PCOS + Lower Carb Higher Protein (advise please)

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  • Amberkins23
    Amberkins23 Posts: 36 Member
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    I also have PCOS and have noticed that since I cut down on bread and sugary drinks the weight has been pouring off! I still eat some bread but not nearly what I use to. I thought I couldn't survive without the carbs but I realize that if my goal is important enough to me (getting pregnant) then I will do whatever I have to.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RE4cXeX7Po

    this lady has some awesome videos that talk about how the carbs affect us. (insulin resistance)
  • lenwie
    lenwie Posts: 240
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RE4cXeX7Po

    this lady has some awesome videos that talk about how the carbs affect us. (insulin resistance)

    Ace link thanks x
  • jjclem07
    jjclem07 Posts: 127 Member
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    I am also a PCOS suffer and I am also a type 2 diabetic. I would love the answer as well.
  • barbmpac
    barbmpac Posts: 110 Member
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    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
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
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    IMO, this is the best site if you want to learn about low card, healthy eating.

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/
  • aroonie1
    aroonie1 Posts: 6
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    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. :smile:
  • AllisonMarisa
    AllisonMarisa Posts: 74 Member
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    I was just diagnosed with PCOS, not diabetic, but definitely heading that way. I've gained thirty pounds in the last three years and lot's of it is central weight gain.

    I definitely am interested in trying a lower carb diet.
  • barbmpac
    barbmpac Posts: 110 Member
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    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.
  • MFPfriend
    MFPfriend Posts: 1,121 Member
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    I also agree with giving up high fructose corn syrup. My doctor suggested that. I'm not really exactly sure how it works, but he said the way it's produced with enzymes doesn't agree with our hormones or something. I started cutting it out and that definitely helped too.
    I ate bread, though- at least 2, usually 3 slices a day. And usually a bagel in the morning. I just made sure they were whole grain, no high fructose corn syrup, and as organic as I could get (without having to make it myself, of couse).
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
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    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
  • LaJauna
    LaJauna Posts: 336 Member
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    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.

    Unless you already have kidney disease there is absolutely no proof that eating high protein/fat causes renal failure. There are whole cultures of people on our planet that eat completely CARB FREE diets without health disaster. It has only been since the introduction of sugar to our diets that our health as humans has deteriorated to the point of obesity and marked growth in diabetes and HBP. I have eaten low carb for years, (I struggle with carb addiction, which I have to address every day of my life) and my blood tests, blood pressure and cholesterol numbers are in the optimum ranges. I hate when people use scare tactics without checking the facts.
  • LaJauna
    LaJauna Posts: 336 Member
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    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.

    I agree with everything that you said, except for the part of low carb not being permanently sustainable. If someone is allergic to sugar and gluten and it is a matter of life or death, you can avoid all the foods that cause you to become sick. Low carb eating had saved my life. I eat healthier then I have ever eating in my life! I eat healthy proteins, veggies and fats. I do not eat anything made with processed carbohydrates (read: sugars and high carb grains). Anything that is worth doing comes with a price.
  • mck8686
    mck8686 Posts: 13 Member
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    Wow, I'm so glad I found this thread. I was diagnosed about 7 or 8 years ago. I have been on Metformin ever since then. About two years ago my new ob/gyn increased my dosage from one pill to four a day but I have never noticed that it helped with weight loss. In the beginning I was also put on a low dose of birth control and it really helped a lot with shorter, lighter periods and it made them much more regular. However, I had a history of migraines and they started coming back during my period. I was just past 35 and the doctor said I was in a category for increased risk of stroke and took me off the BC. After about a year and a half my periods became a nightmare and they still are. Alternately, the doctor has had to give me medicine to help regulate them when I get one that lasts for a month. I'm 38 now and trying to get pregnant. I went through a battery of tests in November with an endocrinologist and she said other than my weight and the PCOS, I'm totally healthy. I have some symptoms of thyroid problems but the tests were negative. She did find that I have a slower than average metabolism. Go figure!

    On one hand that's such a relief. No diabetes or anything but I desperately need to drop my weight. I have been trying to stay around 1400 calories a day and the doctor looked at the diary I was keeping in MFP and she said I needed to double my protein (at least) and cut the carbs by half. She was looking at the default amounts MFP gives you. She didn't say I needed to be on a no carb diet. She actually believes in South Beach and suggested I give it a try. Needless to say that failed like every other diet I've tried. I know I can do this on my own with exercise and diet. I am working daily on figuring out combinations that make me feel satisfied without a bunch of carbs.

    If you like eggs I suggest you incorporate a few of them into your diet. I have read articles about how the protein in eggs helps to keep you full longer and I know it really works for me. I can eat two eggs in the morning and not be hungry until lunch. That's a big deal for me. :) Sorry for the long post. I hope this also helps others.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    i don't have PCOS, but I follow 20% for carbs and 40% for protein and fat each. It works for me and i get my carbs from vegetables or occasional melba toast that i put tuna onto.
  • free2bfit
    free2bfit Posts: 7
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    I was diagnosed with PCOS 8 years ago and was put on metformin. I lost 13 lbs the first month then got pregnant and went off them through my pregnancy. Since then I have been back on the metformin but have struggle to loose the weight. It really is about exercise and diet, I know for me one doesn't work without the other. Sure I may lose for a few week if I eat good but it doesn't continue if I don't get moving. Now, I am comitted to making a lifestyle change that I can live with the rest of my life.
  • AllisonMarisa
    AllisonMarisa Posts: 74 Member
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    I poked around but didn't see anything, would anyone be interested in doing a "PCOS weight loss" thread? I'm starting on up a thread here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/178577-pcos-weight-loss-challenge
  • joanie775
    joanie775 Posts: 24 Member
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    Get as much protein as you can the more protein the faster the weight come's off, I go to curves and im on the weight management program there- Its all about protein
  • CeejayGee
    CeejayGee Posts: 299 Member
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    My endocrinologist gave me metformin to regulate my periods and PCOS and it has made a lot of difference. Without taking it, it's hard for me to lose even a pound a week. When I take it, I am losing about 2.5 a week. And, this past week I switched to taking it in the evenings instead of mornings and I've woken up lighter every single day!
  • JohnnyNull
    JohnnyNull Posts: 294 Member
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    As I understand it, the Glucose Index/Load is the greatest tool for PCOS sufferers and diabetics. There's a couple "Dummies" books that are incredibly helpful and easy to use.

    Of note, most people think that protein slows sugar absorption in your system. This is not really the case. It's primarily fats and fiber.
  • kelika71
    kelika71 Posts: 778 Member
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    I have PCOS and Type 2 Diabetes. This past December, I was given the news that I'm in "maintenance mode" for maintaining my blood sugar levels. My percentages are: 45% carbs, 30% protein and 25% fat. Balance & eating the right carbs is key to it all, along with regular exercise.

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