PCOS

kriswestbrook2016 · March 2016

Hi everyone,

I just recently found out I have PCOS, and I've read a lot on how diet could help. Do any ladies with pcos have a diet plan they follow that has helped them?

mochapygmy · March 2016

I don't have PCOS but I suspect I do. Following to hear the replies.

kriswestbrook2016 · March 2016

I have always struggled with my periods, acne, and weight even while running 15-20 miles a week. In August of 2015, my periods completely stopped and I haven't had one since. I went to my doctor in February, had blood work done and an ultrasound, and I was diagnosed with PCOS.

Other symptoms would be excessive body hair. I don't really have it, but I've heard it's a good indicator.

I don't regret going to my doctor because I finally had some answers to a lot of questions I've had for years!

MissTattoo · March 2016

I've been diagnosed with PCOS. I take Metformin and I've cut my sugar intake a lot. Most of my sugar now comes from fruits. It's not impossible to lose weight. You just have to get a proper diagnosis and a plan. Cutting sugar and switching to wheat products like pasta, rice, etc. has really helped.

MissTattoo · March 2016

also, I cut out soy completely.

psuLemon · March 2016

Generally, many with PCOS, have seen improvements when lowering their carbs to 120g net or below; this would depend on the severity of your condition. And when they do eat carbs, they tend to be from fruits, veggies and whole grains that are high in fiber. Below is the group dedicated to PCOS.

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

EstherZ13 · March 2016

I also have been diagnosed with PCOS and I am curious about those who have known for awhile and been trying to lose weight. I notice that I lose inches before I start losing weight, does this happen with anyone else?

aSearch4Me · March 2016

I have PCOS, diagnosed last summer, but I had suspected it for a long time. My doctor put me on a Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) diet. My main symptoms were irregular periods (annovulatory), infertility, some hair issues, & difficulty losing weight. On the LCHF diet, paired with Metformin, moderate exercise & strength training, I Iost nearly 60#'s in 6 months, resumed regular monthly cycles, and feel amazing.

There is a great group on here for fellow PCOS "cysters". You should join. There's a ton of great information about the syndrome, people's success stories, and is just a great support forum. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis

soechsner09 · March 2016

psulemon wrote: »

Generally, many with PCOS, have seen improvements when lowering their carbs to 120g net or below; this would depend on the severity of your condition. And when they do eat carbs, they tend to be from fruits, veggies and whole grains that are high in fiber. Below is the group dedicated to PCOS.

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

This^^

Naley2322 · March 2016

I was diagnosed in 2012 and suffered with the symptoms since around 2007. I have grown up on a strict vegetarian diet and turned vegan after my official diagnosis and it changed my life and as of today I 100% got rid of the symptoms. I have to have regular checkups but since upping my plant based carbohydrates I have no more ovarian cysts, bloating is gone, acne is gone and no more cystic pimples (thank god), fatigue and depression gone. My diet is plant based, a lot of fresh sweet fruits in the mornings and I make sure my grains are all 100% whole wheat and fresh, most shelf grains have milk based preservatives so I really recommend making sure pasta and breads are made of understandable ingredients like wheat and water. I also eat a lot of sweet potatoes, lentils, rice, oatmeal etc. I also made sure to completely cut out processed refined white sugars. I didn't do this diet for weight loss at all but I lost a lot of weight and the most important thing is I don't have the cysts anymore!

also my sister was diagnosed with it as well

she doesn't want to give up dairy and she still suffers with symptoms from time to time. She takes a candida enzyme that she thinks helps a bit, but she still does have symptoms.

MelissaPhippsFeagins · March 2016

I found that my PCOS symptoms resolved completely after my celiac diagnosis. A gluten free diet is not necessarily low carb, but I don't eat a lot of bread replacements so mine is low refined carbs. I eat lots of veggies these days.

StacyChrz · March 2016

I'm just being lazy and copying my reply to another thread:
I have PCOS, Hypothyroidism and am gluten intolerant. I have found that for myself dairy is a big issue. In a commercial farming operation cows are given artificial hormones to keep them producing milk, I am apparently sensitive to these hormones. Through trial and error I learned that when I eat dairy, whether it's low fat Greek yogurt or cheese, or milk on a regular basis I have more PCOS symptoms and I experience more fluid retention. I had 'fallen off the wagon' for several months, and had been eating dairy regularly. I had also not been measuring my portions accurately and ate a few gluten containing foods. I had maintained my weight through the holidays then in the past several weeks I gained about 9 lbs. back. My periods had become irregular and my joints were aching which is a signal for me of systemic inflammation. Starting last Monday I cut all dairy products, increased my protein, started weighing and measuring everything and have been very careful about gluten. I have lost 7.4 lbs. as of today. I have a Fitbit and have it set up to adjust my calories up or down based on activity and have ended most days a little over my calorie goal and am still losing. I am quite certain that a high percentage of my weight loss is due to fluid retention/inflammation but some of it is absolutely fat loss.

I have experimented with cutting out dairy along with gluten a few times and each time I have the same positive result. Did I mention my TOM started on Thursday and it was actually 'normal'? I don't find that I need to limit my carbs to severe level, just the gluten containing ones. It might be worth a try.

psuLemon · March 2016

StacyChrz wrote: »

I'm just being lazy and copying my reply to another thread:
I have PCOS, Hypothyroidism and am gluten intolerant. I have found that for myself dairy is a big issue. In a commercial farming operation cows are given artificial hormones to keep them producing milk, I am apparently sensitive to these hormones. Through trial and error I learned that when I eat dairy, whether it's low fat Greek yogurt or cheese, or milk on a regular basis I have more PCOS symptoms and I experience more fluid retention. I had 'fallen off the wagon' for several months, and had been eating dairy regularly. I had also not been measuring my portions accurately and ate a few gluten containing foods. I had maintained my weight through the holidays then in the past several weeks I gained about 9 lbs. back. My periods had become irregular and my joints were aching which is a signal for me of systemic inflammation. Starting last Monday I cut all dairy products, increased my protein, started weighing and measuring everything and have been very careful about gluten. I have lost 7.4 lbs. as of today. I have a Fitbit and have it set up to adjust my calories up or down based on activity and have ended most days a little over my calorie goal and am still losing. I am quite certain that a high percentage of my weight loss is due to fluid retention/inflammation but some of it is absolutely fat loss.

I have experimented with cutting out dairy along with gluten a few times and each time I have the same positive result. Did I mention my TOM started on Thursday and it was actually 'normal'? I don't find that I need to limit my carbs to severe level, just the gluten containing ones. It might be worth a try.

Out of curiosity as I haven't seen the associate of dairy to PCOS, but would those be a result of your PCOS or would it indicate you also have an issue with dairy? My wife has PCOS and POTS, and hasn't experienced this. More curiosity, than anything else.

Naley2322 · March 2016

StacyChrz wrote: »

I'm just being lazy and copying my reply to another thread:
I have PCOS, Hypothyroidism and am gluten intolerant. I have found that for myself dairy is a big issue. In a commercial farming operation cows are given artificial hormones to keep them producing milk, I am apparently sensitive to these hormones. Through trial and error I learned that when I eat dairy, whether it's low fat Greek yogurt or cheese, or milk on a regular basis I have more PCOS symptoms and I experience more fluid retention. I had 'fallen off the wagon' for several months, and had been eating dairy regularly. I had also not been measuring my portions accurately and ate a few gluten containing foods. I had maintained my weight through the holidays then in the past several weeks I gained about 9 lbs. back. My periods had become irregular and my joints were aching which is a signal for me of systemic inflammation. Starting last Monday I cut all dairy products, increased my protein, started weighing and measuring everything and have been very careful about gluten. I have lost 7.4 lbs. as of today. I have a Fitbit and have it set up to adjust my calories up or down based on activity and have ended most days a little over my calorie goal and am still losing. I am quite certain that a high percentage of my weight loss is due to fluid retention/inflammation but some of it is absolutely fat loss.

I have experimented with cutting out dairy along with gluten a few times and each time I have the same positive result. Did I mention my TOM started on Thursday and it was actually 'normal'? I don't find that I need to limit my carbs to severe level, just the gluten containing ones. It might be worth a try.

Plus milk has 23( something close the that #) of natural occurring hormones. Gluten doesn't really cause problems unless you have celiac disease. Its the things added to gluten like milk, whey, eggs, chemicals, sodium, processed sugar etc. try sticking to plain wheat and water gluten.

StacyChrz · March 2016

psulemon wrote: »

StacyChrz wrote: »

I'm just being lazy and copying my reply to another thread:
I have PCOS, Hypothyroidism and am gluten intolerant. I have found that for myself dairy is a big issue. In a commercial farming operation cows are given artificial hormones to keep them producing milk, I am apparently sensitive to these hormones. Through trial and error I learned that when I eat dairy, whether it's low fat Greek yogurt or cheese, or milk on a regular basis I have more PCOS symptoms and I experience more fluid retention. I had 'fallen off the wagon' for several months, and had been eating dairy regularly. I had also not been measuring my portions accurately and ate a few gluten containing foods. I had maintained my weight through the holidays then in the past several weeks I gained about 9 lbs. back. My periods had become irregular and my joints were aching which is a signal for me of systemic inflammation. Starting last Monday I cut all dairy products, increased my protein, started weighing and measuring everything and have been very careful about gluten. I have lost 7.4 lbs. as of today. I have a Fitbit and have it set up to adjust my calories up or down based on activity and have ended most days a little over my calorie goal and am still losing. I am quite certain that a high percentage of my weight loss is due to fluid retention/inflammation but some of it is absolutely fat loss.

I have experimented with cutting out dairy along with gluten a few times and each time I have the same positive result. Did I mention my TOM started on Thursday and it was actually 'normal'? I don't find that I need to limit my carbs to severe level, just the gluten containing ones. It might be worth a try.

Out of curiosity as I haven't seen the associate of dairy to PCOS, but would those be a result of your PCOS or would it indicate you also have an issue with dairy? My wife has PCOS and POTS, and hasn't experienced this. More curiosity, than anything else.

I have come to this conclusion after reading several books on veganism and thought that with the hormones in milk that it may have something to do with my issues. I stopped all dairy and became very regular with my cycles and felt a great deal better. I have gone back and forth for several years but each time I cut out dairy I have the same positive result.

hazleyes81 · March 2016

I have moderate PCOS, though I never had symptoms until about 3 years ago when my husband had a vasectomy and I went off of BCP for the first time in ~15 years. I thought I was doing something good for my health but what followed was a nightmare. After a year and a half, I "discovered" LCHF. In the first two months I lost 20 pounds. I have fallen off the wagon a few times, but it leaves me physically ill and mentally unhappy so that makes it easy to stick with, plus the food is delicious - though I do miss some certain textures and have lately been looking up recipes for things like a cupcake substitute.

hazleyes81 · March 2016

I'll also add that I am lactose intolerant, but I do not think the two are related.

StacyChrz · March 2016

Also, my younger sister has been diagnosed with Celiac as well as Hypothyroidism and PCOS. Her need for Synthroid is much less than mine while her reaction to gluten is much worse. It's interesting how it runs in our family.

GaleHawkins · March 2016

kriswestbrook2016 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I just recently found out I have PCOS, and I've read a lot on how diet could help. Do any ladies with pcos have a diet plan they follow that has helped them?

community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

@kriswestbrook2016 there are ladies that discuss on the MFP link above. As to join if interested and at a click of a button you can remove yourself from that group if it does not provide the info you are seeking.

Best of success because one's diet can really help as is the case for most medical conditions I find personally. Welcome to MFP forums.

macchiatto · March 2016

I have PCOS. Definitely check out the PCOSis group!
Low carb, like pp mentioned, does often help with PCOS. From the PCOSis group I also found out low carb/high fat/adequate protein is generally better for PCOS than low carb/low fat/high protein (which I did before). It's also had some other good health benefits for me along with helping with my PCOS symptoms.
Good luck!

PCOS

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