Hello...I am very new to this....I have not yet fiqured out which plan is the right one for me...I just know that I must go low carb. I was dx with pcos a yr ago and am 'slightly' insulin resistant. My dr. at the time told me that low carb was *not* what I should be doing (!?!)...I had heard good things for pcos women and low carbing and had asked if I should do LC...but I listened to her (the dr.).. I have been exercising for 12 weeks now (this time!) and have not lost a thing. I was back at the dr. office and the dr. asked have you cut back on carbs???!!!???! I could have slugged the dr. LOL

I have cut back on lots of "bad" for me things in the past couple of years....but that hasn't helped either. *sigh* Now, 12 weeks ago I gave up cola, and juices and iced tea. (Ok, I have had a few...but really only a few, 3-5 in the last 12 weeks.) I drink water and lots of it. I used to drink pop everyday, so I would say this is progress...but still no weight loss.

I am trying to get pg, but have no cycles due to the pcos. How frustrating is that! I have been trying for 2.5yrs and am desperate to lose the extra lbs in the hope that it will help restore cycles or at least I will be more receptive to the fertility drugs. *sigh*

Sorry I am way off topic here....I have read a bit from atkins, cad, and that french guy...lol initials MM....I can't remember his name...Is he low carb geez I can't remember who is who anymore. You see my problem. I found atkins to be too extreme for me...I need SIMPLE. I am a lousy cook and hate spending time in the kitchen...so the quicker and easier the better. If anyone has any thoughts on the different approaches that might be helpful...it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

I mentioned that I wasn't sure what plan to go with...and I had read a bit on Atkins, CAD, and another one...and that Atkins was too extreme...well...yes, and no...only from what I have read so far...and that when I read the book (ok parts lol) it seemed more confusing to me then the other books/plans I had read. Just wanted to clarify so yah didn't think I was against going with it as a plan...I just really need SIMPLE!

Oh I don't know, to me Atkin's is pretty simple, but extreme. First 2 weeks 20 carbs a day. Pretty straight forward. After that, if you wish to increase your carbs you do it 5 carbs a day for each week.

In other words.....20 carbs for 2 weeks, then 25 carbs for a week, then 30 carbs for a week until you find that magic carb number that makes you gain. Back that off to the previous weeks number and go to goal weight. And he states in the book you can stay at 20 carbs a day if that suits you. I have been on Atkin's for 7 weeks and still at the induction level and lost 25 pounds so far. Then again not eating bread, sugar, pasta, rice and stuff isn't phasing me so 20 carbs is pretty easy.

Good luck in finding one that suits you and welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard LittleBabyGiraffe!

Don't know much about the issues you mention (I'm a guy) but wanted to welcome you.

Wa'il

I don't find Atkins to be extreme or complicated at all. The first time I heard about it I thought there was no way on earth I could do it. But I did it, and it was easy! If you can give up pop you're way ahead of me, I still drink about 2 L of diet cola a day!

Here's a link to a site called "Atkins in a Nutshell"
http://lowcarb.bizland.com/Indu.html

Just start with induction, try it for 2 weeks and see how it goes. Read the induction section in the book again, it has a list of what you can eat and it's really not very complicated once you get accustomed to it. CAD seems more complicated to me.

I agree, Atkins is pretty straight forward ... and gives menu plans and food lists for the different stages. Perhaps it's the medical and technical descriptions, and all the insulin and ketosis discussion that's a bit confusing. Check out our Tips webpage (click on the red menu bar at the top of the page) and especially read the articles Lowcarb Basics and Frequently Asked Questions. They might clarify things a bit, and answer some of your questions. Plus there's links to the official websites of some of the major lowcarb programs, so you can look them up for more information.

I'm sorry about the PCOS, but I have heard many women report good results with lowcarbing, and cycles returning to normal, and healthy, happy pregnancies. Just curious if your doctor has discussed taking glucophage (Metformin) for the insulin resistance???

All the best to you, and keep us posted ..

Doreen

Thanks for the info...I just am so scatterbrained these days that EVERYTHING is hard ..so even 'simple' is overwhelming.

I have tried metformin...with no results...but I think my dr. took me off it too soon. I am hoping she will let me try it again for a bit longer if our next round of clomid fails. (It is pretty tough to find Dr.s here that are even willing to perscribe Met for pcos. Heck or even a Dr. who is knowledgeable on pcos...but that is a different nightmare...)

Thanks to all for the hello and info.

hi lb! i also think atkins is really simple. you can buy ready made salads for lunch and dinner if you don't like cooking. just add some protien source, say deli bbq chicken and you've got a meal. put a nice dressing on your salad. no more lowfat, ultra lowfat dressings! aren't they pathetic really! make a dozen boiled eggs at once and keep in fridge to snack on. make egg salad. it only takes a couple of minutes. fry up some hamburger patties, just don't have a bun. i put all the regular fixings on mine and i really don't miss the bun at all!
oh! i forgot to say welcome! so....WELCOME!!