Lost and Confused PCOSer- Needs Advice on low Carb
Hello everyone.
I have tried about every diet known to man before including low carb before. I have 2 huge problems. One, I have PCOS and lose awfully slow and second I am (ashamed to admit), but not the most patient person to stick through ANY plan. I am currently on Metformin and Spirolacton for the PCOS. I also take Topamax for migraines. The meds that I take supposedly help with with some weight loss even on their own without a change in diet, well not in my case. I really want to get this weight off because I would like for my husband and I to start a family within the next year or so and at my current weight of nearly 300 pounds it scares me of the pregnancy I would have. Plus, I want to live a healthy life with/for our future children. It's like my mind is all set and ready to lose, but something just doesn't work. I've read that many women with PCOS have success losing weight on low carb diets. I've had success losing before when I did low carb. I think it's just a hard concept for me to grasp, though. That this is a forever, lifestyle change. How did or how are some of you coping with that? Does anyone have PCOS and what have your results been?
Lately, I've been doing Slim Fast shakes for breakfast and lunch (along with fruit and yogurt) and my dinners have been lean meats, a little starchy, some veggies, and of course portion control issues. I was attempting to eat a typical 1600 calorie low fat diet plan 6 days a week and allow 1 day of off-plan-eat-whatever-I-want on Saturdays, but I find that it's hard to get back on track until Monday. So, I guess that isn't working too well. I really am considering doing low carb, but I am so tired of failing. I have to start losing!
I guess some of my questions/concerns are... when following your low carb plan do you worry about calories or fat at all? I found some recipes on another site where some items were 475 calories and 31 grams of fat for a salad. It looked wonderfully delish, but I just wonder what the consensus is on those kinds of stats for a recipe. I'm so used to the typical low calorie/low fat way of eating.
Also, do any of you have a day off low carb? What are your opinions on that?
I really want to thank you in advance for taking the time read and/or answer my post. I really do feel overwhelmed not only by the amount of weight I have to lose, but by my desire to lose.
Last edited by rebelridergirl; 01-18-2008 at 07:10 PM.
I have PCOS, and I low carb. It is the only way I can consistently lose weight. After the birth of my daughter, I ballooned up and over 300lbs.
I did low carb, and kept it very strict under 20 carbs for 9months. I lost over 100lbs. But because I didnt make it a lifestyle change, I gained back 65lbs....and I am currently working on getting it back off.
You have to be ready, not just willpower, but you have to have your mind set and ready to go. Keep your attitude positive, and your eye on your ultimate goal.
Thank you so much for your advice, Robin. It really helps to hear it from someone else who's been in the same position. Good luck to you in your journey!
Hey - I've got PCOS too & have been very successful avoiding refined carbs as much as possible. When I do have carbs I try to keep them to fibre rich, unrefined carbs. As well, I only have carbs after workouts. The rest of my meals are focussed around veggies & protein.
I also have PCOS, and I am losing weight on a low carb diet (Metabolic Research). I think that avoiding the carbs and sugars is what our bodies need, and so any ketogenic diet is going to help you lose. Lots of lean meat (chicken, fish, beef once a week maybe) and veggies!
I have PCOS as well, and while I tried low carb, it wasn't sustainable for me. If I keep my carb intake really low then I tend to start binging after a few days, which is just counter productive.
I do try to keep my carbs to whole grains and unrefined/unprocessed things though, so I believe that helps. If your carbs come in combination with fiber then it's absorbed more slowly and the insulin response isn't as dramatic as with refined carbs.
On the eat-anything-you-want day; I know this works for some people, but it doesn't for me, for a couple of reasons. One is that I have the same problem as you - if I start eating off plan it's very difficult for me to get back on track; the single eat-anything-you-want-day turns into a eat-anything-you-want-week or more. Additionally, if I give myself permission to eat anything I want for an entire day I could easily blow my entire week's worth of effort.
I do not have PCOS, but I am so with you on the "eat anything you want". If I let myself eat what I want then 2 weeks go by and I am back up there goin' "What happened?" I have to keep it strict or i will slide right back into the old habits. Good luck to everyone! We can do this!
Another PCOS'er here! I just started the Metabolic Research Center diet and am hoping that this will be the diet that works for me. I am also taking Metformin. I just got so tired of having problems related to PCOS, going to my OBGYN and having him tell me that I need to lose weight! Yeah, I know that, but I can't, because of the PCOS. Definitely a catch-22. I am really hoping to see results with the MRC.
Hey Ladies - PCOS here as well. I actually got some great (?) news this week and found out that i am severely insulin resistant, which is what has caused my body not to lose ANY weight. I've worked out, I've dieted, I've tried a million different OTC pills, but of course, nothing worked. In the past 5 years I've been prescribed Meridia, Xenical, Cymbalta, and Phentermine...none of which had ANY effect on my weight loss.
2 weeks ago I was prescribed Metformin, which my body took a little getting used to. Since I found out about the insulin resistance, my doc put me on a strict lo-carb diet but its really not that bad!
Andrea - I really urge you to go have your blood tested for insulin resistance. PCOS and insulin resistance often go hand-in-hand and that could be a huge factor in why its difficult for you to lose weight.
There are a lot of great lo-carb options that are also lo-fat. Also a really good rule of thumb - the next time you go to the grocery store, ONLY shop the perimeter aisles. That's where you'll find all the fresh foods - some of it organic, too. Just removing the preservatives and added sugar that come in commercially produced packaged food will be a WONDER for your diet.
Hello everyone! I was never diagnosed with PCOS but I have every symptom and I know for a fact I have it. The doctors I have seen haven't really made it a priority to find out if I have it. I decided to take it into my own hands and just assumed I had it, and went on a low carb diet. I started at 212 and got down to 152 by eating between 40-60 carbs per day. I was getting regular periods for the first time in my life!! I gained back about 26 pounds of it though between August to February..
What I would reccomend regarding taking a day off from low carbing is NOOO. lol.. It's just my experience but thats what got me into gaining back the 26 pounds in only about 5-6 months.. I started to allow myself more carbs some days and that made me just want more. I would say find whats comfortable for you and makes you feel good and helps you to maintain loss and stick with it
Lost and Confused PCOSer- Needs Advice on low Carb
