Losing weight with PCOS without doing anything SUPER low carb? Is it possible?

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SherryPhan2
SherryPhan2 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, I have PCOS and I have been steadily gaining weight. I'm not quite overweight but I'm teetering the edge between "normal" and "overweight" dangerously. I hear a lot of things about keto and low carb diets. I've attempted keto almost 5 times now and every time I give in to the cravings and end up worse off than I started. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to lose weight if I just stick to carbs in things like quinoa and vegetables/fruit. Would sticking to 100g of carbs a day be enough for me to lose weight?

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  • hsmith0930
    hsmith0930 Posts: 160 Member
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    I've lost about 11 pounds just counting calories so far and I have PCOS. I think it doesn't come off as fast as it would if I were trying low-carb, because that can be VERY effective for people with PCOS, but I really hate trying to eat low-carb.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    SherryPhan2 wrote: »
    Hey, I have PCOS and I have been steadily gaining weight. I'm not quite overweight but I'm teetering the edge between "normal" and "overweight" dangerously. I hear a lot of things about keto and low carb diets. I've attempted keto almost 5 times now and every time I give in to the cravings and end up worse off than I started. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to lose weight if I just stick to carbs in things like quinoa and vegetables/fruit. Would sticking to 100g of carbs a day be enough for me to lose weight?

    That may be enough. I have PCOS and have found that 100 or a bit above is sufficiently low enough carb-wise. I've never actually made it a point to count carbs because I preferred to focus on just limiting the amount of grains and sweets but 100ish is where they've ended up when I did that and had success losing.
  • NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner
    NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner Posts: 1,018 Member
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    I have on most days 50% carbs. I have PCOS and have lost 1stone10lb since January. So yep it's possible to lose weight eating carbs :)
  • themuddles
    themuddles Posts: 7 Member
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    I eat way, way, way more carbs than I probably should but I've managed to lose around 7 (maybe more, I don't know how accurate my starting weight was...) pounds so far, so it's totally possible.
  • Paperchains38
    Paperchains38 Posts: 42 Member
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    I have PCOS and i have never done low carbs but i do low fat and count calories (although i only started to count calories since January but i lost 3 stone last year by just doing low fat) and that seems to work for me.
  • moose_mama
    moose_mama Posts: 32 Member
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    I've managed to lose 36 pounds with only counting calories.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Look into your options and find what works for you. For some low carb is necessary. For some it makes it easier. Some find they can lose on SLOW carb (south beach etc). Some can lose just counting calories. Good luck!

    Signed: non-PCOS SLOW carber.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
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    I've got PCOS and don't do low carb. I've lost over 30 pounds too, and I'm hoping the weight loss will keep me off metformin.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    SherryPhan2 wrote: »
    Hey, I have PCOS and I have been steadily gaining weight. I'm not quite overweight but I'm teetering the edge between "normal" and "overweight" dangerously. I hear a lot of things about keto and low carb diets. I've attempted keto almost 5 times now and every time I give in to the cravings and end up worse off than I started. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to lose weight if I just stick to carbs in things like quinoa and vegetables/fruit. Would sticking to 100g of carbs a day be enough for me to lose weight?

    I've lost 90 pounds doing that. I have PCOS as well as several other, more serious metabolic issues. It's a long-term, sustainable approach.

    Why not try it and see what happens? Even if you had to go down to 70 or 80G/day, you still might find that better than trying to do keto.

    Be very careful with quinoa--it has a LOT of carbs per serving size. You may find that some grains work better for you than others do.
  • admiller0427
    admiller0427 Posts: 2 Member
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    I have PCOS and have lost 130lbs. To be honest, I do not keep track of my carb consumption. I think it can vary person to person. It's about you finding something that works for you and you can stick with in the long run.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Have you been tested for insulin resistance? I have PCOS but I am not insulin resistant so carbs don't seem to be a problem for me (at least for weight gain and loss). PCOS can be tricky though as the symptoms are variable. I did go lower carb to try to help me conceive (mind you I'm not sure if that really did it but it was one of the major changes I made). Good luck!
  • carriekwi
    carriekwi Posts: 45 Member
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    I have PCOS.... Lost 41 pounds in seven months just counting calories and cutting out most sugar. Still east plenty of health carbs.... And some unhealthy ones too if my calories goal allows. If you are insulin resistant, you'd be amazed how much of a difference you can create just by adding more protein, fruits and veggies.
  • carriekwi
    carriekwi Posts: 45 Member
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    Oh.... And regular cardio (for me it is 30 to 60 minutes of running daily) is a must!
  • wahoostampingirl
    wahoostampingirl Posts: 11 Member
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    I have PCOS and hypothyroidism. A few years ago, in my early 40s, I was able to lose 117lbs with Weight Watchers and not watching my carb intake. I've gained about 35 lbs back, while still following Weight Watchers (loosely), so now I'm trying to lower my carb intake and up my protein and veggie intake. I'm still eating whole grains and beans and my carb levels are about 100g a day. I've only just started, but I will say that I feel much less bloated already and I'm hopeful that I can get that 35lbs off!

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