Started Atkins Today- thoughts on Fibromyalgia/PCOS being helped?
This will be my second shot at Atkins, my first was in the fall of 2010. My first day went well!
My back story:
My weight had varied through my teen years. I got married in '07 and weighed 135 pounds. 5 years later here I am at 180 pounds. I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, TMJD, and PCOS. Before this diagnosis I just wanted to go on Atkins to lose some weight. Unfortunately I had to stop due to kidney stones in my first two weeks- the on call doctor told me that Atkins was too severe for someone who had 50lbs or less to lose. She was not helpful in the least, and seemingly ignorant on what ketosis actually is. I realized after doing research and talking to other Atkins' people that I was eating too many meats with nitrates, very little veggies, and definitely not drinking enough water.
Now I have done extensive research on the internet and have seen that a lot of people have had their Fibro symptoms go into remission and had their periods regulate by going on Atkins, or other low carb diets. It makes a person wonder if all these aren't related some how?? Tired of getting a new prescription every time I see the doctor or her ordering a new fertility test (which is mighty expensive in case you didn't know) that provides no answers.
Has anyone else had any significant changes with these issues, along with some weight loss while doing low carb? I am so frustrated that age 25 I am considered "obese" and cannot wear the "skinny" clothes I have stored in our attic. I want to lose 50 lbs by this coming fall, and see improvements in other areas of my life.
I realize this is a lengthy post, but I feel alone and really would like to hear from anyone else who has dealt with this stuff. I need some inspiration and support!
I have several health issues including fibromyalgia, arthritis, and autoimmune disease.
I've found that a moderately low-carb diet works best.
I've found that if I eat too low carb (Atkins induction level) I feel lousy, and am in danger of passing out (in high school and college I actually DID pass out while fasting and/or doing Atkins induction).
I never tried moderately low-carb diets (always instead doing super-low carb diets) until my current doctor suggested I try low-carb, but warned me not to go too low (but couldn't tell me what was too low). SO I've experimented.
The fibro also tends to flare if I'm eating too low-carb, or eating too much red-meat.
I joke that fibro "forces moderation in all things" because any drastic change (whether in diet, carb intake, stress, activity level, sleep quality/quantity - even weather) seems to trigger flares.
I've lost weight and had great improvement in my fibro, but all the changes I made to diet and activity level had to be made gradually or they triggered severe flares. I made (and still make) a lot of mistakes, but whenever I try to change too much too fast, I end up in a killer flare.
I experimented with a lot of different carb levels, using exchange plans (I LOVE exchange plans, because it makes it easy for me to compare different types of diets. I aimed for 1800 calories on every "variation" I've tried, and so I could compare the difference in symptoms and weight loss.
If I eat a relatively (but not too) low carb diet, with lots of veggies, I feel the best. I had to work up to lots of veggies, because of the IBS. Fiber does help IBS for a lot of people, but the fiber increase has to be done very gradually.
Grains bother the fibro much more than fruit does (but I can't go nuts with fruit, because I do tend to overeat it, and also the fiber and fruit sugars can irritate the IBS).
My diet is a lot closer to paleo than to Atkins. South Beach and The Zone were both good for the fibro, but my weight loss would stall when I ate much in the way of bread or grains.
I found a low-carb exchange plan and "swapped out" a couple of the bread/carb exchanges for fruit exchanges - and I try to make paleo-friendly choices for my carb exchanges. Sometimes I do have white potato or grains like quinoa, but I feel best if I keep grains to a minimum. Some grains aggravate the fibro much more than others (I have more trouble with wheat and rice than with quinoa, millet, wild rice).
It really, really helps to keep not only a food log, but a symptom log as well, and to experiment with different ways of eating. When low-carb helped the fibro, I wondered whether it was carbs in general or specific carbs that were the problem, so I experimented by adding back only one carb at a time for a week or two and seeing if I had any issues. I've found that wheat causes the most issues (skin issues and worsening of the joint pain) even in relatively small amounts. Sugar other grains and overall carb intake also aggravate symptoms, but it takes larger quantities and the issues aren't as severe as with wheat (I'm not saying that all people with fibro would find this true. I think everyone has to experiment to see what works).
I've been in complete and total remission since I started low carbing.
I DEFINITELY see a link between the two.
Edit:
I don't follow Atkins as I allow sugars from fruit... and it's not quite Paleo as I allow full fat dairy. But, I don't eat processed starches, sugar, wheat, white potatoes, corn products, or most grains. For me, it's made a world of difference.
Thank you very much for your replies! I am starting to feel the beginnings of a fibro flare up as we speak (along with the lovely IBS flare up too). I am going to do a trial run for just the first 2 weeks and see if I feel any improvements. If I end up with more ugly flare ups, I will try to do some adjusting. I am open to try anything, as I want to feel healthy and confident.
Kaplods, have you considered or every tried going gluten free? That is something that has also been brought up to me- and I just read on the internet the links between Fibromyalgia, PCOS, and IBS among other digestive issues. It is a huge overhaul in lifestyle, but I've heard of people experiencing lots of relief from going gluten free. I wonder if that is another link, because doing low carb cuts out most gluten? Hmm, I will have to do some more research...
Valrock, that is awesome! Your pictures are an inspiration to me!
Sincere thanks to both of you for your replies- so appreciated!
Kaplods, have you considered or every tried going gluten free?
Yes. Even though I've tested negative for celiac disease, I do avoid gluten 99% of the time. Occasionally, I do eat a few foods that contain or could contain gluten from cross-contamination (such as oatmeal) or as trace ingredients (such as when a food label lists food starch or "modified food starch" in most cases this is corn-derived, but it can be wheat derived. If it's one of the last ingredients, I don't worry about it, because I've never had a reaction from so little wheat.
If my diet is really clean and low sugar, I seem to be able to get away (without symptoms) with a small serving of wheat-based food occasionally (say one slice of bread or a small serving of wheat pasta), but I found that when I ate a little wheat I had a hard time keeping it to a small portion. Especially when it comes to bread. I love real bread (and it's so hard to find a decent gluten-free bread) and it's easier to stay away from it completely than to eat "just a little."
So I try to remember that even in small amounts that don't seem to trigger symptoms, that eating gluten-containing foods really is playing with fire for me.
Started Atkins Today- thoughts on Fibromyalgia/PCOS being helped?
