PCOS and diabetic suggestions/friends

gelaw1
gelaw1 Posts: 2
edited February 6 in Introduce Yourself
Dealing with pcos and diabetes. Need to loose 100 pounds plus. Looking at carb counting. Anyone with success or suggestions in this area? Looking for friends/support buddies for this journey!

Replies

  • SnowWhiteFanatic
    SnowWhiteFanatic Posts: 129 Member
    Fellow diabetic here! Carb counting too. Add me if you'd like. Good luck to you!!! Maybe we cans swap ideas!
  • gelaw1
    gelaw1 Posts: 2
    Would love to share ideas! New to this whole message board thing....when I reply to your message am I only replying to you? Do I add you to a "friend" list somehow? Thanks look forward to sharing! Do you exercise? 30 plus pounds...that is great!
  • SnowWhiteFanatic
    SnowWhiteFanatic Posts: 129 Member
    I will add you and then we can talk I think. Lol
  • happypopmelon
    happypopmelon Posts: 39
    Look up the GI diet, it's basically not just for diabetics but also just good sense to follow. You don't cut carbs out, instead you eat carbs that have low GI values - ie wholewheat instead of white etc.
    Nothing wrong with carb counting, but this could help with the carbs you do eat so that your blood sugar doesn't spike x
  • ladykaisa
    ladykaisa Posts: 236 Member
    PCOS and carb counting here! Love like minded people on my wall :)
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
    Peanut Gallery Advice here:

    1. Don't freak out - you're not going to die tomorrow

    2. Don't try to change everything at once, that'll flop

    3. Eating a caloric deficit will cut carbs for you

    I DO recommend choosing whole grain, high fiber carbs when you have carbs, but don't be scared of food. Food isn't evil. Food didn't make you sick.

    The main problem you have with PCOS (and type II? diabetes) is your insulin resistance, and the best way to help insulin resistance is to start light, regular activity. Don't try to move mountains, just get up and move. I have a 100+ lbs weight goal too, and that's a lot of weight to move and it could hurt your joints or tear muscles if you're doing over-strenuous activities, especially if you're very out of shape. I do not recommend crazy workouts for clinically obese folks like me.

    Just make a weekly exercise goal for yourself and stick too it. Start with a nice MFP plan, maybe start slow 1/2 lb a week or 1lb a week, and see how you feel. Some people jump right to the 2lbs a week goal, and maybe that'll be okay for you, but cutting 1k calories everday was yucky for me. Change over time. You didn't get sick in one day; you're not going to get better in one day.

    If your diabetes is not yet under control, understand that it will probably take six months to really see changes with your A1C after you begin a caloric deficit and exercise regime. And that's okay! You don't need to go ultra low carb to control blood sugar; your body will learn to use its insulin (if you're Type II with PCOS which you did not specify) once you start losing some weight and using your muscles.

    Also, just my opinion, I think the GI is silly to worry about too much. Unless you're sitting down and the ONLY thing you're eating is a bowl of white rice by itself, the fats, proteins, and fibers of other parts of the meal will balance and slow the carb load. Eating balanced meals is more important than being like oh noez, high-glycemic carbs!

    I'm glad you're here. You made a good choice, and I wish you every success.

    Just so you know where I'm coming from: I have PCOS, take metforim morning and night, spironolactone in the morning, and I've re-established a regular menstrual cycle with my meds, regular exercise, and a caloric deficit. Also I was raised with diabetics (Mother-type I, Grandfather - Type II, Father - some insulin resistance), and I am fairly well educated about my own insulin resistance and monitor my blood sugar.

    Food for thought for the carbs are the devil / eat more meat gang: Dr Robert Atkins, pioneer of the controversial low-carb regime, was clinically obese (18 stone) when he died. And, he suffered from heart-disease & high blood pressure.

    Balance and moderation is my opinion, and I believe if it fits your calories for the day, you can have it. :) Eat what you like, but watch what you eat, you know? Log everything!
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    I will add you and then we can talk I think. Lol

    I will add you and message both of you. Jodi (aka SnowWhiteFan) and I are already friends. LOL!
  • blurppp
    blurppp Posts: 9
    Not diabetic but was on Metformin for PCOS. Helped me get a period and ovulate. Now, since I've had my kid, I developed some bad symptoms whenever I got my period so my doctor has me on birth control and skipping periods. Feel the best I've ever felt. Loosing weight now too!
  • Cinloykko
    Cinloykko Posts: 117 Member
    Pcos, insulin resistant, pre-diabetic and in-and-out-again carb counter.... Add me and we'll look into this adventure together. Cuz gurl, i know it's hard having all this baggage on top of trying to lose weight. It ain't easy, but you can do it :-)
  • mrsszikszai
    mrsszikszai Posts: 1
    Hello,

    I am a fellow PCOS, not currently diabetic but if I don't control my weight, I may very well get there. I'd like to give you start in cutting out the carbs. This seems obvious but if you haven't done it already then you need to. Remove pasta, flour, sugar, rice and butter completely from your diet. Replace all your beverages with water or unsweetened tea. Do not drink coffee. Stock your pantry with, cayenne pepper and ginger. Load up on greens when you go to market. Thinks like spinach, lettuce, cabbage etc. Remember a Zucchini or courgette is your best friend. It can be used to replace pasta. Sugar is your enemy. It makes your PCOS worse. Exercise for at least 30 mins a day. Try swimming to burn the fat. It is fun and doesn't feel like exercise. Get some protein powder and consume at least 20mg per day, preferably after you exercised. Drink at least 12 glasses of water per day. As a measure, buy a 2 L bottle of water and consume that amount daily. Only eat organic meat. Do not eat any processed meat with hormones. Try lean turkey for meat as an alternative to chicken, beef etc. East lots of fish (steam or baked). Nothing fried is healthy.Use olive oil only for cooking. Drink almond milk rather than soya or cows milk. If you don't see results after 2 weeks of this then let me know. I am doing this from today. My current weight is 194lbs and my goal is 165lbs. I will let you know in 7 days how it is working for me. I hope we both can swap great results.:flowerforyou:
  • guroprincess
    guroprincess Posts: 140
    I have PCOS, not diabetic yet but can get there if I wasn't watching what I eat. I haven't cut out carbs completely but I have been paying more attention to them. I was on birth control for a little bit but it made my blood pressure skyrocket so my doctor took me off of it. Now I am trying the all natural way of just losing weight, exercising, and watching what I eat. You can add me if you want! :)
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
    *rolls up sleeves and proceeds to LOL* :laugh:
    I'd like to give you start in cutting out the carbs. This seems obvious but if you haven't done it already then you need to. Remove pasta, flour, sugar, rice and butter completely from your diet.
    You do know butter isn't a carb right?
    Replace all your beverages with water or unsweetened tea. Do not drink coffee.
    Because coffee causes PCOS and diabetes? *snickers* Coffee isn't a carb and does not cause or affect PCOS or diabetes.
    Stock your pantry with, cayenne pepper and ginger
    WTF for? Next you're going to tell her to drink the magic water 'master cleanse' diet.
    Sugar is your enemy. It makes your PCOS worse.
    Prove it.

    I really have no respect for fear mongering, food hating nonsense. Sugar, in and of itself, does not make PCOS worse. Sugar does not cause diabetes. The problem is insulin resistance for PCOS and Type II diabetics. The body is not dealing with its horomones correctly. Diet and exercise help our misguided hormones function better, but blaming ONE food (sugar or carbs or whatever) for why you're sick with an autoimmune-like disease is freaking stupid.

    PCOS is not caused by a high carbohydrate diet. It is an endocrine disorder, which is linked to genetics, and it affects the whole body. Our sex hormones are affected and it causes a myriad of health problems. Excessive simple carbs, like sitting down and eating a 10 serving bag of chips or drinking a large soda pop, make this condition worse because of our insulin resistance. It's not about 'sugar'; it's about unbalanced carb loading.

    An unbalanced carb load will cause a blood glucose spike, makes our pancreas release more insulin, instead of using what's already in our bloodstream, and that causes us to store more fat, which increases our weight, and makes it much more difficult to lose. We do not handle blood sugar spikes well, but it's not 'sugar' that is our enemy. It's a carb load without protein, fats, or fiber to help our bodies process it without a rush of glucose and a hyper-reaction of insulin.

    Our enemy is our excessive insulin level. Through balancing our diets and exercise, we can help our pancreas and help our bodies use the insulin that's already there.
    Exercise for at least 30 mins a day. Try swimming to burn the fat. It is fun and doesn't feel like exercise.
    Yes because a woman struggling with PCOS issues with 100 lbs to lose DEFINITELY wants to get in a bathing suit and go swimming. Where is your head at? OP: Start where you are comfortable. And start where you ARE with your activity level. Telling a clinically obese person, who may not excercise, that they have to exercise 30 minutes, at least, every day, is a sure fire way to burn someone out.
    Drink at least 12 glasses of water per day. As a measure, buy a 2 L bottle of water and consume that amount daily.
    Do you know how many glasses are in a litre of water? That would be 4. The last time I checked 4x2 = 8. Nice math.
    Drink almond milk rather than soya or cows milk.
    THIS I actually agree with! PCOS women often have an estrogen excess and phyto-estrogens from soy based protein products and soy milk can potentially add more estrogen to our bodies than we need. Cow's milk is full of moo-estrogens, too. Almond milk and Coconut Milk is a great substitute. I use Almond/Coconut milk for my cereal, oatmeal, and breakfast milk shakes.
    If you don't see results after 2 weeks of this then let me know. I am doing this from today.
    Well, isn't that special! All theory and authoritarian 'thou shalt' and 'thou shalt not' with no empirical knowledge. Sweet!

    Okay I'm done. /snarky off
  • Ithina1
    Ithina1 Posts: 93 Member
    PCOS here.

    I don't cut carbs, but I aim to get most of my carbs from lower Glycemic Index sources. If I do eat something that has a higher GI, I eat it right before or after working out.

    You may want to talk to your doctor about Intermittent Fasting. It's a diet program that has been shown to help insulin sensitivity. I find it helps me control my hunger better as well. Don't start IF without talking to your doc. If you're on meds for diabetes they can seriously mess you up if you don't eat for a day. Your doc will know if it's something you are able to try.

    EDIT: the previous poster made a good point about cow milk. I think I'll try almond and coconut milk and see if there's one I like.
  • anitatofts9
    anitatofts9 Posts: 1
    Actually, for some of us, carbs and sugar ARE a huge problem. Cutting out things with high sugar contents (including moderating sugary fruits) and following a low GI diet is often extremely helpful. Pooh-poohing it because you don't understand it or it doesn't work with your body is irresponsible in the extreme.

    With me, as with many others I know with PCOS, eating carbs in moderation is almost impossible because the spike in insulin and the subsequent fast drop in blood glucose levels causes me to crave more carbs. To the point that I could eat a bowlful of pasta/rice and nothing else and think I wanted a second! It is very much like an addiction for my body. Therefore, cutting out simple carbs completely, or having it in VERY small quantities with a meal that is predominantly meat and veg, is a necessity.

    The poster you mocked had several good points. Cayenne pepper is known to counter several of the digestive side-effects that taking metformin can cause. It also helps take the edge off migraines (which has links to PCOS) when metformin demands no painkillers. Finally, it has been shown to help the body burn fat more readily. So no, it won't help with insulin levels, but can help with other issues related. FOR SOME PEOPLE. Similarly, ginger aids digestion and also counters some of the stomach upsets that can be caused by medication prescribed for PCOS.

    Just because you don't understand or find something helpful to you, does not give you the right to mock other people. It's rude to mock someone who is trying to help and arrogant to assume you know everything.

    For some of us, cutting out carbs and helping our digestion helps very much.
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    *rolls up sleeves and proceeds to LOL* :laugh:
    I'd like to give you start in cutting out the carbs. This seems obvious but if you haven't done it already then you need to. Remove pasta, flour, sugar, rice and butter completely from your diet.
    You do know butter isn't a carb right?
    Replace all your beverages with water or unsweetened tea. Do not drink coffee.
    Because coffee causes PCOS and diabetes? *snickers* Coffee isn't a carb and does not cause or affect PCOS or diabetes.
    Stock your pantry with, cayenne pepper and ginger
    WTF for? Next you're going to tell her to drink the magic water 'master cleanse' diet.
    Sugar is your enemy. It makes your PCOS worse.
    Prove it.

    I really have no respect for fear mongering, food hating nonsense. Sugar, in and of itself, does not make PCOS worse. Sugar does not cause diabetes. The problem is insulin resistance for PCOS and Type II diabetics. The body is not dealing with its horomones correctly. Diet and exercise help our misguided hormones function better, but blaming ONE food (sugar or carbs or whatever) for why you're sick with an autoimmune-like disease is freaking stupid.

    PCOS is not caused by a high carbohydrate diet. It is an endocrine disorder, which is linked to genetics, and it affects the whole body. Our sex hormones are affected and it causes a myriad of health problems. Excessive simple carbs, like sitting down and eating a 10 serving bag of chips or drinking a large soda pop, make this condition worse because of our insulin resistance. It's not about 'sugar'; it's about unbalanced carb loading.

    An unbalanced carb load will cause a blood glucose spike, makes our pancreas release more insulin, instead of using what's already in our bloodstream, and that causes us to store more fat, which increases our weight, and makes it much more difficult to lose. We do not handle blood sugar spikes well, but it's not 'sugar' that is our enemy. It's a carb load without protein, fats, or fiber to help our bodies process it without a rush of glucose and a hyper-reaction of insulin.

    Our enemy is our excessive insulin level. Through balancing our diets and exercise, we can help our pancreas and help our bodies use the insulin that's already there.
    Exercise for at least 30 mins a day. Try swimming to burn the fat. It is fun and doesn't feel like exercise.
    Yes because a woman struggling with PCOS issues with 100 lbs to lose DEFINITELY wants to get in a bathing suit and go swimming. Where is your head at? OP: Start where you are comfortable. And start where you ARE with your activity level. Telling a clinically obese person, who may not excercise, that they have to exercise 30 minutes, at least, every day, is a sure fire way to burn someone out.
    Drink at least 12 glasses of water per day. As a measure, buy a 2 L bottle of water and consume that amount daily.
    Do you know how many glasses are in a litre of water? That would be 4. The last time I checked 4x2 = 8. Nice math.
    Drink almond milk rather than soya or cows milk.
    THIS I actually agree with! PCOS women often have an estrogen excess and phyto-estrogens from soy based protein products and soy milk can potentially add more estrogen to our bodies than we need. Cow's milk is full of moo-estrogens, too. Almond milk and Coconut Milk is a great substitute. I use Almond/Coconut milk for my cereal, oatmeal, and breakfast milk shakes.
    If you don't see results after 2 weeks of this then let me know. I am doing this from today.
    Well, isn't that special! All theory and authoritarian 'thou shalt' and 'thou shalt not' with no empirical knowledge. Sweet!

    Okay I'm done. /snarky off

    brilliant! Love me some common sense. The butter comment threw me too. One of the things you find on low carb forums is bullet-proof coffee, it contains a lot of butter. But good, no carb and highly filling.

    Butter is NOT a carb.

    Cayenne pepper and ginger do have some digestion/stomach upset help. I take ginger on long car rides and anytime i go to the roller coasters as i get motion sick very easy. But unless she's experiencing some sort of tummy issues, there is NO reason to take spices for the sake of taking spices.

    Cutting carbs is good for PCOS and diabetes, but veggies have carbs so it helps to understand how certain carbs affect your body differently than other carbs. Your mileage may vary in this, so its something you'd have to test for yourself. Some people follow a strict Atkins like diet while others worry less about the carb count, usually keeping it under 100 a day, but those carbs are from some fruits and mostly veggies and/or dairy. Coconut and almond milks are awsome and very little hormonal issues. Great fats in there too, which you need if you lower carbs.

    Its all about what works for you. Get up and move, do what you enjoy. Lift weights if you find you like it, walk, swim, eliptical, 30 day shred, whatever works for you. Eat healthier and see how carbs treat you.

    Enjoy your new lifestyle!
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
    Actually, for some of us, carbs and sugar ARE a huge problem. Cutting out things with high sugar contents (including moderating sugary fruits) and following a low GI diet is often extremely helpful. Pooh-poohing it because you don't understand it or it doesn't work with your body is irresponsible in the extreme.
    Fearing foods because you do not understand them is not the answer either. Not wanting to control the portions you eat of carbs or balancing a carb meal with high fiber choices, proteins, or fats is your choice. An ALL or NOTHING attitude on carbs is not the holy grail. You could also simply get up and lightly exercise after a high carb meal to help your body process the glucose correctly.
    With me, as with many others I know with PCOS, eating carbs in moderation is almost impossible because the spike in insulin and the subsequent fast drop in blood glucose levels causes me to crave more carbs. To the point that I could eat a bowlful of pasta/rice and nothing else and think I wanted a second! It is very much like an addiction for my body.
    It's not an addiction in your body. It's a high blood sugar reaction. The first mistake is eating simple carbs completely by themselves. If you think that eating a bowl full of white rice by itself or refined white flour pasta by itself, is eating carbs in moderation, as you stated in your example above, that is a misunderstanding on your part. That's a carb-only meal. That's not a moderation of carbs.

    The second mistake is you don't realize what is happening in your body. So I'll try to explain. When you carb load (a non-complex carb based meal with little to no fiber, fat, or protein in addition to the carb) is processed quickly and breaks down into glucose. The glucose spike triggers additional insulin to be released into our bodies. The problem with insulin resistance is the insulin hormone which should unlock our cells to let the glucose in does not work. It's the key to our cells' energy, but our body changed the locks without telling insulin. So our cells think they're starving. Our blood is full of glucose. Our bodies aren't using it. The insulin is released and nothing happened, so messages get back to our brain that insulin is in play and there's no glucose available. This causes a hunger response because our cells want the glucose and aren't getting any, so our body gets the message that we need to eat.

    High blood sugar spikes will make you hungry, like that feeling that you need a second bowl of that pasta or rice, and it will also make you thirsty and deeply fatigued.

    Being hungry after eating means your blood sugar is spiked. It's not an addiction to carbs. It's a bio-chemical reaction to high blood glucose. You are not having a blood sugar crash that makes you hungry. You are maintaining a blood sugar spike which makes you hungry. Your body, with PCOS, does not use its insulin correctly.

    If you are having a blood sugar crash, you may feel shaky, sweaty, nauseated, angry, irritated, drunk, dizzy, or hungry. When my blood sugar dips, I feel drunk, dizzy, I'm very easily irritated, and sometimes my hands will tremble. Metforim, extended-release, does not cause me to have bad low blood sugar reactions, but I can definitely tell when my meds have kicked in and I have waited too long to eat.
    Therefore, cutting out simple carbs completely, or having it in VERY small quantities with a meal that is predominantly meat and veg, is a necessity.
    Incorrect! It's about balancing your meals and increasing your activity. You can help your body use your blood sugar correctly and help insulin 'unlock' the cells. Exercise helps insulin work better, so does weight loss (if you are overweight), and avoiding carb loads will decrease your glucose spikes.

    Note: I am not saying avoid carbs. I am saying avoid large, carb only meals unless you plan for some light activity after eating to help utilize the glucose. I had a yummy bowl of apple cinnamon-oatmeal for breakfast this morning and planned for a walk. High carb meal? Yes. Glucose spike? No.
  • Ithina1
    Ithina1 Posts: 93 Member
    We all have different amounts of carbs that we can eat and function optimally. When I first started I noticed carbs made me hungry so I limited them to 100g a day. I started to get fuzzy/foggy brained so I upped it. If I work out I can eat 160-200g and be ok. If I'm not working out that day I aim closer to 100g.

    It can be a balancing act to maximize energy while keeping blood sugar normal enough to keep from wanting to stuff your face.
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