PCOS and Insulin Resistance
xxzenabxx
Posts: 935 Member
Has anyone with PCOS tried a low carb diet (under 100g of carbs) and found that it helped them to lose weight. I think I have insulin resistance hence why I haven’t lost any weight. It’s been 4 weeks since I started my diet. I’m eating 1700 calories and exercise 4-5 times a week. I’m 5’4” and 153lbs. I’m aiming to lose about 1 kilo every month which is slow but doable. I haven’t even been able to reach that. I’m absolutely baffled as to why I haven’t lost any weight
1
Replies
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How are you determining your intake? Do you weigh all solids and measure all liquids?
Do you eat exercise calories and how do you track these?
How often do you weigh yourself? Many things affect weight - you could have lost fat but be holding water from more strenuous exercise, hormones, time of the month etc.0 -
Hello, I was diagnosed with pcos over 20 years ago, I know how frustrating this condition is! I've tried all different diets and must have supplements over the years for pcos. But in the end the simple eat less, move more works for me.
I'm the same height as you but with a lot more to lose. Mfp has my daily calorie intake as just over 1400 a day (I eat half ish of any exercise cals on top) and I'm losing weight nicely at that. Exercise on pause while I recover from a knee injury overdoing it though. So your 1700 seems a little high? Are all your stats filled in correctly?
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »How are you determining your intake? Do you weigh all solids and measure all liquids?
Do you eat exercise calories and how do you track these?
How often do you weigh yourself? Many things affect weight - you could have lost fat but be holding water from more strenuous exercise, hormones, time of the month etc.
I weigh all the food that I make but I have eaten my mums cooking where I weigh it but I have to guesstimate it. I guesstimate when I have eaten at other peoples houses and when I was at my grandmas house for 4 days. It’s hard for me to eat only my own cooking since I live with my family and see a lot of relatives who make tasty food. I weigh myself every morning on an empty stomach and I have already started my period three days ago so wouldn’t the water weight have gone? My body doesn’t look any different either...0 -
Hello, I was diagnosed with pcos over 20 years ago, I know how frustrating this condition is! I've tried all different diets and must have supplements over the years for pcos. But in the end the simple eat less, move more works for me.
I'm the same height as you but with a lot more to lose. Mfp has my daily calorie intake as just over 1400 a day (I eat half ish of any exercise cals on top) and I'm losing weight nicely at that. Exercise on pause while I recover from a knee injury overdoing it though. So your 1700 seems a little high? Are all your stats filled in correctly?
I’m going by the TDEE method so it’s a fixed number. I don’t do the eating back exercise calories thing. I eat 1700x7=11900 calories a week. I have a huge appetite that doesn’t seem to be controlled even on a smaller deficit
That’s how I know it’s more hormonal than just calories alone0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »How are you determining your intake? Do you weigh all solids and measure all liquids?
Do you eat exercise calories and how do you track these?
How often do you weigh yourself? Many things affect weight - you could have lost fat but be holding water from more strenuous exercise, hormones, time of the month etc.
I weigh all the food that I make but I have eaten my mums cooking where I weigh it but I have to guesstimate it. I guesstimate when I have eaten at other peoples houses and when I was at my grandmas house for 4 days. It’s hard for me to eat only my own cooking since I live with my family and see a lot of relatives who make tasty food. I weigh myself every morning on an empty stomach and I have already started my period three days ago so wouldn’t the water weight have gone? My body doesn’t look any different either...
Perhaps you're just bad at guesstimating? It's not uncommon to underestimate intake. If you eat other's food a lot, you will have to try other ways to reduce calories (reducing portions, offering to help cook and thereby controlling ingredients more easily)
Do you track your weight on a trending app - your weight will naturally fluctuate, but an app will smooth out the bumps and show a general trend.
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »How are you determining your intake? Do you weigh all solids and measure all liquids?
Do you eat exercise calories and how do you track these?
How often do you weigh yourself? Many things affect weight - you could have lost fat but be holding water from more strenuous exercise, hormones, time of the month etc.
I weigh all the food that I make but I have eaten my mums cooking where I weigh it but I have to guesstimate it. I guesstimate when I have eaten at other peoples houses and when I was at my grandmas house for 4 days. It’s hard for me to eat only my own cooking since I live with my family and see a lot of relatives who make tasty food. I weigh myself every morning on an empty stomach and I have already started my period three days ago so wouldn’t the water weight have gone? My body doesn’t look any different either...
Perhaps you're just bad at guesstimating? It's not uncommon to underestimate intake. If you eat other's food a lot, you will have to try other ways to reduce calories (reducing portions, offering to help cook and thereby controlling ingredients more easily)
Do you track your weight on a trending app - your weight will naturally fluctuate, but an app will smooth out the bumps and show a general trend.
Do you think it’s possible I’ve been eating more then?0 -
I used https://tdeecalculator.net and "guessed" your age at 20 and come up with the following numbers (5'4" @ 153lb female):
Basal Metabolic Rate 1,449 calories per day
Sedentary 1,739 calories per day
Light Exercise 1,992 calories per day
Moderate Exercise 2,246 calories per day
Heavy Exercise 2,500 calories per day
Athlete 2,753 calories per day
If you are new to this then I would suggest - as others have - that you might not have the guessing game down pat yet. Not attacking you with that....but it does take time. And, given that you eat at others homes....I would guess that you are eating more than you think.
How are you weighing yourself? Everyday? Same scale, same time, same everything? As others have mentioned, your body weight will likely be different 10 times if you were to weigh yourself 10 times a day (which I would not recommend). First thing in the morning after using the bathroom is likely the most correct.
Does this help?0 -
LiftHeavyThings27105 wrote: »I used https://tdeecalculator.net and "guessed" your age at 20 and come up with the following numbers (5'4" @ 153lb female):
Basal Metabolic Rate 1,449 calories per day
Sedentary 1,739 calories per day
Light Exercise 1,992 calories per day
Moderate Exercise 2,246 calories per day
Heavy Exercise 2,500 calories per day
Athlete 2,753 calories per day
If you are new to this then I would suggest - as others have - that you might not have the guessing game down pat yet. Not attacking you with that....but it does take time. And, given that you eat at others homes....I would guess that you are eating more than you think.
How are you weighing yourself? Everyday? Same scale, same time, same everything? As others have mentioned, your body weight will likely be different 10 times if you were to weigh yourself 10 times a day (which I would not recommend). First thing in the morning after using the bathroom is likely the most correct.
Does this help?
But surely I should see a pound being dropped after 4 weeks? Even if I am eating more it’s not that much. Lets say I have a 500 calorie deficit right now and I have been overeating slightly I should still have had a deficit of atleast 250 calories. I think it’s more the insulin resistance than overeating abit and I do suffer from severe hunger and cravings despite eating everything in moderation. Now I’m thinking of doing lower carb as I’ve read that it helps with PCOS and weight loss and cravings. For some people eating high sugar and fat foods triggers their cravings even more and I think I’m one of them. And yes I will give it more time. I weigh myself everyday in the morning on an empty stomach.2 -
I have PCOS, and what I've found what works for me is a combination of counting calories, spreading out the carbs I do eat throughout the day, and eating more small meals every few hours to keep my cravings under control. I try to hit my fat and protein goals in MFP every single day to keep satiated. That being said, I notice that my period, my water intake, and my sleeping habits affect the scale some too. I also do use my food scale 90% of the time. It does seem to take more time to lose with PCOS, but when I stick to this, I will lose weight.1
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singularlysarah wrote: »I have PCOS, and what I've found what works for me is a combination of counting calories, spreading out the carbs I do eat throughout the day, and eating more small meals every few hours to keep my cravings under control. I try to hit my fat and protein goals in MFP every single day to keep satiated. That being said, I notice that my period, my water intake, and my sleeping habits affect the scale some too. I also do use my food scale 90% of the time. It does seem to take more time to lose with PCOS, but when I stick to this, I will lose weight.
Yeah I read somewhere that it takes double the effort to lose half the weight with PCOS. If you don’t mind me asking how many calories are you eating?0 -
singularlysarah wrote: »I have PCOS, and what I've found what works for me is a combination of counting calories, spreading out the carbs I do eat throughout the day, and eating more small meals every few hours to keep my cravings under control. I try to hit my fat and protein goals in MFP every single day to keep satiated. That being said, I notice that my period, my water intake, and my sleeping habits affect the scale some too. I also do use my food scale 90% of the time. It does seem to take more time to lose with PCOS, but when I stick to this, I will lose weight.
Yeah I read somewhere that it takes double the effort to lose half the weight with PCOS. If you don’t mind me asking how many calories are you eating?
the calories one eats is not going to be the same for you in most situations. you have to be in a deficit to lose weight whether you have PCOS, insulin resistance or any other health issue. it is very easy to overeat and wipe out any deficit if you arent using a food scale. trust me Ive done it. if you think you are insulin resistant or have PCOS please see a dr and get blood work done to make sure. if you arent losing weight it doesnt mean you have either one. and pcos doesnt always mean you are insulin resistant or vice versa.so get tested,get a food scale and go from there. low carb doesnt help with weight loss unless you are in a deficit. what you will lose is water weight when you drop your carbs,but if you are eating low carbs and higher fat and protein its still possible to overeat and not lose anything,
2 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »singularlysarah wrote: »I have PCOS, and what I've found what works for me is a combination of counting calories, spreading out the carbs I do eat throughout the day, and eating more small meals every few hours to keep my cravings under control. I try to hit my fat and protein goals in MFP every single day to keep satiated. That being said, I notice that my period, my water intake, and my sleeping habits affect the scale some too. I also do use my food scale 90% of the time. It does seem to take more time to lose with PCOS, but when I stick to this, I will lose weight.
Yeah I read somewhere that it takes double the effort to lose half the weight with PCOS. If you don’t mind me asking how many calories are you eating?
the calories one eats is not going to be the same for you in most situations. you have to be in a deficit to lose weight whether you have PCOS, insulin resistance or any other health issue. it is very easy to overeat and wipe out any deficit if you arent using a food scale. trust me Ive done it. if you think you are insulin resistant or have PCOS please see a dr and get blood work done to make sure. if you arent losing weight it doesnt mean you have either one. and pcos doesnt always mean you are insulin resistant or vice versa.so get tested,get a food scale and go from there. low carb doesnt help with weight loss unless you are in a deficit. what you will lose is water weight when you drop your carbs,but if you are eating low carbs and higher fat and protein its still possible to overeat and not lose anything,
I’ve already been tested for PCOS why wouldn’t I know this? And I’m over weight so that’s why it’s possible I have IR. lower carb would help because with IR you can’t process carbs in the same way. I live in the UK and there’s no test for IR but studies say that women with PCOS have IR too if they can’t lose any weight. I’ll try the lower carb diet because it’s helped PCOS women to lose weight. I don’t care about people who don’t have PCOS for them they can eat what they like and lose weight. Also I didn’t say super low carb but around 100g so it’s not too low. If you don’t have any experience with the frustrations of PCOS then don’t comment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277302/
http://www.thepcosnutritionist.com/resources/insulin-resistance-and-pcos-introduction/1 -
It's fairly easy to mis-estimate by 500 calories per day, especially when you're not doing the cooking and you're new at estimating. My suggestion is to add 100 calories per meal or snack for hidden fat. That's about a tablespoon of oil or butter.2
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »singularlysarah wrote: »I have PCOS, and what I've found what works for me is a combination of counting calories, spreading out the carbs I do eat throughout the day, and eating more small meals every few hours to keep my cravings under control. I try to hit my fat and protein goals in MFP every single day to keep satiated. That being said, I notice that my period, my water intake, and my sleeping habits affect the scale some too. I also do use my food scale 90% of the time. It does seem to take more time to lose with PCOS, but when I stick to this, I will lose weight.
Yeah I read somewhere that it takes double the effort to lose half the weight with PCOS. If you don’t mind me asking how many calories are you eating?
the calories one eats is not going to be the same for you in most situations. you have to be in a deficit to lose weight whether you have PCOS, insulin resistance or any other health issue. it is very easy to overeat and wipe out any deficit if you arent using a food scale. trust me Ive done it. if you think you are insulin resistant or have PCOS please see a dr and get blood work done to make sure. if you arent losing weight it doesnt mean you have either one. and pcos doesnt always mean you are insulin resistant or vice versa.so get tested,get a food scale and go from there. low carb doesnt help with weight loss unless you are in a deficit. what you will lose is water weight when you drop your carbs,but if you are eating low carbs and higher fat and protein its still possible to overeat and not lose anything,
I’ve already been tested for PCOS why wouldn’t I know this? And I’m over weight so that’s why it’s possible I have IR. lower carb would help because with IR you can’t process carbs in the same way. I live in the UK and there’s no test for IR but studies say that women with PCOS have IR too if they can’t lose any weight. I’ll try the lower carb diet because it’s helped PCOS women to lose weight. I don’t care about people who don’t have PCOS for them they can eat what they like and lose weight. Also I didn’t say super low carb but around 100g so it’s not too low. If you don’t have any experience with the frustrations of PCOS then don’t comment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277302/
http://www.thepcosnutritionist.com/resources/insulin-resistance-and-pcos-introduction/
first of all just because you are overweight doesnt mean you are insulin resistant. my daughter is obese and has a thyroid disorder they thought she was insulin resistant and possible had pcos. she has neither. as of insulin resistance there is a blood test they can do to montor the levels/I myself have to have my insulin resistance levels tested every so often due to a health issue that can cause IR. there is blood, a glucose tolerance test,and a few others.
and no with my health issue I cannot eat what I want. I have to watch my cholesterol and fats. low carb can help with insulin resistance if you have it. not everyone overweight does. you still have to be in a calorie deficirt no matter if you do low carb or not. Its how weight loss works.I cant process fats like other people can, and my health issue can result in type 2 diabetes if I dont control my diet. I may not have pcos but I have other issues like fibroids and cysts and other issues,I could end up with it down the road. if you arent losing weight then you arent in a deficit, the difference is your calories you need to take in may be lower than what the calculators give you. I know mine is.0 -
I know it's problematic, because you're eating food others have prepared for you, but could you at least ask your mom for the recipes that she cooks most often? My husband is our family chef; he took over for me after the third time I got boiled eggs all over the ceiling. (I think he got tired of cleaning it off for me. I'm too short to reach, even with a ladder, lol.) He gave me his recipes, I entered them into MFP, and it's much easier for me to track my calories that way. He's even a dear and gives me new recipes he's using for my approval. If I can't make something that he and kids are eating fit into my calories, it's not big deal to make myself a sandwich and grab some veggies.
If you really think you have a problem with insulin resistance, can you talk to your doctor and arrange blood tests to see if that's the case? My sister has diabetes and my aunt had IR and was considered prediabetic, so I know from their experiences that, over time, insulin resistance can lead to diabetes. This is because because, over time, your pancreas will fail to keep up with the body's increased need for insulin and full-blown diabetes will result. I would not wish diabetes on my worst enemy, so please find out for sure that you are insulin resistant, if you suspect so!
I know it's not going to cure you if you are insulin resistant, but what are you doing for exercise? Exercise, both cardio and resistance, will help improve your sensitivity to insulin, but you must exercise regularly, and it sounds like you are doing that. I've heard that HIIT once or twice a week is really helpful for insulin resistance, too.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »singularlysarah wrote: »I have PCOS, and what I've found what works for me is a combination of counting calories, spreading out the carbs I do eat throughout the day, and eating more small meals every few hours to keep my cravings under control. I try to hit my fat and protein goals in MFP every single day to keep satiated. That being said, I notice that my period, my water intake, and my sleeping habits affect the scale some too. I also do use my food scale 90% of the time. It does seem to take more time to lose with PCOS, but when I stick to this, I will lose weight.
Yeah I read somewhere that it takes double the effort to lose half the weight with PCOS. If you don’t mind me asking how many calories are you eating?
the calories one eats is not going to be the same for you in most situations. you have to be in a deficit to lose weight whether you have PCOS, insulin resistance or any other health issue. it is very easy to overeat and wipe out any deficit if you arent using a food scale. trust me Ive done it. if you think you are insulin resistant or have PCOS please see a dr and get blood work done to make sure. if you arent losing weight it doesnt mean you have either one. and pcos doesnt always mean you are insulin resistant or vice versa.so get tested,get a food scale and go from there. low carb doesnt help with weight loss unless you are in a deficit. what you will lose is water weight when you drop your carbs,but if you are eating low carbs and higher fat and protein its still possible to overeat and not lose anything,
I’ve already been tested for PCOS why wouldn’t I know this? And I’m over weight so that’s why it’s possible I have IR. lower carb would help because with IR you can’t process carbs in the same way. I live in the UK and there’s no test for IR but studies say that women with PCOS have IR too if they can’t lose any weight. I’ll try the lower carb diet because it’s helped PCOS women to lose weight. I don’t care about people who don’t have PCOS for them they can eat what they like and lose weight. Also I didn’t say super low carb but around 100g so it’s not too low. If you don’t have any experience with the frustrations of PCOS then don’t comment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277302/
http://www.thepcosnutritionist.com/resources/insulin-resistance-and-pcos-introduction/
first of all just because you are overweight doesnt mean you are insulin resistant. my daughter is obese and has a thyroid disorder they thought she was insulin resistant and possible had pcos. she has neither. as of insulin resistance there is a blood test they can do to montor the levels/I myself have to have my insulin resistance levels tested every so often due to a health issue that can cause IR. there is blood, a glucose tolerance test,and a few others.
and no with my health issue I cannot eat what I want. I have to watch my cholesterol and fats. low carb can help with insulin resistance if you have it. not everyone overweight does. you still have to be in a calorie deficirt no matter if you do low carb or not. Its how weight loss works.I cant process fats like other people can, and my health issue can result in type 2 diabetes if I dont control my diet. I may not have pcos but I have other issues like fibroids and cysts and other issues,I could end up with it down the road. if you arent losing weight then you arent in a deficit, the difference is your calories you need to take in may be lower than what the calculators give you. I know mine is.
I have high androgen levels and acne which are caused by high insulin levels. Why do I feel tired after eating carbs but I feel fine after eating a low carb meal? I think you don’t understand my point. Yes it’s about calories but calories are not 100% of the equation otherwise the human body wouldn’t have hormones and we would be like robots. I know I need to be in a calorie deficit stop repeating what I already know. But since I definitely have PCOS I probably have IR. I’m not just overweight without hormonal issues. That’s a whole other story. Stop acting like you know my body more than me.
I only want to hear from people with PCOS so please don’t bother replying.-1 -
I know it's problematic, because you're eating food others have prepared for you, but could you at least ask your mom for the recipes that she cooks most often? My husband is our family chef; he took over for me after the third time I got boiled eggs all over the ceiling. (I think he got tired of cleaning it off for me. I'm too short to reach, even with a ladder, lol.) He gave me his recipes, I entered them into MFP, and it's much easier for me to track my calories that way. He's even a dear and gives me new recipes he's using for my approval. If I can't make something that he and kids are eating fit into my calories, it's not big deal to make myself a sandwich and grab some veggies.
If you really think you have a problem with insulin resistance, can you talk to your doctor and arrange blood tests to see if that's the case? My sister has diabetes and my aunt had IR and was considered prediabetic, so I know from their experiences that, over time, insulin resistance can lead to diabetes. This is because because, over time, your pancreas will fail to keep up with the body's increased need for insulin and full-blown diabetes will result. I would not wish diabetes on my worst enemy, so please find out for sure that you are insulin resistant, if you suspect so!
I know it's not going to cure you if you are insulin resistant, but what are you doing for exercise? Exercise, both cardio and resistance, will help improve your sensitivity to insulin, but you must exercise regularly, and it sounds like you are doing that. I've heard that HIIT once or twice a week is really helpful for insulin resistance, too.
I do HIIT and strength training as well as walking but when I’m too depressed or tired I don’t exercise.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »singularlysarah wrote: »I have PCOS, and what I've found what works for me is a combination of counting calories, spreading out the carbs I do eat throughout the day, and eating more small meals every few hours to keep my cravings under control. I try to hit my fat and protein goals in MFP every single day to keep satiated. That being said, I notice that my period, my water intake, and my sleeping habits affect the scale some too. I also do use my food scale 90% of the time. It does seem to take more time to lose with PCOS, but when I stick to this, I will lose weight.
Yeah I read somewhere that it takes double the effort to lose half the weight with PCOS. If you don’t mind me asking how many calories are you eating?
the calories one eats is not going to be the same for you in most situations. you have to be in a deficit to lose weight whether you have PCOS, insulin resistance or any other health issue. it is very easy to overeat and wipe out any deficit if you arent using a food scale. trust me Ive done it. if you think you are insulin resistant or have PCOS please see a dr and get blood work done to make sure. if you arent losing weight it doesnt mean you have either one. and pcos doesnt always mean you are insulin resistant or vice versa.so get tested,get a food scale and go from there. low carb doesnt help with weight loss unless you are in a deficit. what you will lose is water weight when you drop your carbs,but if you are eating low carbs and higher fat and protein its still possible to overeat and not lose anything,
I’ve already been tested for PCOS why wouldn’t I know this? And I’m over weight so that’s why it’s possible I have IR. lower carb would help because with IR you can’t process carbs in the same way. I live in the UK and there’s no test for IR but studies say that women with PCOS have IR too if they can’t lose any weight. I’ll try the lower carb diet because it’s helped PCOS women to lose weight. I don’t care about people who don’t have PCOS for them they can eat what they like and lose weight. Also I didn’t say super low carb but around 100g so it’s not too low. If you don’t have any experience with the frustrations of PCOS then don’t comment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277302/
http://www.thepcosnutritionist.com/resources/insulin-resistance-and-pcos-introduction/
first of all just because you are overweight doesnt mean you are insulin resistant. my daughter is obese and has a thyroid disorder they thought she was insulin resistant and possible had pcos. she has neither. as of insulin resistance there is a blood test they can do to montor the levels/I myself have to have my insulin resistance levels tested every so often due to a health issue that can cause IR. there is blood, a glucose tolerance test,and a few others.
and no with my health issue I cannot eat what I want. I have to watch my cholesterol and fats. low carb can help with insulin resistance if you have it. not everyone overweight does. you still have to be in a calorie deficirt no matter if you do low carb or not. Its how weight loss works.I cant process fats like other people can, and my health issue can result in type 2 diabetes if I dont control my diet. I may not have pcos but I have other issues like fibroids and cysts and other issues,I could end up with it down the road. if you arent losing weight then you arent in a deficit, the difference is your calories you need to take in may be lower than what the calculators give you. I know mine is.
I have high androgen levels and acne which are caused by high insulin levels. Why do I feel tired after eating carbs but I feel fine after eating a low carb meal? I think you don’t understand my point. Yes it’s about calories but calories are not 100% of the equation otherwise the human body wouldn’t have hormones and we would be like robots. I know I need to be in a calorie deficit stop repeating what I already know. But since I definitely have PCOS I probably have IR. I’m not just overweight without hormonal issues. That’s a whole other story. Stop acting like you know my body more than me.
I only want to hear from people with PCOS so please don’t bother replying.
never said I knew your body more than you do. . as for replying its a public forum. with that god bless you3 -
I have IR and Pcos and do not eat low carb. I lost weight fine weighing and measuring my food correctly. It is super easy to overestimate especially when you have no idea what is in the recipes. 500 calories is not much at all . If you want to go low carb fine but you will still need to be able to measure your intake. If you eat others cooking, will they just cook low carb stuff for you? If carbs increase cravings then eat less carbs. For me they don't and I would be miserable.0
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