PCOS and calorie counting

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I have PCOS and I think that taking fast releasing carbs out of your diet (such as white bread, pasta, spaghetti, potatoes etc) and replacing them with slow releasing carbs such as wholegrain bread, pasta, spaghetti, quinoa, sweet potatoes, new potatoes. Search Low GI on google, and you shall find lists of the foods that are low, high and moderate on the Glycemic index. Please avoid taking any food groups out of your diet such as wheat and dairy, as you do need these food groups for an essential healthy diet.

I have followed the recommendations on MFP and found that I lose pretty easily. Even when the scale isn't going down (like recently), I just measured and found out I lost 4.25 inches all over my body. So as long as you follow the guidelines, you should be okay.

But if you can, stay away from carb rich foods because they are part of what causes your PCOS symptoms. The weight around your stomach and hips is from insulin resistance which is caused by eating too many carbs and your body producing insulin to such a degree that your body stops using it to break down the carbs and instead it all becomes fat.

I also have PCOS and I find that white carbs are my enemy. Like no pasta enemy but I have managed to loose the weight. You can do it!!!!!!

I have PCOS and I think that taking fast releasing carbs out of your diet (such as white bread, pasta, spaghetti, potatoes etc) and replacing them with slow releasing carbs such as wholegrain bread, pasta, spaghetti, quinoa, sweet potatoes, new potatoes. Search Low GI on google, and you shall find lists of the foods that are low, high and moderate on the Glycemic index. Please avoid taking any food groups out of your diet such as wheat and dairy, as you do need these food groups for an essential healthy diet.

This ^ my daughter has it and when she was first trying to get pregnant the Dr put her on Metformin. She new she had always responded well to watching her carbs and we figured this is the reason. She finds she loses weight the best by being a Low Calorie/Smart Carb dieter. I hope this helps

I have PCOS but have been following the guidelines on MFP for the last 35 days and lost 19lbs. I don't eat white bread or white sugar but I have slipped a few times and it does make me stall temporarily. I am off of metformin and my blood sugars are within normal. Don't cut back on calories just eat good calories like fruits, nuts, protein, and veggies.

PCOS is linked with lower metabolism. That being said, under eating is not the solution. It is better to work on your metabolism,that way, you can lose weight long term and not be completely miserable

I have PCOS and I think that taking fast releasing carbs out of your diet (such as white bread, pasta, spaghetti, potatoes etc) and replacing them with slow releasing carbs such as wholegrain bread, pasta, spaghetti, quinoa, sweet potatoes, new potatoes. Search Low GI on google, and you shall find lists of the foods that are low, high and moderate on the Glycemic index. Please avoid taking any food groups out of your diet such as wheat and dairy, as you do need these food groups for an essential healthy diet.

I have PCOS and I've done essentially the same thing. I couldnt take metformin because it just made me feel sick to the stomach all day. One day at work I actually did get sick so I quit the stuff and went natural. I've significantly cut out sugar from my diet to help my insulin levels go down--I am insulin resistant. The best advice is to continue to do internet research on PCOS since so few people really know what it is. Learn about insulin resistance because its an eye-opener, and I think its one of the reasons why I've been so unsuccessful at trying to lose weight in the past. Good luck!

I have PCOS also and find that I my weigh loss (and mood) is much better when I excercise. All of the other posts about the carbs are dead on for me too. I eat whole grains, veggies and fruits as much as possible. Low GI food, or PCOS friendly diets and recipes are online too which helps get you on the right track for better things to eat. I am not on metformin, but a close friend of mine with PCOS is and it helped her greatly. Mostly, if I want something that isn't the best for me - I just have a little and make sure that I hit the gym. Good luck!

Well I didn't get offered any medication but I've heard you can get really bad side effects from Metformin. I don't think it is good to rely on medication as clearly it is only a short term fix. Eat well and exercise plenty and drink lots of water, and take extra supplements if you like such as fish oils (which I've heard to be beneficial to PCOS sufferers)
Please research any supplements or herbal remedies thoroughly before taking them though. I was going to take some Chromium Picolinate which I'd heard can help with weightloss for those with PCOS but found it can cause DNA mutations. Again on the internet there are some sites and ebooks that advise you to cut out essential food groups from your diet. I don't think that is necessary unless you have an allergy or intolerance to such food groups.
It is harder for women with PCOS to lose weight but it will be worth it! I think slower weight loss is better for longterm maintance so please do not be disheartened if your weight does not drop at the same rate as those without PCOS. Good luck in your weight loss journey and anyone that wishes to talk about PCOS can add or message on here

A low carb diet has worked for me. Do NOT eliminate carbs all together just lower the amount.

Calorie Counting works good for me. However, the largest changes definitely happened when steering away from the refined carbs, sodas, artificial sweetners, etc.

I do take Metformin, but have for 2 years. I did not lose weight from taking it alone. I DO lose weight from exercise, eating a more balanced diet, and watching carb/sugar intake. The Metformin still works from the way my Dr described, by allowing my body to process the carbs I eat and utilize them in the way my body is supposed to.

I have less upset stomach from Metformin after about 2-3 months of taking it **Consistently**. It did bother my stomach at first. However, with time, the side effects went away. However, if you took it before you began watching your carb consumption....this could be why you had such bad side effects. Perhaps those of you who now have integrated a healthy diet, and lower glycemic, should consider or discuss Metformin with your Doctor if you continue to show any sort of insulin resistance.

I've found with a balance of diet, exercise, and metformin, I have not had issues in losing fat/weight in comparision to others. I am losing at 2-3lb per week. (Eating more than the calorie allottment figured when using 2lbs as the goal in MFP) I upped the calories to be more accurate to my BMR. My metabolism which I once thought was slow, is obviously functioning quite properly and efficiently, when I am still able to lose at those rates while eating higher calories than MFP even calculated. I attribute this to the mix of strength training, and the quality of diet.

I gained weight for YEARS and ate no more than my family who is tiny, or my slender friends. Is it harder for us to lose weight?? Yes, in terms of we have to really pay attention to our different nutritional needs...and No, in the aspect that if you really do everything you can to work with the PCOS, you can maximize your results to match those who do not have it.

The ONE thing that sucks: I do notice I am losing in opposite of many women who probably do not have PCOS. My butt, thighs, legs were the FIRST things to slim down. I can go to the beach and be proud of how my legs look, and my butt is quite small for my size HOWEVER, my stomach/waist is shrinking at such a slower rate. It is quite obvious my body and the PCOS still love to keep fat stored around my middle.. but...it will have to go eventually, lol. I just keep plowing along...and eventually, I won't be a walking PCOS poster board

I was diagnosed in September, 2011 and since then they have put me on metformin (1500mg a day, in small increasing portions though until I got up to that level). I found that before that I was exercising and eating mostly right and I wasn't losing much at all. Once they put me on the metformin I started losing about 5 lbs a month WITHOUT exercising (I was eating a mostly low GI diet though, but I was doing that before). I do get some plateaus but it usually doesn't take too long to get through it. The reason that they gave me the metformin was not actually the weight loss it was because we are TTC but it's nice to know that it helps! I have recently started exercising again along with that because I would like to lose more quickly again and be in better shape. So far I've lost 28 lbs.

I have PCOS and cannot eat above 1000 calories a day and consistently lose weight, even though I am morbidly obese. I do not have insulin resistance, so the carb and sugar thing makes no difference. Not all PCOS sufferers have insulin problems.

I spent 2 years dieting to the extreme, 800-1000 calories a day unless I "snapped" and "binged" (eating 1500 a day). After two years of this I lost 85 pounds. Yes, I exercised daily. Yes, I tried higher intakes. The weight loss completely stops for me at about 1300-1400 a day. Yes, I'm sure some know it all will come here and tell me I'm doing it all wrong and anyone who says this to my face will suffer physical violence. Having PCOS is living in hell. No doctor has been of any help to me whatsoever. They test my cholesterol and sugar every time I go because they are pretty sure I'm lying and secretly gorge my face to be this fat. My cholesterol and blood sugar have never been elevated, because I don't eat enough for the numbers to go up. I took a 4 hour insulin resistance test, nothing wrong.

I am on this site because I am dedicated to losing weight, even if it means I will have to eat 800 calories a day and exercise an hour a day just to lose two pounds a week. This does, in fact, seem to be the case.

What's worked for me so far is a lower carb diet and daily exercise. I try to get over 100 grams of protein and less than 150 grams of carbs a day. I work out 7 days a week (3 strength training/cardio sessions and 4just cardio/yoga). I find I barely lose if I don't exercise so exercising daily is mandatory for me. I have also reduced my intake of alcohol to 1-2 days a month and that has helped a lot.
Fingers crossed that I've figured things out.