To think I don’t need to eat like a rabbit to be fertile?

[Limeandlemon]

Have been trying to conceive for one year. Dh results are normal, mine too. Progesterone levels aren’t at optimal level but I’m ovulating.
I’m four stone overweight, I have been told to lose weight.
I started doing slimming world, which I know will work with shedding the pounds but I’ve been told by a fertility coach that slimming world won’t help me prepare my
Body for pregnancy.
She recommends cutting out gluten and dairy, only have organic meats. No sugar, just water and herbal teas only.
To me that is very restrictive and not compatible with family life, as someone who works full time, very busy and prepares meals for the family.
With slimming world I am eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and still have a little treat within the limits and don’t feel so deprived. Surely weight loss will help balance the hormone levels?
Would really appreciate opinions or experiences to help me decide what route to go.
Such conflicting advice all over the internet and by medical professionals.

I doubt you need to practically go vegan, as long as your having plenty of vegetables especially greens.
Reduce sugar, up water, do some exercise, hold your legs in the air after DTD.
I

Not sure about the dairy/gluten but it’s often said weight is a factor in fertility. I’m sure someone once told me that losing 10% of your body weight gives your fertility a boost but I’ve also heard that about cutting carbs before. There’s exceptions to every rule, everyone knows some morbidly obese smoker who easily falls pregnant and a teetol gym goer who struggles. It seems there’s no pattern or correlation sometimes.

Who’s knows, if anyone knew the answer to unexplained infertility a lot of these fertility coaches/nutritionists would be out of a job!

Gaining an accreditation in "nutrition" is really easy, with some certificates taking just a few days with limited scientific backing.

If you're looking for proper advice backed by science I would recommend seeking out a dietitian instead. Becoming a registered dietitian takes much, much longer.

She thinks my excess weight is causing me to produce or store more oestrogen which is knocking my hormone levels off

If you have a quick google you will find that this could be the case. Fat cells also make oestrogen. As you gain weight, your fat cells grow and release more oestrogen. Too much natural oestrogen can cause your body to react as if you are taking hormonal birth control with oestrogen.

Getting your BMI under 30 might helpyou to conceive, and you will reduce the risk of obesity related complications during pregnancy.

Good luck.

Please get rid of this Fertility Coach. There is absolutely no need for her, and I highly doubt sge's offering up her advice for free. Use the money for some nice clothes to exercise in/slimming world classes.

Slimming world is a good balanced plan. Your thoughts on weight loss are correct. Everything in moderation is just fine. You don't need to cut out food groups to get pregnant. Just make sure you're taking a vitamin D and folic acid supplement, just in case you get lucky while you're losing the weight.

Good luck, and hope you get some happy news soon!

@Limeandlemon

She is a registered nutritionist and also a herbalist. She thinks my excess weight is causing me to produce or store more oestrogen which is knocking my hormone levels off. The dr has also told me to lose weight. I’m so bloody confused.

So yes to loosing weight, but her suggested method isn't necessary. If SW works for you, great.

Sorry I haven't read all the replies but I suffer from PCOS and had really irregular cycles. I went onto a low GI diet as adviced for a while and it completely regulated my periods to be almost dead on every month. I was shocked but it did work balance those hormones! I didn't lose loads of weight so I know it wasn't that.
Low GI would totally fit with the SW plan though - it's about what you eat with what as well as what you eat if you see what I mean. A lot of the SW suggestions about wholewheat etc. are similar anyway. I didn't find it any more restrictive ☺️ Good luck! Xxxx

Cutting out sugar can help with fertility if someone has PCOS which is caused by/exacerbated by insulin resistance. Worked for me. It was recommended by an endocrinologist, a professor, so I assume he knew what he was talking about.

@Limeandlemon

She is a registered nutritionist and also a herbalist. She thinks my excess weight is causing me to produce or store more oestrogen which is knocking my hormone levels off. The dr has also told me to lose weight. I’m so bloody confused.

There's no such thing as a registered nutritionist because nutritionists aren't professionals and have no registration body. Ditto herbalists.

Professionals are dieticians, not nutritionists.

Well
Keto cured my endo

Hth

Cutting down on carbs a lot definitely helped me but I have pcos so I think that’s why. Worth a try though?

Registered nutritionist and herbalist mean bugger all.

What are you going to do, OP?

I don't think the fertility coach's ideas are so impractical, it means thinking a bit about how you prepare a meal (you only would eat a subset of the foods the others had).

I also don't agree the advice amounts to eating like a rabbit. Rabbits don't eat organic meat for a start.

How much does a fertility coach charge, what kind of package of services do they offer?

Low carb diets are scientifically proven in many studies to support fertility. The most important thing is removing refined carbs e.g cakes etc as these are shown to impact egg quality.

an American study observed the diet of 120 women undergoing IVF. To highlight the impact of carbs and proteins on fertility, they were divided into two groups. The first group was put on a low carb diet while the other was given a diet rich in carbs. The result is incredible: 58% of the first group successfully became pregnant while only 11% of the women of the second group achieved pregnancy.

There are lots of similar studies. Yes, lots of people can eat what they want and do fine. If you are struggling with infertility and advancing years - every opportunity for increasing your chances should be taken.
I do a low carb and high protein diet but still have treats daily ( like half a sugar in decaf tea and tiny bit of chocolate) as it’s depressing to not have any treats

I struggled to fall pregnant and I decided to adopt a more vegan diet, upped my tuning and lost 1.5 stone, then boom pregnant 🤰

She’s a quack exploiting your vulnerability.
A well-balanced healthy diet that helps you to lose weight sensibly is what you need - SW fits the bill.

It's possible your coach has confused eating like a rabbit (pretty sure rabbits don't eat organic meat or tea) with f*ing like rabbits.

I'd advise the latter. Good luck

I do have an 11 year old child that I had when I was 19! I am 30 now and three stone heavier
The coach is asking for £100 for an hours call to analyse blood results, send out herbs and give me a diet plan to follow for four months.
The other option she has is £750 plan which is a diet plan, herbs and a weekly call and guidance.
I was confused because I am committed to losing the weight and hearing all sorts of conflicting advice. I want to do it the right way. She says slimming world is too carb heavy and I shouldn’t be eating pasta or rice or bread....or dairy...or sugar...or meat that isn’t organic! Crikes.
My worry with all that is I would get the blues and end up binge eating!

@Limeandlemon

I do have an 11 year old child that I had when I was 19! I am 30 now and three stone heavier The coach is asking for £100 for an hours call to analyse blood results, send out herbs and give me a diet plan to follow for four months. The other option she has is £750 plan which is a diet plan, herbs and a weekly call and guidance. I was confused because I am committed to losing the weight and hearing all sorts of conflicting advice. I want to do it the right way. She says slimming world is too carb heavy and I shouldn’t be eating pasta or rice or bread....or dairy...or sugar...or meat that isn’t organic! Crikes. My worry with all that is I would get the blues and end up binge eating!

Wouldn't you rather an actual doctor looked at your blood results?

@Limeandlemon

I do have an 11 year old child that I had when I was 19! I am 30 now and three stone heavier The coach is asking for £100 for an hours call to analyse blood results, send out herbs and give me a diet plan to follow for four months. The other option she has is £750 plan which is a diet plan, herbs and a weekly call and guidance. I was confused because I am committed to losing the weight and hearing all sorts of conflicting advice. I want to do it the right way. She says slimming world is too carb heavy and I shouldn’t be eating pasta or rice or bread....or dairy...or sugar...or meat that isn’t organic! Crikes. My worry with all that is I would get the blues and end up binge eating!

Oh my goodness! Sounds marginally better than an outright scam artist.

I think you'd be better off bonking like a rabbit than eating like a rabbit.

(Helpful)

Yes, that is without a doubt an actual scammer.

@Limeandlemon

I do have an 11 year old child that I had when I was 19! I am 30 now and three stone heavier The coach is asking for £100 for an hours call to analyse blood results, send out herbs and give me a diet plan to follow for four months. The other option she has is £750 plan which is a diet plan, herbs and a weekly call and guidance. I was confused because I am committed to losing the weight and hearing all sorts of conflicting advice. I want to do it the right way. She says slimming world is too carb heavy and I shouldn’t be eating pasta or rice or bread....or dairy...or sugar...or meat that isn’t organic! Crikes. My worry with all that is I would get the blues and end up binge eating!

Scamming women desperate to conceive out of £750 for the benefit of a diet plan you could find on the internet, the information that Slimming World is a weird cult, and some analysis of your bloodwork from someone who isn't a medical professional. What a peach this 'fertility coach' is! Preying on people who are in an emotional, desperate situation sounds fucking horrible.

OP - eat smaller portions, include lots of veg, don't go mental on the carbs, don't eat a fuckload of sweets or sugary stuff. That's it, that's the entire secret. Nothing is banned, nothing is a 'sin', nothing is dangeorus, just eat fewer calories than you burn and try for healthier choices.

Don't pay hundreds of pounds - use the NHS diet plan www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/start-the-nhs-weight-loss-plan/ or make your own from the ideas in this article www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/balanced-diet-women

Work out your TDEE here (tdeecalculator.net/) which will tell you how many calories roughly you burn in a day, which will give you an idea of what you need to eat to lose weight. It's that simple.

I’m starting to think i would rather spend the money on a nice pair of curtains and a new kitchen gadget.
My mind has been blown with all the different diets out there.

You have to do a diet that works for you, otherwise It literally won't work.