PCOS + Lower Carb Higher Protein (advise please)

I'm curious about the responses to this one as I am a sufferer of PCOS too...

Ditto

Add me to the list. Dam our PCOS. I have read all different numbers to as low as 20%. I have no idea though what number the carbs should be or how high to boost the protein. I am a carb addicted so I just started about two days ago to slowly move down my carb number. If any anyone has some suggestions or idea it would be great.

Oh I forgot to mentioned one site said to start with 40% and work your way down

Hello Ladies

I to was diagnosed with severe PCOS over 10 years ago and unfortunatly weight comes with it as an almost guaranteed side effect and its more of a struggle to lose than just normal weightloss

:flowerforyou: First thing I wanna say is there is light at the end of the tunnel!!! :flowerforyou:
I have found the more weight I lost the less the symptoms and side affects of the PCOS have become!!
1) less water retention
2) less bloating
3) more regular periods
4) lighter periods
5) shorter length periods
and most importantly
6) LESS PAIN

One thing I have noticed with food ratios is it varies from person to person!, and its more a trial and error finding what percentages are right for your own weightloss

MFP is set to higher carbs but the lovely thing is you concentrate more on the calories and keeping them right than the percentages of Carbs/protiens MFP suggests start adjusting your levels of each till you find the right burn rate for you EVERYONES DIFFERENT just make sure you keep your calories at optimum

Also stick with it, with PCOS its even easier to fall off the wagon, trust me the more you stick with it, the better the symptoms become and the easier it is to lose the weight its kinda a cycle thing the harder you work the easier it does become, give it time ladies its worth it, I used to be doubled over in pain every month doped up on so many pain killers that I couldnt work, and if I wasnt on pain killers I was passing out with the pain, my periods lasted a minimum of 8 days and were so very heavy I was flooding all the time. Now I have 4-5 day light periods that dont even phase me, minimum pain (only have to take a painkiller about 1 in 6 periods) and they almost always on time!!

If you need a little help I suggest seeing a doctor about metphormin its a drug that helps with diabetes but it has an affect in the liver of people with PCOS that helps with some food processing of sugars etc... I was on it for about a year when I was very heavy and it did help me when I first started to shift my weight. when I got to a certain point I was able to come off it cause my body was able to the job that the metphormin was all by itself

Hope this helps

Hugs all
add me as a friend if you wish
T

OK, here's my opinion. It is not only based on my having PCOS or experiences with treatment/weight loss, I work in the medical field and know a little about this. This is not medical advice, for that you need to go to your doctor. PCOS is a complex syndrome that affects many of the body's systems. The cause is not known and the symptoms fall on a continuum from slight to very severe. In most with PCOS, there is insulin resistance. And most of those will develop diabetes at some point in their lives. Metformin, if tolerated, is an appropriate treatment for this. I take it. Within a month I started having regular periods and lost about 10 pounds. I also had more energy. There are a lot of risks with BCPs and alone they only help regulate hormonal cycles but do not address other parts of the syndrome. And they generally have a side effect of weight gain.

Exercise is absolutely KEY for both treatment and weight loss aspects of PCOS. Lower carb, yes. Atkins-dangerous in my opinion. If you are on a low carb diet, get your renal function checked intermittently. By increasing proteins, which usually happens in a low carb diet, you are causing your kidneys to work pretty hard. PCOS may pose some problems in weight loss efforts but it is not impossible. There is never a magic bullet in weight reduction. Calories in, calories out. It is still science. Just takes more work, more patience and realizing that your body is not your enemy. It is not betraying you. You love it and it will love you in return. Even with PCOS, I have had a 90 pound weight loss in seven months. Problem is, I can never give up the exercise and go back to my carbohydrate free-for-all. I also regained all that 90 pounds. Devastating. Accountability with MFP is a great way to find success. Thanks for listening.
Barb

It would be interesting to know how many out there with PCOS are also diabetic. I started taking the metformin for PCOS but have been taking it to treat the diabetes which is getting better but still have to deal with the skin tags.

Rather than a low carb diet that in not permanently sustainable unless you are Wonder Woman, how about something simple like giving up simple carbohydrates. SUGAR!!! Anything processed with sugar. Includes high fructose corn syrup, by the way. Eat complex carbs-vegetables, fruits and grains. If it is less than the third or fourth ingredient listed on the label, avoid it. It solves most of your concerns and helps regulate blood sugar so the body doesn't have to produce so much insulin that the cells don't recognize so well anyway. If you were wondering why insulin resistance is so dangerous. Insulin helps transport sugar into cells to be used for energy. If it is not being used in the way it is meant to, you end up with high levels of both insulin and blood sugar. Both dangerous situations. And the dark skin areas, skin tags and other symptoms mentioned are some of the results.

for me, under 100 grams of carbs is best. when i first started trying to lose weight, that meant 25% carbs, 30% fat and 45% protein. now that i am down 30 pounds, the settings are 30% carbs, 30% fat and 40% protein.

i usually find it very easy to stick to and i LOVE potatoes and pasta and fruit and bread, etc. i really disagree with the poster that said a low carb diet 'is not permanently sustainable unless you are Wonder Woman'. i know i will be able to eat under 100 grams of carbs for life, without feeling deprived.
dawn