PCOS--Insulin resistence

Hi! I have PCOS as well. I was diagnosed about 5 years ago but knew something was wrong a lot longer than that. I actually lost about 95 lbs total over a couple years... but I'm currently expecting (yay for Clomid) my first child and put more on than I like to admit.

Also, there is a group on here of just PCOS women. You can search for it if you like.

I don't have PCOS, however, i like to think that i know a decent amount about nutrition and i've some across articles on PCOS in the past. can i first just ask what your typical day to day diet/ exercise routine looks like?

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Low carb works wonderfully for people with PCOS and insulin resistence, and we're actually the best people for a low carb diet. I lost 50 pounds in about four months on a strick low carb diet. I was able to slowly switch to counting calories, but I still do best if I"m limiting my carb intake at least somewhat. Back for round two, trying to lose more with just low calorie. Wish me luck!

Wow fitpiglet24. Many thanks for your post. I will try and put some if your advice into practice. I would love some healthy recipe ideas if you wouldn't mind.:)

no problem! check out "oh she glows.com" its a blog based on vegan recipes. i'm a meat lover but this blog has some awesome alternative recipes that will keep you interested. "diets" can be frustrating, unfullfiling at times and repetitive but this blog keeps things fun, different and creative while maintaining super healthy and clean ingredients that will help with weightloss and over all health.

i'll work on some of my fav recipes for you but in the meantime, take a little look at the blog and im sure you'll be whipping up something healthy and delish in no time!

good luck to you!

My daughter is Insulin Resistant, and may have PCOS. But she is successfully loosing weight following a THM lifestyle. Here is a link http://www.trimhealthymama.com/ in the book they discuss insulin resistance and other female problems. It is easy to follow, and doesn't severely limit your food options. Hope it helps!

I have PCOS and insulin resistance and the best thing I have found was a low carb diet. I am not necessarily a success story in the weight loss department yet. But I went on a low carb diet for 3 months and all of my symptoms started to reverse. This included ovulating on my own resulting in pregnancy. So not on the same diet now though I am trying to keep my carbs below 120 to prevent gestational diabetes.

The way my doctor explained it to me, each PCOS woman/insulin resistant person has a certain carb level they can personally handle. For many that is just staying under 200 g carbs per day others 100. For me, I found that I maintained between 50 and 75 carbs per day. Over that and I gain, under 50 and I lose. I stayed under 20 carbs per day for the three months prior to getting pregnant and I lost 10-12 lbs in 3 months, started ovulating, my acne was gone, my weird hair growth had greatly slowed and I had endless amounts of energy! It was amazing the difference. This particular diet is called the ketogenic diet and it is a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. It was difficult for the first two weeks but after that even my cravings were gone. It was really nice!

I had a really long journey to get to that point including doctor supervised low calorie diet where I averaged between 1000 and 1100 cals per day. After about 6 months I had gained 15 lbs and almost passed out twice from low blood sugar and I decided that I didn't care enough to try to lose that way. After that I had another doctor tell me about the low-gi diet. This one, I actually lost 10lbs in about 6 months but nothing I tried allowed me to lose anymore for some reason. My theory is that my insulin resistance had been getting worse but I didn't know it. After that was when I started experimenting with carb levels. I slowly started dropping my carbs every two weeks until I found my levels that worked for me. After that, another doctor told me about the ketogenic diet for PCOS and how many women find great success. For months I was like, yeah that will really work. I won't be able to stick to that at all. But honestly when I finally got fed up with how hard I was working on everything and having no progress I decided it was worth a try. I said I would stick to it for a month. I can do anything for a month! I lost about 3 lbs in that month (I was already extremely well hydrated and fairly low carb so I didn't experience the quick water weight drop that most do) and my husband who is very supportive and decided to do this with me dropped 10 lbs. But even more importantly, I started really having energy. I wasn't getting the afternoon drop that I have had my whole life. I was sleeping great! My acne started to really go away for the first time since before puberty! Then the second month, I had even more energy, my period wasn't horrid, I had a period on my own! It just continued getting better in the third month but I had no period this month and I was like. Oh ok at least I had one and things are getting better. I also stopped losing weight but I wasn't gaining either. I had no idea what was going on. Turned out that in that 3rd month, I had actually ovulated (with no signs I might add) and I got pregnant. I wasn't losing because what I would have lost, was being gained for the baby. It was great! So even though I can't be on the diet now, my husband is and loves it. I will be back on it as soon as possible after giving birth!

Even if you don't start with the keto diet because it is so restrictive, try finding your carb load. It is a long and annoying process but it is so worth it!

I have PCOS and have lost almost 60 pounds in the past. I gained 30 of that back, and now aim to lose 40.

I HAVE to log,I have to stay near 1200 calories or I gain, and without logging, I underestimate portion sizes

I also have PCOS and just started using this website. I have lost weight about 75lbs using weight watchers, but I was hoping this might work and it would be more cost effective for me. Heres hoping!! I try to eat well and excersices but as we all know it takes some time to loose the weight when you have PCOS.

I have a severe case of PCOS and have lost 60 lbs and maintained it for two years. You can friend me or email with any questions.

I have had PCOS for at least nine years, and yes it is difficult to lose weight!!! Not a lot of advice or success stories from me personally (I have lost and regained plenty of times), but pcosdietsupport.com has great articles! That site has given me a lot of strength just by letting me know that I'm not alone

Bumping for later. I was diagnosed with PCOS last year and have had a hell of a time losing weight because of it.

Hi jrdoty8986, I tried all kinds of diet and have joined gyms in the past and tried Zumba, body pump, body attack and body combat, all to actually only make me gain weight. Which in turn makes me feel "what's the point in trying"! The only way I've physically lost weight in the last 7 years since being diagnosed is periods when I've been on metformin (glucophage) or the pill. I have been on metformin constantly now for the past 9 months and my weight has remained quite steady. I still want to lose tho. I have around 17 pounds to shift to be at my ideal weight for my height.

i'm not sure how much you already know so if i tell you something that is obvious to you just ignore it and hopefully something i have to say will help! breakfast can be tricky for some people, however, eating a solid breakfast with a good amount of protein (eggs, plain greek yogurt with some fruit, old fashioned oatmeal with almond butter, berries and cinnamon--so delish!) etc can really set you up for a successful rest of the day.

also, protein at every meal will help counter the affects of whatever carbs you eat, and if you add a healthy fat, such as an avocado, you will feel fuller longer. fill up on healthy fats and you'll be surprised how full and satisfied you will feel. protein and healthy fats won't cause blood sugar to spike which is perfect for those with PCOS.

try not to focus so much on restricting yourself calorie wise and shift your focus to adding more whole, fresh foods that are in there purist form. if you fill your plate up with whole foods that are nutrient dense and relatively low g.i. you won't feel like your missing out on the stuff that isn't so beneficial (pastas, white rice, processed snacks)

snacks are great, i'm deff a grazer (sp?) and really enjoy eating frequently. try to choose snacks that again, are in there purist form such as a handfull of almonds and an apple, baby carrots and hummus, greek yogurt with some berries. if you're really craving an oreo or something not so great, don't beat yourself up. have one and then go grab something more nutrient dense to fill the craving. drinking a class or 2 of water when you feel like snacking can help to. a lot of the times when we think we're hungry, we acutally need more fluids and a glass of water can fill you up long enough for you to reevaluate whether or not you're truly hungry.

as for your pastas and rice, try to switch one night of regular pasta for spaghetti squash. i didn't think it would satisfy my craving for the real deal but it's delish!! add some turkey burger, sauteed onion, peppers and zucchini and you've got yourself a super filling, low carb meal that won't leave you feeling like you're missing out. chips are empty calories and get converted into sugar quickly in the body which then goes straight to your thighs and bootayyy.

exercise is crucial for people with PCOS. cardio is great but if you can incorporate some weight lifting that'll be even better.


hope some of this info is helpful... i don't want to ramble on too much so if there is anything you want to know more about or want some recipe ideas just let me know!

I don't disagree with anything you said here, but how is this any different from what a person who doesn't have PCOS should do? PCOS has it's own set of complications that, even if everything you mentioned above is done, weight loss still doesn't happen. I know this because I speak from experience. It took me 7 months and 5 different doctors to finally get an actual diagnosis. I was doing EVERYTHING correctly, as monitored by a doctor and a personal trainer, and still was not losing weight. I had nearly every symptom of hypothyroidism you could think of, but my lab tests were perfect. I did a lot of research and was incredibly persistent and finally convinced the NP at my gynecologist's office to re-test and to do some other specific tests that hadn't been done before. When all was said and done, it wasn't my inability to eat right or exercise that was caused my inability to lose weight, it was PCOS. Not that what you said isn't great advice, but I'd be interested to hear more from people who have experienced successful weight loss WITH PCOS and what they feel was the greatest contributor to their success.

I am no expert and I completely get that PCOS has it's own difficult obstacles to overcome, and i'm not trying to discredit how hard it can be for a lot of people with PCOS to lose weight. With that being said, I personally believe that what we put in our bodies has the power to either negativley effect us and cause disease and different disorders, or it can positively effect the body and promote healing and balance. People have successfully controlled/eliminated their diabetes through a clean, healthy diet and exercise because they are giving their body what it needs to function properly and eliminating the unhealthy trigger foods that are causing the imbalance and insulin malfunctions.

I also believe that our minds are extremely powerful and what we think often manifests itself physically. I read a really interesting book called "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hayes and she basically talks about how negative thoughts such as "I'm not good enough" or common fears people have, past negative experiences, can manifest themselves as a diease, ailment, skin condition etc. She gives tools on how to let go of past negative experiences and shift your thoughts in a positive direction. I've used her techniques for other things such as persistent headaches GI issues and it's crazy how much it has helped!

It seems like a silly, simple thing that won't make much of a difference, but you would be surprised. Sometimes when we have these conditions that persist, even though we are doing everything right physically, we need to shift our focus from the physical aspect and work on the mental.

There's no quick fix, but I feel like our bodies want to be healthy and heal and if we work on all aspects (physical, mental, spiritual--if your're comfortable with it) then our bodies can really begin to heal.

Again, just my opinion and just trying to help! goodluck ladies!