[SmileyBlueEyes78]

Hello everyone,

I have heard going on a low-carb lifestyle change is supposed to be good for someone with PCOS. I have read about Atkins and the IP but am really unsure what to do. I just tried WS for 2 weeks and feel it isn't the lifestyle change for me as you get 7 supplements and only 1 actual lean/green meal a day with a piece of fruit and a piece of starch. I need more than supplements in a meal, I need bulk or I feel hungry.....Can anyone help with opinions/ideas. I know in the long run it is up to me but it would be nice to hear how other people have done and why and how it could help my situation.

I like the convenience of easily prepared food as 5 out of 7 days I am on the go for work. I am a community health worker (Care Aide) where I take care of seniors in their own homes/assisted living and eat most of my meals in the car. 4 days out of the 5 I am up at 7:15 in the morning and don't get home until 10:30 at night so it is a very long day for me. I need to have something that can help control my hunger through the long days ( I am trying very hard to get up to at least 64 ounces of water a day). I average at least half that and feel thats a good start for someone who wasn't a water drinker 3 weeks ago. I am also one who also likes to have variety to a certain extent and although I like easily prepared food the packed stuff like WS 7 times a day doesn't cut it for me.

Thanx for listening........

[Linsy]

You have to put a lot of work into most plans if you want results and a low-carb WOE is no exception. Many people like to cook for the week and freeze it in individual portions so they can grab and go. For example, if you went on Atkins, on Saturday you could set aside a couple of hours for meal prep. Boil a dozen eggs for quick snacks, bake a pound of bacon in the oven to crumble over salads or have for breakfast. You could make a sausage/egg/bacon/veggie/whatever you want quiche and eat a slice of that for breakfast every morning. Chop vegetables and seal them to keep them fresh. Then for the next week you could have something like:
breakfast: quiche
lunch: chicken salad with ranch, chopped boiled egg, and crumbled bacon
snack: 2 deviled eggs
dinner: hamburger patty with a side of buttered steamed veggies
voila! The only thing you'd have to do is either throw some pre-cooked chicken on the salad or cook a breast really quick, and then steam veggies in the microwave for dinner. Easy!

This is just an example of course. You could also make big pots of low-carb soup and freeze half of it and then eat the other half over the course of the week. You get the idea.

Another option is a meal delivery plan, though these are expensive and you'll have to cook for yourself eventually. Plans like Medifast, Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig are popular ones.

[martinimouse]

I live on the road, 24/7 and I do low carb. I recommend buying a 12v mini fridge that you can plug into your cigarette lighter if you prefer cold foods, if you would like a hot meal, there is a lunchbox oven that you can find at any truck stop that will heat a meal for you on a 12volt. I use these. So you can bring enough food for the day and eat in your car no matter what plan you end up deciding on. As many will tell you, low carb helps keep hunger at bay. If you look on my blog in the page WHAT I EAT) there will be a photo of the lunchbox oven. While I have to do actual cooking on the road, you could just bring a meal that needed reheating.

[TatiN]

I have PCOS as well. Atkins worked for me in the past (though I never stuck with it for very long). I started on Atkins again in Jan and lost a lot my first week and then lost about 3 lbs in a month despite being very strict. I just started Ideal Protein and like it so far. I too, don't always have the time to cook, and IP is a lot easier with that because you only cook one meal for yourself per day. Some of the packets do require boiling water (chili, spaghetti, and oatmeal) or light cooking (pancakes, crepes, and omelettes), but for the most part you'll just need water and the shaker. The biggest difference is probably portions, with Atkins you can almost eat as much as you want, but IP is low carb and low calorie so the IP meals are rather small (they encourage snacks and unlimited lettuce). But honestly, they're both ketosis diets and ketosis really suppresses my appetite so it's more of an effort to make myself eat. I've only been on IP for a few days so I can't compare the results yet, but there's been a lot of people who've been successful on it. I think IP has better transitioning phases to go back to more normal eating. Also, exercise is much more limited with IP because of the low caloric intake, so that could be a deciding factor as well, whether you exercise a lot or not.
Either way, a ketosis based diet is the best for PCOS in my opinion, because it really counteracts the insulin resistance and once you loose a bulk of the weight, a lot of the PCOS symptoms should clear up.
I hope that helps!