I'm curious about this too and wonder what everyone else is doing.

I just started reducing my carbs, however I don't really feel any differences.

I have been on every meal plan out there for carb counts and for me personally I found that I maintain weight at around 75g per day and lose consistently if I stay under 50g per day. I have the best results though if I am on a low carb/high fat diet called the ketogenic diet. It is tough, but for me it is the only way I have been able to reverse my symptoms. I even got pregnant after only 3 months on the diet last summer. Also, when I am on the diet, I stop craving sweets and other carbs completely after about two weeks. I am back at the diet now after giving birth and having a failed attempt at breastfeeding. I do combine it with 1500 mg metformin and birth control. But the only thing metformin did on its own before I cut carbs was give me more energy. I didn't lose weight or lose symptoms until I cut my carbs drastically.

Minus the baby, (gratz on the new little one btw Kenzietate) this is me. I have to stay on no more than 50 NET carbs a day or my weightloss stalls and/or i gain weight if i eat more than that. I do net carbs, because even tho fiber is a type of carb your body can not process or use it as a carb at all, so why count something your body doesnt count? I also take metformin 1000mg a day and if i go to high on carbs, it lets me know very very pointedly the next day. I need to buckle down and just do the ketogenic diet but havent been able to discipline myself to get over the two weeks of carb flu while my body adjusts from burning carbs to burning fat as energy. My symptoms are greatly reduced if i keep carbs low. Less tummy bloat, less hair loss on my head, more energy, weight loss, less painful periods, less heavy periods, etc.

I recommend reading thru many of the posts on this board before you decide which way to go with carbs. There are a few very knowledgeable people here (dragonwolf being a great source of info on PCOS diet) that can help you decide which is best for you. What works for others may or may not work for you. SOme of have great success on Low GI diets, but many of us cant do it and have to go low carb. There is a TON of helpful information in various posts here on this board. So read thru as much as you can and it will help you make more informed decisions on which diet change will work for you.

Hang in there! We can do this!

I'm trying to keep it to no more than 100-120 gm per day. I've done less than that but it seems like when I keep it in that range, I can lose weight and still have enough energy for running, etc., and not struggle so much with satiety or rebound binging.

ETA: That's total carbs, not net. I try to get a good 20-25 gm of fiber per day as well, though on lower-carb days I don't always get there.

I initially started out eating 150 grams a day....it was pretty easy but my weight didn't go anywhere. I then went to 100 grams and started slowly noticing a difference in how I felt. After going to 50 or less net grams a day and doing Insanity my weight is slowly but surely coming off.

I also have one cheat day where I don't count anything, which is possibly why the weight is coming off slowly.

Experiment and see what works for you. I've read many women with PCOS state reducing calories was all they needed while others carb reductions vary from 20 net grams to 200 grams.

Good Luck!!!

I'm new here but why does the # of grams matter over your own body weight? Shouldn't there be a range based on your own height and maybe even your own amount of muscle? I ate 150 grams a day but I only ate 800 calories. It constituted 75% of my entire caloric intake, but if I was a normal functioning person and consuming 150 grams @ 2000 calories it would be only 30% of my caloric intake

I just can't seem to eat low carbs lately I know i do so much better when I do but I just crave carbs so much how do you guys eat so few !?!?

ive noticed that if i up the fats, the carb cravings are less. I dont know why that is. I often make something called cream cheese clouds, its basically butter and cream cheese and a flavoring whipped together. Its sweet and so tasty it helps when i just want a dessert. I use different flavorings but lemon is my favorite.

Anyway, I've heard others say that upping fats also helps the carb cravings so I dont think im the only one who feels that way.

I started lowering my carbs to 80-100grams a day and started to get my period every 5 weeks. The weight was coming off slowly but steadily & I also have hypothyroidism. But, I started a ketogenic diet and lowered my carbs to 20-30grams a day and now the weight is coming off at a faster rate.

I'm new here but why does the # of grams matter over your own body weight? Shouldn't there be a range based on your own height and maybe even your own amount of muscle? I ate 150 grams a day but I only ate 800 calories. It constituted 75% of my entire caloric intake, but if I was a normal functioning person and consuming 150 grams @ 2000 calories it would be only 30% of my caloric intake

Unlike protein, and to a lesser extent fat, carb "needs" aren't really based on body weight. Protein is based on lean body mass, because the body needs a certain amount per pound of lean mass to keep it maintained (kind of like a budget for fixing potholes in the road, you need enough to keep the roads from turning into swiss cheese, but much more just goes to waste). Fat requires a minimum based on body weight, because the entire body requires that fat to bring in the fat-soluble nutrients and hormones.

Carbs, however, are only required for a few things -- some brain processes, and glycogen stores -- and the body can actually make what it really needs, even in the total absence of carbs. Additionally, that amount is pretty fixed, regardless of whether you're 90lbs or 390lbs. The brain only uses so many grams of glucose a day, and the body can only store about 120g of glycogen. Therefore, much more than about 150g, unless you're very active and constantly using it (high intensity or marathon level stuff), just gets converted to triglycerides and stored.

I just can't seem to eat low carbs lately I know i do so much better when I do but I just crave carbs so much how do you guys eat so few !?!?

ive noticed that if i up the fats, the carb cravings are less. I dont know why that is. I often make something called cream cheese clouds, its basically butter and cream cheese and a flavoring whipped together. Its sweet and so tasty it helps when i just want a dessert. I use different flavorings but lemon is my favorite.

Anyway, I've heard others say that upping fats also helps the carb cravings so I dont think im the only one who feels that way.

This. Fat is the key. Anyone who reads my posts knows what I'm about to say -- carbs and fat are fuel, protein is not. The biggest sustainability issue most people have has to do with the fact that they mistakenly increase protein when dropping carbs and leaving fat low. This is very, very bad, for many, many reasons, the least of which being the insatiable cravings (the biggest reason is protein poisoning, or "rabbit starvation").

That's why the recommended method is typically ketogenic-leaning -- low carb, moderate protein, high fat. When you drop your carbs, you must raise your fat, so that your body has a sufficient fuel source. Yes, that means scary high numbers for both the percent and gram numbers (60-75% or more and around 100g isn't uncommon), but it's only scary because we've been indoctrinated to believe that fat is bad when it really isn't.

If you're getting sufficient fat, then the cravings may also be due to just starting out. There's an induction phase, where your body has to get used to running on fewer dietary carbs. It's basically withdrawal, and your body has a hissy fit accordingly. Stick it out, feed it well, get lots of water and rest, and it will pass in 1-3 weeks, depending on what your diet was previously.