Keto and PCOS/hypothyroid

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amyinthetardis1231
amyinthetardis1231 Posts: 571 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am just beginning to embrace a keto lifestyle and was hoping to hear from some others who have had success losing weight with PCOS and/or hypothyroid while eating keto. I'm easing into it because it's a big change for me, so my macros are about 20/20/60. Is that too lax for a real effect? If you've lost weight, has it affected your PCOS/hypo symptoms or medication? Did you find weight loss any easier than other ways of eating? Weight loss has always been very hard and slow for me, so hoping for some encouragement and validation that this actually works for those of us with ridiculous metabolisms. TIA!

Replies

  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,411 Member
    edited June 2016
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    @amyinthetardis1231 If you will click on Groups and enter Keto or Low Carb in the search area over to the right, you will find some supportive groups for your journey and chosen macros.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Your macros might be a bit lax depending on activity level and calorie count. Most people will be in mild ketosis if their carbs are under 50g per day. At that level, for me when I was first stating to lose at 5'8", sedentay, and 190 lbs, 50g of carbs would not have me in measurable ketosis (using Ketostix) and I would still ahve a higher appetite and cravings. Most people aiming for ketosis, myself included, go down to about 20g of carbs per day. That's about 5% of all your calories. It worked out to just under 20g of carbs per day for me when my calories were 1500kcal/day.

    Fat will need to go up as carbs come down.

    You can calculate your macros here:
    http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
    http://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/

    I lost 40lbs in just over 4 months eating keto. I have insulin resistance in the form of prediabetes and reactive hypoglycemia. I also have hypothyroidism (almost full replacement hormones) and some other autoimmune issues. For me, losing weight on keto was easy in comparison to just cuttng calories. THAT was hard. I was constantly fighting hunger and I would inevitably cave in after a few days or weeks. It was too hard to work in the long term, plus it did absolutely nothing to improve my blood glucose levels.

    Come join the Low Carber Daily. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group There are a number of ketofiles treating insulin resistance and PCOS there. Best wishes.
  • aeb09
    aeb09 Posts: 424 Member
    edited June 2016
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    I think those numbers are a bit lax, but if you want to ease into it for a few weeks I also don't see the harm. I have pretty severe PCOS and lost a lot of weight for the first time in my life on keto in 2014. Last year I gained it back because I went back to eating whatever while I dealt with a lot of mental health issues, but in the last 2 months I've lost another 30lbs eating keto foods 95% of the time. It certainly works in terms of weight loss, it regulated my periods, and most importantly it made me feel better (slept better, more energy during the day, brain clarity, etc).
  • amyinthetardis1231
    amyinthetardis1231 Posts: 571 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Your macros might be a bit lax depending on activity level and calorie count. Most people will be in mild ketosis if their carbs are under 50g per day. At that level, for me when I was first stating to lose at 5'8", sedentay, and 190 lbs, 50g of carbs would not have me in measurable ketosis (using Ketostix) and I would still ahve a higher appetite and cravings. Most people aiming for ketosis, myself included, go down to about 20g of carbs per day. That's about 5% of all your calories. It worked out to just under 20g of carbs per day for me when my calories were 1500kcal/day.

    Fat will need to go up as carbs come down.

    You can calculate your macros here:
    http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
    http://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/

    I lost 40lbs in just over 4 months eating keto. I have insulin resistance in the form of prediabetes and reactive hypoglycemia. I also have hypothyroidism (almost full replacement hormones) and some other autoimmune issues. For me, losing weight on keto was easy in comparison to just cuttng calories. THAT was hard. I was constantly fighting hunger and I would inevitably cave in after a few days or weeks. It was too hard to work in the long term, plus it did absolutely nothing to improve my blood glucose levels.

    Come join the Low Carber Daily. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group There are a number of ketofiles treating insulin resistance and PCOS there. Best wishes.


    40 lbs in 4 months is great! I also have insulin resistance with the PCOS. I've never been able to just cut calories and felt hungry all the time when eating any other way except my current beginning steps of keto. I'm working on bringing the carbs down and have been able to completely avoid any bread, rice/grains, or pasta for over a week so far (huge for me), so it's just the carbs in other foods I eat that get me.

    So as far as activity goes, I have mine set on here to sedentary, because when I'm at work I'm sitting other than getting up and walking to and from the waiting room between appointments. When I'm home, I'm sometimes sitting and sometimes chasing my 1-year-old around. Should I keep activity as sedentary, or use lightly active? I work out a few times a week for 30-60 min, mainly focused on strength right now. Today was my best day as far as macros (under 10% carbs and, good on protein and pretty good on fats) but I went over my calories.
  • amyinthetardis1231
    amyinthetardis1231 Posts: 571 Member
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    aeb09 wrote: »
    I think those numbers are a bit lax, but if you want to ease into it for a few weeks I also don't see the harm. I have pretty severe PCOS and lost a lot of weight for the first time in my life on keto in 2014. Last year I gained it back because I went back to eating whatever while I dealt with a lot of mental health issues, but in the last 2 months I've lost another 30lbs eating keto foods 95% of the time. It certainly works in terms of weight loss, it regulated my periods, and most importantly it made me feel better (slept better, more energy during the day, brain clarity, etc).


    That's fair, I wanted to kind of ease into it rather than going too hard, messing up, and feeling awful about it then wanting to give up. So far so (mostly) good, other than maybe some carb withdrawal stuff. With the PCOS, the only time I've lost weight easily was from breastfeeding--and I gained a bunch of that back when I had to stop bf'ing because of the PCOS. I'm hoping keto will be a better fit with my poor metabolism and that I'll be able to work my way down to actual ketosis. Even my current lax numbers are much lower carb than I've ever eaten before, so it's a start.
  • amyinthetardis1231
    amyinthetardis1231 Posts: 571 Member
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    KetoneKaren wrote: »
    @amyinthetardis1231 If you will click on Groups and enter Keto or Low Carb in the search area over to the right, you will find some supportive groups for your journey and chosen macros.

    Thank you, I'll check the groups out.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Your macros might be a bit lax depending on activity level and calorie count. Most people will be in mild ketosis if their carbs are under 50g per day. At that level, for me when I was first stating to lose at 5'8", sedentay, and 190 lbs, 50g of carbs would not have me in measurable ketosis (using Ketostix) and I would still ahve a higher appetite and cravings. Most people aiming for ketosis, myself included, go down to about 20g of carbs per day. That's about 5% of all your calories. It worked out to just under 20g of carbs per day for me when my calories were 1500kcal/day.

    Fat will need to go up as carbs come down.

    You can calculate your macros here:
    http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
    http://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/

    I lost 40lbs in just over 4 months eating keto. I have insulin resistance in the form of prediabetes and reactive hypoglycemia. I also have hypothyroidism (almost full replacement hormones) and some other autoimmune issues. For me, losing weight on keto was easy in comparison to just cuttng calories. THAT was hard. I was constantly fighting hunger and I would inevitably cave in after a few days or weeks. It was too hard to work in the long term, plus it did absolutely nothing to improve my blood glucose levels.

    Come join the Low Carber Daily. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group There are a number of ketofiles treating insulin resistance and PCOS there. Best wishes.


    40 lbs in 4 months is great! I also have insulin resistance with the PCOS. I've never been able to just cut calories and felt hungry all the time when eating any other way except my current beginning steps of keto. I'm working on bringing the carbs down and have been able to completely avoid any bread, rice/grains, or pasta for over a week so far (huge for me), so it's just the carbs in other foods I eat that get me.

    So as far as activity goes, I have mine set on here to sedentary, because when I'm at work I'm sitting other than getting up and walking to and from the waiting room between appointments. When I'm home, I'm sometimes sitting and sometimes chasing my 1-year-old around. Should I keep activity as sedentary, or use lightly active? I work out a few times a week for 30-60 min, mainly focused on strength right now. Today was my best day as far as macros (under 10% carbs and, good on protein and pretty good on fats) but I went over my calories.

    Bringing carbs down gradually is often the best way to go. Having a bit of wiggle room makes it easier on us menatlly too. I eased into ketosis over 2 or 3 weeks. First I cut candies and soda, then proessed and baked goods (noodles, bread, etc), then whole grains like corn and rice, and finally I cut or reduced starchy root veggies and higher GI fruits.

    My calories were set at 1420 but I averaged 1500. I let it vary based on hunger. Some days were 1000kcal and others were 2000kcal. I had it set at sedentary so if I ate a bit over I knew I was still fine. My only activities was coaching 2-4 days per week. I now consider myself to be lightly active because I walk an hour per day, at a brisk enough pace that I work up a light sweat. If you go with lightly active and you are not losing, then switch to sedentary settings. If you start with sedentary, I would log your exercise and allow yourself to eat back your calories (or at least some of them) if you are hungry.

    Glad things are going well for you. :) See you at the LCD group.
  • creeda
    creeda Posts: 1 Member
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    Do u have a thyroid issue? I had Graves' disease and had radiation to thyroid making me hypo I take synthroid regular. I just start keto diet almost two weeks ago and I'm not sure if I'm doing it right please add me.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
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    Keto has been shown to have negative effects with hypothyroid :astonished:
  • foiensoi
    foiensoi Posts: 49 Member
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    I've lost 40lbs with PCOS without keto. I stuck to my calorie allowance, got a bit more active and yes I reduced SUGAR (not carbs) but didn't follow a ketogenic diet strictly.
    Typically I eat 35-40% protein, 30-35% fat and 25-35% carbs (this changes every day). It changes based on what foods I feel like eating and whether I worked out or not.

    Carbs like oats, quinoa, sweet potato, wholewheat pasta, bulgur wheat, brown rice etc are fine in moderation, very low in sugar and will have little effect on insulin resistance. But still make sure you are controlling portions etc.

    I would keep your activity level to sedentary for a few weeks, if you find weight is falling off maybe you could eat a little more, but if you're satisfied at the calorie count MFP gave you then try work within that target for now.

    Good luck!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    Keto has been shown to have negative effects with hypothyroid :astonished:

    No. I don't believe so. Please share your sources.

    My doctor who is treating my thyroid, very underactive, also prescribed my keto diet. I have not had a single negative effect on my thyroid over the last year and a bit.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    Keto has been shown to have negative effects with hypothyroid :astonished:

    No. I don't believe so. Please share your sources.

    My doctor who is treating my thyroid, very underactive, also prescribed my keto diet. I have not had a single negative effect on my thyroid over the last year and a bit.

    I've made a post about it before on here with the study.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    Keto has been shown to have negative effects with hypothyroid :astonished:

    No. I don't believe so. Please share your sources.

    My doctor who is treating my thyroid, very underactive, also prescribed my keto diet. I have not had a single negative effect on my thyroid over the last year and a bit.

    I've made a post about it before on here with the study.

    Okay. I don't believe I saw it.
  • bellaa_x0
    bellaa_x0 Posts: 1,062 Member
    edited July 2016
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    i have PCOS and hypothyroidism, and have lost 25+ lbs since December (50+lbs since 2012)... i don't follow keto, have no dietary restrictions/"off limit" foods or food groups. i take Synthroid for my thyroid and Metformin for my PCOS (also on Lexapro for anxiety), lift heavy, do my cardio and count macros.
  • seussbaby
    seussbaby Posts: 31 Member
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    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    Keto has been shown to have negative effects with hypothyroid :astonished:

    im interested to know more too.. im hypothyroid w hashimotos, prediabetes and 62 lbs to lose... hypo/ hashi has been a real struggle, but weight is worse. why is keto bad for hypothyroidism?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    seussbaby wrote: »
    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    Keto has been shown to have negative effects with hypothyroid :astonished:

    im interested to know more too.. im hypothyroid w hashimotos, prediabetes and 62 lbs to lose... hypo/ hashi has been a real struggle, but weight is worse. why is keto bad for hypothyroidism?

    I don't think it is. Otherwise doctors would be advising people to eat suagrs in the middle of the night to avoid using ketones during the night time fast.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I wasn't eating keto when I lost most of my weight while hypothyroid. I did cut back considerably on carbs to lose weight, however, and I've never gone back to the my pre-Hashimoto's-diagnosis high carb diet, because I've felt so much better without the carbs. I also haven't needed any medication adjustments. It's purely anecdotal, and therefore doesn't mean anything for the general public, however my thyroid took a dive when I was eating a high carb low fat diet as a student on a very low income, trying to eat low fat, and it hasn't gotten worse in decades of higher fat, higher protein eating.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    So I did some digging and found this which I what I believe pinggolfer96 was talking about: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348698/awesome-article-on-hypothyroidism

    However-you can't read the article without a membership and the site looks like it is anti-low carb and anti-vegan (goes so far as to even call them names).

    I am not low carb or keto and don't normally defend such diets, but the claim it is bad for hypothyroidism is nonsense.

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