PCOS- What to eat? (Warning Guys TMI)
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how do you find out if you are insulin resistant or not?
Ask your doctor to do a test. It will be a fasting glucose test. Here are other ways but involve you buying a blood testing machine and being incredible methodical about charting at all hours of the day.
Yes. This. Do not let your doctor get away with being lazy and doing the simple one-time test. Make him do the full 3-hour test. You should fast all night, come in and get your blood taken, then he should feed you a sugary drink (glucose) and take a blood sample again every hour after that for three hours. That is the only way to get a complete, accurate picture of how your body metabolizes and processes sugars.0 -
I've managed to lose quite a bit and am not on low carb. I eat low GI which I find better to regulate.
If you're just starting out my advice is to focus on calories figure out the right amount of calories and eat to that. Exercise 30 min a day. Once you're comfortable you can start changing your macros (carbs/proteins/fats) Only thing I would heavily recommend switch to whole wheat. No need to put the horse before the cart.
Again, everyone's body is different. First of all you need to find out whether you truly are insulin resistant. Because if you are, then this is not good advice. If you're insulin resistant, then your body processes protein calories and fat calories VERY differently than it processes carbohydrate calories. So the number of calories does not matter as much as the type of calorie consumed. I ate a calorie deficit for years, thought I was being really good by eating salads & only 1200 calories a day, exercised every day, and still gained weight steadily. Because for people with non-normal metabolisms, it's the TYPE of calorie that makes the difference.
Here is a video by Dr. Mary Vernon, who was one of the pioneers of treating metabolic disorders with diet instead of drugs. She explains it better than I ever could. She also has a series of lectures on youtube, just google her name and "KU lecture."
http://www.diabetesnewsstand.com/vissue/vernon/titlepage.html0 -
I do not use the recipes-just the basic guidelines (the plate method-low carbs-low sugar..that type of thing) I had lost 80lbs following it.My best advice is follow the American diabetes associating for eating(you can find all the info on there website)-Low carb, low sugar, small portion size. Even if you are not diabetic is is great for women with PCOS, especially since you are at high risk to be come type 2 diabetic. Hope that helps-good luck! Feel free to add me!
This is not necessarily good advice. Again, the ADA has been influenced by lobbyists and by big pharma. They do NOT want you to be able to control your diabetes entirely through diet, because they want to be able to sell insulin & drug therapies. So, yes, check out the site, but take anything they say with a good dose of skepticism. A LOT of their recipes are still way too high in carbs for me.0 -
Yup, low carb and selecting foods by glycemic index! You can also be insulin resistant or not insulin resistant, and you don't have to bother with the low carb if you aren't.... usually. ... but lots of people say ALL of their symptoms get better when they low carb it out!
^^^^this^^^^
I have managed to lose all my weight doing this...and keep it off since November.0 -
hi there
your best bet would be to go on line and google support groups for PCOS, I have suffered with Endometriosis all my life and the specific support boards are where you'll get good advise and necessary support for coping.
With endo, its we were advised to avoid chicken at that time of the month as its high in oestrogen (apparently) as well as dairy products.
personally I tried lots of different things but didnt find anything particularly helped or aggrivated.
I do feel for you this is another debilitating illness and the meds are notorious for putting on weight. Happy if you would like to add me as a friend, they're different illnesses but I think a lot of similarities as well. Good luck0 -
i have my carbs set at 130g, which is 35% of my macros (protein is also 35% and fat is 30%). i feel best when i stay at or under 100g though. play around with what 'low carb' means for you. some people stay under 50g, some people stay under 170g.
good luck!0 -
I have PCOS as well! The thing that has helped me in the past, and is currently helping me now, is low carb, but also tracking your sugar intake. One thing my OB stressed to me was that I am at higher risk for diabetes since I have PCOS. Lots of greens, limit your fruit intake, and an average amount of protien is what I stick to. No juice, I limit my bread and pasta intake, because it re-acts badly for me, i.e. rapid weight gain. Also, some friends of mine that have PCOS as well are on Metformin becasue they are insulin resistant, which has helped dramatically with thier weight loss. I am not advocating a drug here, just telling you what has worked for them. Try going through some meal plans for diabetics and see if that might help you set up some sort of meal options that can work for you. Good luck hun!0
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I'm PCOS with Insulin Resistance, and when I was pregnant with my daughter, I also had gestational diabetes. Last year, when I went back into weight loss mode (after she turned 2) I put myself back on the diet plan they gave me while I was pregnant with her. It was 3 snacks, with 15g net carbs (carbs - minus fiber), breakfast 30 g carbs, lunch 45 g carbs, and dinner was 60 g carbs. I was also to have protein with every meal/snack, and not to have fruit juices ever, and no cold cereal for breakfast.
Of course, everyone is different, but I wouldn't think that you'd have to go Atkins low carb, but just reduced carbs (I have mine set to 40% right now, instead of the 55% MFP sets it at), and pairing them with protein.0 -
Okay well first a little background- I am currently being tested for PCOS. I had my gyno appt today and go tomorrow for some initial blood work. After they get the results they are putting me on progesterone to induce my period and then I have to go back during the first 7 days of my cycle and get some more blood work.
My S&S are: Irregular and now absent periods (Nothing since March), Frequent and multiple ovarian cysts on both ovaries, rapid weight gain in short amount of time, more breakouts then usual, etc...
My question is what is the best diet anyone with pcos should be on? I figure if I am diagnosed I might as well have a jump start on eating correctly. I looked some stuff online. Mostly what I am seeing is a lower carb diet but wasn't sure if that is accurate.
I would really love any help/advice you ladies have to offer. Thanks for reading!
Your doctor should be advising you, but you are going to have to change to a low carb lifestyle.
It is also in your best interest to not eat any of the processed low carb foods such as protein bars and shakes.
Stick to real food so you can get your hormones back on track.
PCOS is also known to cause Type 2 Diabetes and Thyroid disorders, so it is best to tackle this in a natural way.
Drugs do NOTHING but mask the symptoms. Attack PCOS at the heart and get to the root cause, which is the Pituitary.0 -
I'm not on a very low carb diet, and I do have insulin resistance with my PCOS. Metformin has really helped to regulate my insulin so I don't have to go extremely low carb and I can lose weight like a normal person. I do eat less carbs than I used to simply because bread and pasta is higher in calories but my diet isn't "low carb" like some people do. I just try to eat good carbs rather than bad carbs (whole wheat bread instead of white, ect...)0
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I'm PCOS with Insulin Resistance, and when I was pregnant with my daughter, I also had gestational diabetes. Last year, when I went back into weight loss mode (after she turned 2) I put myself back on the diet plan they gave me while I was pregnant with her. It was 3 snacks, with 15g net carbs (carbs - minus fiber), breakfast 30 g carbs, lunch 45 g carbs, and dinner was 60 g carbs. I was also to have protein with every meal/snack, and not to have fruit juices ever, and no cold cereal for breakfast.
Of course, everyone is different, but I wouldn't think that you'd have to go Atkins low carb, but just reduced carbs (I have mine set to 40% right now, instead of the 55% MFP sets it at), and pairing them with protein.
The "diabetic" diet that they are prescribing is not what most doctors prescribe now days.
Atkins is only very low carb for a very short time and it re-aligns the body with the chemical and hormonal responses with in the body.0 -
Low carb will only really help if you're insulin resistant (I've got PCOS, and am not insulin resistant). There are some studies that suggest you should watch the phytoestrogens that you eat (there are lists all over the web of foods that are high in phytoestrogens), but some people say that it won't affect it. My GYN told me that limiting them would help, so I trust he knows what he's talking about.0
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I'm not on a very low carb diet, and I do have insulin resistance with my PCOS. Metformin has really helped to regulate my insulin so I don't have to go extremely low carb and I can lose weight like a normal person. I do eat less carbs than I used to simply because bread and pasta is higher in calories but my diet isn't "low carb" like some people do. I just try to eat good carbs rather than bad carbs (whole wheat bread instead of white, ect...)
I didn't want to have to start taking drugs for the rest of my life.
i would rather adhere to eating proteins, fats and getting my carbs from fruits and vegetables than to start popping pills, which only leads to more pills.
Taking prescription is nothing but a gateway to being on more and more drugs like the Doctors and pharmaceutical companies want you anyway.
I found a doctor that wanted to attack it at the root and actually heal my body, not start giving out prescription band-aids.0 -
I'm PCOS with Insulin Resistance, and when I was pregnant with my daughter, I also had gestational diabetes. Last year, when I went back into weight loss mode (after she turned 2) I put myself back on the diet plan they gave me while I was pregnant with her. It was 3 snacks, with 15g net carbs (carbs - minus fiber), breakfast 30 g carbs, lunch 45 g carbs, and dinner was 60 g carbs. I was also to have protein with every meal/snack, and not to have fruit juices ever, and no cold cereal for breakfast.
Of course, everyone is different, but I wouldn't think that you'd have to go Atkins low carb, but just reduced carbs (I have mine set to 40% right now, instead of the 55% MFP sets it at), and pairing them with protein.
The "diabetic" diet that they are prescribing is not what most doctors prescribe now days.
Atkins is only very low carb for a very short time and it re-aligns the body with the chemical and hormonal responses with in the body.
You have to be careful on diets like Atkins though- while they may be low carb a lot of people experience a jump in triglycerides from being out of balance in their diet.0 -
I read a book, the name escapes me right now but can get it for you, that talked about a study by a doctor at a prestiges hospital that found that taking 1000 - 1200 mg of d-chiro-inositol a day, helped women with PCOS and that something like 80 % ended up pregnant within a year.
I have never been diagnosed with pcos but have had some issues and figured that it couldn't hurt. I had a hard time finding d-chiro-inositol, but after some research learned that it is just a form of inostiol which I had no problem finding online and at Whole Foods. I started taking it and found that my issues lessened.
I’m still not pregnant, but that is due to the lack of a SO who wants kids as much as I do. (If you know anyone, feel free to set me up.)0 -
I have PCOS. I eat few white breads and pastas and rice. I still eat whole grain, and fruit. I dont worry so much about the # of carbs as much as the quality. If she starts you on metformin, that will help with carb cravings. I have lost 184 lbs since I started. Don't go all atkins or anything, just try to make your carbs "better" ones. I keep mine around 150 a day, but that is just coincidence.0
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I have PCOS, was diagnosed over two years ago after a series of menstral issues, cysts, and seeing several doctors for answers. I am very fortunate that I am not insulin resistant (they can find that out with the bloodwork they do). I am currently on a generic form of Yaz to manage my irregular cycle and some of my other symptoms. I found that focusing more of the types of carbs I am eating helps me (stick to mostly less refined carbs like whole grains and veggies) and I also make sure to not go over on carbs as much as possible, better to go over on fat or protein for us I think. I also limit fruit to a max of three servings a day (usually 2 servings) and try to limit sugary and refined carbs. That has helped me a lot. I lose on the slow side, but am making my way to my goal.0
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I'm not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but there is a good book called The Insulin Resistance Diet Book. It's not even really a diet in the sense that most people think. It's more about balancing carbs and protein. Back when I was going through infertility treatment, I was part of a support group where most of us had PCOS. Quite a few of the ladies there followed the guidelines in that book and found it to be an immense help with their symptoms and weight fluctuations, even the ladies who were not IR..
ETA- Soul Cysters has been around for years, it's where I turned way back when. The support forums have a lot of great advice. http://www.soulcysters.com/0 -
I've managed to lose quite a bit and am not on low carb. I eat low GI which I find better to regulate.
If you're just starting out my advice is to focus on calories figure out the right amount of calories and eat to that. Exercise 30 min a day. Once you're comfortable you can start changing your macros (carbs/proteins/fats) Only thing I would heavily recommend switch to whole wheat. No need to put the horse before the cart.
Again, everyone's body is different. First of all you need to find out whether you truly are insulin resistant. Because if you are, then this is not good advice. If you're insulin resistant, then your body processes protein calories and fat calories VERY differently than it processes carbohydrate calories. So the number of calories does not matter as much as the type of calorie consumed. I ate a calorie deficit for years, thought I was being really good by eating salads & only 1200 calories a day, exercised every day, and still gained weight steadily. Because for people with non-normal metabolisms, it's the TYPE of calorie that makes the difference.
Here is a video by Dr. Mary Vernon, who was one of the pioneers of treating metabolic disorders with diet instead of drugs. She explains it better than I ever could. She also has a series of lectures on youtube, just google her name and "KU lecture."
http://www.diabetesnewsstand.com/vissue/vernon/titlepage.html
Ok everything you've said is me to a T. You're officially my new friend.0 -
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