success stories having pcos?

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Any ladies with success stories that have pcos? What foods are best to eat or to stay away from?

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  • feliciaflores
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    Low carb/low glycemic is best for PCOS dieting since we have insulin resistance. Atkins worked wonders for me but now that I am "normal weight" but not happy with my weight - I just stick to low fat, watch carbs and calorie count but if I go carb crazy - the weight just piles on . Good Luck!
  • carrisaalejandre
    carrisaalejandre Posts: 63 Member
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    Thank you that helps alot! :)
  • ajlandon
    ajlandon Posts: 115 Member
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    There's a PCOS group here, too: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3070-p-c-o-sis

    Lots of great tips and success stories over there. Come join us :)
  • ajsdream
    ajsdream Posts: 223 Member
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    I just wanted to add that I have PCOS, and I have no problems eating high carb and losing weight. I don't think it's accurate to say that every woman who has PCOS is insulin resistant. I have lost 59 pounds so far, with probably another 20 to go depending on how I look and feel. Good luck to you!
  • crazscholar
    crazscholar Posts: 2 Member
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    I have struggled with the "collateral" damage from PCOS since my late 20's (weight gain, insulin resistance, hair loss/growth, high cholesterol). I have finally, after many failures, found a diet/exercise solution that works for me. I do know that every woman with PCOS will have different results, and that even the symptoms that any individual woman may have will be different. Some may not have issues with insulin resistance, others may not have issues with problematic hair loss/growth, etc. Some women can eat high carb, some can not. These are the things, in combination, that have worked for me. In the past year, I have been able to lose 40+ lbs, and strip my body fat percentage by 10%, possibly more. Nothing that I have done is rocket science, and it can apply to women with or without PCOS...I just had to find the combination that worked for my body/hormonal/age composition.

    Self-care is very important. Reducing stress, or finding ways to cope with the stressors of daily life is important. For me, this actually meant making big changes in my life and how I managed things.
    Resistance training is key. Even for women over 40, without PCOS, resistance training is needed to maintain muscle mass and keep bone density. For me, a woman with PCOS, it ended up being one of the key factors in my weight loss/muscle increase.
    Carb cycling - many years ago, a doctor put me on a "no carb" diet. On that diet, I lost a significant amount of weight (but didn't gain muscle). The weight came of quickly, but over time, even with the no carb, it started coming back. I continued cardio workouts (gym, many beachbody workouts, running) but ultimately, even this routine failed. I was working out 6 days a week, eating mostly protein,
    A year ago, I discovered carb cycling. The foods I eat are very similar to that which are recommended on a paleo diet. I often use paleo recipes to plan meals. With the carb cycling, I have a bit more freedom, and I feel like I can actually have a relatively normal life. Thee are a myriad of books on carb cycling. Just type it in the browser and you'll get a choice. There are a lot of different ways to do it, some are more simple and some are complex. I went with a relatively simple plan.
    What is also important is to "plan" ahead. This means planning for your upcoming week, your breakfast, lunch and dinner, and snacks. This makes life a little easier and helps avoid foods that aren't good for those of us with PCOS.
    A year ago, I also ramped up the resistance training and muscle confusion training. I work out six days a week, this includes walking at least 5 miles every day (I have a large dog and a small yard/also doubles as stress reduction), working out at a high intensity for at least 40 minutes every day, and incorporating yoga, plyometrics and other high intensity interval training routines once, twice or three times a week.
    I have one day a week that is absolutely free from working out, and I get to eat anything I want.
    Did I say managing stress and stress reduction?
    And a basic rule still applies, to lose weight, you have to consume fewer calories that you burn. A good tracker helps in this arena. But there is a fine balance between eating enough and eating too little. I have found that I can easily sabotage myself by not eating enough.
    There is also a PCOS newsletter that I subscribe too that talks about research studies, diet, natural and prescription solutions. I have found a lot of that information very helpful.
    Hope this helps.
  • AmyZ46
    AmyZ46 Posts: 694 Member
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    Low carb/low glycemic is best for PCOS dieting since we have insulin resistance. Atkins worked wonders for me but now that I am "normal weight" but not happy with my weight - I just stick to low fat, watch carbs and calorie count but if I go carb crazy - the weight just piles on . Good Luck!

    ^^^^ same here ... If I eat a piece of bread I don't lose weight for days lol . I try really hard to stay away from carbs but usually Sunday is my carb day . I do have insulin resistance as well so I do take metformin daily . As you can see from my ticker we can lose weight ....
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