Low carbs with PCOS
rosec005
Posts: 67 Member
Hey all,
I was diagnosed with PCOS back in January and I've since been trying to drop the 40 lbs I've gained because of it. Lately my weight loss has been at a bit of a standstill and I've been reading about how a low carb diet can really help those suffering from PCOS. I can't say I mind not getting a period right now but I really want to lose weight so my acne and hair growth will clear up. I was wondering if anyone has had success with low carb diets and exactly what they did? I don't even know what constitutes as "low carb". Thanks!
I was diagnosed with PCOS back in January and I've since been trying to drop the 40 lbs I've gained because of it. Lately my weight loss has been at a bit of a standstill and I've been reading about how a low carb diet can really help those suffering from PCOS. I can't say I mind not getting a period right now but I really want to lose weight so my acne and hair growth will clear up. I was wondering if anyone has had success with low carb diets and exactly what they did? I don't even know what constitutes as "low carb". Thanks!
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Replies
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Im interested in replys also!
Im sorry to hear about ur troubles - I am a fellow PCOS sufferer xxx0 -
Hiiiiii I have PCOS too, and my Dr. has NEVER said anything about low carb. But I have noticed that after losing 40 pounds, i've suffered less! yippeeee
Although, now that I think about it, I am eating less carbs, but I'm also eat less of everything else too....0 -
Low carb is the way to go. My dr told me that several years ago. When I follow it, I feel better. I don't suggest Adkins but there is a diet book called the PCOS diet. You should read it. Its helped me tremendously!0
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Lindsay, I've been reading online and I've seen a lot of people with PCOS saying that low carb has helped them a lot. I know my doctor mentioned it when I was first diagnosed. But I guess the the sugars in carbs are more difficult for our bodies to break down (especially if you have insulin resistance) and our body stores it as fat...or something like that. It's supposed to help with acne and hair growth, and my acne has become HORRIBLE in the past year. I'll do anything for clear skin! haha0
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You can try the PCOS Diet as one other person suggested. Losing weight helps the PCOS all the way around. I think the hardest part for me in maintaining a low carb diet is that PCOS causes me to ALWAYS crave and want carbs and very sugary foods.0
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You can try the PCOS Diet as one other person suggested. Losing weight helps the PCOS all the way around. I think the hardest part for me in maintaining a low carb diet is that PCOS causes me to ALWAYS crave and want carbs and very sugary foods.
THIS!!! Gahhh I love sugary, salty, crunchy, carby foods. and any combination of the aforementioned. I think if you stick to a healthy diet, a balanced diet, and slowly take out carbs you'll find that easier to maintain than going cold turkey on the carbs0 -
I have PCOS but I am one of the lucky one, I have no fertility problems. In the last 7 months I've lost 14 pounds....and I was getting frustrated. I started low carb sunday and I am 0.6 pounds lost as of today(3 days). I maintain my carbs at less then 25%. To early to tell but I think it is right for me....saddely I am carb resistant.0
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Hi fellow pcos sufferers!! I am also interested to see if a low carb diet coud help speed along the weight loss. I have tried everything except low carbs, so I"m thinking this could be the way to go!!! Please add me if you are suffering from PCOS so we can go through this journey together!!:laugh:0
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Hey,
I was diagnosed with PCOS about a month ago and met with a nutritionist. She recommended a low carb diet for more energy. I have felt a lot better since I started eating less carbs. I eat 45-50 carbs per meal, 400-500 calorie meals and 15-20 carbs per snack, 100-200 calories per snack. It is hard to stay within these limits but it is not as extreme as Adkins. I eat a lot of protein and fiber now. I have been exercising a few times a week, too. I am hoping that I will lose weight faster this way. Just remember, though, as soon as you increase your carbs you will gain weight again.
Caitlin0 -
Hey,
I was diagnosed with PCOS about a month ago and met with a nutritionist. She recommended a low carb diet for more energy. I have felt a lot better since I started eating less carbs. I eat 45-50 carbs per meal, 400-500 calorie meals and 15-20 carbs per snack, 100-200 calories per snack. It is hard to stay within these limits but it is not as extreme as Adkins. I eat a lot of protein and fiber now. I have been exercising a few times a week, too. I am hoping that I will lose weight faster this way. Just remember, though, as soon as you increase your carbs you will gain weight again.
Caitlin
Thanks for the advise!!!0 -
I was diagnosed with PCOS/insulin resistance in May 2009. My endocrinologist prescribed 500 MG of Metformin and it has changed my life, seriously. It has kept me from gaining weight--so, essentially, I eat what i like within reason and don't gain weight, I just maintain. To lose weight, she recommend a 1200 calorie low carb diet. I can't honestly say that I follow the whole low carb thing (if you ever look at my food diary, you'd see that) but with the 1200 calorie diet and at least 300 cals burned of exercise each day, I have had no problem losing 0.8 lbs. - 2 lbs. per week. If I don't exercise, I just maintain.
For low carbs, which I do occassionally try, I recommend lots of seafood, salads, chicken, and I would avoid starches and sugars like bread, tortillas, french fries, potatoes, pasta, etc. The carbs really don't impact my weight anymore now that I'm on the metformin, but they do kill my energy and I find myself sleeping like if I were in a coma.0 -
From everything I have read so far the kind of diet a PCOS suffer should be on is a diabetic, whole food diet. A video I saw on youtube as a woman claimed to have cured her PCOS with a raw food diet, but from everything I have read that is a bunch of crap.
I just found out that I have PCOS yesterday and I have been trying to find out as much as I can since my doctor basicly just said that I have PCOS and to come back in 6 months since when I went for surgery her drilled a bunch of holes in my ovaries and that was it.0 -
I have PCOS too and an not over weight, 115 and I'm 5'2. Before I was on metformin, I did the low carb diet and it helped me. I did the low carb diet, took vitex and natural progesterone cream. That is how we conceived our son. This way took me about 3 months to regulate my cycle and another 3 to conceive.
The second time around I didn't do low carb, instead I took 1500mg of metformin and 50mg of clomid. I took metformin for about 8 months, it helped me ovulate but my cycles were unpredictable. The clomid made me ovulate at the same time every month. We conceived the baby we are expecting in April on my 6th cycle of Clomid.
Good luck!0 -
I was diagnosed with PCOS over 18 months ago and definetly didn't want to go on metformin (I'm awful at taking pills). So my MD and nutritionist recommended basically a diabetic diet stressing whole natural foods and combing complex carbs (no white flour,sugar ect) with lean protein. Eating three small meals and at least 2 snacks. This and moderate exercise helped me drop 40 lbs and my labs were all within normal limits this year!!!
Good luck!0 -
I've been on metformin for about 6 months, and I do think it has helped, it can cause some unpleasant side effects for some, I did struggle with it to start with, but since improving my diet in general I have found it much easier to take.
I have two children, first concieved after 10 years of trying (they kept saying I didn't have PCOS as I don't have the cysts - just everything else) the first time I took progesterone and clomid combined I got pregnant.
second child was concieved 14 months later in a weird way - I was on day 43 of my cycle (i love erratic cycles not!) when hubby & I were finally in a position to (&*()&^%%- you know!) and I got pregnant, we didn't even realise, we had been told not possible to concieve without assistance etc.... I was almost 20 weeks before we found out.... She was due Christmas day although she was born on 23rd instead. our little miracle child. (i only gained 7lb in total carrying her, didn't wear any maternity clothes and had people not realise I was pregnant two weeks before she was born!!!)
I have managed to loose weight and I have found it cycles a bit, loose a bit, stay same, slight gain, loose a bit.
I have currently got my carbs at 40% max, I intend on staying there for a while as it is a lot less than I used to eat, then I will try
and reduce it by about 5% and see what happens, we are all individuals even with the PCOS, it effects differently for everyone, just try changing one thing in your diet for at least two weeks and see if it improves things or makes them worse. at least then you will have a better idea on what works for you.0 -
I was diagnosed with PCOS 15 years ago and after a lot of trial and error I can tell you what works for me -
I set my ratios to 40% carbs- 40% proteins -20% fats. Some days, I am more like 35%carbs and I usually go over a bit on my fats, but I eat mainly whole foods/good fats so I don't worry about it. I get my carbs mainly from fresh produce (I have fruit with most meals) and some from my protein bars. I have grains occasionally and try to avoid processed sugars. Eating whole foods is a huge part of it for me, I feel so good and try to consider the foods that I put in my body as part of my lifelong medical management of PCOS0 -
yup it works. 500 mg of metformin a day 3 times a day and lowered carbs and I went from 237 to 170 as of this morning's weigh in. I am still trying to lose the last 30 but am much much healthier now.
Low carbs and less processed junk and natural whole foods helped me. I will say that having PCOS makes it doubly hard to lose and maintain the weight loss and I have been at it for over a year now lost the first 60 with no problems but the last 30 are killing me.
Good luck toyou
add me if you would like and you can go to my profile to see my before and after picts. The one of me in the pink shirt is the before and the one of me with the dark hair is the most recent after.0 -
I was diagnoses with PCOS and insulin resistance last month. I started taking Metformin (850mg twice a day) and, as my nutritionist suggested, I started eating less than 150g of total carbs a day...With the addition of roughly 90 minutes of exercise a week, the pounds are slowly coming off. For the first time in my life, I'm loosing weight and I'm not hungry all the time!
Give low-carb a shot. The best-case-scenario is: it works, you lose weight. Wost-case: you don't, but you are no worse off than when you started.0 -
I have had PCOS for about 15 yrs..but just as recent as February, I finally went on Metformin..doing 1000mg a day. I also was diagnosed hypothyroid..and doing 45 mg of Armour Thyroid.
I just met with the nutritionist at the drs office..and she has me on a low-glycemic diet. I started at 175 in April...and am down to 160..that was before the diet change..so am anxious to see how the combo of diet/exercise/ medication will turn out.
BTW...doc has me on 1200 calories a day...
Good Luck..
Marlene0 -
I was told this as well, and I have been reading the pcos diet book as well.0
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