Low Carbing It

[SingerK]

MM all,
I have Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome...which means that my body produces too much insulin and testosterone, preventing my eggs from ovulating. Side effects to this is huge weight gain (or you can be like me...and have it your entire life, so I've never been at a normal weight) facial hair, male-pattern baldness...and a whole bunch of other goodies. Anyhow, enough about that.

Recent studies have shown that eating a low-carb, high protien diet works wonders for weightloss for women with PCOS. While I'm not nessecarily a vegetarian, I don't care for meat...I'll have it once a week or so, but that's about it. In short, I don't get enough protien in for a regular diet, let alone a high protien diet. Any suggestions no non meaty tasting things that have a high protien content? If ya do, I'd love ya forever :)

Brightest Blessings,
SingerK

[Silver Venus]

Hiya Singer :D Merry Meet!
Lots of things that probally dont seem they are ;)
All the beans are great for currys and Tofu is a great and tasty veggie option, you cook it like meat and you can use it in next to any meal ~ pasta, stir fry, curry..
Also all fish are brilliant for protein and essntial oils and minerals (if you like it) I love fish and couldnt have a high protein diet without it ~ salmon & tuna steaks are great cooked with veggies on the side.
I never used to eat meat that much too but I have started recently and have been really enjoying it! I love chicken in stir fry's, bacon and eggs ~ a great breakfats just leave out the bread and youll be fine..
:sunny:

[Demeter]

Singer, I've been low-carbing for several years myself due to hyperinsulinemia.

You may be able to eat tofu and other soy protein products, but I don't know what the effect of the phytoestrogens associated with soy would be on PCOS. I'd suggest you check with your doctor. Beans have good protein, but are also high carb, so eat them sparingly. Eggs are good choices, and there's also cheese, yogurt, and associated dairy. I eat a lot of quiche -- there are literally hundreds of different kinds of quiche. Can you eat fish, seafood, or poultry? They don't taste "meaty" (I assume you're objecting to red meats).

Here are links to two low-carb diet bulletin boards. The first is to a site that specifically focuses on the Atkins diet: http://www.escribe.com/health/atkins/bb

The second is to a site that addresses all the various low-carb diet plans: http://www.atkinsfriends.com/frames/bb.html

The people on both boards are very helpful and knowledgeable, and there are associated recipe sources that will help prevent food boredom. I know I have seen PCOS mentioned on both boards, so I'm sure you will be able to find people who have been where you are now and are willing to help.

[Demeter]

Here are some more links on vegetarian low-carbing.

http://www.geocities.com/msweathe/veggie.html

http://www.immuneweb.org/lowcarb/

http://www.holdthetoast.com/

BTW, we have a fairly active pagan community on the atkinsfriends.com board. As a matter of fact, someone on that board pointed this site out to me. Come visit us in The Playground.

[Illuminatus]

Seriously.

Go to the meat section of the supermarket, and Perdue has these pre-cooked chicken strips in a variety of flavors... they are healthy, delicious and quick. They're great for high-protein, low-carb diets, and ideal for the Atkins dieter.

The same supermarket I go to also has a gigiantic food court, where you can get chicken breast meals cooked like 18 different ways, so when I get back from the gym that's the first place I go, because I need protein to build my big manly muscles!!!

[Adrenaline Junkie]

Low carb diets are great. You can still eat lots of yummy food too. My Aunt has had great success with low carb diets.

You also said that you gain weight from PCOS. I wonder if you've ever tried lifting weights? I bet you'd have great success. Many women, that try hard enough do. And a stronger women, in my opinion is so much better than a weak one. (But strength and looks aren't't everything - don't get me wrong.) Anyways, for things that contain protein I'd recommend : peanuts, peanut butter, milk, yogurt and protein shakes! Got to love them shakes!

[Myst]

Lifting weights makes you gain weight. Lifting weights + Cardio makes you lose it. :)

[Silver Venus]

Yeah, you should work out cardio then go straight onto weights keeping your heart rate up.. then after a while go and have another run or jump, squat to get your heart rate up again, then alternate with weights! its a really good trick to toning up and losing the bits you dont like fast! :D

[s1ren]

Greetings, Singer!

One of my best friends has PCOS. She's been on "The Zone" diet for nearly a year now, and MY GODS how she's changed...she's about the most healthy and in-shape person I've ever seen, and she feels great! Eating right (according to the Zone) has pretty much wiped out all the negative affects of her PCOS, too.

She's even got ME doing it now, just for the health benefits! It's not a crash diet like Atkins and all these other things out there, it's an entire way of eating. It takes a lot of dedication and willpower to get on it, but the benefits are enourmous, and have helped my friend out in so many ways!

The Zone: www.zoneperfect.com (buy the book!)
Soul Cysters, a PCOS discussion board: www.soulcysters.com

-s1ren

[Myst]

Yeah, that diet is insane. You definitely need lots of dedication.

I couldn't do it, simply because you're expected to basically dump out almost every food I do eat and eat every food I won't eat. :)

[s1ren]

LOL :)

It kinda depends on what you eat to begin with. I'm still learning about this "Zone"...it seems I eat pretty right to begin with, just not in a balanced way.

All I need to do is rearrange the proportions I eat; and stay away from Jack in the Box...I'm really gonna miss my sourdough jacks!! Gotta quit drinking so many sodas, too, but I was trying to do that anyway.

-s1ren

[Myst]

Very true.

Sufficed to say I'm a carb head.

I could exist on carbs. And Coke. That's my weight problem in a nut shell (well, mixed with a dash of birth control pills, but that's another thread).

[s1ren]

That's my weight problem in a nut shell

Took the words right out of my mouth. I'm down to only three cokes a day...a year ago it was 12-15 a day :eek: I think I'm doing very well, hehe. The rest of it is birth control with me, too, but I'm getting off that (*&%@^@!$^ shot this weekend, so hopefully that will help...in a couple of months. :/

-s1ren

[Demeter]

Originally posted by s1ren
She's even got ME doing it now, just for the health benefits! It's not a crash diet like Atkins and all these other things out there, it's an entire way of eating.

FYI, Atkins is not a crash diet. Atkins is the guy that invented the phrase "Way of Eating" instead of "diet." I've been on Atkins for a long time now, and I'm on two Atkins bulletin boards and in constant contact with people who have been on the Atkins WOE for years. We're forever getting folks that think it's a crash diet and they can lose huge amounts of weight in a very short time, and they're disappointed when we tell them that the slower they lose, the better; that way it's more likely to stay off. The whole point behind Atkins is to learn how to eat in a manner which is compatible with your own metabolism. It doesn't work for everyone (mostly folks who only have to lose around 5-10 pounds in the first place), but it does work for a lot of people, especially those who have large amounts to lose. The Atkins plan was not intended to be a weight-loss plan in the first place; it was intended to reduce diabetics' reliance on insulin, and to lower cholesterol. The weight-loss part of it was accidental, though these days it is the most commonly desired aspect. I think the reason most people think it's a crash diet is because they only know about part of the plan, the two-week Induction phase, which is the most stringent. Once you get past that, though, there are the Ongoing Weight Loss phase (which lasts as long as it takes), Pre-Maintenance, and Maintenance phases (this lasts as long as you live).

Plans that say to eat cabbage soup for two weeks and stuff like that, THOSE are crash diets. Any any plan like that will take about five or ten pounds off. But part of it is water, and part of it is lean muscle (because usually those diets don't have enough protein) and usually a very small part of it is fat, and it comes right back when you get sick of cabbage soup.

[Myst]

Just so we're clear..

if there's two weeks that are sudden and very stringent people are going to use it as a crash diet, and do so.

Even if that wasn't the intention..

[s1ren]

All true :) I totally misspoke. Probably because I've been bouncing around forums all day, typing nonstop, hehe.

About 3/4 of the people that I've run into who talk about it think it IS a crash diet, and they're just so wrong, I agree. Most people I've talked to about it act like it's the plague, and think it's just SO horrible...either because they don't understand it and don't know what they're talking about; or because they treated it like a crash diet! They go through the induction phase, feel like crap, then go off, without changing anything they were doing before they did it, and of course weight comes back and all that, and so they think it's this big bad scary thing. I'm right there with ya :)

Just a case of me saying the wrong thing, I'm afraid. Sorry about that. Hehe, at least it gave us both a chance to talk about it...maybe we educated some people! :D

-s1ren

[StormCloud]

I low carb also, tho' I'm more of a Protein Power type of gal. I find most of the low carb plans are pretty similar once you dig into them.

We've had non-meat eaters on the low carb boards before - it's difficult but not impossible. You'll hear some controversy over the benefits/disadvantages of soy, but I would think that tofu mixed with eggs and lean protein like Demeter said might work for you.

If nothing else, some people just cut out potatoes, sugar, white flour and corn and enjoy the bene's of low carb. You could keep the rice, just a bit less of it maybe - have more stir fry veggies in olive oil.

Here are a couple of sites that I bookmarked for a friend on vegetarian low carb:

http://www.immuneweb.org/lowcarb/

http://www.geocities.com/msweathe/veggie.html

[Demeter]

Originally posted by Myst
Just so we're clear..

if there's two weeks that are sudden and very stringent people are going to use it as a crash diet, and do so.

Even if that wasn't the intention..

Understood. But because some people misuse a small portion of the plan is not enough reason to call the whole plan a "crash diet." To use an analogy appropriate to this forum, that's like saying because some people misuse magic, all magic is bad.

Using the Atkins plan as a crash diet is about as effective as any other crash diet. Short term, you get some results, but if you don't make long-term changes in your eating habits, you will just end up fatter than ever.

[Myst]

MMhm.

Now that we're all clarified...

[wolvie]

I also have PCOS (dreaded disease) and I lost thirty pounds in 4 months on Richard Simmons' food mover plan (richardsimmons.com). I have more weight to go, but I love the diet. It follows the diabetic association's meal plan, so it is fine for those of us with sugar problems...

just FYI.

[Hedwig]

Wow. I too have been diagnosed with PCOS, although the manifestations I experience are not as extreme as some other people I have talked too. I was prescribed a testosterone blocker that keeps the testosterone from getting into my skin which prevents the growth of facial hair and helps regulate the insulin. To lose the weight, I am using Weight Watchers Winning points (because I am ALLOWED to have anything if I am really craving it). I just try to eat alot of chicken, olives and dairy. I eat 3 points worth of cottage cheese a day! Anyway the pounds are just dropping off. I don't suggest lifting weights because they will keep you from gaining--at least that's my experience. I lose MUCH slower while weight training. And I know (as others don't seem to) that exercise isn't enough to make your body burn it either because it doesn't regulate your blood sugar through the whole day, even though it might make us feel better.

Last night on the ABC nightly news, there was a piece about how we have taken the low fat diet too far and that Americans shoving down the carbs are actually CAUSING more cases of diabetes because after so many years of it, we actually run out of insulin. That might happen even sooner with someone who has PCOS so I think that low-carb is definitely the only way to go! They recommended fish (which I am allergic to), avacados (which I am also allergic to) and olive oil. The fats in those types of foods actually break down the bad fats while they are still in your bloodstream and/or liver. I have a diabetic friend that drinks a tablespoon of olive oil evey morning and every night because of the "good" fat, because it coats her stomach which makes her different medications easier to take, and because it's high in vitamin K which helps your liver. It's something to think about. ;)

Okay, I feel like I'm rambling.

[Myst]

Originally posted by Hedwig
I lose MUCH slower while weight training. And I know (as others don't seem to) that exercise isn't enough to make your body burn it either because it doesn't regulate your blood sugar through the whole day, even though it might make us feel better.


To clarify, you don't lose weight as fast when you weight train because weight training makes you gain muscle. Muscle is heavier then fat, and therefore any weight in fat you lose is counterbalanced by the weight in muscle you gain.

For most people, lifting weights isn't enough to make you lose weight because, as I said, what weight you lose in fat is gained back in muscle. More muscle will in the long run burn more fat, as each flex of an arm takes more energy. However, this is a slow process, and muscle under a layer of fat just looks like fat, and therefore it's important to do cardio to melt the fat off.

[Hedwig]

Originally posted by Myst


To clarify, you don't lose weight as fast when you weight train because weight training makes you gain muscle. Muscle is heavier then fat, and therefore any weight in fat you lose is counterbalanced by the weight in muscle you gain.

For most people, lifting weights isn't enough to make you lose weight because, as I said, what weight you lose in fat is gained back in muscle. More muscle will in the long run burn more fat, as each flex of an arm takes more energy. However, this is a slow process, and muscle under a layer of fat just looks like fat, and therefore it's important to do cardio to melt the fat off.

I think you, or someone else, already said something along those lines, which is what made me write this in the first place. What I was trying to say (although apparently not effectively) is that for someone with PCOS, the problem is compounded. No amount of dieting, exercising, or weight training in the world will keep the weight off without hormone regulation, so I thought the suggestion was not helpful. I personally am offended when people tell me "oh, you just need to exercise and diet" when the problem, for someone with PCOS is much more complicated. But I was trying to be polite about it.

[Hedwig]

In fact, I think I will go back to just reading and not posting since nearly every time I post here, someone has to "clarify." :( It's entirely discouraging.

[wolvie]

It's amazing how many PCOS sufferers I meet--- for a disease that hits 6% of the population. I think they will change that number soon.

I have started lifiting weights, but I am near my target weight and am hoping that the increased muscle will help my metabolism in the long run. It was something I did before I was diagnosed, so I am really getting back into it.

I love carbs--- I really really do. I could eat a pound of pasta in one sitting (don't go to Kahunaville--- that is a typical pasta serving size for them) and I love to bake. I just pulled a loaf of french bread out of the oven (got a steam baker for Yule) and am dying to eat it.

All of it.

Luckily, Richard Simmons (which is very very similar to WW points) will allow me to eat it in moderation. That was what I really needed to learn.

I think I saw that show on ABC--- I have been drawn to weight programs since my loss (and the realization that I was obese when I started). I remember when the pyramid came out my reaction was 'the government is killing us'.

That diet is a good way to promote type II diabeties... which children as young as 9 are now getting.

What's wrong with putting veggies on the bottom?

I just got a subscription to the magazine 'diabetic cooking'--- it runs in both sides of my family, and I have PCOS, so DH and I are just getting used to the idea that it is inevitable for me. I hope to modify my diet now so that if/when it does hit, I won't be hit too hard. Richard Simmons is helping me with that, though. I love that any food you want to eat is ok--- as long as you can fit it in. I don't feeling like I am on a diet when I can eat a buttered croissant for breakfast and still eat the rest of the day like a human, not a rabbit.

But I actually did the calculations--- RS and WW Points are the same for fats, protein, fruit, dairy and starch. They are different in vegetables alone--- RS allows more as 'free' than WW does and 1 WW vegetable is equal to 3/4 of a RS vegetable. (I have a WW cook book and wanted to use it...) RS has an 'extra' window which is 30 calories--- similar to the C points, but not quite.

But now you can go to the RS web page and use those recipies on WW!

(and a great hint I have learned is that mac and cheese is great if you replace half the pasta with cauliflower... the flavor doesn't change and the texture is fine. And you get in those pesky veggie servings!)

[tube527]

There are a lot of different things you can eat.....I myself am a vegitarian and was always looking for ways to make sure I had enough protein in my diet.....the first thing I started on was a protein drink for women. I got it at a GNC store....it's a soy protein drink. There are also different protein bars you can eat that show the amount of protein you are taking in.....a little known fact however-if you consume more than 40g of protein in a meal it will go "straight through you" if you know what I mean!!!!! Best of luck to you!
Tube

[Dryad's Wyrd]

You should be careful of really high protein diets. They aren't meant for long term. Too much protein causes your body to convert to a slightly acidic state (when it should be slightly alkiline) and to neutralize the acid you body leaches calcium from your bones. So you see, over long term use, you may deplete your bones to the point of the nasty O!

[Mithrea]

*BUMP*

The links in this thread were very helpful to me, even if some of the info might have been a bit odd :)