Low Carb vs. No Carb

It's no secret that with having PCOS - many women have issues with their weight.   However, not all women with PCOS are considered overweight or obese... there are the exceptions.

Lately, it seems that the big debate in PCOS world is the difference between limiting your carbs and a low carb diet vs a no carb diet.

Carb counting is very successful.  A dear friend and cyster is having great success with this right now.  She recently began counting her carbs and her first week she lost 7 pounds!   Now, she is realistic and she knows she won't be losing 7lbs every week but she's feeling GREAT because she is LIMITING her carbs and she's not completely cutting them out.    I'm really excited for her on this journey.   

I personally do not count carbs [yet] but I eat low glycemic index paired with weight watchers.   It's actually not that tough.    What I did was I went online and I searched/researched the glycemic index/load and then made a list of low glycemic index foods that I enjoy.    I keep that list in my purse and when I go grocery shopping - those are foods I will definitely purchase.   

*On weight watchers you are "assigned" a certain amount of points which is determined by your age, height, sex, and weight.    Each food you eat has some sort of "points value" and you deduct that value from your daily allowance.   The "points value" is assigned with the help of your handy dandy calculator which uses a scientifically proven researched based formula that considers the fat, carbs, protein, and fiber of the food.   I know if a food has more than 5g of carbs I need to stay AWAY.   

I found the following on soulcysters and thought it was worth the read:

 PCOS & Weightloss: composition of the diet "really might not matter"

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: You're Not Alone

POSTED: 11:40 a.m. EST January 23, 2002

Terri Watson Brownlee, M.P.H., R.D., L.D.N.

You've had trouble shedding those extra pounds, struggle with acne and your menstrual cycle is sporadic.

These are just a few of the multiple symptoms associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal imbalance that effects 3-10 percent of premenopausal women. The jury is still out on the exact cause, but researchers do know that women with PCOS do not respond normally to insulin.

After eating, insulin usually works to move glucose into the cells for energy, but with PCOS, glucose remains in circulation, causing the body to produce more insulin in order to normalize the blood glucose level. Many researchers feel this excess insulin stimulates overproduction of sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.

If untreated, women with PCOS are at a higher risk for infertility as well as longer-term complications such as diabetes or heart disease according to Dr. Samuel Thatcher, expert on the topic and author of PCOS, "The Hidden Epidemic."

Once diagnosed by your physician, the best treatment for PCOS is a multi-pronged approach that involves nutritional changes to promote weight loss as well as exercise and/or use of diabetic medications to help lessen the body's resistance to insulin. Weight loss is difficult, but not impossible, for women with PCOS and thus lies one of the biggest controversy in treating PCOS: which diet is best?

Popular diet books such as Atkins, Protein Power and The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet claim carbohydrate foods, such as breads, pastas and potatoes, cause excess insulin production and should be avoided in people with diabetes, obesity and now PCOS.

The truth according to Dr. Thatcher is composition of the diet "really might not matter." The trick is to find a nutrition plan that reduces calories without hunger. While a slight reduction in carbohydrate might be useful in reducing calories, elimination of these foods will not produce a sustainable way to eat and manage PCOS. In addition, these very low-carbohydrate diets cause the body to be in ketosis, which may be harmful if you are successful in becoming pregnant as the PCOS improves with weight loss.

So, the best advice is to work with your physician and dietitian. For a registered dietitian in your area, contact your local health care provider or use the locator service on the American Dietetic Association Web site, eatright.org.

The bottom line: If you have PCOS, you need specific dietary advice to meet your individual needs for calories, balance and a livable meal plan to control this syndrome for life!

Additional information is available from the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association Web site, PCOSupport.org/

Source: http://www.newsnet5.com/health/1202852/detail.html