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Low carb and PCOS?
Replies
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Bottomline, OP, weight loss is the best thing you could do to help manage some of the symptoms. Like @aeb09 I have also lost a lot of weight (although not on a low carb diet) and my prediabetes went into complete remission to the point where even after today's lunch which had more than 100 grams of carbs for lunch alone, my blood sugar did not spike outside the usual healthy post-meal range.
Until insulin sensitivity improves, some choose to go low carb to keep blood sugar in the safe zone. It appears you have chosen that route. There are a lot of resources for interesting foods to eat that are not high in carbs (one of which I already linked above), but you could also browse Paleo websites for recipes since they tend to be low carb in general, and many of them are quite tasty.0 -
michelle172415 wrote: »michelle172415 wrote: »@halecry Do your research. Remember, that a lot of doctors have very minimal training in regards to nutrition.
That said, there is something to be said for recommending a low carb diet to someone with PCOS. Have you ever been told that you have Metabolic Syndrome? Often times, the two go hand in hand and one of the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome is high fasting blood glucose levels. There is a lot of information out there, and you are more likely to get misinformation on this board from people who don't understand and who haven't been there done that.
I was only after advice on the low carb diet and success that people have had on it... I've done my research, was just after some friendly advice.
Did my post offend you somehow? I was simply saying that the answers that you get on this board will be all over the place and most of them not based on any actual medical knowledge or personal experience. I follow a low carb diet and have been quite successful. I was previously diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome myself. It was actually my doctor who recommended that I try a low carb diet after some issues following my gallbladder removal surgery. I don't usually trust doctors for nutrition advice, and had I asked here I might have never tried LCHF, but found a lot of great information on the internet. I wasn't being snarky in my response and I'm sorry if you read it that way.
My reply above didn't work.. So that message is for you lol.
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michelle172415 wrote: »@halecry Do your research. Remember, that a lot of doctors have very minimal training in regards to nutrition.
That said, there is something to be said for recommending a low carb diet to someone with PCOS. Have you ever been told that you have Metabolic Syndrome? Often times, the two go hand in hand and one of the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome is high fasting blood glucose levels. There is a lot of information out there, and you are more likely to get misinformation on this board from people who don't understand and who haven't been there done that.
I was only after advice on the low carb diet and success that people have had on it... I've done my research, was just after some friendly advice.
Please check out that group I posted. PCOS is very common and one of the biggest groups that there is on MFP. Many will relate to your story and be able to provide more specialized information on how to manage your condition and lose weight effectively.
I will check that out, thank you.
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michelle172415 wrote:I don't usually trust doctors for nutrition advice, and had I asked here I might have never tried LCHF, but found a lot of great information on the internet. I wasn't being snarky in my response and I'm sorry if you read it that way.
I must have just read it wrong, I apologise. Silly question, but what does LCHF stand for?
Low Carb High Fat
I try to eat less than 40g carbs per day and try to have over 60% of my calories come from fat. Eating this way, I generally only eat 2 meals per day, I essentially never snack, I'm never hungry between meals, and I'm losing weight. It's much easier to maintain a calorie deficit, at least for me, when eating higher amounts of fat because it is more satiating. This WOE also helps to stabilize blood glucose levels because you are not experiencing the spikes that come from eating a lot of carbs.1 -
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Thank you everyone for your help!! I didn't expect this to turn into a bit of a debate lol. Anyone is welcome to add me by the way if you wish.
@DancingDarl - I'm not saying you're wrong, bloods don't lie and if your hormone levels are normal then congratulations, but I think you're the first person this has ever happens to as as far as I was concerned once you had PCOS, you had it for life and it was just about managing the symptoms. Congrats though ☺️
I don't really have anything to add to the OP, other than keep working with your medical team. It looks like you got some good direction for sites to look up some new recipes. I find experimenting with new foods can make a big difference.
As for the bold, it happens a lot! :laugh:0 -
michelle172415 wrote: »@halecry Do your research. Remember, that a lot of doctors have very minimal training in regards to nutrition.
That said, there is something to be said for recommending a low carb diet to someone with PCOS. Have you ever been told that you have Metabolic Syndrome? Often times, the two go hand in hand and one of the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome is high fasting blood glucose levels. There is a lot of information out there, and you are more likely to get misinformation on this board from people who don't understand and who haven't been there done that.
I was only after advice on the low carb diet and success that people have had on it... I've done my research, was just after some friendly advice.
To get back on topic, I have managed PCOS through maintaining my BMI below average and regular exercise. When I gain a tiny bit of weight, still within normal BMI, I have symptoms. Same if I am sedentary for a long period of time. Never tried low carb and it was never recommended to me by any dr.0 -
Hey folks - this thread has been cleaned up a little to get it back on track. Please follow the community guidelines when posting.
Cheers,
JustSomeEm1 -
As others stated, you cannot cure PCOS, otherwise the medical community would be well aware. It can be managed and it can be improved. Low carb is a fairly common recommendation for those with PCOS. What that means, is going to be slightly different for each woman. I have see ranges from 20g (keto) to 140g (borderline low carb). So you might have to play around with your macros to find the right combination for you. Below is a group that you might find very helpful.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis
I agree with all of this. I have PCOS with insulin resistance. I've tried several low carb diets (for me weight loss goes SO much better if I go low-carb). Low carb/high fat/adequate protein has been the best for me, too. I am in the PCOSis group and the Low Carbers Daily forum group and they've both been really helpful for me.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »DancingDarl wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »DancingDarl wrote: »
It certainly did not reverse it for me!lolDancingDarl wrote: »
As far as I know, there are many different symptoms, not many different causes. And there is no cure. Has an endocrinologist told you otherwise? If yes, this is very interesting, so could you please share? It is something I most certainly would want to discuss with my dr at my next appointment.
PCOS =/= cystic ovaries
Absolutely agree with @aggelikik - I would be fascinated to find out how a hormonal imbalance can be caused by an infection - please source this
Current thinking regarding PCOS causes, as far as I am aware, is a hormonal imbalance: testosterone, luteinising hormone, binding globulin and prolactin (in some)
Pregnancy may help reverse hormonal imbalances .. certainly did for me
The infection my doctor said likely caused nutritional deficits and led to overeating. The precence of the infection he said causes inflammation as there waste is toxic so that explained the inflamation of my ovaries and they cysts themselves vanished after treatment.
Hormones were normal, periods went back to 30 days. I was lucky to find an endocrinologist with a understanding of what these infections can do. So like I said befire I am lucky that I realised this sooner rather than later.
So what kind of infection did you have?
Edit: If you are saying that pinworm/roundworm/etc gave you PCOS like symptoms - that is perhaps possible. However, you didn't have PCOS.
However parasite testing is also a field full of quackery.
Listen.
I had PCOS. I didn't suspect it or self diagnose. Also those are not the only kind of infections that can distrupt the endocrine system.
Well, then you are
a) a modern medical miracle because you were diagnosed with a disease that isn't caused by parasites and cured of it when it is generally considered incurable. All while using a treatment for pinworm and teas.
or
b) you were misdiagnosed.
There seems to be a deliberate judgement that no one has ever gotten treated successfully and beaten pcos. My good mates wife succsessfully beat it.
I am not here saying she had it maybe she did maybe she didn't (probably not) but attacking someone for sharing what helped them is undermining others that may have the same issues alongside their pcos to getting answers.
No one was attacked by me, that is spurious.
If you, your mate, his wife or anyone posts what is useful for managing PCOS I'm all in, go for it, that is what this thread is about. If you want to post a thread of about the causes of PCOS and debate that and whether it is curable (this is the debate section, after all) I'm in. But the facts remain the current disease aetiology is a primary endocrine disorder with uncertain known causes but diagnostically differentiated from diseases caused by worm parasites. This is just simple medical classification.
Your mate's wife might have "beat it", after all it is manageable.
But if you have an actual cure, well, the entire healthcare community is listening. Please feel free to contribute to the actual subject at hand and not just snipe.
Here is one of my own contributions to the subject: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1307008/slow-metabolism-maybe-related-to-pcos-or-insulin-resistance/p1
And yes, because if the insulin resistance issues - low carb may be a more effective strategy.3 -
I had pcos in 2004/5?
My Dr told me to go on a diet. Start exercising M and lose 15% of my body weight.
I was put on BCP and Glucophage.
I did as was told. Cysts gone.
Put on weight but stayed asymptomatic.
Got pregnant easily 3x but had GD in all my pregnancies. Had to take insulin.
I have now lost 32 pounds since I started MFP in November. 10-15 pounds left to goal.
I eat everything. Around 100g carbs per day. Not by restriction, that's just my natural place where I land up without trying.
I don't think you have to be "keto" to manage symptoms. There are many ways to be mindful of carbs. Low GI, or Paleo, or less than 150g, 100g, 50g. Only eating carbs around exercise. Carb cycling.
Op, eat naturally. Don't go balls to the wall keto if it feels like you won't be able to stick with it.
In terms of priority for PCOS? I would go:
1) regular exercise
2) calorie deficit - lose some weight
3) track your carbs and see if it makes sense to decrease them or make less processed choices.
Don't worry about 3 until 1&2 feel natural.
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Oh! And I've not been on glucophage eversince I lost weight initially in 2005.
And the weight I'm currently carrying is from the 3 babies I had between 2012-2015.0 -
EvgeniZyntx wrote: »DancingDarl wrote: »EvgeniZyntx wrote: »DancingDarl wrote: »
It certainly did not reverse it for me!lolDancingDarl wrote: »
As far as I know, there are many different symptoms, not many different causes. And there is no cure. Has an endocrinologist told you otherwise? If yes, this is very interesting, so could you please share? It is something I most certainly would want to discuss with my dr at my next appointment.
PCOS =/= cystic ovaries
Absolutely agree with @aggelikik - I would be fascinated to find out how a hormonal imbalance can be caused by an infection - please source this
Current thinking regarding PCOS causes, as far as I am aware, is a hormonal imbalance: testosterone, luteinising hormone, binding globulin and prolactin (in some)
Pregnancy may help reverse hormonal imbalances .. certainly did for me
The infection my doctor said likely caused nutritional deficits and led to overeating. The precence of the infection he said causes inflammation as there waste is toxic so that explained the inflamation of my ovaries and they cysts themselves vanished after treatment.
Hormones were normal, periods went back to 30 days. I was lucky to find an endocrinologist with a understanding of what these infections can do. So like I said befire I am lucky that I realised this sooner rather than later.
So what kind of infection did you have?
Edit: If you are saying that pinworm/roundworm/etc gave you PCOS like symptoms - that is perhaps possible. However, you didn't have PCOS.
However parasite testing is also a field full of quackery.
Listen.
I had PCOS. I didn't suspect it or self diagnose. Also those are not the only kind of infections that can distrupt the endocrine system.
Well, then you are
a) a modern medical miracle because you were diagnosed with a disease that isn't caused by parasites and cured of it when it is generally considered incurable. All while using a treatment for pinworm and teas.
or
b) you were misdiagnosed.
There seems to be a deliberate judgement that no one has ever gotten treated successfully and beaten pcos. My good mates wife succsessfully beat it.
I am not here saying she had it maybe she did maybe she didn't (probably not) but attacking someone for sharing what helped them is undermining others that may have the same issues alongside their pcos to getting answers.
My gut feeling is that you are a reincarnation.2 -
DancingDarl wrote: »
As far as I know, there are many different symptoms, not many different causes. And there is no cure. Has an endocrinologist told you otherwise? If yes, this is very interesting, so could you please share? It is something I most certainly would want to discuss with my dr at my next appointment.
PCOS =/= cystic ovaries
Absolutely agree with @aggelikik - I would be fascinated to find out how a hormonal imbalance can be caused by an infection - please source this
Current thinking regarding PCOS causes, as far as I am aware, is a hormonal imbalance: testosterone, luteinising hormone, binding globulin and prolactin (in some)
Pregnancy may help reverse hormonal imbalances .. certainly did for me
There's a section entitled "PCOS: inflammation and infection" in this paper.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2010.03956.x/full0 -
I've had PCOS and various symptoms since 1985 and once I ended up with a desk job I was up to 316 pounds in 2000.
Low Carb High Fat + Calorie deficit + Strength Training = Lessening of symptoms for me and weight loss
I'm not sure where people get this 'cure' thing, there isn't one for PCOS. If you address the symptoms and work hard and eat right, the symptoms will lessen. If you restart the old bad habits, the symptoms will reappear. Kind of like 'beating type II diabetes' and then going off your fitness and food plan, gaining weight and having a carb fest will increase your blood sugar levels and yep, diabetes is still there.
I was consuming 120g carbs a day, but am now around 50g and find I'm less hungry. I'm on Metformin, but not bcp because of the whole 'you're over the hill and can't use oral bcp anymore' thing.
It's a frustrating disease to have. We have to work 3x harder to get results compared to those without it.0 -
niamibunni wrote: »I'm on Metformin, but not bcp because of the whole 'you're over the hill and can't use oral bcp anymore' thing.
Unless you have a health reason not to use bcp, I would get a 2nd opinion. I used them up to a year after I had a hysterectomy at 45, and my sister is still using them at 49.
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