Besides South Beach, and NOT meal replacements. I cannot afford that with fertility treatments sadly. But I have been doing South Beach, and I think I just need to change things up totally. I am bored with the way of eating, and honestly I am not seeing results anymore. Also I have been on a huge binge, and I have to wonder if South Beach is too restrictive that it makes someone like me go crazy!
Has anyone been REALLY successful with PCOS AND Calorie Counting, where you still allow "treats"? I have just lost my motivation totally, need something new I think. Any thought/suggestions are really appreciated!

A few years ago I was really succesful on the LA Weight loss diet. I lost 65lbs in about 3 1/2 months Went from 240-175 I kept the bulk of it off till about a year ago & gained ALOT back ( i was going thru a crazy time, was homeless & all i cud eat was fast food!) So a few months ago I was told about the accu bead aka accu weight loss diet & decided to give it a try..its extremely restrictive but works!!! My best friend lost 40lbs in 2 months & I went from 267-236 in 3 1/2 weeks!! I took off for about a month ( i really dont know why, my own stupidity) & started back on it on Tuesday & as of Friday I lost 9 lbs..thats 9lbs in 3 days So yes I have had my share of different diets!!!

& i would say to you..maybe try something different..its obvious your bored with the SBD or maybe it is too restrictive thats why your binging?? Well best of luck to you!!!

Yes!

I don't do SB or Atkins, I only calorie count. I do allow treats, but I've also come to some conclusions about MY BODY.

- The more refined carbohydrates that I eat (bread, pasta, sweets/candy, etc.) the less I lose weight
- Unprocessed foods (fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, lean meats, etc.) are much much better for my body, even if it means more work for me (to buy and to cook)
- Exercise helps me balance my insulin levels, but it's not the source of my weight loss (it's my food)
- I have to eat less than 1500 calories a day to lose weight

So, while it's not SB, calorie counting isn't just about saying I can eat 3 Snickers bars a day because I'm eating less than 1500 calories. It takes work (which I didn't want to do!) and it takes commitment (because even if I allow myself a slice of birthday cake, I can't do it every week/month) and it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what works for my body.

Your body is going to be different. Yeah, it sucks that the PCOS makes the equation harder. But all I can tell you is that you have to figure out what works for YOU.

What is working for me is calorie counting, which doesn't just mean hitting a target number of calories each day, but having the right balance of macronutrients as well. I aim for 1,400 - 1,600 calories with a 25 carb/35 protein/40 fat percentage breakdown. The carb number is the most tricky. Too many days below 20% and I stall; too many days over 25% and I gain.

I also follow the basic principles of the Insulin Resistance Diet - no more than 30 grams of carbs within a two-hour time period, and always linking carbs with protein.

And I have to exercise - a balance of cardio and strength training. Without exercise, it doesn't matter how perfect my food numbers are, I will not lose.

Hi Pink Hoodie
I tried Atkins and wanted to eat my arm off really felt mental. ALso tried South Beach and could not stay on it. I have PCOS and have tired everything out there. I was put on meds 2 months ago and lost 1 I repeat one pound that I lost and gained back every week. I finally started Weight Watchers I am in week 3. I feel good.

I work very hard at it look at the sugar and carbs in everything and track everything on line. I like it though. Dont give up try to find what works for you! Best of luck Julie

Yeah the reduced carbs/sugars type of eating is pretty engrained in me now. Like I eat good most of the time, but I think because I want to be SO strict instead of telling myself you can have it, but in moderation, and as long as it's within my calories might work better for me. I think the all or nothing attitude gets me to the point where I get sick of trying so hard.
I think I will just try calorie counting...thank you for all the input!!!

I understand. When I first started this whole thing, I was pretty upset that I had to eliminate all kinds of food from my diet and I felt it was pretty unfair that other people didn't have to deal with PCOS.

What I eventually (and it took a while) learned was that this wasn't a diet... I wasn't doing this just to lose 30 or 40 lbs or whatever, but rather, this was something I was doing because I wanted to change my lifestyle.

I have to learn to accept that my new lifestyle means that I have to always watch out for my carb intake, even if I'm down at 135 lbs or whatever.

It sounds depressing, but realizing that it was a complete life change made me realize that there is a bigger picture here (healthy despite PCOS) and it wasn't that I was depriving myself, it was that I was making healthier choices every day.

I love losing tons of weight really fast but I know that I am doing this forever, not for a short period of time.

So, find what works for you, forever. Not just for the next 30 lbs.

eventhough i havent had any real weight loss just yet since i am just starting, i find that one of the hardest things to deal with is knowing that this is forever. I will have PCOS forever and I will have to find a way of eating that will be ok with my body for forever. its hard but i'm dedicated to doing my best. I view this as a battle for my life and the quality of it. so much encouragement to all my felllow PCOS sisters and good luck in everything you do.

I lost all my weight using calorie counting. I tried other "diets" but the weight either didn't come off or didn't stay off. I had plenty of treats throughout the time it took me (and I still do to this day). For me, "low carb" was a myth. It's how much you eat of anything but the quality of what you eat.

I have PCOS, and I have lost weight calorie counting. I put some of it back on again when I went back to my old eating habits, though. I put it back on pretty fast about 15lbs in four months.

I have recently gone back to calorie counting, and I am feeling better. I do not really watch my carbs, but if I thought it was slowing down my weight loss, I would begin to limit them. I do watch my sugar intake. I look for items that are reduced, low, or no sugar. I do eat a LOT of veggies. I love broccoli.

I do not really want to eat low carb unless I have to. In my opinion, the body needs a good amount of carbs to use for energy and function. That is just my own thoughts. I would reduce them if I needed to.

I know for me I feel better eating lower carb. But so does my sister (she doesnt' have PCOS), so I am sure its genetic. But saying I can NEVER have a french fry again, yeah that's not going to work for me. I am going to try calorie counting for awhile. I know it helps me stay on track especially when I plan my whole day out.
Thank you all ladies! You are AWESOME!

Great job, I suggest that you try Weight Watchers. This seems to be the only thing that has really worked for me (although I need to remember to make lifestyle changes and not slip back like I have). I am at the beginning of my new WL journey and hoping to make this a real lifestyle change. Good luck!

I have PCOS and I've been successful counting calories. My plan is that I aim for exactly 1400 calories a day. I count to the nearest 10. If I go over or under, I carry a positive or negative balance to the next day.

In general, I avoid "white carbs" such as potatoes, pasta, rice, and sugar. But I allow myself some sweet snacks. For whatever reason, very dry pure-carb foods such as crackers or rice cakes just make me hungrier (so the 100-calorie packs are pretty useless to me), but sometimes a serving of Whoppers (18 balls for 190 calories) or a fun size Snickers for 80 calories can really hit the spot. As long as the serving isn't too large (say, under 200 calories), my carb load for the rest of the day is fairly low, and I don't do it too often, I seem to be able to avoid triggering cravings.

I'm not saying "my way" is better than anyone else's, but you seemed to be asking if it was possible for someone with PCOS to do something like I'm doing, and I can truthfully and happily answer "yes".

Hi Pink Hoodie, whether or not you have to do a carb restricted diet is mainly up to your own level of insulin resistance. Lots of people can just calorie count, but many have to watch carbs. When I developed PCOS, I gained 10 pounds in one month while following WW to a tee!

If you needed good carbs before, you might be ok by now because you've lost a good amount - congrats on that by the way! For many people, their insulin resistance corrects itself with weight loss.

Jennifer - Part of my problem is I have never been told if I have IR or not. I am just assuming that I do.
Oboegal - Yeah, that's exactly what I would like to do. Eating veggies and whole grain carbs are easy for me most the time, but sometimes I just want something more ya know?
You all have helped me bunches! Thank you so much!!!!!