diet control only of PCOS??

[lauralynn]

I was just curious if anyone else out there has found that low carb eating alone has controlled their PCOS symptoms?? It seems most of the postings are about meds like metformin. I know the meds have greatly helped many people, which is awesome. But I have found that low carb eating alone has controlled my symptoms. And I just wondered if anyone else out there has had the same experience as me?


My case of PCOS is not as severe as many others...perhaps that is why diet only worked for me. I was a classic picture of PCOS but none of my symptoms were "extreme". For instance, I was overweight (165 lbs and I am 5" 4') but that is only mildly overweight. Anyhow...

This is one thing that keeps me long-term committed to low carb eating. I would hate to see all my symptoms come back.
LauraLynn

[Danyele]

hi,


I have PCOS as well but my symptoms are not as bad as many have. I have been low carbing since June 1 and lost about 10 lbs. However, that was the first month my cycle was normal!!! I was shocked. I was given Diane 35 but am holding off on it to see if my cycle is again regulated this month. I"ve noticed some of the mild acne i was starting to get go away just over the past few weeks so I am very happy. I am so glad you are finding you can control it with diet. I am doing everything i can to avoid taking meds. Thanks

Danyele

[clodagh]

hi there

I am part of a PCOS support group in Ireland and there are quite a few members who's symptoms have lessened after changing their diet. I know a few, who's cycles came back after 2 years just by changing their diet!!!!

I have been following it since march and have lost 13 lbs so far. I ams till taking Dianette so it'll be interesting to see what happens when I give up the pill...

Cheers
Clodagh

[Akiwican]

Although I was not diagnoised with PCOS I have most of the symptoms. Since starting this WOL I have managed to regulate my periods, clear my acne and I have lost 23 lbs. The hirsutism is still a problem but I am undergoing test now to see what the problem is.

:wave: Lesley

[lauralynn]

Thanks for all the great responses!! It's great to hear low carb has controlled many symptoms...... I too was shocked and thrilled when I started having normal menstrual periods after only a few weeks of low carbing. Danyele, keep up the low carb and you may just be able to avoid medication!

[Danyele]

hi,


Thank you Lauralynn. I sure hope so too. I want to avoid meds if possible although I am going for an IR test just to check.

Danyele

[amarise28]

hi all..i am also a member of soulcysters.com which is a GREAT resource for pcos support/info. i have very bad pcos and my endo told me that bar none low carbing is really the ONLY treatment of pcos..she gave me orthotryclycline and metformin as well as a cream for the chin whiskers buti have not taken them b/c of the risks associated with them. i have been to a number of specialists and ALL of them said that HIGH INSULIN or insulin resistance is what CAUSES pcos..it creates elevated testosterone levels due to the high insulin and then the ovaries produce cysts, etc. It is a VISCIOUS cycle and the only real cure is to remove carbs from the diet to get the insulin levels down ..etc. i have noticed my periods are a bit more regular..every 35-45 days nowand lasting 2 weeks.. compared to twice a year... going 6 months without ANYthing and then bleeding for 10 weeks straight :( ..not fun. so..i am really trying with all that is in me to treat this with diet since the bp pills have a high risk of stroke and have not been proven to increase or preserve fertility at all and the mertformin is associated w/ a deadly form of some sort of acidosis w/a 50% mortality rate..i havent tried the face cream for the hair but probably will since that is still the WORST....hope this helps. hello to all of you soulcysters out there :wave: -amarise

[Scarlet]

I'm the opposite of all of you - LOL. Before I was dx I gained 42lbs in a a year and a half while dieting. I had always been extremely thin (about 112-119lbs), so I didn't know what hit me. Since I got my met my weight has been stable so have stopped dieting. I have gotten very lazy about food, and am not consistent with my nutrition. However recently I have been exercising lots and starting to eat better and I am losing weight again. I really need to get my act together and decide on a proper plan though: I think I'll do Montignac.


Scarlet

[giberange]

i would love to know if all of you low carbers out there are avoiding fruits and veggies. i have been low carbing since july 2nd and have lost 7 lbs. but i still feel the dull ache on my right side due to the cysts there. therefore, i am not finding that diet alone is doing the trick for me. am i doing something wrong? my source of carbs are from fruits, veggies and low carb bars such as the zone and universal nutriton. sometimes i have a low carb piece of bread (4 gms of carbs per slice). i would any advice on meals suggestions for breakfast and lunch. i am kind of bored of cheese- cottage and hard (organic only) and eggs (organic only), chicken, turkey, protein powders, etc.

[lauralynn]

Hi Giberange! I do eat plenty of low-carb vegetables, (lettuce, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper...) However, I don't each much fruit because most fruit is high carb. The only exceptions is berries which are lower carb. I do eat strawberries sometimes.

Diet control (low carbing) has completely controlled my sypmptoms. But I know many others combine medication (like metformin) with low carbing. Also, although I did have all the classic PCOS symptoms (overweight, hirsutism, acne, irregular menstruation...) - none of my symptoms were "extreme". My symptoms were mild to moerate. So perhaps that is why low carbing alone has worked for me.

I have never had aches like you describe. Are you sure that is related to PCOS and not something else? I could be totally wrong, but I have never seen aches/pain listed as a PCOS symptom. You may want to make sure with your MD that something else isn't going on.....

Also - give yourself more time. You have only been lowcarbing for about one month right?? Thinking back, while I did lose weight pretty rapidly, it took a little longer (a couple months maybe) for some of my other symptoms to improve/resolve. It was awesome to start having regular menstruation after years of grossly irregular ones!

As for breakfast/lunch ideas. Here are a few:
tuna salad (I mix together tuna, mayo, cut up green pepper, tomato, little squares of cheese, and a few peanuts for crunch.)

a salad (lettuce, broccoli, caulifower, cheese, salad dressing, pieces of a meat - usually ham.)

A one piece bread sandwich. I buy "light wheat" bread at the grocery store- it has about 5 or 6 carbs a slice.
Then I pile on lunch meat, cheese, lettuce.

I love pork rinds and they are a great alternative to potato chips if you want something crunchy along with lunch.

As for breakfast - eggs! I usually eat boiled or omlets. omlets are great because you can pile in low carb vegies, cheese, meat, etc. But I only eat eggs 2 or maybe 3 times a week. I skip breakfast quite a bit because of my weird schedule, so I am not good for other breakfast suggestions...

I have never used the low-carb bars myself. However, I have read in quite a few posts that many feel that the low carb bars should be avoided because they can stall weight loss.

I am so wordy!!! Sorry about that!! Being brief isn't something I'm good at! haha! I wish you success with lowcarbing and controlling PCOS!! Hope my ramblings might have helped....

[giberange]

hi lauralynn,

thank you for your reply. the dull aches i am referring to are on my right side where my ovary is. basically, i have been told that b/c the cysts are preventing the eggs from growing/leaving my ovary, the ovary swells and thus creates a kind of dull ache on my right side. it makes sense to me as my right ovary has MANY follies, but my left only has a few. i have had this ache for the past 10 years and have had it checked out numerous times (ie. internal exam, u/s, etc) and my doc always said it was nothing. then another doc put 2 and 2 together. so, b/c i am not O (my body is trying to, but is not succeeding), the dull ache appears.

with respect to diet, thanks for some of your ideas. i am eating fruits as i cannot live w/o them. i hope they do not prevent me from feeling better down the road. i avoid carrots as far as veggie go, but other than that, i am eating all veggies. the bars have not prevented me from losing weight, but then again i am not trying to lose more than 7 lbs, so i am probably not a good person to judge that (plus they give me some sort of normalcy due to the chocolate and the crunch they provide me). they satisfy my sweet tooth so i do not feel i am missing anything.

i am like you, as my symptoms are not extreme. i also had the classic symptoms (hirsutism, acne, irregular menstruation), except for being overweight, i am on the thinner side- but i tend to gain weight much easier than most people, so i have to be VERY careful about what i eat. i also have hypothyroidism, so on top of it all, my thyroid is low. i would love to have regular menstruation- that would be amazing. how long after you were low carbing did your AF come on its own? i am also not on any drugs, but i am using many natural products (ie. soy lecithin, chinese bitters, coptis, vitamins and minerals, a fiber supplement, reflexology, acupuncture, etc). i am hoping that all of the above will help AF appear and help me O. i really do not want to go on clomid if i can avoid it.i guess you are right, i must have patience. i am on CD 35 today and still no AF. i went of my np cream (which has regulated me for the past 1.5 years) this past month, so i am trying to bring on AF naturally- w/o any hormone or drugs interactions. if you have any advice on this, i would appreciate it.

thanks.

[lauralynn]

hi giberange! I don't really remember exactly how long it took for my AF to start on its own.... I've been a low carber for 3 years now. But I know after following low carb a couple months my AF became regular and has been regular ever since. Yea!!!

It might be that your carb intake is too high. PCOS symptoms are related to high insulin levels. And carbs make your body release insulin. And you may need a more drastic cut in carbs to give your body a fresh start.

On Adkins and Protein Power there are diferent phases/stages. You start at 20 to 30 carbs (or even less) a day in the first phase. And in the following phases you gradually increase your carb intake to a level your body can handle. ANYHOW.....If you are eating lots of fruit and some higher carb veggies (for instance potatoes and corn are very high carb) and the bars (one reason the bars can stall weight loss is they have "hidden carbs") - this could put you at a pretty high carb level a day. Like maybe 50 to 75 carbs or more. While 50 to 75 is low carb compared to the "average person" out there....it is definetly not a drastic cut in carbs. One needs to go "cold turkey" and really low carb it in the intitial phase, So that the insulin levels have a drastic drop. I think this is especially important for the PCOS'er. In the following phases, you could start to add back fruits and such.

Wow - I was so wordy again. Sorry! These are just my personal thoughts. We are all different - our bodies and circumstances. What works in one case may not in another.... but its just an idea that maybe your carb level is too high. I have followed low carb in "maintenance" for the last couple years and eat about 75 carbs a day in maintenance. But I have recently cut back to a lower carb level to try and lose more weight. LauraLynn

[GinaDee]

I agree with the comments about the low carbing and how high fruit can shoot your carbs up.

One cup of unsweetened grapefruit juice is about half of all the carbs you should have in the entire day. One cup of cantaloupe is about half of all the carbs you should have in an entire day.

If the carb intake is too high, you will not have improvement in the sysmptoms. Even if you are not overweight, the person with PCOS has insulin resistance. The consumption of all that fruit will cause your body to spike and give you an insulin rush so that keeps your body offbalance.

I am doing protein power. I keep my carbs between 30 and 40 g a day. If you have not been counting the carbs, you might use www.fitday.com to track your intake and see how much you are actually taking in.

Gina

[giberange]

hi ladies,

that really sucks. i love my fruits and veggies and cannot think of what else my day would consist of if i did not eat them. what are you typical days like? what do you eat for breaky and lunch? i do not have the time to read any of the books right now as i am moving into a new house this week so any advice would be appreciated.

also, AF started to come yesterday, but then stopped. do any of you have any idea why this could be?

thanks.

[lauralynn]

hi! I guess you need to ask yourself, "How badly do I want to control my PCOS symptoms? What changes am I willing to make?"

Please don't be offended, but from what you have said about your eating in past posts, it does not even really sound like you were following a low carb plan. Yes avoiding breads and pasta is great, but many fruits and starchy vegetables have just as many (if not more!) carbs as breads and pasta. By the way, you don't have to avoid all veggies, just the starchy ones.
I eat lots of veggies, but only the non-starchy, low carb ones. See below for a list....

I know you are busy now, but I would recomend reading Atkins or Protein power book when you do have the time. Check out this forum for a comparison of the different low carb plans. there are other good plans too. I don't konw much about the Zone to be honest, but it does not seem like many PCOS'ers follow it.

On a positive note - Rememer, there are different phases to the low carbing. Yes, you do start out very low carb but you gradually start eating more carbs as you progress. So it is not like you have to be super restricted forever. Although low carbing is a lifestyle. not a diet.

As for eating ideas: Please see my other post to you as I mentioned quite a few lunch ideas.

Pretty much fruit is out, except for some berries. Strawberries and some of the other berries are pretty low carb.
As for vegetables- The following are all very or fairly low carb: lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, tomato, mushrooms, celery. You must avoid starchy high carb vegatables!! For instance, Corn, potatoes, carrots are all very high carb.

Do you have a food count book? It is really important to count your carbs. In early intervention you should be eating 30 carbs a day at the most.

Think positive. There is alot you can still eat. Some fresh sliced tomatoes with some cheese on top. A big salad with meat and dressing added to it. Raw broccoli or cauliflower or mushrooms dipped in vegetable dip. Steamed broccoli or cauliflower with some melted cheese mixed in. Celery sticks with peanut butter in them. YUMM!! Those are some things I eat in an average day. Along with meats and eggs...

Not to sound like a broken record, but when you have time, read one of the books. It is really important to have a proper understanding and a specific plan (phases) to follow. If you do it haphazardly it probably won't work. And it does not sound like it has worked real well for you thus far. Meanwhile, I hope some of the eating ideas I mentioned might help.

[giberange]

thanks for your reply lauralynn. i appreciate the feedback. firstly, i would just like to clarify that i do not eat the high carb veggies sich as corn and potatoes. i eat the lower carb ones such as lettuce, broccoli, peppers, radish, etc. istay away from tomatoes as they weaken they weaken the spleen and mine is slightly sluggish (i follow a lot from chinese medicine). yes, i like my fruit. i am guilty of that. i have been eating it according to the zone diet (balance of protein, carbs and fat at EVERY meal) so that it regulates insulin levels. i read the atkins diet years ago and gained weight from it when i tried it. i am a holistic nutritionist so many of the high protein diets do not sit well with me. i believe in balance. you are right in the sense that perhaps it it not working for me in the sense that af has not arrived yet, but i have only been following this WOL since july 2nd. i have already lost 7 lbs so that is working well for me. your food ideas are great, thank you.

in response to your question: I guess you need to ask yourself, "How badly do I want to control my PCOS symptoms? What changes am I willing to make?" i believe that i have made many changes since july. i also believe that moderation is key. i do not work well under extremely difficult situations (specially when i am super stressed with my move and all). i am doing the best that i can given the situation. i know you are only trying to help me and kick me into shape. i appreicate this. thank you. but at the same time, i only learned about all this stuff over the last 1.5 months so i every day is a learning experience. i will try the higher protein diets after my move is complete and i am less stressed. but for now, i will continue with the zone diet as i also believe in what it has to say. i will definitely look to you for some support and advice in a few weeks time when i am ready to tackle the high protein way.

andrea

[lauralynn]

Hi! I am just a "tell it like it is" type of person. Just my personality I guess. Sometimes I can be a little blunt... So thanks for not taking it personally.

I wish you the best with everthing after the dust settles for you. yea, it is definetly hard to follow any plan precisely when your life is chaotic.

I honestly know only a little about the Zone. maybe it will work for you if you give it more time. You definetly need to do what you think is best for you. Different people can respond completly differently to the same thing. Just "fyi" though , very few PCOS'ers seem to follow the Zone. I think perhaps because it allows to many carbs to drastically reduce the insulin level. PCOS'ers have more severe problems with insulin resistance/high insulin levels than the "average" person. We need a more drastic aproach (atleast in the intital phase) to bring our insulin levels under control. Once our levels are more controlled, we can gradually start increasing our carbs.

By the way, Adkins and Protein Power are not necasarily "high protien". It may be just a "word thing" but...
In Protein power, you do calculations to see how much protein you need to simply maintain your current muscle mass. It is an "adequate" protein diet to maintain your muscles. Without enough protein, we can loose muscle and even become emaciated looking. Strong muscles are fat burning machines. Protein power really emphasizes this...In the book they sordof go overboard to point out the difference between "high protein" vs "adequate protein".

You may find Adkins/protein power more balanced than you think. The first phase of each plan is strict, but after that it gets better.

I am so very wordy with everything. I just have a hard time being brief...
You'll probably be glad to know (haha) that I am going out of town and won't be posting for awhile.

But really, I am no expert.... do what you think is best for you. These are just my "two cents" worth. Check out the Zone section of this forum...they may have some tips for you.
LauraLynn