Anyone with PCOS found a quick weight loss plan??

[extraconfusedhelp]

Just wondering what works. I'm feeling quite down about it today.

I recently started herbalife shakes. But wondering if there would be something more suitable for me as I have PCOS.

Help

Hi extraconfusedhelp - Collette Harris has a couple of good books that you might find helpful if you want detail but reckon bran is pretty on the money. What works best for me is cutting out as much refined sugar as possible and watching carbs. But I love carbs and sweet things which is why I have an arse the size of a small country (a la Divine Comedy).

Are you on any medication? I found it easier to lose weight whilst on metformin but then I felt sick all the time and was never off the toilet (sorry maybe TMI )

The wii fit is good too for supporting weight loss (note to self need to take out from under sofa for optimum results!)

Is it your weight thats getting you down or just the bugger that is PCOS?

Low carb is the way to go. I've lost 10lbs this year going low carb.

I don't do full atkins, it's low not no carb.

So i eat full fat and greek yoghurt, eggs, meat, fish, most veg (other than potatoes, squash, carrots, peas and parsnips), cheese, berries (but not much other fruit).

Typical day is
Plain full fat yoghurt for breakfast, sometimes with fruit compote if i have to buy on the hoof; weekend, bacon and eggs, or good butchers sausages.
Big salad for lunch, or skinny burrito (ie spicey chicken with salsa, salad, chese and sour cream), you have to be creative but i work in the city so lots of choice which helps
Dinner is griddled meat or fish, salad, or moussaka without the potato, chilli without rice, thai curry without rice (i do it as more of a soup), roast chicken, kebabs, hm burgers or hm meatballs etc etc.

I tend to cheat fairly regularly and i do miss pasta, bread and crispy things. But eating well monday to thursday, then cheating for one meal on each of friday, saturday and sunday, seems to be doable for me. I have fallen off the wagon for the past two months but back on it since sunday and have dropped 5lbs again.

I do feel much better eating this way. Main thing is to aim for 2/3 of lunch and dinner to be veg or salad, 1/3 proper protein. It does involve reading the back of packages all the time!

Low carb and low fat works for me.
I am on metformin (not ttc but to prevent diabetes-am 49yr) , the metformin didn't help me lose at all unfortunately.
Would also 2nd walking and also weight lifting helps to keep metabolism going and by bulding muscle.

I have PCOS (and an underactive thyroid).... no quick fixes, agree that Colette Harris's book is excellent. Or South Beach diet. Or Tim Feriss's slow carb (4 Hour Body). Or Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 diet would be fine too. Or Holford diet. Or Rick Gallup low GI etc etc.

link

Anything that keeps your insulin levels low and stable and doesn't contain artificial sweetners or sugar, or refined carbs (eg white flour) is good (remember that there are lots of other things that are sugar but are described differently - eg corn syrup, glucose, fructose etc).

IMO those shakes (or any other similar) are a terrible choice. Full of sugar and processed ingredients instead of real food.

But its a long slow process, 1-2lb a week, and the diet has to be a lifelong commitment to eat unprocessed good - that's why I will be forever on a diet.

If you have to go down a shake route (and I don't think its a good idea) choose a plan where you will be in ketosis (e.g. lighter life) rather than slimfast or herbalife as that will keep insulin levels static. But even if you do that, still need to commit to low GI diet (forever) after the shakes are finished or the weight and symptoms will come back.

Thank you all for the replies, it is as I feard less carbs I love eating carbs.

ahhh i feel so hopeless at the moment I keep trying different things but they dont seem to be working as im not sticking to things long enough.

Honestly the herablife thing does not makes sense, only 2 shakes in the day then eat at night, surley thats the wrong way round....

extraconfusedhelp - I have seen you posting on several threads, and I wanted to offer some support. PCOS can be really horrible, but the good thing about it is that it can be totally managed through diet. My diet is similar to what freebuttonbee above outlined, low carb but not full on atkins. I used to love eating carbs, but now don't miss them, as I feel great, have no symptoms and am slim.

In order to get it to work you need to give it TIME. A lot of time. Quick fixes are not going to work. Think of targets for each month, not week. Forget thing like hot pants that make you sweaty, or slimming products. Just buy unprocessed natural food. Eat protein at each meal, and loads of veggies. Get sweaty instead by doing 30 day shred each night.

The other book that might help is Lisa Jackon's Adore Yourself Slim as its very motivational and the diet is very PCOS friendly. Its moderate carb not low carb. Also comes with hypnotheraphy DVD.

In terms of speed of loss, if you are focused you can lose 2lbs a week. 1lb a week realistic if you cheat a bit at weekends.

forever - thank you for the reply, I know the quick fixes dont wor, I just get desperate sometimes :(

I will defintly order some books that are suitable for me and try to get a move on.

I did Rosemary Conley and took Coenzyme Q10 and the weight dropped off (lost 1 1/2 stone in 8weeks), easy to follow and they offer great ongoing support to keep the weight off.

Highly recommend it, same price as Slimming World/Weight Watchers but you also get an exercise class.

rumpel is right, it needs to a long term change to WOE anda low GI approach does get symptoms under control, but you can kickstart weight loss it with low carb low fat.