Okay I'm starting the met, need diet help!

Jennifer25 · 06-05-2003, 06:22 AM

I'm starting the met on Saturday, figured it best to have DH home if I have any side effects and all for the first few days of it.

I am horrible at watching what I eat. I have no clue what has carbs in it (besides your basic breads, pasta ect) and what is good for protein ect... I know the doctor said a low carb diet, low sugar, low in fat ect.. But I'm gonna need some kind of help in figuring out what I CAN and SHOULD eat and what I need to stay away from. Is there a book I can buy that can help with this? I want to make sure I do this right.

I got the prescription filled today. And of course I go and read all of the side effects. And the good ole hypochondriac in me kicks in. I'm leary after reading the Lactic Acidosis part! Is that considered pretty rare? I can just see me having all those symptoms now that I read that. hehe

I decided to start on 500mg once a day instead of the 1000mg a day they wanted me to start off with. Looking forward to getting this under control though and FEELING and LOOKING better!!

Thanx so much girls!

Jennifer (25)
DH for 7 years- Jason (27)
DS- Jason Jr. (5)
~i~ 6/01
Hoping to TTC again in 2004!

Japan · 06-05-2003, 06:46 AM

Hi Jennifer,

Lactic Acidosis is very rare. Watch your body for the symptoms they list. -- Met has been my miracle drug so far. I feel SO MUCH better than I did just a few months ago (before I was on it). I am more balanced, emotionally stable, happier, feel healthier, not to mention I lost a bit of weight.

About the low-carbs... There are a lot of diet books out there. Not every diet is for every body. My advice would be to read the book reports and recommendations from people who've read them and tried the diets (amazon is really good for this) and then see if you can find one that fits your life style. Learn to read labels.

Personally, I follow the IR Diet, and it's working great for me. I am a carb addict, and this diet allows a certain amount of carbs as long as you balance them with protein. (It's a bit more complicated than that, but not much.) There are a couple of stickies at the top of this forum that you should check out. Maddy compiled info on different diets, and the other sticky has links to low-carb books.

Good call on starting Met at 500mg, not 1000mg. That's what I did to minimize side effects (I hardly had any to mention). Once your body has become used to the medication, you can up your dose (in a week or two, depending).

Good luck!

christyz · 06-05-2003, 11:59 AM

Heike's right... lactic acidosis is extrememly rare. The stats are something like .03 out of every 1000 people on the drug get LA, and over half of that number represents people who had kidney or liver problems before they started the Met. So unless you have had renal problems in the past, you have little reason to worry.

The book Heike mentioned is what I'm following too. It's so easy, it doesn't feel like a diet and I can even eat my favorite treats in moderation, so I know I'll be able to stay on it for life. The first 2 chapters can be read online here if you're interested:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...er#reader-link

I can also speak very highly of Met. The good has so far outweighed the side effects for me. And by adding regular exercise and the IR diet, I have achieved more than I ever thought possible for someone with PCOS. Be patient if it take a few months to see any changes, and I wish you much success!

Jennifer25 · 06-05-2003, 04:31 PM

I'll be going to the book store today to see if I can get it there. If not I'll order it online, hoping I can get to reading it right away!

Looks like that is really going to help me! Thanks again!!

christyz · 06-05-2003, 04:41 PM

Hope you like it, Jen! If you give those first 2 chapters a try online, then you can see if you agree with the reasoning behind it before you buy. Another of our regulars (who is away today) has lost 135+ pounds on that diet, so there are lots of IR Diet/Met cysters who have found it successful.

Take Care!

KYBluegrass · 06-07-2003, 12:51 AM

Hi there! I have had a bit of success on the IR diet, so that's the one I tend to recommend, although not every diet is right for everyone. I think it is sensible, it allows for a wide variety of foods, and I really feel like I could eat this way for life. I don't feel like I've been deprived at all. I wasn't able to do Atkins...I think the carbs were just a little too low for me. I am on met also, but the the drug works best on any type of a low or lower carb diet with exercise of course.
The best thing to do is research these diets, and as Heike said, the diet and exercise forum is a great place to start looking. Good luck with whatever plan you choose!