Confusing start to PCOS weight management

MRSpickleboo
MRSpickleboo Posts: 2 Member
edited November 19 in Food and Nutrition
hello! I was diagnosed with PCOS 4 days ago and have been researching lifestyle changes non stop. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I'm having problems getting my period. Im trying to lose weight to possibly manage this better and am looking for any guidance on what kind of diet is best to follow? Gluten free, paleo, Los carb or organic.. I've read all different articles on the way to go but am just more confused now than when I started.. What is working for everyone else?

Thanks!

Replies

  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    I have PCOS and all I did was eat less and moved a little more, I didn't stop eating things I enjoyed or drastically change my eating style. Granted my insulin resistance was mild enough my endo was willing to see if I could continue with my weight loss without having to be put on metformin. I have lost 42 pounds and doubt I will need to be put on any meds, and my cycles have gone from being erratic (anywhere from 26 to 72 days between the start of one period and the next) to being almost as consistent as they were when I was a teenager.

    Depending on where you are at with your insulin it would be a wise idea to speak with your endo and figure out an action plan as to what would be your best bet. They could also refer you to a dietitian that can help your dietary needs. PCOS is not a situation where what works for one will work well for another. I don't have to watch my carbs and sugar intake, but others do. You have to find what works best for you that you will be able to stick to for the long term (potentially forever).
  • startrekkermd
    startrekkermd Posts: 37 Member
    PCOS is thought to be a problem with insulin resistance. So I would overall aim for a lower carb diet - note that I'm not saying a paleo, or a keto diet - just one where you don't pile on the carbs. If your doctor hasn't already, I would do a diabetes screen (an hba1c level)

    However, quite a few of my patients have PCOS and normal BMIs - there is no guarantee that losing weight will sort out your period, though it very well could. If getting pregnant soon is something that you want to do, clomid and metformin treatment are both very safe and something that you should consider - given your age, they should have a very high success rate as well.

    Disclaimer - my informed opinion only and should not be taken as medical advice
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    There is a herbal medicine called vitex that can help you get your period. It has to build up in your system so you have to take it a couple months before it starts working but it helped me.

    exercise helped me get my period some time too.

    I try to do low carb or carb cycle is what works best for me to lose weight. I try to avoid estrogenic foods like soy.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Also because you have pcos puts you at a higher risk for miscarriage and possible celiacs or gluten intolerance. I did not know the higher risk for miscarriage when I first found out about the pcos. I have had 3 miscarriages. But I have 3 living children :). Also bc we do not regularly shed our lining it puts at a higher risk of ovarian and uterine cancers so regular checking is a good idea. After having my 1st miscarriage and dnc I was much easier to become pregnant I guess about 20 years of built up junk!
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    angelexperiment wrote: »
    There is a herbal medicine called vitex that can help you get your period. It has to build up in your system so you have to take it a couple months before it starts working but it helped me.

    exercise helped me get my period some time too.

    I try to do low carb or carb cycle is what works best for me to lose weight. I try to avoid estrogenic foods like soy.

    Telling people to take herbal remedies is irresponsible as you are not a trained medical professional. She needs to continue speaking with her endo to get this worked out, not take herbal things that could potentially have an interaction with medication she currently takes.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    MRSpickleboo wrote: »
    hello! I was diagnosed with PCOS 4 days ago and have been researching lifestyle changes non stop. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I'm having problems getting my period. Im trying to lose weight to possibly manage this better and am looking for any guidance on what kind of diet is best to follow? Gluten free, paleo, Los carb or organic.. I've read all different articles on the way to go but am just more confused now than when I started.. What is working for everyone else?

    Thanks!

    I don't have it, but enough people are here on MFP with PCOS that they may be able to help. There are also groups dedicated to individuals with PCOS.

    It's all tailored to the specific person's needs. Some people do well with a deficit and exercise, others track their carb intake. I would work with your doctor to test out some eating plans, and see what helps you hit your goals.
  • scroogy
    scroogy Posts: 18 Member
    MRSpickleboo wrote: »
    hello! I was diagnosed with PCOS 4 days ago and have been researching lifestyle changes non stop. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I'm having problems getting my period. Im trying to lose weight to possibly manage this better and am looking for any guidance on what kind of diet is best to follow? Gluten free, paleo, Los carb or organic.. I've read all different articles on the way to go but am just more confused now than when I started.. What is working for everyone else?

    Thanks!

    I'm a nurse who used to work in reproductive endocrinology. In getting patients with PCOS pregnant, they would first be put on birth control for one month to induce a period. Once the period begins you start to monitor for an attempt to get pregnant during the next cycle. You may need to get your progesterone level tested to see if you have ovulated. It's best to just see your OB/Gyn or a reproductive endo for basic testing through your cycle to know when to have sex, etc.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    edited June 2015
    MRSpickleboo wrote: »
    hello! I was diagnosed with PCOS 4 days ago and have been researching lifestyle changes non stop. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I'm having problems getting my period. Im trying to lose weight to possibly manage this better and am looking for any guidance on what kind of diet is best to follow? Gluten free, paleo, Los carb or organic.. I've read all different articles on the way to go but am just more confused now than when I started.. What is working for everyone else?

    Thanks!

    If your dr suspects you are insuline resistant (which is not alwas the case with PCOS), then you might need a diabetes management diet to help you (not exactly low carb etc, but balanced carbs throughout the day) and if this does nto work, you might also need meds, such as metfromine. If you are not insuline resistant, and even if you are, since you are only now starting, add exercise to your daily routine, watch your calories and be patient. As you lose weight, you will see improvement, even if you do nothing else.
    To share my personal experience, I was diagnosed with PCOS at 18 and I am also insuline resistant. I am now 40, have been symptom free (at least the annoying symptoms, I do not count mild hirsutism as a real problem) and had 3 kids with no medical intervention. The key for me to be healthy and withoyt symptoms is maintaining my weight on the low side of normal, not just normal bmi, but below average, and staying moderately active. Skipping exercise for extended periods of time, or just gaining a few kilos, usually is enough to start observing problems with periods. To give you an example, from 20 years of observing how my body behaves, I know that even reaching a BMI of 22 or so means trouble, while at around 19-20 I have perfectly regular cycles.
  • MRSpickleboo
    MRSpickleboo Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you everyone for all of your responses! I actually wasn't expecting that at all so I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences. I currently just started metformin on Friday and originally my obgyn suggested clomid as well but I thought it would've best to see what the metformin did but I think I might reach out to her to see if I can get on clomid too. Last year I got married and lost almost 30 pounds (being on BC the whole time). Then a couple months after the wedding I gained back about 15 pounds (loss of motivation/going out a lot) then I stopped taking BC in feb to try to get pregnant and haven't gotten my period yet. Since stopping BC I also gained the other 15 back as well. I'm currently at my heaviest weight and now discovering that I have PCOS I'm trying to get back on track. Low carb worked for me in the past so I might start there.. I am at the gym about 3-4 times a week either walking, yoga or strength training classes. It's my diet that I'm having so much trouble with. I'll do fine during the day at work with my meals weighed out and brought from home but then I get home and snack way too much. I'm also reading 3 meals and no snacks vs 5 meals/snacks a day. (Suggestions on this?) my doctor thinks I am insuline resistant and that has been helping me gain/hard to lose weight. I think the idea of talking to a nutritionist might be a good idea just go I can understand better of what I should be eating. Thanks again for all the help, it's nice to know there are others out there with the same issues I'm going through.
  • DittoDan
    DittoDan Posts: 1,850 Member
    There are two forums for lo-carb and Keto:

    Low Carb Discussion Group on MFP (LCD)
    Ketogenic Diet Discussion Group on MFP

    There are about a dozen women on those two forums that have PCOS and they talk about it all the time.

    There is a PCOS forum on MFP, I don't have a link to it, but you could probably find it (google). There they focus on PCOS.

    I hope this helps,

    Dan the Man from Michigan
    It's Ketogenic or Bariatric! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
    Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups
    Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet
    DittoDan's Keto Blogs
    How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto
    Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites

  • hstull82
    hstull82 Posts: 116 Member
    I have pcos. I have an open consistent diary. Take a peek for some ideas & add me as a friend if you like. A good balance of healthy eating plus excercise has been helping me out a lot this year. I eat gluten free low carb. My carbs mostly come from brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, fruit, & luna bars. Good luck & I look forward to cheering you on!!
  • leahraskie
    leahraskie Posts: 260 Member
    scroogy wrote: »
    MRSpickleboo wrote: »
    hello! I was diagnosed with PCOS 4 days ago and have been researching lifestyle changes non stop. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I'm having problems getting my period. Im trying to lose weight to possibly manage this better and am looking for any guidance on what kind of diet is best to follow? Gluten free, paleo, Los carb or organic.. I've read all different articles on the way to go but am just more confused now than when I started.. What is working for everyone else?

    Thanks!

    I'm a nurse who used to work in reproductive endocrinology. In getting patients with PCOS pregnant, they would first be put on birth control for one month to induce a period. Once the period begins you start to monitor for an attempt to get pregnant during the next cycle. You may need to get your progesterone level tested to see if you have ovulated. It's best to just see your OB/Gyn or a reproductive endo for basic testing through your cycle to know when to have sex, etc.

    This.

    You most likely need to be placed back on your birth control pills to regulate your cycle and to decrease your testosterone levels, at least for awhile until you get your insulin and weight under better management. Birth control is a first line treatment in ovarian cysts and high testosterone levels. I have PCOS but I never followed any diet. Apparently high fat, low carb works for a lot of women on the PCOS board, but I did a low fat, high carb diet and also lost weight. I don't think there is any specific way to lose weight with PCOS to be honest. If you're insulin resistant you should probably follow a diet similar to someone that has diabetes though.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    edited June 2015
    leahraskie wrote: »
    scroogy wrote: »
    MRSpickleboo wrote: »
    hello! I was diagnosed with PCOS 4 days ago and have been researching lifestyle changes non stop. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I'm having problems getting my period. Im trying to lose weight to possibly manage this better and am looking for any guidance on what kind of diet is best to follow? Gluten free, paleo, Los carb or organic.. I've read all different articles on the way to go but am just more confused now than when I started.. What is working for everyone else?

    Thanks!

    I'm a nurse who used to work in reproductive endocrinology. In getting patients with PCOS pregnant, they would first be put on birth control for one month to induce a period. Once the period begins you start to monitor for an attempt to get pregnant during the next cycle. You may need to get your progesterone level tested to see if you have ovulated. It's best to just see your OB/Gyn or a reproductive endo for basic testing through your cycle to know when to have sex, etc.

    This.

    You most likely need to be placed back on your birth control pills to regulate your cycle and to decrease your testosterone levels, at least for awhile until you get your insulin and weight under better management. Birth control is a first line treatment in ovarian cysts and high testosterone levels. I have PCOS but I never followed any diet. Apparently high fat, low carb works for a lot of women on the PCOS board, but I did a low fat, high carb diet and also lost weight. I don't think there is any specific way to lose weight with PCOS to be honest. If you're insulin resistant you should probably follow a diet similar to someone that has diabetes though.

    No. According to every dr I have been to the last two decades, if you plan to have kids, birth control will make things harder for PCOS patients. It is a "treatment" to mask the problem of irregular cycles and help with some of the symptoms. When it comes to getting fertility back, it will make things worse. Exactly as the OP has found out after getting off her birth control.
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