PCOS and Counting Calories - Think it will work?

Katherinelittle24
Katherinelittle24 Posts: 63 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys! So I have PCOS which is pretty common in women and it is more difficult to loose weight when you have PCOS. Now, I'm starting to get a little more serious with counting my calories. I'm 396lbs, therefore my calorie goal may seem a little high to some of you haha to lose at least 2 pounds a week, I need to intake 2, 210 calories a day. Now, for those that have PCOS, have you lost weight with just counting your calories and of course doing some type of exercise and drinking water? Reason I'm asking is because I have read tons of articles and have joined support groups of women that have PCOS that are on a strict Low Carb Diet and have loss enormous amount of weight on a LCHF diet. Articles has also say that it is easier to loose weight being on a LCHF diet for women that have PCOS. But I tried going on a Low Carb Diet recently, and every time I just never stick to it because I feel just terrible when I am on a LCHF diet every time and then I end up cheating on the diet alone. I've done Low Carb when I was in high school and it worked for me then, probably because back then my highest was at 225lbs and now I feel like it's just harder for me to really stick to it. But I'm just wondering if counting your calories can also work when you have PCOS. So for those that have PCOS and has experience with counting calories, and if it works for you please share with me your experiences so I know that it may be possible for me as well :)

....one more thing, helpful reply's only please. I've posted on these message boards before with people telling me that they cant tell me anything, so please look it up online or are just very rude in general which I don't understand why since we're all on the same mission and that is to either loose weight, or maintain our weight. So if you have any guidance or comments, please share it with me! I would love to hear them :)

Replies

  • missh1967
    missh1967 Posts: 661 Member
    edited August 2017
    The good news is that there are many here who have PCOS and have been very successful losing weight. Some worry only about calories and can eat a fairly high carb diet, and some definitely keep their carbs pretty low. I don't have PCOS, but if I were you, I'd stick to strict calorie counting first without worrying too much about carb intake and see how your body does with that. You can adjust carbs as you go if need be.

    I know others with PCOS will chime in and I think you'll get a lot of good feedback. Good luck!! :)
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    You lose weight in a sustained calorie deficit. Set a calorie goal that will create a loss of 1% of your body weight per week, pick a method you can stick to, and stick to it - that's the only things you need to do, but those things are also non-negotiable. Counting calories works for weight loss, but only if you do it correctly.
  • nknk1234
    nknk1234 Posts: 4 Member
    Hi
    I also have PCOS, and I did count my calories. Limiting my calorie intake to 1200 and walking for 30 min 3days a week made me lose 20 pounds in 4 months. One main thing I did was giving up on sweets. If I was craving too much, I would just have a cone icecream. But not more than 1 in 3 weeks. That is one thing people with PCOS need to keep in mind. Get rid of sweets. You can have upto 2tbsp of sugar a day.

    I am still on my weightloss journey including more of exercise. You could see my blog to know more about how I go on with it on a daily basis.
  • Javagal2778
    Javagal2778 Posts: 74 Member
    I have PCOS and have lost 20 lbs since starting to log every bite and drink that I take.(5'2.5", SW-161). I started at the beginning of July. I don't do low carb but do shoot for a daily protein goal only because I find a certain amount of protein keeps me feeling full. I also have some type of treat almost daily, eg. Chocolate, ice cream bar, etc. For me, completely cutting out sugar leads me to binging when I do get some so I do all things in moderation. It hasn't affected my ability to lose.

    Good luck!
  • pubali90
    pubali90 Posts: 15 Member
    Hello ma'am
    Counting calories definitely helped my pcos..my acanthosis are gone from neck and arm pit...my usg revealed a reduction of 2 cc in left ovary and .5 cc in right ovary inturn reflecting the progress...i used to get severe menorrhagia...which didn't come down much...my hirstusism and chronic anaemia are at bay...I tried a lot and lot of aerobic workouts (even during periods)...I tried to mantain a 700cal diet.(requirement being 1300)...along with that I took supplements of evening primerose oil (capsules ).I was always worried about my cycles dates..when the first time it hit in date ..that was a joy worth the sacrifices...
    Goodluck
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    Good news: PCOS doesn't make it difficult to lose weight, and losing weight often means symptoms will diminish and even go away completely.

    I have PCOS and I'm losing weight just as expected, if not a little faster than planned.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    You need to know, when you use the calculators online (like the one that gave you 2200 to work with) that women with PCOS have been found in some studies to have lower BMRs than women without PCOS.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18678372
    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028213025727?via=ihub
    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cen.12740/full

    So you may want to shave some calories off the number that MFP gives you to reflect that.

    (Note:There's some discussion about WHY: it may not be that PCOS causes lower metabolism directly, but that PCOS causes a fat-to-lean ratio that in turn produces lower BMR. Either way, its likely that you need fewer calories than the simple math of MFPs calculators will tell you).

  • Mkneedtogetfit
    Mkneedtogetfit Posts: 93 Member
    I'd say have a well balanced diet. Protein, carbs, fats and fibre - all within your calorie allowance. I had pcos and hypothyroidism and had a baby 7 months ago. Exercise 4 times a week + a well balanced diet, staying away from processed food and having lots of water is working for me.
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    I have PCOS and lost 70 lbs. I eat a moderate carb diet (I have potatoes, beans, pasta, bread, and rice frequently, just in appropriate portions). I lose weight if I stay in a calorie deficit, regardless of the amount of carbs I eat. (Endocrinologist approved - I don't have blood sugar issues at this point.)

    Although anecdotal, I find exercise to be the major indicator of success and helpful in relieving my PCOS symptoms. Moderate to high intensity exercise really helps with blood sugar control and improves my stomach fat situation more than diet alone (calorie counting is what makes the scale go down though). Weight lifting seems to progress really quickly (maybe it's those fun PCOS hormone differences?), and hiit / circuit training gives me really good results.
  • Katherinelittle24
    Katherinelittle24 Posts: 63 Member
    Hi,

    Thankyou so much guys! I really appreciate all of your amazing replies. It gaves me hope! When you guys say calorie deficit, I feel like a 2200 calorie diet is enough of a deficit for my weight and height because in order to maintain my weight, it would be a little more than 3,000. Is that what a deficit means, subtract your maintain weight from your calories that you are taking in? Sorry guys, im just trying to make sure I get this right :)

    - Katherine
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    Katherinelittle24 wrote: »
    Hi,

    Thankyou so much guys! I really appreciate all of your amazing replies. It gaves me hope! When you guys say calorie deficit, I feel like a 2200 calorie diet is enough of a deficit for my weight and height because in order to maintain my weight, it would be a little more than 3,000. Is that what a deficit means, subtract your maintain weight from your calories that you are taking in? Sorry guys, im just trying to make sure I get this right :)

    - Katherine

    yep

    so if your maintain calories are 3000 and you take in 2000, then you have a deficit of 1000 cal (which over the course of a week would be approximately 2lbs weight loss)
  • SisepuedeLinda
    SisepuedeLinda Posts: 132 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    Katherinelittle24 wrote: »
    Hi,

    Thankyou so much guys! I really appreciate all of your amazing replies. It gaves me hope! When you guys say calorie deficit, I feel like a 2200 calorie diet is enough of a deficit for my weight and height because in order to maintain my weight, it would be a little more than 3,000. Is that what a deficit means, subtract your maintain weight from your calories that you are taking in? Sorry guys, im just trying to make sure I get this right :)

    - Katherine

    yep

    so if your maintain calories are 3000 and you take in 2000, then you have a deficit of 1000 cal (which over the course of a week would be approximately 2lbs weight loss)

    Hello :) would you eventually change that calorie goal? Is it good to change it each time you lose weight or how frequent should your deficit change? Thanks :)
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Calorie deficits lead to weight loss regardless of an underlying condition. That being said I also have PCOS and found when I eat a lower carb (150g max) and higher protein/fat diet not only do I lose/maintain my weight, but my PCOS symptoms are significantly improved (for me it was irregular cycles and cramping, now I'm like clockwork and never cramp).
  • GeminiGetsFit
    GeminiGetsFit Posts: 15 Member
    It definitely can work. I've had pcos for a long time (diagnosed at 17 and I'm 28 now). I've lost weight counting calories but it gets tiring and I gain the weight back. I've doing a low carbs diet now (with cheat days) and for me its the best. I'm already down almost 20 lbs. Add me if you'd like. This is a new mfp profile but I'll input what I eat.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    edited August 2017
    I have no idea if LCHF are "better" for people with PCOS or not. What I do know is that the best diet is always going to be the one you can stick with. So it really doesn't matter if lots of people with PCOS have lost weight with LCHF - if you don't stick to it, you won't lose weight. If you can stick to something else, you will.

    SisepuedeLinda wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    Katherinelittle24 wrote: »
    Hi,

    Thankyou so much guys! I really appreciate all of your amazing replies. It gaves me hope! When you guys say calorie deficit, I feel like a 2200 calorie diet is enough of a deficit for my weight and height because in order to maintain my weight, it would be a little more than 3,000. Is that what a deficit means, subtract your maintain weight from your calories that you are taking in? Sorry guys, im just trying to make sure I get this right :)

    - Katherine

    yep

    so if your maintain calories are 3000 and you take in 2000, then you have a deficit of 1000 cal (which over the course of a week would be approximately 2lbs weight loss)

    Hello :) would you eventually change that calorie goal? Is it good to change it each time you lose weight or how frequent should your deficit change? Thanks :)

    Yes, you should adjust your goal down as you lose weight, but how often you do that is completely up to you. You can adjust every 5/10 lbs, or every month, or just wait until your loss starts to slow down and recalculate then. I use a spreadsheet that adjusts my goal when I enter my weight every day, but I would emphasize that I am a complete NUTBAG and would not recommend that to anyone else unless they get really excited by graphs and such. I would also note that I'm not such a nutbag that I change how much I eat every day - I average by week and adjust by month.
  • crossnf
    crossnf Posts: 1 Member
    Hi! I have PCOS and calorie reduction is the ONLY thing that works for me. And like others said; you likely need less calories than you think since us lucky women have slower metabolisms!

    I've tried plenty of diets but the only thing science really supports is calorie reduction. Using apps like Noom or the Weight Watchers app is super helpful for this! Good luck! You got this!
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  • Hichiko
    Hichiko Posts: 97 Member
    edited August 2017
    PCOS here, too! Calorie counting is definitely the way to go - calories in/calories out isn't hard to figure out, and when you log routinely, it's an easy habit to take up.
    There are a few communities here on MFP for us, and the support from the forums as a whole is pretty great. Good luck on your journey, and feel free to add me!
  • omsmom12
    omsmom12 Posts: 31 Member
    edited August 2017
    I tried calorie counting and I lost weight. But when I cut carbs (at the time not keto but just moderately low-carb), I got pregnant(!!) within a couple of months which I wasn't supposed to be able to do without medical intervention. (This was a welcome surprise as my husband and I were considering adoption.) So, obviously, a lower carb diet helped my PCOS better than calorie-counting alone. Five years later, a lower-carb diet keeps my cycles pretty regular. I recommend giving it a try.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    edited August 2017
    omsmom12 wrote: »
    I tried calorie counting and I lost weight. But when I cut carbs (at the time not keto but just moderately low-carb), I got pregnant(!!) within a couple of months which I wasn't supposed to be able to do without medical intervention. (This was a welcome surprise as my husband and I were considering adoption.) So, obviously, a lower carb diet helped my PCOS better than calorie-counting alone. Five years later, a lower-carb diet keeps my cycles pretty regular. I recommend giving it a try.

    curious, What makes you think it was low carb that helped your fertility, Vs weight loss regulating hormones?
  • Summerpapillons
    Summerpapillons Posts: 3 Member
    I have PCOS and am just basically counting calories and using common sense. The weight has been dropping off albeit slower pace than a lot of other people. I've lost 32 lbs since February (Most since april).

    I don't eat gluten at all but that's because I am allergic to gluten which I found out via my doctor. No gluten, very little lactose (very minor amounts of cheese on a rare occasion), no beef (also allergic). I do eat carbs though I stick to whole carbs like quinoa or rice or sweet potatoes. Without carbs I feel terrible. I aim for about 1500 calories a day. Workout about 6 x a week. 3x weights, 3x cardio.

    Not currently on any medication but have been on metformin, spiro, BC in the past. Hope that helps some! you can definitely do it. Just focus on whole foods vs processed foods.
  • Summerpapillons
    Summerpapillons Posts: 3 Member
    As far as changing calorie goals it depends. For me, I've actually gained muscle as I've lost fat so my BMR is about the same. However, I have the ability to get an in body scan every 4-6 weeks to get my body fat percentage so I can stay on top of that without guessing.
  • kaypee65
    kaypee65 Posts: 120 Member
    Isa Chandra Moskowitz has PCOS and thyroid issues. She actually wrote a book of easy, low calorie vegan recipes because of her need to manage weight. (Appetite For Reduction) And it is my GO TO cookbook for most meals. bigcityvegan.com/blog/food-and-drink/interview-with-isa-chandra-moskowitz

    While I don't have PCOS, low calorie vegan has worked for the author who developed some lovely recipes.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,669 Member
    I have PCOS, and calorie counting works for me. Two things I know about myself have helped me with stick to it.

    1) Exercise is an appetite suppressant . Anything more than 30 minutes of solid cardio (running, biking, swimming, rowing; not leisurely walking) means I'll get hungry only just before meals. If I skip it, I'm in the fridge and preoccupied with food all day.

    2) Carbs, simple or complex, if eaten alone, are an appetite enhancer. I don't want my appetite enhanced, so I avoid this. I can eat them, but I have to eat them with fat or protein. A breakfast of pancakes and syrup would be unwise. A breakfast of a pancake topped with whole-fat plain yogurt and strawberries is a thing of beauty. For me.

    Experiment on yourself. What keeps you satiated? How often should you eat? Whatever you need to do to sustain your calorie deficit is the right answer.

    [Caveat: Weight loss and long-term health are two different things. The deficit will help you lose weight. Nutrient density will help you get and stay healthy generally.]
  • Javagal2778
    Javagal2778 Posts: 74 Member
    omsmom12 wrote: »
    I tried calorie counting and I lost weight. But when I cut carbs (at the time not keto but just moderately low-carb), I got pregnant(!!) within a couple of months which I wasn't supposed to be able to do without medical intervention. (This was a welcome surprise as my husband and I were considering adoption.) So, obviously, a lower carb diet helped my PCOS better than calorie-counting alone. Five years later, a lower-carb diet keeps my cycles pretty regular. I recommend giving it a try.

    I think it's great that you were able to get pregnant when you thought it was going to require medical assistance. However, I would caution you that suggesting that making a diet change is the "magic fix" for fertility. Infertility is a heartbreaking situation for many women and isn't necessarily easily addressed through diet alone.

  • MeemawCanDoIt
    MeemawCanDoIt Posts: 92 Member
    I have PCOS and have lost significant weight on a 1,200 calorie diet. I also reduced my carb intake to around 100g a day. My insulin levels have greatly improved. I don't exercise as much as I'd like, but the weight is coming off.

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