Struggling - beginner insulin resistance/primal lifestyle

Hi, I've recently given up sugar and its hard to find food! I'm using recipes from fastpaleo.com - all natural ingredients and hubby and kids like the food too. Try salmon patties/burgers and Everything Meatloaf. Nice stuff and very quick, and easy to make. Stick with it - you will feel better!

Simplest changes you can make straight away is to start incorporating more fruit and veges into your family's menu, substituting refined carbs for complex ones and gradually reduce the overall total carbs over time. DON"T try and make huge changes from Day 1, especially not for your family or you will get much less of a buy-in from them. Do some research on Low GI starchy vegetables and grains that fill you up without upsetting the bloodsugar levels.

Google is your friend, and so is the MFP community.....we're all here to help, just reach out and connect with others in the same situation. YOU CAN DO THIS! Hugs from NZ :flowerforyou:

Meats! Veggies! And lots of them. Bacon wrapped chicken, fish breaded with almond flour, spinach and sausage stuffed chicken, meatballs with spaghetti squash!? Shop the perimeter - all the fresh items, and just start tossing together : ) . Canned things perhaps like tomatoes/sauce no sugar added like Rinaldi's Healthy Choice spaghetti sauce, canned tuna/sardines, frozen fruit/veg. Coconut oil is a great fat to cook with... you can make brownies or cookies with coconut flour (coconut shreds, in a food processor) or almond flour/butter - just toss some together with some eggs or egg whites, and stevia as a sweetener, or better yet, you can use applesauce for cookies and smooshed prunes for brownies.

The possibilities are endless, it just takes a little bit more prep at first. Websites like Everyday Paleo and Paleo Plan might help a little more with options.

I've been more Paleo-geared myself, just due to personal preference. My blood sugar is more stable throughout the day, and when I first started, I saw a giant leap in energy, not to mention a slight drop on the scale. Good luck with all your recipes and lifestyle switch : )

Thank you so much for all of the info and support. I added you as a friend and may have some questions for you along the way. How long has it taken you to lose the weight?

Prior to one month ago, the 35lbs took a good 6 months. Thats because I was waiting for my first appointment with my new Endocrinologist (after firing the last bozo!) that I just recently saw. I had sent her the information I had found to make sure it was credible.... I never believe in all the medical info I read online - I want my doctors to evaluate it before I do anything. I learned REAL fast that the Endo replied back in her email "you and I need to meet sooner than later"... I thought, OH MY GAWD WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?!

Well, when I met her, she said "the information is spot-on...with a few exceptions".... ***jaw hits the floor

She explained that each PCOS patient requires routine blood work for regular monitoring.... this helps with the medication modifications as your body adjusts. With my history, and most recent weight loss, she calculates/estimates that by the time I lose the next 48 pounds, I will need to drastically reduce a few of the prescriptions.... Where I work an active job, there are times it gets SUPER-active.. and I can count that as exercise in my weekly goal. Today, I broke from exercising to rest - and she completely agreed with me.

Not all PCOS readings are the same - some have more insulin than others (mine was two times the norm reading). Some have more testosterone than others (again, two times the norm reading), estrogen is fickle (mine was actually just slightly over) - androgens.... I was quoted off the charts 8-(


Meanwhile back at the ranch - for my unique case, and taking everything into account, the Endo has given me a target of 1600 calories daily, 120g carbohydrates daily.... working as a chef, I only work with fresh foods.... the same goes for home... so the battle is half-won already. The battling of the carbs... WOW... took a good 6 months to wean off of pasta... I wont lie to you - IT SUCKED! But I did it. I can have them but would need half the serving in order to build a meal. I said, to hell with that.... Ill just omit them altogether and have some great alternatives.


Weightloss for hyperinsulinemia/PCOS is harder because of the hormonal abnormalities. Add the prescriptions to it, and it can be more difficult... but... the one thing I have been noticing about myself is with the carb restriction, Im not actually missing 'anything'. I can still get great meals even with the limitations. I do get hungry more often, so my protein intake will increase.... the recipe builder on this site will be... YOUR BEST FRIEND!!!!! Use it to your fullest advantage.. BUT, do NOT rely solely on the food-lists.. they are not always valid as they dont always tell you if it was cooked in oil, butter, breaded, etc. Thats where the Food Diary comes in where you can create your own food list of common/repeat things you do eat.

It takes a little time to build it, but the work to building it makes the difference!

marksdailyapple.com has a ton of info, shopping lists, meal plans etc. once you get through your sugar withdrawals you're going to feel great! hang in there

You don't have to completely stop eating all carbs, although if you can, that is awesome! It's just very difficult to adapt and stick to, especially if you're new to all of this. I have reversed my insulin resistance within 6 months and I still have carbs every day - it's just learning which are the good ones, the type of food that keeps you feeling fuller for longer and won't cause an insulin spike. It works well for me! Some people can manage well on "no carbs" but if that's too hard, you may be better off taking it in smaller steps and just cutting down. I have a facebook page and a website with lots of information and articles about this. Look me up - Insulin Resistance Diet Info

My doctor is worthless and hasn't "said" PCOS but I have 4 cysts currently and ended up in the ER 2 months ago and have had issues with ovulation pain and sickness for the last 6 years. I can not physically endure this any longer but I have made so many attempts at losing the weight and have failed at every attempt in the past. I need for this time to be different.

OK, Both my daughter and daughter-in-law have PCOS. First, find a Dr that will listen to you. Second talk to them about Metformin. This is a proven treatment for PCOS related weight issues. With PCOS all your hormones are out of wack. This also includes your insulin. Find a Dr that specializes in PCOS and talk to them about your insulin resistance. Both my daughter and daughter-in-law are on metformin and are both able to lose weight. I just can't stress how important it is to have a Dr you can have a good dialog with. Good luck!

First, find a Dr that will listen to you.

This.

have all of the signs of insulin resistance and I HAVE to make changes.

This sounds like self diagnosis. Once you find a doctor that will listen, you should ask for an AC1 test. The results will determine if you are in fact IR.