Hi Ladies! I've been working on losing a few lbs. and getting my PCOS under control. I know that crabs are a problem for us PCOS cysters. My question is...what is the right amount of carbs you should consume on a daily basis? Also, if anyone has any suggestions for a substitute for potatos or starches? A meal just isn't a meal without a meat, a veggie & a starch. LOL!

Thanks!
Kelly

HI Kelly,

The best number of carbs is really had to determine. I have heard several recommendations and have tried different numbers. I find that personally I lose weight best when I keep my carb grams below 175 or right around 25%-30% of my food intake depending on what I am looking at.

Check with your dr as they may have a recommendation for you.


As for substitutes for different foods, I like Spaghetti Squash in place of pasta and smashed califlower in place of mashed potatoes.

Check out the Low Carb forums around here for some good recipes. Also, there are lots of low carb cook books that have various ideas for side dishes.

HTH

I have been diagnosed with PCOS for 6 years now and am overweight. I recently went to the docs and he suggested Sugar Busters. I will be starting it on Monday, after I go food shopping but it seems like a simple enough plan.

Kristen

I have PCOS and found South Beach Diet to be a big help. You don't have to pay for the service either! We have a SBD min-forum with all the rules and what-not.

Sorry...didn't mean to sound like a saleswoman lol. Basically pre-SBD, I had to FIGHT to lose each and every pound. I decided to try SBD and it worked. So now I do my best to only have carbs at one meal a day. My weight loss went from struggling for each pound to watching them melt away, it seems.

When I was diagnosed in Feb my Dr told me to do south beach and I tried for a day at a time here and there and could/wouldn't stick to it. Now I realize I think that's the only way I'm going to be able to lose weight. I just can't seem to lose any other way.
Marine Princess do you eat much fruit?

No, not a lot of fruit. Fruit is naturally high in sugar (another enemy of PCOS'ers). Lots of veggies (SBD recommends trying to get 4.5 C. a day) and lean protein (lean steaks, boneless chicken, fish, etc.). I drink the crap out of water, have milk with breakfast, and sometimes a diet soda (preferably caffeine free) with dinner. Carbs and sugars I try to limit to one serving of each per day.

I guess my biggest hint if you want to go this way would be to start reading your labels. Look at the ingredients and avoid things that contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup...especially things that shouldn't have sweet in them...like mayonnaise. Compare different brands of the products...look for the ones with lower carbs/sugar.

Sorry to be on my soapbox if I shared too much. Just trying to share the wonderful thing I've found! Good luck.

The only time I eat carbs (& by that I mean refined carbs not fruits & veggies) is right after a workout. I've just made this change recently on the advice of my trainer & it is working wonderfully. Plus, I don't feel denied - if anything more motivated to workout - lol! Of course the carbs I do have I try to keep to small portions & ww whenever possible.

Hi-
I'm new here. I found out in August that I have PCOS and insulin resistance. Which are often related and have a lot to do with how carbs affect PCOSers. I'm following a diet from a nutritionist and my doctor as opposed to using hormones and traditional treatments. I spent four days with no carbs whatsoever and then switched to having one complex carb a day. I also make sure that I have it with protein. The point is to teach my body to use protein not carbs and sugar as fuel. I also stay away from anything that has sugar, fructuse, corn syrup, splenda, equal, surcralose, etc. I use Stevia as a sweetner. This is a natural plant sweetner that does not react in your system like sugar does....won't raise you insulin. I stay away from the sucralose and such because the synthetic sugars stay in your system longer than sugar and can actually make you crave more sugar in the long run. At this point i am also staying away from traditional flours since they also raise you insulin like sugar. Thats a lot of information but I hope some of it helps!!

Ellie

I found this natural sweetner at my local health food store. It's called Agave sweetner. It is made from a cactus plant. It tastes better than sugar and will not spike your blood sugar one bit! I have tried stevia and it seems to have a bit of a bitter aftertaste. I also have been doing the insulin resistant diet. I have been on it about 2 wks and have lost 12 lbs already. I suggest if you have pcos and insulin resistance you need to get this book! It's easy to do and has alot of great infomation. By the way my kids even like the taste of the agave sweetner!

Good luck!
Heather

I didn't see this post before but I also have PCOS. I've recently switched to a high carb diet, after some trepidation and bad experiences in the past. Its actually been quite a good experience for the last couple months eating about 70% carbs. The carbs I eat though are high fiber/natural and I follow a low fat diet.

I have been doing the Suzanne Somers diet for about 6 months now, off and on. It's basically a combination of sugar busters, atkins, and food combining. It's very simple, there's no counting anything (like calories, carb grams, etc), and it works.

Although you may have mixed opinions about Suzanne herself, the diet really does work and I find it to be the only thing I've ever been able to stick to. She has several books out and a great website www dot suzannesomers dot com