PCOS Advice, tips, needed

zenaidaAnai
zenaidaAnai Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just this week I got diagnosed with pcos, and I finally understood why my body was acting weird for so long. Anywho, my gynecologist just told me to stay away from junk food and certain carbs and got prescribed me metaformin.
But, I would love to know if anyone has Pcos and what is the best diet, fitness tip or just any helpful advice you may have, to treat Pcos.

Replies

  • faithrainbow1
    faithrainbow1 Posts: 54 Member
    I don't have pcos although I am doing fertility treatments and am also on metformin. I second everything that the previous poster had to say, especially about continuing to log even when you go over your calories for the day. I used to do a "cheat day" every Saturday (that I didn't track) and I didn't realize that I was easily eating back my entire deficit for the week. Another thing that was helpful for me was thinking about weekly calorie totals rather than daily totals where I either "succeed" or "fail."

    Anyhow, those aren't really pcos-specific tips, just my experience. I'm down 25 pounds so far, 15 more to go.
  • KolleenS
    KolleenS Posts: 33 Member
    Google ketogenic diet for PCOS and you'll find tons of support on relieving symptoms, diets (see mypcoskitchen site for a whole keto diet plan). I had PCOS before it was a thing (decades ago) and was just told that some people are like that. A keto diet is the only thing that has kept me sane.

    On the down side, now that I'm losing a lot of weight, my body is releasing the estrogen from my fat cells and I'm going through hot flashes like crazy. I was through all of this years ago, but still those hormones are coming back to haunt me.
  • fussbp88
    fussbp88 Posts: 2 Member
    I've had PCOS for a number of years now, as well as being on Metformin. What has worked for me has been a Paleo diet. I discovered this on my own, but used to work with a dietician through my endocrinologist's office, and when I told her I started to adopt that diet, she said it was the perfect way to eat with my PCOS because the foods you eat and the reduction of grains and sugars prevent your body from releasing insulin in response to those foods. This of course has to do with the insulin resistance many, but not all, PCOS sufferers experience. In my experience, the calories in/calories out calculation is so much more complicated with PCOS because there are chemical reactions your body experiences are not typical. Working with your doctors to find a way to regulate your hormones is only part of the equation, but diet is so important as well, as it makes us gain weight so much easier than the average person. Don't let that be your excuse though, and use it as a crutch. I did for so long. Lots of fruits and vegetables, high amounts of proteins, limited grains and sugars would be what I suggest. But it really comes down to your own body and how it reacts to food. Trial and error is really the key as you learn to deal with it. Paleo works great for me, and it may for you as well- great! But maybe it's not something that you realistically could stick to long term. Then it's not for you and you move on to try something else.
  • LizPalen412
    LizPalen412 Posts: 38 Member
    Sorry you got thrown into the PCOS club, but there are a lot of us here who can relate. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2005 when I was 18 years old, just heading off to college. In that time, I've learned a lot about how PCOS affects MY body. And that's the thing - PCOS affects every BODY differently. Some women deal with related insulin resistance, some women don't, some women deal with wacky periods or no periods at all, and some women still get their periods like clockwork. Since PCOS presents itself differently in every woman, there are various ways of eating that could be helpful, it just depends on your body and what you are dealing with. You will see a lot of people recommending some form of low carb, whether it's Keto, Atkins, Paleo, etc - for women with insulin resistance and certain symptoms, YES, it does seem that low carb is the way to go for relief of symptoms and weight loss. But remember, not everyone is affected the same, and just because one woman is only able to lose weight on keto, doesn't mean that's the only way YOU will be able to lose weight. I spent a lot of years trying and trying again to stay on low carb because I thought it was the only way to lose weight with PCOS - but it was just not for me. I was miserable on low carb, didn't feel satisfied, and just generally didn't enjoy eating that way. So I finally gave in and decided to just try calorie counting on here. I didn't get too aggressive with my goal. But like the above posters have suggested, I have been 100% honest with my logging, I log EVERYthing, and I have been consistent - and guess what? I've lost 16lbs since the beginning of January and I'm really stoked about that. And I've been able to eat foods I actually enjoy eating in that time, and continuing living my life rather than putting myself in a "diet bubble" which is what it felt like I had to do on low carb. So, my point is to keep an open mind and don't feel you need to lock yourself into one specific way of eating. Low carb may help you, but it may not be necessary. Managing PCOS is a lot of trial and error and learning YOUR body, so don't be afraid to try different things. Just be consistent, honest, and give it enough time to make a difference before you give up and decide to try something else. Metformin may or may not help - it is another "one size fits all" medication that doctors often prescribe to EVERY woman who they diagnose with PCOS, even though it may not actually benefit anything. One thing I can tell you that benefits ALL woman with PCOS (and those without) is exercise. HIIT is particularly beneficial, but any exercise is a good thing. If you're on Reddit, there is a great PCOS sub with lots of solid info and advice - I'd recommend checking that out if you can.

    Good luck to you, don't let it get you down, it IS manageable, and feel free to add me if you like!
  • roge0195
    roge0195 Posts: 23 Member
    KolleenS wrote: »
    On the down side, now that I'm losing a lot of weight, my body is releasing the estrogen from my fat cells and I'm going through hot flashes like crazy. I was through all of this years ago, but still those hormones are coming back to haunt me.

    Is that why I’m all of a sudden getting hot flashes?!

  • zenaidaAnai
    zenaidaAnai Posts: 6 Member
    kq1981 wrote: »
    I have PCOS and am on metformin. I've lost 16kg within 10 months from using MFP. I have tried EVERYTHING in the past. Diets, duromine, cutting out sugars and carbs... MFP is the only thing that has worked for me. I eat mcdonalds, kfc, pizza, i dont restrict but i stay within my calorie allowance. Telling myself i cant have something just sets me up to fail. Log accurately, weigh foods, go slowly and set a realistic, non aggressive loss per week, be100% honest, even if you go over. Read the forums, there is fantastic advice here and so much to learn. Its totally doable. You've got this :)

    Aww, thank you so much your post has really motivated me.
  • zenaidaAnai
    zenaidaAnai Posts: 6 Member
    elizabethb8686 wrote: »
    Sorry you got thrown into the PCOS club, but there are a lot of us here who can relate. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2005 when I was 18 years old, just heading off to college. In that time, I've learned a lot about how PCOS affects MY body. And that's the thing - PCOS affects every BODY differently. Some women deal with related insulin resistance, some women don't, some women deal with wacky periods or no periods at all, and some women still get their periods like clockwork. Since PCOS presents itself differently in every woman, there are various ways of eating that could be helpful, it just depends on your body and what you are dealing with. You will see a lot of people recommending some form of low carb, whether it's Keto, Atkins, Paleo, etc - for women with insulin resistance and certain symptoms, YES, it does seem that low carb is the way to go for relief of symptoms and weight loss. But remember, not everyone is affected the same, and just because one woman is only able to lose weight on keto, doesn't mean that's the only way YOU will be able to lose weight. I spent a lot of years trying and trying again to stay on low carb because I thought it was the only way to lose weight with PCOS - but it was just not for me. I was miserable on low carb, didn't feel satisfied, and just generally didn't enjoy eating that way. So I finally gave in and decided to just try calorie counting on here. I didn't get too aggressive with my goal. But like the above posters have suggested, I have been 100% honest with my logging, I log EVERYthing, and I have been consistent - and guess what? I've lost 16lbs since the beginning of January and I'm really stoked about that. And I've been able to eat foods I actually enjoy eating in that time, and continuing living my life rather than putting myself in a "diet bubble" which is what it felt like I had to do on low carb. So, my point is to keep an open mind and don't feel you need to lock yourself into one specific way of eating. Low carb may help you, but it may not be necessary. Managing PCOS is a lot of trial and error and learning YOUR body, so don't be afraid to try different things. Just be consistent, honest, and give it enough time to make a difference before you give up and decide to try something else. Metformin may or may not help - it is another "one size fits all" medication that doctors often prescribe to EVERY woman who they diagnose with PCOS, even though it may not actually benefit anything. One thing I can tell you that benefits ALL woman with PCOS (and those without) is exercise. HIIT is particularly beneficial, but any exercise is a good thing. If you're on Reddit, there is a great PCOS sub with lots of solid info and advice - I'd recommend checking that out if you can.

    Good luck to you, don't let it get you down, it IS manageable, and feel free to add me if you like!

    Thanks will do, I will definitely check out and try the HIIt work out.
  • zenaidaAnai
    zenaidaAnai Posts: 6 Member
    fussbp88 wrote: »
    I've had PCOS for a number of years now, as well as being on Metformin. What has worked for me has been a Paleo diet. I discovered this on my own, but used to work with a dietician through my endocrinologist's office, and when I told her I started to adopt that diet, she said it was the perfect way to eat with my PCOS because the foods you eat and the reduction of grains and sugars prevent your body from releasing insulin in response to those foods. This of course has to do with the insulin resistance many, but not all, PCOS sufferers experience. In my experience, the calories in/calories out calculation is so much more complicated with PCOS because there are chemical reactions your body experiences are not typical. Working with your doctors to find a way to regulate your hormones is only part of the equation, but diet is so important as well, as it makes us gain weight so much easier than the average person. Don't let that be your excuse though, and use it as a crutch. I did for so long. Lots of fruits and vegetables, high amounts of proteins, limited grains and sugars would be what I suggest. But it really comes down to your own body and how it reacts to food. Trial and error is really the key as you learn to deal with it. Paleo works great for me, and it may for you as well- great! But maybe it's not something that you realistically could stick to long term. Then it's not for you and you move on to try something else.

    Thank you, I did some research on Paleo and it does seem to be a good lifestyle but am alternating it with veganism. But like u said trail and error is the only way to truly see what's best.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Weight loss happens when you eat fewer calories than you burn. Any diet that leads to weight loss works solely because it caused you to eat fewer calories than you burned. This means that you can be keto, paleo, etc. if you want to, but know that you would also lose weight just fine without following any of those diets.

    This is true regardless of whether you have PCOS or not. I have PCOS and lost 100 pounds by making sure that my calories burned were more than my calories eaten.
  • me0231
    me0231 Posts: 218 Member
    I have PCOS too and I generally find that I feel much better on lower carb. I lost about 15 pounds just counting calories and eating whatever I wanted, so yeah at the end of the day as long as you're in a deficit you will lose.

    However, I found it a lot easier and more sustainable when I cut the carbs. I don't need to go full on keto, I feel the benefits on about 100g or so which makes it very easy for me. Low carb is not for everyone though, some people have a taste for carbier foods but personally I prefer the fatty food.

    I did find that lost slower than what would be expected for my height and deficit, but I lost just over 45 pounds since last April and I'm just a couple of pounds of my goal. So be patient and make it sustainable.

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