MrMom,
A normal woman who eats, let's say, a serving of carbs, i.e., 1 slice of bread, will burn 3/4 of those carbs as energy for normal bodily functioning, then store 1/4 of those carbs as fat. A woman with PCOS will STORE 3/4 of those carbs as FAT, and only burn 1/4 of those carbs as energy for normal bodily functioning. This is because we are missing 3/4 of the insulin receptors as a normal person, so our cells do not know to burn those carbs. Instead, our bodies read 'carbs' as things to store. This can be corrected with diet and weight loss. But with PCOS, weight loss can seem IMPOSSIBLE, so it's like a double-edged sword. A woman needs to lose weight to correct the problem, but the problem is hindering her from losing weight.
There are many options to combat this, but there are two VERY good options I'll list below:
For rapid weight loss there is always an Atkins-type diet (no, that doesn't mean downing bacon and blocks of cheese). Sticking to less than 20g net carbs per day, and eating primarily veggies (4-5 cups per day), limited fruit, and lean, organic, low-salt protein, such as fish, poultry and tofu. NO sugar, NO processed meats, and NO grains such as flours, corn, potatoes, etc. This is extreme, but I've found I can lose over 1lb per day when doing this. It's because it forces the body to burn it's own fat reserves.
Then there is a more moderate diet as explained in the book "The Patient's Guide to PCOS", in which the body can handle no more than 30g crabs within a 2-hour period, and it must be paired with at least 15g of protein. The book explains that a PCOS woman's body will store anything in excess of 30g net carbs at one time (or within a 2-hour period), and only as long as the protein is eaten with it, to prevent the carbs from being converted right to fat.
The bottom line is that a woman with PCOS more often than not needs to eat less, and less carbs, and workout MORE to lose weight, compared to a normal woman. We must put in twice the effort.
Your daughter is already working out correctly. Buidling muscle is key to fixing a PCOS'as metabolism, probably even more valuable than cardio. She is changing the make up of her body, which is essential.
As for her diet, is she carb tapering? (i.e., eating carbs ONLY in the A.M., and then leaving nothing but veggies and protein after lunch). I also find this method is very powerful. Any carb, even if it's healthy, will show up on the scale for me the next morning, if I eat it past 3pm.
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