apriljackss Member

I was taking Ortho Tricyclen, or the generic version of it, but went off bc about 3 months ago. I never had any problems with it though.

Definitely this!

There are loads of gluten free packaged foods out there and they are deceptive. Many people think that this automatically makes them healthy, when in reality, as one poster mentioned above me, they are actually full of added sugars and fats to compensate for the lack of flavor. I have been gluten free since March of this…

I do appreciate the link, however I would like to state that I have a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology and minored in Chemistry. My issue is not with a misunderstanding of the chemicals in processed foods, it's an issue with the basic principals by which food manufacturers produce foods these days. Faster, cheaper,…

Eat all the GMO soy and commercially produced chemicals that you want. At a calorie deficit you will still lose weight. However, if you actually want to get healthy, maybe you should learn more about the additives you're putting into your body instead of blindly blaming "fear mongers" and "health nuts" for falsely…

My only suggestion - don't get impatient. It's so easy to put a deadline on success. The reality is, this is your life, you need to enjoy it and realize that these are changes you have to be able to stick with - forever. If you can't stick with the changes forever, then inevitably the weight will, indeed, come back on.…

My suggestion - eat foods that are already naturally gluten free, do not try to replace gluten containing items with their faux counterparts. Eat all the meat, veggies, fruits, oils, seeds, nuts, rice, corn, lentils, legumes and quinoa you want. You shouldn't ever have to go hungry. Just beware of all of the hidden sources…

Thanks for the responses! I'm just trying to get as much information as I can from real women because after my doctor's appointment yesterday I'm feeling a bit defeated. He said, and I quote, "there is nothing you can do for PCOS except hormonal birth control to regulate your cycle". I feel like hundreds of women can't be…

In my opinion and through my own experience, I would say that anything you can do throughout the day is absolutely better than nothing. I take short breaks every hour or so to walk up the stairs in my office building, get my blood flowing, oxygenate my muscles. Not only does it help with blood flow, I feel like it helps me…

I feel like no one ever really wants to hear this but the only way that I've been able to lose weight, reduce acne, and regain somewhat of a normal cycle is by going gluten and dairy free. I do try to minimize carbs but I don't focus on the number of carbs so much as making sure that if I do eat carbs, I accompany them…

The only way to know if you are sensitive to gluten (not celiacs - they actually have a legitimate test for that) is to cut it out of your diet completely for about a month and then evaluate how you feel. I have a condition stemming from inflammation and too much free androgens (PCOS) and gluten is a known trigger of…

Might be a long shot, but it could be gallstones. The symptoms are similar to what you described.

I am gluten and dairy free, so imagine how happy that makes my fiance ;). In all seriousness though, he loves the meals that I cook at home, all of which are gluten and dairy free. He knows good and well if he wants something different, he's welcome to have it, for instance, if he wants to heat up a roll with his dinner,…

need.this.in.my.life.NOW!

Do you like coconut? If so... BAM! http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/03/gluten-free-coconut-layer-cake.html

bump for later

Because I don't eat gluten or dairy people always want to offer their opinions on that fact. They usually tell me that it's a fad... that I can eat all the gluten and dairy I want and when it comes time to try to get pregnant (I have PCOS, and due to the EXTENSIVE research I've done I cut out gluten and dairy because I…

I would say oatmeal, but obviously that's a no, but I've been a big fan lately of a big green smoothie. My go-to recipe these days has been a scoop of protein powder, a teaspoon of spirulina, 1.5 tbsp raw hemp seeds, two large handfuls of baby spinach and baby kale, some frozen mixed berries, and water/juice. It really…

Women with PCOS are more at risk of becoming obese, but being obese does not mean that you have PCOS. They are not the same thing at all. PCOS is a hormonal imbalance and symptoms include, insulin resistance, missed or irregular periods, hair loss, excessive hair growth resulting from too much testosterone, excessive acne,…

Hello there! Welcome to the PCOS club (sorry you're lumped in with the rest of us). I know how overwhelming that initial diagnoses can be. I was diagnosed just about 2 years ago, even though I had been to numerous doctors prior and complained of the same symptoms every time (missing periods mostly). But I will tell you…

I have PCOS and based on my research I decided that I would try to cut out gluten to see if it improved my symptoms. I went round and round with a gastroenterologist a few years back about some intestinal issues I was having, but they could never pinpoint a cause. Either way, since going gluten free about 3 weeks ago, I've…

In my personal experience, just including exercise and keeping my diet solely within a calorie and macro goal set by MFP, did nothing for me in regards to weight loss. It just wasn't working. I can't exactly say that it wasn't helping my hormonal balance because I do take birth control. For me, diet has been the biggest…

Avocados, full fat yogurt, good quality oils like olive and coconut, or full fat coconut milk for that matter are all great ways to add fat to your diet.

Because of the tendency for women with PCOS to also develop insulin resistant, it is important to manage our insulin levels, which in turn can help us control excess testosterone which is the source of many of our symptoms. What has helped me with my lethargy after eating and overall energy levels and moods (though clearly…

Keep us informed! It's nice to know how people are doing and what's working/not working for them!

Fajitas are a good option! You can also usually ask for corn tortillas instead of flour if you have to have a tortilla. Corn tortillas are typically ~45 calories each while flour can be 100+.

Thank you! I have some coconut oil at home for cooking, I will have to try it this way too!

Anyone have any advice on skin though? I've cleaned up my diet, and I expected my skin to clear as well but unfortunately I've been experiencing some hormonal acne (possibly due to starting my last pack of BC a day late) and also really really dry skin... any one have advice on this?

To be honest, I'm still learning a lot so my habits are ever-changing, but something else I've found helpful, which goes along with managing insulin levels, is that if I'm going to have some carbs, say an apple, for a snack, I'll eat it with a handful of raw almonds or some raw almond butter. It's important, if you're…

Can I ask how long you've been diagnosed? I feel like I'm sort of "down the rabbit hole" now in terms of the information I've learned, and the more I learn, the more I learn. Does that even make sense? Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot of research out there and most doctor's have no idea how to treat PCOS with out…