Carbs

  • Evil evil carbs

    I want to have a baby. I am a diabetic & have pcos. I know that if I want a baby I need to lose this weight. But it has not been easy. I am not getting any younger & I need to make this change now.

    I love carbs so much. Every one of my favorite foods is carbs. There is a running joke in my family about how my favorite snack is bread & everyone jokes about getting extra rolls when we go out because I'll eat them all. Forget junkfood or sweets give me bread & pasta. Pizza, mac & cheese, ravioli, lasagna, sandwiches, etc...

    I have tried to just limit myself & it usually ends in binges. I am not good at putting limits or trying to figure out what else to eat when I have lived so long with just carbs everywhere. I am not big on meat like at all.

    I have looked at paleo but i am not sure I could go there & I have had a hard time finding much helpful info on it.

    idk I guess I am just looking for advice or a sympathetic ear.
  • I hear ya!!

    Even I have PCOS, insulin resistance and hypothyroidism...and I love carbs. Also, being an Indian, carbs (read wheat and white rice) are an integral part of our diet. So i know exactly how you feel. I so wish there was an easy way out. But unfortunately there isn't. You have already come this far. More than half way through, eh? You can do it. best luck
  • I am sorry. Can't imagine my fertility hinging on my diet. I know you say you must lose "this weight" but they say that even losing just 10% can do wonders for your body. So maybe you really only need to lose 25 lbs or so. But I am no medical doctor. Smaller goals help to make it seem so overwhelming.
    Binging is so demoralizing. It is common and we shouldn't be so ashamed but society tells us otherwise. Check out the threads in chicks in control. You are not alone here.
  • I certainly understand. For years I said the same thing that you said, "Forget junkfood or sweets give me bread & pasta" except I would add potatoes. For many many years I did the same thing as you, limit carbs and then binge. I finally decide that I just could not do it and spent over 30 years morbidly obese.

    A few years ago I succeeded in losing a 100 pounds by counting calories and somewhat lowering my carbs. I ate about 200g of carbs a day but hunger was an issue and I craved more carbs. I lost control and gained about 50 pounds back. Desperate, I went to a doctor who specializes in weight loss and she convinced me to try lowering my carbs again. This time she convinced me to try really low carb and not have the "anything in moderation" mind set.

    The first week was really rough but after that it got easier. It took about a month before I had no carb cravings. You would think that I would learn but a few weeks ago I got it in my head that I could handle more carbs and increased the number of carbs I ate. The cravings started back and now I am struggling.

    This past weekend I decided that I need to drastically reduce my carbs again. So this week, I am not counting calories but am keeping my carbs low. I have given myself permission to eat more protein and fat than I normally do in hopes that it will help with keeping my cravings down.

    So I am suggesting that you go really low carb for awhile to see if the cravings go away. You will probably have to white knuckle it for a while and will feel quite bad for a week or so. It is worth it to see if you can free yourself from the carb cravings.

    Good luck!
  • moonkissed I can understand what you're going through. I have PCOS as well but my doctor totally left me in the dark as to what to do with trying to lose weight. I love pasta, breads, etc. too but I have been pretty lucky with how I've transitioned into eating less carbs. I follow a clean, whole foods diet. I don't eat any bread anymore...I will have tortillas on the weekends sometimes when I want to make breakfast burritos...I do eat oatmeal every day for breakfast, I opt for the gluten free oatmeal by Bob's Red Mill and it seems to help me a lot and I'm still losing weight. If I want pasta, I opt for spaghetti squash now and usually have that once a week. It isn't the same as pasta, but it gives me a similar effect and I've grown to really like it.

    Cutting carbs is hard...but once you get past it you will end up feeling better. I'm not so lethargic now because I don't eat so much heavy carbs.

    I'm here if you ever need any help, or if you just want to talk. We're in this fight together!!
  • It will be hard at the start -- I can't do carbs in moderation either -- but once you cut the bad stuff, and substitute vegetable carbs for bread carbs, you will have less cravings. You just have to get over that period.
  • I would recommend looking at The Insulin Resistance Diet book and even buy/download it. I dont follow it strictly, but I follow their "link carbs and protein" rule, and it has worked for me. I also have PCOS. I eliminated ALL wheat and white grains from my diet, and just eat whole grain brown rice pasta (although this is not a daily occurrence), and just whole grain gluten free options for things such as cereal, pasta whatever.
    For me, I knew if i eliminated carbs entirely (what used to be 90% of my diet), I was going to be miserable and fall off the wagon. And I ultimately want to be on a diet that I know I can live with for the rest of my life rather than doing something for a few months then going back to "regular" eating and gaining it back. For example, doing paleo which I looked into for awhile, but then realized wasn't for me.
    I would recommend transitioning slowly. For me going "cold turkey" with carbs would not have worked, but I know its different for everyone. I've noticed as you go along, things start to get easier.
  • Carbs are triggers for me. If I'm going to lose this weight, gain control over the PCOS, and go on to have a healthy pregnancy, I've decided that I have no choice but to give them up. I've been doing an Ideal Protein-ish diet. I'm following the rules of the plan, but buying my own products so it costs less.

    The first week was awful. Headaches that bordered on migraines, cranky, hungry, etc. At four weeks in, it's smooth sailing. I know that my insulin resistant body just cannot handle the carbs, so this is my way of winning.
  • I second what a lot of these ladies said. Keep them cut out for about a month and you will notice a major decline if not a halt in your carb cravings. I can't have them either...they start a binge...and I don't lose. I'm starting my clean out phase tomorrow and I have warned the hubby....remember when I did this last time. It sucks for the first few weeks!! It gets easier though!
  • You are not the only one. There is no such thing as "moderation" for me.

    If I buy a loaf of raisin bread or something, I will chow on through the whole thing. I find it easier to resist once at the store and just NOT BUY and then I don't have to struggle to resist a million times at home.

    I don't have that kind of reaction to Gluten free bread -- like Udi or a local millet. I have been tested for celiac but nothing came up that way. On the other hand, my allergist notes I am allergic to grass and wheat is a type of grass. And I notice less snot when I leave it out.

    I have also been dealing with several vitamin deficiencies (B12, D) and I kicked in inositol (B8) as well since it is in the PCOS Treatment FAQ. The inositol seemed to stop the night cravings but I don't know yet if that's a temporary thing or what.

    I'm no doc, but maybe hearing my experience helps some?

    Or looking at the various exchanges/nutrition articles I've posted here?

    http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/pcos-articles-125/

    I am just now taking PCOS Diva's Jump start class. I decided to try it on and "be a newbie" again and see what's new in PCOS world. So much has changed online over the years! I can't tell you if it is any good yet or not, but so far it's promising. The website has a lot of free articles and tips -- you don't necessarily have to take the class. http://www.pcosdiva.com/

    Quote:
    I have tried to just limit myself & it usually ends in binges. I am not good at putting limits or trying to figure out what else to eat when I have lived so long with just carbs everywhere. I am not big on meat like at all.
    Then you know you cannot limit. You have to OMIT.

    Then you are going to enter an experiment zone to figure out what you can REPLACE with -- what veggies, fruits, meats you enjoy. What your new favs are.

    And carefully -- which starches (rice, oats, GF bread) don't trigger this response that you can eat reasonably and not binge.

    Hang in there. I know it is challenging.

    A.