PCOS

135

Replies

  • carolann_22
    carolann_22 Posts: 364 Member
    A combo of Metformin and Low Carb (under 40g daily, per the endo) is helping me finally lose weight. YAY! For me, Low Carb is going to have to be a lifestyle because no other diet or caloric deficit results in weight loss.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    A combo of Metformin and Low Carb (under 40g daily, per the endo) is helping me finally lose weight. YAY! For me, Low Carb is going to have to be a lifestyle because no other diet or caloric deficit results in weight loss.

    But that 40g per day is only meant for you... its not a universal recommendation for all PCOS patients though..
  • anberlingasm
    anberlingasm Posts: 177
    I was diagnosed with PCOS 5-6 years ago and I agree on the less carbs, lose weight idea. The problem is, the hormones zooming around inside you crave exactly what you're not supposed to have! The more you can cut down on carbs (bread is my big problem) the better. PCOS is linked to insulin (as others have said) so thinking like a diabetic helps, too. Try to eat more smaller meals in a day to keep your blood sugar levels stable instead of the standard three regular-sized meals a day.

    It's more difficult to lose weight, but not impossible. I often chastise myself for hiding behind the fact I have PCOS ("Oh, this is why I'm not losing weight!") because really, the problem is usually that I'm just not making the right food choices so just be aware that it's a condition you have to live with, but it doesn't have to define your weight loss success.
  • petitchouchou
    petitchouchou Posts: 1 Member
    Hello, I've been trying to join this group so that I can read everyone's posts, but I can't seem to do it? When I search and click on the link, it takes me to a blank page. Anyone else know how I can access it, or maybe the group is closed? Sorry I am new to this. Thank you!
  • Spamee
    Spamee Posts: 148 Member
    bump
  • mandiemma
    mandiemma Posts: 128 Member
    Hello, I've been trying to join this group so that I can read everyone's posts, but I can't seem to do it? When I search and click on the link, it takes me to a blank page. Anyone else know how I can access it, or maybe the group is closed? Sorry I am new to this. Thank you!

    I've tried myself and can't seem to figure it out either...
  • rainunrefined
    rainunrefined Posts: 850 Member
    I was just diagnosed. Anyone.. feel free to add me. I think it's great to have support from women in the same boat.
  • gwynb041109
    gwynb041109 Posts: 85 Member
    I am in your boat as well. And I can't wait to get some of this weight off and be able to get pregnant with my husband :) add me if you'd like :)
  • emrys1976
    emrys1976 Posts: 213 Member
    Bump for later
  • rainunrefined
    rainunrefined Posts: 850 Member
    A combo of Metformin and Low Carb (under 40g daily, per the endo) is helping me finally lose weight. YAY! For me, Low Carb is going to have to be a lifestyle because no other diet or caloric deficit results in weight loss.

    But that 40g per day is only meant for you... its not a universal recommendation for all PCOS patients though..

    Good point. Low carb for me is less than 150g. It's all abotu playing with the number until you personally find your sweet spot. I'm still searching!
  • jules24404
    jules24404 Posts: 4 Member
    My endocrinologist recommended a chromium supplement, as i reacted badly to Metformin. I've been taking it alongside my Thyroid meds for a few weeks and can see the difference. I don't fall asleep after lunch anymore! I've always found it really difficult to loose weight, but with MFP and regular excersize i'm starting to get results.
  • mandiemma
    mandiemma Posts: 128 Member
    My endocrinologist recommended a chromium supplement, as i reacted badly to Metformin. I've been taking it alongside my Thyroid meds for a few weeks and can see the difference. I don't fall asleep after lunch anymore! I've always found it really difficult to loose weight, but with MFP and regular excersize i'm starting to get results.

    Chromium is amazing... I can't believe the change it has made in my life! :-)
  • kristyemilia
    kristyemilia Posts: 32 Member
    Hi There! I have PCOS too, and also hypothyroidism. My biggest thing was that I never at breakfast or much on the weekends.

    There are alot of really valuable resources available for free on the internet but seeking medical opinions and having tests etc definitely help to give you a clearer picture of where you stand. For example I always thought I had PCOS only and turns out I have had hypothyroidism for a long time as well.

    I am on medication daily for my thryoid condition but manage my PCOS a little different through diet and natural remedies as well as the common favourite the contraceptive pill.
  • mandiemma
    mandiemma Posts: 128 Member
    A MFP friend of mine found this interesting article about "Natural Cure for PCOS"... worth taking a look at maybe?

    http://www.ehow.com/way_5206100_natural-cure-polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html

    and this one as well:

    http://voices.yahoo.com/treating-pcos-vitamins-herbs-82598.html?cat=5
  • slsmoot123
    slsmoot123 Posts: 98 Member
    I have PCOS as well. I was diagnosed with it at 19 and now I'm 30. For me its a constant battle with the weight fluctuating. You walk by something fattening and it seems to stick to you. But as others have said its insulin resistance. The best way to explain it is that insulin maintain fat cells and when your blood sugar goes up your body creates insulin to make that blood sugar go back down. The problem with people with PCOS is that our bodies are insulin resistant-so the blood sugar doesnt go down and our body just keeps pumping out more and more insulin. This causes the hormonal imbalance, the weight gain, and the seemingly impossible feat of losing the weight. So the best way to combat it is to keep our blood sugar as level as possible through what we eat. Not shooting up or down. That means low sugar, low carbs, whole grains, and some argue that even artificial sweeters have the same effect on insulin. I've even started to monitor my blood sugar as if I were diabetic. So try to stay away from sugar and white flour, white rice, similar carbs combined with exercise and you will lose. It will be slow but you will lose. Stay encouraged!
  • emrys1976
    emrys1976 Posts: 213 Member
    I'm not able to read all these awesome posts tonight so I apologize if this is a repeat of information already shared. I read a book called the insulin resistance diet recently and put a lot of its ideas into practice. It's been enormously helpful - I've lost 50 pounds in the past 4 months and while some of that is just because of calorie restriction, I've never succeeded like this without the advice of that book. The basics:

    1. Don't go more than 4 hours between meals and snacks - that causes blood sugar to crash, which makes insulin crash, which makes your brain tell you your hungry, which means you eat to much, which makes your blood sugar spike, which makes your insulin spike, which makes your brain tell you your hungry because, with IR, you don't clear insulin at the same rate as a "normal" body. And the cycle continues...

    2. Eat protein with every meal and snack.

    3. For every 2 grams of carn you eat, eat at least 1 gram of protein. So, if you have 30 grams carb, you need at least 15 grams protein. This balance helps minimize insulin spikes.

    4. Don't eat more than 30 grams carb at any meal or snack. (My dietitian said up to 45 at one meal was fine, as long as I didn't do that at every meal.

    Hope that's helpful to someone - everyone who's interested can feel free to message me or friend request me!!
  • hadapurpura
    hadapurpura Posts: 67
    I wanna know something: Is there a MFP group for women with PCOS? I searched but it seems there's not. I'd be a great idea...
  • kleavitt1992
    kleavitt1992 Posts: 592 Member
    I wanna know something: Is there a MFP group for women with PCOS? I searched but it seems there's not. I'd be a great idea...

    there is it's private ill invite you
  • carleyfunk
    carleyfunk Posts: 59 Member
    I also have pcos and it's been horrible. I have had two miscariages and a failed IVF attempt. Have you tried giving up starches. I for the most part don't eat starches and watch the sugar. You really should follow a diabetic diet. For me that is the lifestyle change I have made. I also work out at least five times a week. I have lost 15 pounds since the first of this month.
  • jcmorrison25
    jcmorrison25 Posts: 43 Member
    I wanna know something: Is there a MFP group for women with PCOS? I searched but it seems there's not. I'd be a great idea...

    there is it's private ill invite you

    Can I have an invite also?? Please and Thanks!
  • tinie08
    tinie08 Posts: 2
    I was diagnosed with PCOS too when I was 18 years old. It was a hormonal imbalance issue as well. I kinda gained a bit weight and my tendency was to always shy away from people because they always notice how much weight I have gained. Anyway, if you want to maintain a particular weight you should try taking in fruit juices daily. This is one way by which you can skip a few meals or snacks and just drink up fresh fruit juice.

    One way to juice up all the natural ingredients in the veggies and fruits that you will need for maintaining your weight is by purchasing this handy kitchen gadget that will make your juicing experience, the best. Check out: http://www.juicerreviews101.com/compare-best-juicers

    Remember, juicing is one way to maintaining a healthy diet and being in shape!
  • mandiemma
    mandiemma Posts: 128 Member
    Could I get an invite as well please? I've been looking for it for a while now :-)
    I wanna know something: Is there a MFP group for women with PCOS? I searched but it seems there's not. I'd be a great idea...

    there is it's private ill invite you
  • mattie733
    mattie733 Posts: 27
    could I get an Invite to the PCOS group as well? Please.
  • cobarlo14
    cobarlo14 Posts: 582 Member
    I also have pcos and it's been horrible. I have had two miscariages and a failed IVF attempt. Have you tried giving up starches. I for the most part don't eat starches and watch the sugar. You really should follow a diabetic diet. For me that is the lifestyle change I have made. I also work out at least five times a week. I have lost 15 pounds since the first of this month.

    Do you see a nutritionist? He/She may be able to advise you on foods you can have :) Best wishes!!
  • cobarlo14
    cobarlo14 Posts: 582 Member
    I'm not able to read all these awesome posts tonight so I apologize if this is a repeat of information already shared. I read a book called the insulin resistance diet recently and put a lot of its ideas into practice. It's been enormously helpful - I've lost 50 pounds in the past 4 months and while some of that is just because of calorie restriction, I've never succeeded like this without the advice of that book. The basics:

    1. Don't go more than 4 hours between meals and snacks - that causes blood sugar to crash, which makes insulin crash, which makes your brain tell you your hungry, which means you eat to much, which makes your blood sugar spike, which makes your insulin spike, which makes your brain tell you your hungry because, with IR, you don't clear insulin at the same rate as a "normal" body. And the cycle continues...

    2. Eat protein with every meal and snack.

    3. For every 2 grams of carn you eat, eat at least 1 gram of protein. So, if you have 30 grams carb, you need at least 15 grams protein. This balance helps minimize insulin spikes.

    4. Don't eat more than 30 grams carb at any meal or snack. (My dietitian said up to 45 at one meal was fine, as long as I didn't do that at every meal.

    Hope that's helpful to someone - everyone who's interested can feel free to message me or friend request me!!

    Amen, amen, amen!!
    I am also PCOS & IR.
    My weight loss DR stated to me that I should have protein early on in the day - Protein helps keep you fuller longer! 2scoops = 52protein thats just just half of the amount of protein I need for the day. WARNING: For each person the amount of protein per day be different.

    I use a great protein powder. 14.99/2lbs at Walmart (Body Fortress) ( no, I don't work for the company) just working on a small budget... for me this works!:drinker:

    It's a lifestyle change & YES, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

    email/friend me if you like :happy:
  • Angeleyes713
    Angeleyes713 Posts: 5
    Approximately 1 of 10 women have PCOS.
    wow there are a lot of posts on this. But the many that I actually read through, none of them mentioned high testosterone (facial hair comes from this). I'm still doing a lot of research and I'm about 2 months into trying to lose weight. I started at 200 and right now I'm at 183. What I've done so far is try to eat as close to 1200 calories as possible without going under and getting a minimum of 4 days a week working out (At least one hour cardio). I don't eat the calories earned from exercise. With my latest research I found that weight training increases testosterone. So we with PCOS should mainly focus on aerobic and cardio exercises. Also more stress reducing exercises like yoga and pilates (you can still gain muscle from these). There are also certain foods and herbs that raise or lower testosterone or estrogen. I was eating a lot of broccolli, until I found out it raises testosterone. I have also read a book dedicated to PCOS, it really didn't help me any. All I really got from it was eat less, eat healthier, and get more exercise. By counting calories alone I've lost almost as much in 2 months as I did in 6 months working with a trainer at LA Fitness (not counting calories but eating healthier).
    Also something to keep in mind. You typically lose a lot in your first week of eating healthier (water weight). What to go by is what you lose after that each week. The number of pounds per week that is considered healthy depends somewhat on your BMI.
    I just heard about the HCG diet. It's a hormone that helps you shed fat faster. The hard part is that while you're taking it you should only have 500 calories a day (not much...). I still haven't figured out if you should or should not exercise with this diet or if exercising affects calories you should take in. But thought I would mention it because it has (supposedly) been known to regulate menstrual cycles (A problem for people with PCOS).
  • jcmorrison25
    jcmorrison25 Posts: 43 Member
    I have problems with excessive hair growth on my face, neck, even on the upper part of my chest has had hair. I haven't done much research to support my thoughts or opinions, other than my own experiences. Metformin ER has been a wonderful asset over the last year of my weight loss and remember to DRINK WATER!! Yes you'll see significant weight come off immediately, but agree with the post above about monitoring it after the fact. Also I was encouraged to follow close to a diabetic diet, low carb diet. I was encouraged to get ANY kind of exercise, and over a couple years I've lost 89.6 lbs and maintained it! My periods are regular now, even without Metformin or any medication, which also is making my ovulation normal for TTC. I might always have PCOS, but I can manage it now!
  • princessputz
    princessputz Posts: 283 Member
    Bumping to read and reply later.
  • 33lbsless
    33lbsless Posts: 42
    I have PCOS and it's hard. It's like the weight never comes off. I'm on metformin which helps a lot and I've been told not to eat carbs or sugar.

    I know this sounds bad but I can't lose weight eating 1200 a day; I have to go lower like around 800. You just need to find what works for you!
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
    Hey, just curious. Does anybody here not get their periods at all??
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