. I never get the deep dish pizza (that I used to love) anymore and, when I do get pizza, I get the thinnest crust possible. I also make my own pizza with the "Flatout" tortillas as a crust...along with pizza sauce, mozarella, onion, mushrooms, and turkey pepperoni. As far as the pasta, Dreamfield's makes a pasta that is lower glycemic index if you really just can't give it up. But, lately, my favorite thing to do is to get yellow summer squash and/or zucchini squash and use it as the base in place of pasta. It is surprisingly good. I have even made lasagna this way! For "quick" meals when I get home, I will just cut up a couple of squash, put some Italian seasoning and ground pepper on them, and put them in the microwave covered for about 5 minutes. I then put about 1/4 to 1/2 cup pizza sauch, 1/4 cup mozarella cheese, and about 3-4 TBS parmesan on it and pop it back into the microwave for another 1-2 minutes or into the oven under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes and YUM! It makes a fabulous tasting Italian dish! I have taken to bringing fruit, pouches of ready-made tuna salad, low sugar instant oatmeal, light soup, and other such things for snacks because snacking in the afternoon at work was a big deal for me (vending machine--ugh!). I also try and get as much lean protein into my day as possible because I am far less hungry when I do...I eat ONLY protein for breakfast so my body doesn't start kicking out extra insulin from the beginning of the day (turkey sausage or an egg with egg whites and mushrooms, etc). I have a light greek yogurt with my lunch...12 g protein for only 80 calories!

What works for me may not work for you. I am a year and a half into this now and am STILL figuring out what does and doesn't work and making adjustments along the way. Working out is my biggest key. Getting started was the hardest part. I also lost a couple of friends this past fall and in the grieving process, got a bit lazy with my workouts so am currently still trying to get back to it like I used to. I can say that, since I started actually working out regularly (and when I keep up with it), my eating naturally also improves. I think it might be because working out sensitizes our muscles and body tissues to the insulin so it is better absorbed. Less insulin in the blood stream=less hunger and less cravings for sugar and carbs.

And, you know what? I should have mentioned WAY up top that the FIRST thing I did when starting this journey was pray. I also put a Bible right on my kitchen counter. I didn't necessarily READ it, but it was a visual cue to me, whenever I went into the kitchen, to think about whether I was actually hungry or was going there to try and fill up something else. That was before the water, before the fruits and veggies, before the workouts, before EVERYTHING! He is the one helping me to navigate this journey and any success I've had (or will have), I must give credit to Him!

Blessings,
Kristina