PCOS Diet suggestions

Hi everyone, I just joined calorie-count.com yesterday. And my first day of calorie counting was a success.

But today, I read an article online and now strongly suspect that I have PCOS (will confirm with my doctor next week).

Can someone here suggest some diet rountine especially fit for PCOS? I've heard low carb and high protein, but what foods in particular should I eat, what in particular should I avoid? I want to not only cut my calories but also cut the right kind of carbs and stuff to get my body back to healthy and normal.

much thanks.

twindaze is a pcos expert. you should check out her profile!

i've got it, but i haven't figured out what works for me yet... best luck!

thanks hg! I will check her profile. best of luck to you too!

no prob -- stay in touch and let me know how things go!

i'm weaning myself off sugars and white flours. we will see how that goes.

I just found this site, I am not sure if it might be helpful, as I am still browsing it: http://www.soulcysters.com/weight_loss.html

I also have PCOS. I had problems with ruptured ovarian cysts growing up. Finally 2 years ago, after not having my period for 9 months, I gave up, and went in to see the doctor. My doctor put me on metformin (glucophage) about a year and a half ago, and they said it would likely help with weight loss, but I was so ill from it that I decided I would rather be overweight. After two months I stopped taking it. The side effects just weren't worth it to me. I have known people this medication has worked for, so it may be worth discussing it with your doctor.

I have recently been successfully losing weight, however I still eat more carbs than I probably should. I think the goal is to eat less carbs.

Good luck, and if you find any good sites or answers regarding this, please pass it along :)

I just looked at that site some more, and it does seem quite helpful. Your doctor should also be pretty helpful. Mine did blood tests to discover that was my problem, and then they gave me medication to force my period to start, then put me on bc pills, and also that diabetes medication. What's sad is my doctor told me I probably could not lose weight! So I really just didn't try. Now that I have tried, I've already lost 25 lbs, so it's worth the effort! I read it can also improve your fertility.

If you ever wanna chat, message me - I don't know many people with it.

I take metformin for both pcos and diabetes. If you take it with a small snack it lessens the nausea side effect. Also, if you take it for a while, your body gets used to it. Maybe start lower doses and work your way up, like split the pill in half for the first few days. I also know of a "controlled release" metformin, Glucophage cr. I don't take it, but I imagine that it would help lessen the side effects to be released slowly throughout the day...

Those with PCOS are often directed toward a Low GI diet, which by the way is full of carbs, but the good ones (did you know pasta is a low GI carb? That makes me so happy!). I just purchased the book The New Glucose Revolution; Low GI Guide to Losing Weight. By J. Brand-Miller, MD,  K. Foster-Powell, S. Colagiuri, MD. and J Burani. For $6.95 its a quick read and full of exciting inforamtion which only makes sense. The book clearly defines the GI theory and how it while it is the result of research for diabetics, its appropriate for all. The most wonderful and useful tool it the Index Classification. Those foods you think are a no no, are  allowed. Suprisingly some that are thought to be good choices, while they are not disallowed, are not the best choices, ie brown rice.

As a pasta lover I am so dang excited to see what the next month brings.

Thank you for posting about that book. I did more research last night, and it would be nice to have a book guide me in the right direction. I am going to try and find it this week. :)

dear whispa,

i am 28 and was diagnosed with PCOS when i was 22 ( i had the flu and the doctor thought i had surgery from all my stretch mark but i had never had any surgerys)   blood test confirmed it.   there are alot of myths about pcos but for some reason.. metformin(glucophage) helps to stop and prevent cysts.  different people use differeent amounts.  if you are pcos you have had it since puberty and it went undiagnosed.  the metformin will help you loss weight   but you have to remember to still eat ( it make you not hungry)  you will notice a change in how you feel with in a few days.   MY ONLY WARNING... you are twice as likely to get Preganant while you  are on metformin... (actually it was the only way i could get pregnant )  it makes you really fertile....lol

i went to wikipedia today and found a wealth of information....

i'm starting to eat low glycemic index foods because i haven't lost weight since february with a 500 cal deficit (on average). i lost a lot of weight on south beach (65 lbs), and i think the reason was because of how log gi it was, so now i am going to revert back to those eating habits. i guess if it's the only way for me to lose weight, that's just what i'll have to do!

we'll see how this goes!

breakfast was an apple with laughing cow light and lean ham.
snack: cottage cheese
lunch: salmon with roasted veggies, yogurt
snack: string cheese, sugar free jello
dinner: (not sure) probably chicken and veggies, maybe some brown rice or pasta.

I am 34 years old and was diagnosed with PCOS when i was 24. I have 2 teenage children but have been trying for 9 years for a third.

Problem is ovulation (or should i say lack of it). I also have chronic IBS and an auto immune disease which affects my liver function so medication can be tricky.

My biggest problem with PCOS however (and this takes some guts to actually confess to) is body hair, more specifically facial/chin hair.

Its such an embarrassing problem and i live in shame with it. As if being infertile isnt bad enough as a woman, i have to have this problem which is 100 times more degrading.

Ive tried many remedies but nothing seems to help much and i can only pray that most of you dont have this cursed effect of PCOS.

aww, ((((smurf)))))

i wish you the best of luck. i don't have excessive hair growth, but my mom has pcos and she actually has to shave sometimes.... it's so sad! i'm afraid it will happen to me....

this is a silly question, but an honest one: can you wax your facial hair?

hi hgielrehtaeh,

U can use facial wax strips to wax the hair but if ur skin is sensitive (and yes, you guessed it, mine is), u get a lot of redness, therefore making it much more noticeable to others.

Shaving can also cause unsightly ' shaving rash'.

I have spent a lot of money buying my own electro machine (to save the embarrassment of going to have it done) and it hasnt helped much.

i now stick to shaving (very slowly and carefully) and i pray that no one (including my children) touch me on or around the chin area as i fear it is noticable to touch.

oh and ty for the hug (((((((hgielrehtael))))))) most appreciated. :o)

sometimes you just can't win, can you? what a bummer. well, i'm glad that you have a good family support system. i'm finding that the support of those around me is what keeps me going. i think most people with this syndrome are self-conscious. how can we not be? excessive hair growth, weight gain, infertility...

i was so afraid to tell my boyfriend, and was so relieved to hear him say, "well, if we can't have a child, we'll just have to adopt. there are plenty of children out there that need families."

i have a big huge lower abdomen i feel self concious about. it's like i have a flap! ewww! or half a spare tire!

best of luck, and ((((smurf))))

Nice to hear you also have the support of a loving man hgiel.

that can make all the difference with any condition as loneliness is the worst of all conditions in life. 

I hope you dont mind but ive just added you as my first friend :o)

Ive only been a mamber for a short time and only very recently started to wander around the forum. I actually feel at home here, now theres something new. lol

oops and im a ' member' too. lol

hehehe, i added you back... glad you're feeling at home.

i love this site!

smurf

it you have not tried metformin/glucophage it is what i went on to get pregnant with  my kids.. i was told i would not be able to have any because i never ovulated just made cysts.    most women are pregnant with in 6 months of going on metformin... also there is a chance of doubles with it...lol goood luck...  by the way i use a bikin shaver for my facial hair but the metformin slows down the growth of hair so you might get two bonus less/slow growing hair and a baby on the way... please talk to your doctor or ob

oh and msurf if your doctor say it will raise your blood sugar it does it they cant explain why but it has little to no effect on sugar levels .... it just allows your body to better use the insulin your body already produces... but you might have to go to the bathroom alot...lol

i have just found this web site and already their is more support here than any slimming club. I have PCOS and was trying for a baby for 5 years. I successfully lost 35 pound by eating a high protein diet and avoiding rice, bread and pasta. Happily i had a baby in 2002 taking clomid. Since her birth all my bad eating habits have returned. I read that pcos suffers tend to crave bread and high carb foods. I have to wean myself off bread and try hard not to eat it. I alos suffer from unsightly facial hair but i tend to wax. I was offered free laser treatment on the NHS but sadly it did not work due to being very fair and the laser needs dark pigmentation to work. Great eh. I have lost 11 pound in 3 weeks and i have never calorie counted before and for the first time i am drinking lots of water. If i can do it you can good luck.