How many calories do you eat? (PCOS)

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hailzp
hailzp Posts: 903 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello people.

Like many women have PCOS and I am struggling to find a daily calorie amount that results in weight loss. I am experimenting and right now I am eating 1600 ish and burning about 450 on average.

I find that what I eat has more of an affect on my weight than how much so I do try to leave out refined foods and eat 'clean'. Eating this way has reduced pain and crazy fluctuations in hormone levels.

I am feeling quite disheartened as seeing results helps too keep me going and the lack of results leads me towards thoughts of bingeing and ruining the small progresses I have made.

I just wanted to know any experience others have had with calorie amount and their PCOS.

Thank you :D

Replies

  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    Women with PCOS are more carb sensitive and I have found I can eat more calories as long as my carbs are controlled and I lose weight easily.............

    If I don't moderate my carb intake, then I will stall out for months and months and just maintain my weight.
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
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    If I don't moderate my carb intake, then I will stall out for months and months and just maintain my weight.

    How many grams of carbs on average would you say aids in your weight loss? I am sitting at about 210-260g a day.
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
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    bump
  • flisafakto
    flisafakto Posts: 143 Member
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    I suspect I have PCOS so I'm very interested in this topic. The only times I ever had success with weightloss was eating very low calorie (1200) and burning aroudn 600 calories at the gym 6 days/week, but that was not a sustainable diet -it gave me crazy headaches and I couldn't sleep, and in the end regained the 35 lbs I had lost

    I do believe in restricting carb intake and processed foods, but the high fat content of most low-carb options worries me.
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
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    Someone needs to meet Scooby:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • _Giselle_
    _Giselle_ Posts: 68
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    If I don't moderate my carb intake, then I will stall out for months and months and just maintain my weight.

    How many grams of carbs on average would you say aids in your weight loss? I am sitting at about 210-260g a day.

    I aim to stay below 100g carb a day (today I've had 48g). Always. I have definitely noticed that with my PCOS carbs make a massive difference! When I keep a very close eye on my carbs and sugar the weight comes off pretty quickly as long as I also exercise 4-5 times a week. I can absolutely eat anything between 1400 and 1700 calories a day and still lose the same as when I go down to 1200 as long as I cut out fast carbs. It's been the key to everything for me.
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
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    If I don't moderate my carb intake, then I will stall out for months and months and just maintain my weight.

    How many grams of carbs on average would you say aids in your weight loss? I am sitting at about 210-260g a day.

    I aim to stay below 100g carb a day (today I've had 48g). Always. I have definitely noticed that with my PCOS carbs make a massive difference! When I keep a very close eye on my carbs and sugar the weight comes off pretty quickly as long as I also exercise 4-5 times a week. I can absolutely eat anything between 1400 and 1700 calories a day and still lose the same as when I go down to 1200 as long as I cut out fast carbs. It's been the key to everything for me.

    and mine has to stay below 50g or so a day. Im on metformin also but if I go over on carbs, not only do I have tummy issues but my weight will stall or ill gain on the same amount of calories. You have to find the right number for you.

    Try the http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3070-p-c-o-sis group. lots of good info for low carb and pcos in general there. pretty active group
  • tasha_rena
    tasha_rena Posts: 25 Member
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    I eat 1200 calories and 1/2-ish of my exercise calories back. I drink 64+ oz of water daily, and avoid white bread/rice but otherwise, stay under whatever carb limits MFP sets for me.
  • chani8
    chani8 Posts: 946 Member
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    Low carbing has balanced my blood sugar. On weekdays I eat about 60 carbs a day, on weekends around 150. I'm a health nut and eat fairly clean. My chickens have to be hormone free, as do my eggs, and I try to eat organic when possible.

    I also work on dumping excess estrogens by using herbs and supplements. They've helped tremendously.

    Here are some articles worth reading.

    http://www.blessedmaineherbs.com/womensherbs.html

    http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/801/10_Ways_To_Lower_Estrogen_Toxic_Load_.aspx

    One thing that I am convinced has changed my life so much, is exercise. I workout in short spurts throughout the day, doing anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes, of weights or cardio. Short spurts are supposed to be more hormone balancing than a long workout.

    And last, research shows that a walk after meals balances blood sugars and burns excess carbs. Walking also helps me so much with digestion. Apparently the faster a person walks the better for their heart.
  • scubasuenc
    scubasuenc Posts: 626 Member
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    I eat about 1400 calories a day, which is my MFP baseline. Generally I don't eat my exercise calories. For me, the only way to lose weight is to watch the carbs. I have had good success losing weight with between 100g and 150g per day. This is well above the super low carb threshold, but well below the MFP breakdown for my macros.

    I also have type 2 diabetes and have good sugar control at this level.

    With this carb and calorie level I can manage the occasional 'treat' within my goals for the day. I find this to be easier to live with, then targeting a super low carb range.
  • CharisSunny
    CharisSunny Posts: 276 Member
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    I dont limit my carbs much.
    Frankly it simply isn't feasible for my energy levels ( I have several autoimmune diseases outside of PCOS).
    I do avoid rice and potatoes. Limiting any medium/large portions to twice a week but thats for my own sanity. Eating that much rice simply makes me feel guilty lol.

    I watch my calories and I've always managed to maintain or lose if I keep them as suggested by the app. Honestly the only point in which I stall out completely is when I DONT eat.

    I will say that my most recent adjustment suggested that I drop to 1200 cals. I laughed and bumped it back up to 1500.
    It's more what you eat that how much you eat. It honestly isnt as complicated as the math would have you believe. I got caught up in the numbers and I was more miserable then than ever.

    Good luck and remember carbs aren't the devil. Like everything else, too much is a bad thing but just a taste keeps you from being the angry skinny b!tch who nobody likes and won't invite to dinner :drinker:
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
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    Someone needs to meet Scooby:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    I appreciate the link thank you but having PCOS means that the calculations are not always right. I have tried eating my TDEE minus 500 and eating at BMR this past year for several months but I am afraid it just doesn't work :D
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
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    http://www.blessedmaineherbs.com/womensherbs.html

    http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/801/10_Ways_To_Lower_Estrogen_Toxic_Load_.aspx



    Thank you very much for the links and advice :D
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
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    Thank you for replying every one. I will lower my carbs just to 150g for now though as I don't feel like I could maintain a low carb diet forever! Too hard :p

    One thing I have changed recently is the amount of steps I take a day. I bumped it up to 10,000 from 5,000 and so far so good, I also do fitnessblender 5 days a week.

    I just have to remain consistent.

    I will join that PCOS group on here too, I was with another but they weren't active at all which annoyed me a little considering how common it is.

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