Low carb seems to be the only way for me but it's making me really down

[ditavonteesed]

I know that sounds pathetic.
I have tried to lose weight for years with no success, last year I did a bootcamp and got on really well except I had major problems with constipation that were so unpleasant that I stopped after bootcamp. I tried to introduce carbs really gradually but after a year I am back to where I started. I have been counting calories since January and eating only 1500 calories a day whilst working out between 3 and 5 times a week. In that time I have succeeded in putting on 4lbs.
I have been doing low carb for a week and have managed to lose 4.4lbs which is amazing, that is sticking with 20g of carb a day, strict bootcamp. I have not been hungry. When I eat carbs I am so hungry all the time, even after I have just eaten, I am also tired all the time. However I find the thought of having to stick with this woe for the rest of my life so overwhelming. I am in Uni and eat with my class mates who are always sniping about what I eat, the amount of times I have been told just eat less and move more gives me the rage since I eat a lot less and move a lot more than most of the others.
I do have PCOS.
I am considering going to the GP and asking to try metformin. I am so paranoid about diabetes having PCOS and having been overweight for most of my adult life.
So anyway, how do you come to term with this being your woe for life? The thought of never being able to eat cake or sushi again is making me miserable. And how do you eat with others without them feeling the need to pick apart everything you eat, how do others deal with this?

[Brainrack]

There's lots of low carb cake recipes on this site
www.ruled.me/keto-recipes/dessert/
I've not tried any yet, as I find I don't get on with artificial sugars and I don't really crave sweet things, but I'd be interested to know what others think of them.
Good luck with it all.

PS also - lots of spinach (I've got frozen stuff I microwave with lots of butter) & water to help with the constipation!

[ClopySow]

I'm the same. I have pcos and although i'm only almost two weeks in, i can see the enormous difference this way of eating is having on my appetite, energy levels and weight. I know that going back to carbs will make me go back to tired, hungry and fatter. I'm just trying to accept that this is how it's going to be now.

I tried metformin and it didn't really help my weight at all.

[WanHeda]

Try a berberine supplement, it has worked as well as metformin in studies.

[BIWI]

It's tough, sometimes. When other people are tucking into sandwiches, cakes, crisps, chocolates, etc.

But ultimately I've come to terms with the fact that if I want things like that, I can have them - but I have to accept the 'cost' of eating them. Not only the likely weight gain, but also the fact that a high carb diet is an unhealthy one in the longer term.

Once I'd done a little bit of reading about the science behind low carbing, that really helped to cement my determination to continue.

And for you - you've proved that it works for you, not just in terms of weight loss. It's also supposed to be a really good way of eating for PCOS sufferers.

I'm sorry to hear that you suffered from constipation on Bootcamp. Things that usually help:

• make sure your fat levels are kept high
  
• make sure that you're getting your carbs mainly from veg and salad
  
• drink plenty of water
  
• try increasing your exercise
  

Some say that a high strength vitamin C tablet can help, along with a strong cup of coffee.

And if all else fails, try some artificially sweetened chocolate - something with polyols in them. Just be careful you don't eat too much! (Boots have a range of sugar-free/diabetic chocolate and sweets; Thorntons sometimes do, although I think they're discontinuing this)

[stilllovingmysleep]

BIWI in the long term (once you reached the weight you wanted) how often do you allow yourself to have some carbs (on average) so that it's manageable? I do accept, like you, that this is a long term thing sadly for a lot of us but I wonder how you manage exceptions?