I've been reading this forum for a while, even before I was diagnosed with PCOS, which happened in August 2006, and have always found the forum very informative and supportive.
Now, I've been trying to conceive for the past 2 months, and of course it's not happening. I guess I was hoping it would just happen, but I am now facing the fact that it will be hard for me and I may need intervention. My only symptoms are polycystic ovaries and irregular periods (5-6 per year). i am of normal weight, though where I do have fat is around my belly. I am 31, so no spring chicken.
Anyway, for the last of weeks, I have been on a low-carb diet, thought I'd try it before going on metformin and/or clomid. I bought a couple of books I found recommended on here, but am still not understand a couple of basic concepts. Can someone help me out?
1) when counting daily carbs in terms of grams eaten per day, do i have to count total grams, or just "effective" grams (total - fiber)? When they say you enter ketosis under 40g, does that mean under 40g effective, or 40g total?
2) do those of you following these strict diets abstain from all grains? Like, should I be eating oat groats sometimes, or just stay away completely, and just get my carbs from vegetables and fruit, and the occasional bean and lentil?
3) Do you avoid sugar in things like mustard and prepared foods, where it's obviously a tiny amount? If a food has sugar listed as one of the last ingredient, do you eat it?
I don't have any answers -- just wanted to welcome you .. and say good luck in TTC.
__________________ TTC since 12/01 3 years on clomid, 1 letrezole cycle - no pg ovarian drilling 12/04 Finally BFP on 3rd cycle of follistim - our Triplets were born 10 weeks early and are home after 5 weeks in the NICU - Thank you GOD for our Triple Miracle!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
1) when counting daily carbs in terms of grams eaten per day, do i have to count total grams, or just "effective" grams (total - fiber)? When they say you enter ketosis under 40g, does that mean under 40g effective, or 40g total?
It means 40 TOTAL, if you're following the original ketogenic Atkins plan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nyuta
2) do those of you following these strict diets abstain from all grains? Like, should I be eating oat groats sometimes, or just stay away completely, and just get my carbs from vegetables and fruit, and the occasional bean and lentil?
Women who follow moderate carbohydrate programs like the Insulin Resistance diet eat portions of whole grains and fruit. When I lost my 90 pounds on a low carb diet, years ago, I gave up whole grains and all fruit but lemons for a full year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nyuta
3) Do you avoid sugar in things like mustard and prepared foods, where it's obviously a tiny amount? If a food has sugar listed as one of the last ingredient, do you eat it?
I'm sure others will have some input, but I would primarily look at the carb count, rather than the ingredients. The only ingredients I avoided were/are: Citric acid and sucralose
__________________
Hey, SoulCysters! Need to eat more veggies, but can't find recipes??
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I didn't have much to chime in regarding carb counting, but I did want to say that while it doesn't seem like it, 2 months isn't a long time. Hang in there. When I got pregnant after five (seemingly long) months, I had a colleague point out to me that DH and I were truly blessed. Some people try for years and years. So, don't get discouraged yet.
KatCarney: why do you avoid Citric acid and sucralose? Do you mean even Splenda, which contains sucralose in tiny amounts?
FeliciaB: Thanks for the welcome! It's amazing how much this website has helped emotionally.
jrbecca: Thanks for the encouragement. It's just so frustrating every time the stick comes back negative. Were you on any kind of diet? I just know I'll have to start taking metformin and other stuff, but each time that's confirmed, it hurts.
KatCarney: why do you avoid Citric acid and sucralose? Do you mean even Splenda, which contains sucralose in tiny amounts?
Re: Citric Acid
For many people following a ketogenic low carb diet, citric acid can stall your weight loss. No one knows why. Diet sodas, Crystal Light, etc...it's one of the first things people ask about when someone reports stalled weight loss on low carb.
Re: Splenda/Sucralose
For starters, I HATE the taste in coffee or tea (it tates like poison to me.) Plus, it also triggers depression in me (and apparently, a lot of other people.)
I can take it in very tiny amounts, every now and then, but as a general rule, I avoid it like poison.
Kat, could you give us a day of food you would typically eat when you were loosing weight? I would find it so helpful to have an example.
It was about 8 years ago, so I don't remember complete meal plans, but I mainly stuck to fish (including canned tuna and salmon), LOTS of salads, LOTS of veggies, protein shakes, fresh lemonade everyday (sweetened with stevia).
The main deviation I made: Because I was working out 3 hours a day, and doing very intense cardio, I would eat 5 saltine crackers before going to the gym. If I didn't, I wouldn't have enough energy to get through the workouts.
__________________
Hey, SoulCysters! Need to eat more veggies, but can't find recipes??
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Wow, that's really something. I'm going to stay away from artificial sweeteners. i read that stevia has other harmful effects too.
What about agave nectar? i just found out about it, and it seems too good to be true. Does it really taste decent and have a GI of 29? Even the sticks are ok to use? I am shocked honestly.
Another thing I was just reading about is phytoestrogen. On my low-carb low-GI diet I've been eating A LOT of flax. Is it actually harming the PCOS?!?!
Thanks again for all the information.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KatCarney
Re: Citric Acid
For many people following a ketogenic low carb diet, citric acid can stall your weight loss. No one knows why. Diet sodas, Crystal Light, etc...it's one of the first things people ask about when someone reports stalled weight loss on low carb.
Re: Splenda/Sucralose
For starters, I HATE the taste in coffee or tea (it tates like poison to me.) Plus, it also triggers depression in me (and apparently, a lot of other people.)
I can take it in very tiny amounts, every now and then, but as a general rule, I avoid it like poison.
I think it will all vary from person to person. I use Stevia with no problems - same with flax (at least as far as I know, I've suffered no ill effects)
Agave, tates great. Probably best for a 'moderate' carb program, rather than low carb.
__________________
Hey, SoulCysters! Need to eat more veggies, but can't find recipes??
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ok, I get confused with the carb counting thing. When I went to my diabetic nutrition class, they said to deduct the amount of fiber carbs from the total amount of carbs and that is what I should be counting. Like, let say 1 slice of whole grain bread has a total of 15 carbs, if 6 are from fiber, then it is 9 total carbs. Why the difference? When I think I get something, then I get even more confused
I am not carb counting to lose weight but to better control my diabetes, the weight loss would be a plus. Since I did start I have lost 15-20 pounds. It fluctuates but pretty much has been 15 pounds. I know this is not a lot , but I was quite happy with myself. Now I seem to be at a stall and then I read about the sweeteners! I used equal in my coffee, about 4-6 packs a day, and about 1 package of crystal lite in my water, the tea flavor. So that could be the reason.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
So after some research I've decided that I am going to keep to a very strict diet for about 4 months, and after that if nothing's different such as more regular periods or a pregnancy, I will go on the Met.
Thank you for everyone's advice. I've decided, in this trial period, to eat no grains, flours, or sweeteners of any kind. I will eat only vegetables (except potatoes, corn, and the other high-GI vegg) nuts, lean meats, fishes, and full-fat dairy. Legumes and beans in small quantities a couple of times a week. I will eat only organic and free-range meats and dairy. (all of this is complicated by the fact that i eat kosher, so not only is it hard to find, it's expensive, which should help keep the portions down, LOL). I will also limit fruit to 1 serving a day, only low-GI fruit. This will be particularly hard for me bc i love fruit, it's something i am famous for, the grotesque amount of fruit i eat. So mostly vegetables and nuts for me for now.
The only exceptions will be boiled buckwheat on occasion (once every couple of weeks) and the very rare agave-sweetened something or other. From what i read about agave nectar, 1 tblsp is basically the equivalent of 6 apples as far as sugar (fructose) or something like that. so it will be very rare and only when i have a craving i can't get rid of, and in small portions. I would skip it completely, but my DH made me a vat of it when we thought agave was ok, and now i can't let him down and never eat it.
I will let you know if this works for me in any way. My friend is an OB/GYN, and having heard my plan she still thinks Met and Clomid are in my future.
Carbs counting question 
