britt-tanny

Hey cysters
I'm new to the site and pretty new to PCOS as well. I suspected it for a while but just recently decided I needed to start taking care of it, hopefully I'm on the right track with all the medical stuff but from reading I've noticed that diet and exercise alone are some of the best things I can do, and that's where my problem is

I'm 19, about 5'6 and I weigh about 175 pounds-- with a disturbing portion of that around my stomach! I don't eat horribly, but I'm at a university right now so I don't have the opportunity to cook my own meals; my diet is pretty boring, I eat 2 meals a day and they are almost always a sandwich and chips, or a sandwich and a salad, or a sandwich and a smoothie (and no red meat, since I've come back to school I've been sticking to only chicken / turkey) and always with water. I don't cut out breakfast on purpose but this semester I have classes everyday at 8 or 9 and when I wake up that early I'm just not hungry, by the time I have a break it's 11 so I just get lunch. I really don't snack much at all, I have some special-k and nutri-gran bars in my room so a few times a week I'll have one of those outside of my meals.

I know I should eat less carbs but when I'm hungry there is just no convincing myself to get anything other than a sandwich, sometimes I do get wheat bread but it's not always an option. Another problem I'm having is that I swear the second I finish a meal I want to eat again (OR I get crazy tired. I assume that is because of the IR? and it's happening when I eat too many white carbs? a delicious burrito in a white tortilla with white rice, beans, corn and guacamole is like taking a sleeping pill for me!) I recognize that it's not always that I'm hungry but that I just want more food, and I know it's a self control thing: I do manage it but I really hate the feeling!

My main problem is that I don't WANT to change. I know I should, I know I will be way better off in the long run if I do (I will be heartbroken if I can't have children.. and I know getting to a healthier weight is a huge part of that-- it's awful, I'm only 19 but I feel like with my PCOS I'm running out of time to have kids, way too early for that clock to be ticking, yeah?!) but when it comes time to wake up 15 minutes earlier to exercise or get a salad instead of chips I just won't do it.

I've looked into low carb and IR diets but I just can't bring myself to make any changes. Any advice on specific things I should change? and more importantly, any advice on how to get motivated to actually make those changes? I recently read the quote on here "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" and that's helped me fight off a few cravings but it's not enough!

Thanks ladies, I hope that wasn't too long winded, any encouragement or advice is appreciated

februarystar

Do you have access to a microwave? When I was at uni living in the student halls we had access to about 3 microwaves, and there were also a couple on campus dotted around the place.

How come you only get sandwiches? When I first started at uni we got a huge variety of stuff, admittedly some of it was pretty foul but it covered all the food groups and wasn't just bread & fillings.

I'm not usually hungry when I wake up, in fact I used to feel ill to eat first thing in the morning. However my body (and everyone elses) needs some fuel to start the day.


Snack!!!! Have 3 meals & 2 snacks, or even 5-6 smaller meals. This will address your 'hungry all the time' issue, especially if you are choosing snacks full of fibre and lean protein!

Why should you be eating less carbs? Have you done a diet journal? Unless your diet is 70% or more carbs there may be no reason to eat less. It may be more the quality of carbs you are eating. If the majority (or all of your carbs) aren't from fruits/veggies/whole grains then it might be time for a change.

If you're only eating 2 meals a day then its quite possible that you are hungry.

There is no reason why you have to wake up 15 minutes earlier. If you prepare food the night before you can grab it out of the fridge as you head to class - smoothies, some sort of wrap with veggies/lean protein, salad. Perhaps the reason why you are avoiding breakfast is because you are avoiding the 'typical' breakfast foods? (It may not be, just a thought...)

Forget the food for a moment! (well, aside from what I said about eating breakfast and eating more regulary )

EXERCISE! When I'm exercising (and I know this is true for plenty of other people) its much easier for me to eat 'clean' and research also concludes its true when we are talking about intense bouts of exercise - it will decrease your appetitie.
You don't have to get up earlier to do it, although it might help out with energy/motivation/eating habits for the rest of the day), you can do it in the evening, you can do it at 10 minute intervals throughout the day!

I hope me and my bossy self have helped you

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