Low Glycemic Diet...Has anyone tried it?

Or even the South Beach Diet? Considering that one as well.

I follow South Beach because I want to do what I can to prevent diabetes and heart disease. I see weight loss as a bonus here. The best part is that after the first 2 week I lost my cravings for sweets and starches. Feel free to view my diary and "friend" me.

i had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy. I did low GI when I was pregnant. Being that my favorite food group is breads with sugar on them, I am glad I didn't have to do it forever, but, really it wasn't *terrible*. I have lots of Type 1 diabetes (hereditary) in my family, I am used to someone always watching their sugars and carbs.

I hope you get more PCOS-geared responses, because I have fortunately never had to deal with that.

To preface my reply, I am significantly overweight and have been diagnosed insulin resistant since I was 9, although I think I have been my entire life.

I've tried South Beach and it worked great for me. I lost 44 lbs in about 3-4 months by eating their recommended diet (lots of veggies, lean meat, FF dairy, and some fruit, nuts and whole grains in combination with working out 6X a week. I felt amazing. However, it was too restrictive for my lifestyle (I was in college at the time, living on a meal plan) and I got bored eating the same things. I ended up gaining all the weight + 35 lbs back after about a year.

Since being on MFP I have being doing a combination of Paleo, South Beach and moderation eating and it's worked great! I do need to work on eating more vegetables but for the most part I eat pretty dang well. I plan my meals based on their GI impact along with the timing of my day. For example, if I am laying around the house being inactive I will have protein shakes, nuts, meat and low-GI veggies. I try to restrict my grains/starches/higher GI foods for after workouts or long periods of activity and I ALWAYS eat them in combination with some kind of fat/protein to slow down how quickly they're digested.

Since I have insulin problems, this method has greatly helped me control my hunger and lose weight. It also helped me bring my inulin tolerance down from a 39 to 25 in one month, >17 being healthy. Be sure to include exercise as part of your lifestyle. It increases insulin sensitivity and helps to keep your body out of a fat storage cycle.


Here is an amazing article on low GI eating and how it aids in weight loss and heart health: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/#axzz1kmebe5xz

ETA: I have PCOS too. After I did South Beach for 4 months I had one natural cycle on my own. They stopped again when I went back to my old habits. Metformin will also help. Recommended dosage is 1500-2000 for cysters. It is very helpful to see a reproductive endocrinologist.

great advice from issyfit

I too have PCOS and IR. I found South Beach worked great for me, I lost about 30 lbs. I started working on low GI as well and made some simple swaps. I can really tell the difference in my mood and energy when I eat like this. Also, my face started clearing up. I find that on days when I feel really great, I will check my bs levels a few times just to see, and they are coasting in that good range, never getting too high or too low. I never realized how often I was having low blood sugar issues while dieting, and how sabotaging that could be.

I didn't like MET, lost some weight on it that stayed off but after I hit a certain amount I didn't lose anymore, even increasing it.

Good Luck, and I agree that if you can see an endocrinologist, great!

Hi,

I am following the Metabolism Miracle and I think it would be described as a low glycemic eating plan. It's a 3 step program, where you rest, reset, and reprogram your body to release the proper amount of insulin. The most carb controlling step only lasts 8 weeks, and then after that, you slowly and systematically add most lower/mid glycemic foods back into your diet. What's great is that it is not restrictive at all, and when you add the carbs back in, you continue to lose weight.
It is different from Atkins or South Beach because they are very restrictive and once you stop, you put the weight back on. This plan is a lifestyle and each step allows more freedom and choices.
Though I do not personally have PCOS, it is helped on this plan. I do, though, have type 2 and I've lost 50 pounds of fat and have been able to eliminate my cholesterol and BP med and decrease metformin by 50%. I joined MFP a couple months after starting this plan, as I like to keep track of what I eat, but it's not required.
Check it out. The author, Diane Kress, is a certified diabetes educator and registered dietician.
Http://www.themetabolismmiracle.com

I have PCOS too and a low glycemic diet really helped me lose what I've lost. It wasn't overnight and it's no miracle diet but it's highly recommended for PCOSers and it works well if you stick to it.

Do you guys have any snack ideas? That's always where I have the hardest time on diets. Meals I can do but when it comes to snacks, it's always a struggle.

For snacks I like: nuts, veggies and dip, pork rinds, Kashi or South Beach granola bars, devilled eggs, popcorn, sweet potato chips (but I have trouble controlling quantities with these so not very often), Carbmaster yogurt.

I am very confused about if popcorn is actually low GI or now. I've read that it's medium, low, but usually I read that it's high. Even the air popped kind. You get so much of it for so few calories it seems like an okay option.

I am following the Metabolism Miracle and I think it would be described as a low glycemic eating plan. It's a 3 step program, where you rest, reset, and reprogram your body to release the proper amount of insulin. The most carb controlling step only lasts 8 weeks, and then after that, you slowly and systematically add most lower/mid glycemic foods back into your diet. What's great is that it is not restrictive at all, and when you add the carbs back in, you continue to lose weight.
It is different from Atkins or South Beach because they are very restrictive and once you stop, you put the weight back on. This plan is a lifestyle and each step allows more freedom and choices.

Your plan sounds a lot like Atkins, nothing wrong with that because I think Atkins is a perfectly legit diet. I don't get why people always criticize Atkins as if people only regain weight on Atkins, but in reality all diets will fail if the person doesn't stick to them for a lifetime in some maintenance phase. Even simple calorie restriction...once you hit your goal weight, if you don't keep on top of it, you will slowly revert back to your old eating habits and gain weight.

I have PCOS too and a low glycemic diet really helped me lose what I've lost. It wasn't overnight and it's no miracle diet but it's highly recommended for PCOSers and it works well if you stick to it.

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I agree. As soon as I started eating a low glycemic diet, I lost 35-40 lbs in a matter of months. It was insane what that kind of diet can do for you. And I have spent YEARS of not being able to lose. I have a TON of recipes if anyone wants some ideas. Also a few sites I use a lot. Hope this helps!

I follow a low glycemic diet and have great results.

I pretty much only eat low to moderate GI foods every day. (Hubby's spaghetti is the only exception I can think of.) I have noticed that my energy levels are more consistent. Before, I would have crashes, and my blood sugar would get so low I'd be shaking and light-headed. The more I eat lower GI foods, the less hunger pains I feel. No more "my stomach is eating itself" moments.