Hi guys,

I was diagnosed only about two months ago and have been on met. for that time and havent lost any weight just doing low cal and exercise. and i just find it sooooooooo hard to stick to anything whether or not i like the food. on low cal i eat what i want as long as its low cal. and i know it goes the same for low carb, i just cant seem to make myself do it . HOWEVER, i want to know if anyone knows exactly what triggers wt. loss with low carb and exerc. compared to low cal and exerc. i am realizing i just must do it now and i guess maybe i wouldnt be so against it but i dont even have the tools, (book) to even start it so i guess i will have to take the leap forward. !!!!
Thanks guys, Tara

I think the connection is insulin and insulin resistance.

This is how I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong anyone )For those of us with PCOS, the high insulin levels are one factor that cause our ovaries to malfunction and produce higher amounts of androgens and estrogens, and less progesterone. Thus the acne, unwanted hair, skin blotches, and even hair loss. The high estrogen levels also put us at higher risk for certain cancers, such as ovarian and uterine.

Insulin is also the "fat-storing hormone", and especially contributes to storing fat around our internal organs (the "apple" shape) as well as fat everywhere else. It is practically impossible, short of starvation, to lose weight when your insulin levels are high, and eating lots of carbs are one way to keep your insulin levels up there even when you are low-cal. Low carb, on the other hand, lowers and regulates our insulin levels. We lose weight, become less insulin-resistant, and PCOS symptoms improve.

There is a lot of information on low-carb and weight loss and how it works in the main forums, but you will really need to pick a plan and read the book for that plan to be sure you are getting it right. You might want to see what the other women are doing in this forum to help you choose; I myself like high-fat Atkins and have had excellent results with both weight-loss and PCOS, but people have had good success with other plans too.

best of luck!

That's my understanding of the low carb-weight loss connection, especially for those of us with insulin-resistance.

Other than just low carb, a key is to stabilize your insulin, so that it doesn't swing alot during the day. This can help with the symptoms as well as with food cravings, and that awful "food coma" sluggishness that insulin-resistants tend to get after eating a carb-heavy meal.

For me, South Beach diet works better than atkins - on atkins my blood sugar woudl get TOO low. Also, the high fat was a problem for my blood chemistry. My endocrinologist put me on South Beach, and I can tell a huge difference not only in weight loss but in my PCOS symptoms when I'm following it.

thanks guys i really do appreciate your advice and actually on the day i posted i started doing low carb and i am already in the moderate level on those ketosis stick things. ha sorry i dont know what they are called and i have lost about 3 lbs. so hopefully i can see the results and push myself forward BUT thats unlikely because today i came home from 9 hours of school and ate a piece of FRIED chicken. oops but yummy!!!!!!!! thanks again.

Research and undertake a good quality detox/purification program. This will usually get insulin resistance under control and will allow weight loss.