Help! PCOS cyster. Need info

csequera
csequera Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone. I'm Chrissy and 30 yrs old. I have Pcos and need help finding a good lifestyle change to follow. At the moment I'm just entering all my food into fitness pal and tracking my walking and exercising on fitbit blaze. I'm just trying to make better choices and making sure I have veggies, protein and healthy fats most meals and not over eating.
I'm having protein shake in the morning so I don't skip meals. I have lost slowly and making sure I walk or exercise a minimum of 30 mins a day (some days more) but I have some questions.
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Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    There's been lots of discussions on PCOS, so try the "search". What are your questions?
  • csequera
    csequera Posts: 5 Member
    edited July 2017
    Ahh crap lol I did write more but it didn't post. Okay so my questions are
    .When should you have carbs. Pre or post workout.
    .When should you drink amino acids n why.
    .Should we follow macros of 40% protein 30% fat & carbs or 40% carbs 30% fat & protein.
    .i had a friend say if they eat more carbs to eat higher protein or protein shake. But that's just more calories when i wanna be in a deficit so full of crap or truth?
    That's all I can remember for now.
    Sorry i didn't realise it didn't all post :'(
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,461 Member
    I recommend this group.....

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

    I am a fellow cyster and have found that 40% carbs/30% fat/30% protein works for me and keeps my insulin resistance in check. I still eat pasta, bread, potatoes, etc. I just don't eat them with every meal.

    As far as eating carbs pre or post workout, I do what feels good. For me, that is eating about 1-2 hours after the workout. I personally like to work out in a fasted state because my stomach churns and feels icky during my workout if I don't. It is all about preference, IMO.

    I only drink amino acids pre-workout and only when I feel I need a little "boost". It is not a daily thing or part of my routine. It is just a nice boost on days where I feel a little "bleh" and need an extra push.

    I use protein shakes as quick meals/snacks. I don't drink them every day, only when I need a quick meal or when I am trying to meet my daily protein goal.

    My main goal that I try to stick to, is to always pair my carbs with protein/fat. I rarely eat carb heavy meals. So, if I have a slice of toast, I pair with with 2 eggs and some bacon. Or if I want pasta, I load the pasta up with meat and veggies. I try to keep my meals at 50% protein to carbs. So, 30 g carbs, gets paired with 15 g protein. This whole concept is more detailed in the Insulin Resistance Diet book.

    Over the years and through my research, I have basically taken the pieces and parts that works for me and my individual circumstances and ignored the rest. You will just have to play around and see what makes you feel good, works for your circumstances (like possible IR) and gives you the results you want. It takes time.
  • ipmac22
    ipmac22 Posts: 74 Member
    As someone very recently diagnosed with PCOS, I just went to see my dietitian last night. I had been seeing her for a while with no results and she was actually the one who urged me to start reaching out to doctors regarding the possibility. I never even considered it because I didn't have all the symptoms I read about.

    Anyway, she pointed out the importance of not eating sugars alone. I used to have a piece of dark chocolate every night as my treat. While she said that's still ok, it's important to no longer eat it hours after dinner rather than to eat it right after in order to pair it with fiber, fats, and protein. The same goes for wine. I used to have a tiny glass of wine some nights but I would have it right before winding down. Now, she says it needs to be with dinner. She had gotten me in the habit of having plain greek yogurt with local honey as a snack. But now recommends having something else without the sugar. If you are drinking the meal replacement drinks, just make sure they are not high sugar without fiber, protein, and fat.

    Ultimately, the point is, when you eat foods with sugar is important. The pairing of food is important. However, I had many friends and read numerous articles recommending extremely low carb, and she was very opposed to this (especially if on metformin) and instead very supportive of just making sure they are good, whole grain, high fiber carbs for PCOS.

    Hope this helps at all.
  • csequera
    csequera Posts: 5 Member
    @Emily3907 I just joined the group. Thanks so much for your info and you too @ipmac22 . I guess I just have to keep finding what works for me. The protein shake I'm having for breakfast is from a supplement store. Oxywhey I think it's called. 100% whey protein. I use to skip breakfast n half starve during the day where now I have breakfast when I have time to cook if I can't cook then I have a shake. Just with almond milk unsweetened.

    What's the insulin resistant book you're talking about @Emily3907 ?
    It's annoying trying to find what works cuz I'm scared to try something that may make me put on what ive lost so far.
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,461 Member
    These are the books that have helped me the most:

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    I have not read this one, but I have heard good things about it:

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  • _inHisGrace
    _inHisGrace Posts: 183 Member
    I have PCOS and was diagnosed about 12 years ago. The most important bit of advice that I can give anyone who is newly diagnosed is to not just focus on the fertility issues or even weight loss issues but in learning how your body reacts to specific foods and so forth.

    I don't know if you've seen an endocrinologist or not but when I had my initial diagnosis a lot of the specialists only wanted to talk about weight loss and getting pregnant. Yes I've lost weight and yes I was able to carry a baby to full-term (she's 10 now).

    But I specifically was not aware of how much the extremely high testosterone and the extremely high insulin impacted my emotional state which led me to binge and eat my emotions rather than truly understanding how to balance and really be a happy person without overindulging if that makes any sense.

    For me I lost about 100 pounds a few years ago and maintain that weight loss and I have about another 85 to 100 left to go and I'm back on that trajectory but I want to second the notion that it's very important to eat carbs with protein.

    There is so much different advice about PCOS and about weight loss in general I think the most important thing for you to keep in your mind is that our bodies are made a little bit different but that doesn't mean we have to stay fat we just have to work at it a little bit differently while still remaining calorie deficient.

    I wish you all of the luck and support as you work towards this new lifestyle, if you would like a friend please add me. Through your post I found the Pcos group here at my fitness pal so thank you for that. Cheers to a new way of being for both of us.
  • csequera
    csequera Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks for sharing those books @Emily3907
    I'll have a look for them and give them a read.
    @_inHisGrace Thanks so much for your reply as well.

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