Those with PCOS ? about dieting

  • What kind of diet are you doing? And are you having better luck with it now that you have been diagnosed having PCOS? Some of my labs came back and they said I was PCOS. I start my meds of metformin and bc pills. I go back next week to discuss dieting . I am just curious what they may suggest I do.
  • Usually a low carb diet is what doc's go with. When I was first dx back in 2001, I lost 25lbs in 12 weeks by low carbing and taking metformin.

    I am not the best dieter in the world, and had real trouble sticking with a low carb diet, and in the long run, gained the 25lbs back, plus another 30ish.
  • My endocrinologist recommended atkins but I am leaning more towards South Beach.

    I have had a problem sticking with the lower carb approach to eating. Right now I am just working on keeping at 200 grams or lower per day. I was averaging about 275 so this is a big difference.

    My dr is convinced that I won't lose a lot of weight until I am at 100 grams or less of carbs per day. So, Im working on it but not doing the induction phases of any of the diets. Probably bad but last time I tried that I had problems.

    HTH
  • Im PCOS and low carb is the only thing that has really worked for me.
  • When I was first diagnosed, it was the last time I was going to see this physician, as I was moving away to go to graduate school. She basically shoved some metformin and actos at me and said "eat no more than 100 g of carbs per day." Feeling a bit overwhelmed, but wanting to lose weight and get healthier (my cholesterol and bp were through the roof, too) I tried eating fewer carbs. It seemed to help, but of course I fell off that wagon.

    I'm now on the South Beach diet, and it *really* seems to help with the hungries/cravings I used to have, which makes me think it's helping with blood sugars too. My mom, who is IR but not PCOS, had tremendous success when her doctor put her on the atkins diet, but told her to limit fat as much as possible. (i.e., no bacon and eggs except rarely, lean meats, leafy vegetables, etc.)

    Honestly the only diet that's ever worked for me (as in, it helped me lose weight AND I could stay on it fairly easily) has been low carb. Good luck!
  • I'm on phentermine which is an appetite suppresant and using that in combination with a lowER carb/highER protein approach (and less sugar) has helped me lose 21 pounds in 5 weeks. As long as you eat a protein with a carb or a protein with a fruit, it seems to be ok. I'm not an expert at all of the diets out there, all I know is that I'm not craving sugar and carbs anymore and I feel like I have my life back now that I know I'm IR and have stayed on top of managing it.
  • I lost weight without met on Atkins and gained almost all of it back. I got really sick of meat. Being on met, with calorie counting and exercise I've lost quite a bit of weight. I eat carbs with no problem now. Met has worked wonders.