PCOS and High Fat Diet

Well did you track your calories accurately while dieting, that means, using a food scale for all solid foods? Counting everything?

I don't have PCOS but I do have insulin resistance. I can't speak to LCHF since I don't do that, but I did lower my carbs and up my fat and it seemed to help a lot. My ratio is about 35% carb, 45% fat, 20% protein. Thus, I might suggest starting with your typical eating but lowering carbs modestly and increasing fat and protein modestly.

LCHF (keto) is more specific and restrictive, so you need to educate yourself properly before attempting it.

In the same boat. Just started Keto on Monday so can't really give you any tips lol feel free to add me for support!

very active low carb group here:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

less active keto group here:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto

ahamm002 wrote: »

PCOS doesn't violate the laws of thermodynamics. If you eat at a calorie deficit you will eventually lose weight, regardless of your hormones or carbs.

Trying "every diet under the sun" usually is synonymous with never doing things properly. Calculate your TDEE and log the food you eat and the calories you burn. If you do it accurately and stick to your calorie goals then you'll lose weight. If you don't lose weight, then you're not accurately calculating something (don't blame your hormones). Most people tend to underestimate their calories in and grossly overestimate how much they burn exercising. Make sure you use a food scale.

I also agree, I have PCOS and if you do have a calorie deficit you'll lose the weight. Having a lower estrogen level would actually make it easier for you to lose weight... If you had something like insulin resistance or diabetes there could be an issue at play there though...

I have PCOS too, the best thing to do is eat foods that diabetics can eat, as PCOS is often related to insulin problems just like diabetes. Low glycemic (GI) index foods are what you want. Not so much high fat, or low sugar exactly (though that is the general idea). So getting recipes and foods that are low GI foods will do the best. You don't have to cut out carbs, you just need to get them from the right places to see the best result. So watch your calories like normal healthy diet, exercise best you can, and drink a lot of water for the best results in the long run. Aim for a pound a week, that is a healthy loss of weight at a good increment.

usernameenvy wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

maddyg1989 wrote: »

Apparently I'm clueless and stupid. I've been working out since I could walk. I've been eating right for years. Problem... I have PCOS and constantly gain weight. I have done every diet under the sun and still gained weight. However, I just found out about the low carb, high fat diet on Monday. I've done low carb and it never lasted past the first month. I'd stall, try a new strategy and start gaining. Happens every time. Paleo had the best result but stopped working.

Anyways, can anyone help direct me to some useful LCHF diet info? I'm new to this and don't know how to set up my MFP to help me.

Any tips or guidelines you have would help immensely.

You are gaining weight because you are overeating, not because you have PCOS. PCOS gets worse with weight gain, it does not cause weight gain. It makes fat from belly harder to lose, it does not defy the basic laws of physics. Unless you eat more than you burn, you cannot gain weight.
And no, you cannot lose 40 lbs in 1 month, as your profile indicates. Try one year.

This is interesting, I'm insulin resistant and I have PCOS, it was explained to me that even if I stick to my calories but those calories consisted of too many carbs i would gain weight because my body doesn't know what to do with all the carbs. So yes you could gain weight even if you stuck to the right amount of calories for your body. I hope the advice I was given wasn't wrong.

There are many studies that would suggest that carb heavy diets and PCOS make it harder to lose weight. There are also studies that would suggest that those with IR and PCOS can have lower metabolic rates, as shown in the thread below.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1307008/slow-metabolism-maybe-related-to-pcos-or-insulin-resistance/p1

When you medical conditions, such as PCOS, it's not just as clear and cut as eating whatever you want to achieve a deficit. The impacts of PCOS, like many other medical issues, can react different based on how bad the condition is. And depending on the individual, the range of carbs I usually see is 120g or less. Some need to get to Ketogenic levels to be successful.

And this isn't suggesting they defy any laws, but macronutrients impact these conditions which can increase the amount of time in lipogenesis and decrease lipolysis.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis

Below is the PCOS group.

I have PCOS and have had it for years. I follow iifym for my macros and I've seen great results whenever I've stuck to it. Right now I'm consuming 176g protein, 58g fat, and 126g carb. I've been seeing steady results and have been very happy. I've lowered my carbs down to 119g and upped fat into the 60s but I've been working out hard so I've upped my carbs to account for the amount of work I put in.

Carbohydrates are not a bad bad very bad thing like many people have been tooting about. They are fuel and unless you're medically advised not to eat them it's not always a good idea. Yes I avoid breads as much as possible and I tend to err under my carb goals if I'm not lifting or highly active that day. If I am active I eat my exercise calories back in carbs and fats. That's just what works for me. But when I dropped down into keto carb levels my mental performance dropped. I couldn't concentrate, performed worse in school, depression, etc. but that effects each person differently.

I thought I had tried "every diet under the sun" so I went to see my family doctor. My doctor had advised me to try low carb which was why I had tried it but then I began to question her judgement after she told me to drop down to 800 calories a day. I lost weight but I wasn't gaining muscle and I felt like crap eating such a low amount.

It's taken me a long time to reevaluate my diet. I eat 1730 calories now at a 1lb deficit per week. I get in major protein because I am a high weight and then I eat moderate carbs and moderate fat. I'm happy. I'm becoming healthier. I am losing weight steadily. I'm winning against my depression I struggle with also. I just needed to be honest with myself on what I was eating and how much. Get my water in. Get out there. Make genuinely smart choices. I eat so much now and I eat what I love - no food is off limits. I can eat this way for the rest of my life and that is the most important thing.

I implore you to reevaluate your macros before jumping to keto. Try it again and give it a strong shot with a new level of education behind you. It's tough to lose with PCOS but just remember that you need to be able to make a lifelong change to your diet to manage your weight. This isn't something that can last until you hit a certain goal if you want to live a lifetime as a healthier individual - a stronger individual.

Maybe you can do keto but why not have that as the ultimate last alternative? To me it's just not worth it with how I want to live and what I wanted to do with my life and my body.

I have really severe PCOS and lost a lot of weight on keto (LCHF). Feel free to add me or send me a message. LCHF is wonderful for people with PCOS.