northernlite Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I am on day 7 now and I feel like I'm doing pretty good. Where I am looking for support or answers even is in doing Whole30 with PCOS. My purpose in Whole30 is twofold. Reading the book it spoke to my heart and body as to where I want to be health wise. SO exciting. So, I have jumped in 100%. Heart and Soul. But, I'm not going to lie, I would like to lose weight as well...which is when my PCOS brain kicks in. PCOSBrain tells me that sweet potatoes and fruit are not okay to eat. At. All. I have been eating sweet potatoes and fruit, but I am wondering, SHOULD I be limiting those? Does the glycemic index play into this for PCOS/Insulin resistance a little bit, or do I just ignore it for the 30 days and let my body heal? Hubs thinks I need to be careful and reminds me when those appear on my plate. Thoughts, suggestions and advice are welcomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted May 7, 2015 Administrators Share Posted May 7, 2015 Welcome to the Whole30! I can't speak directly to having PCOS since I don't and have no real familiarity with it. But I will say some other stuff. First, fruit is optional, you don't have to eat it. If you do, the recommendation is 1-2 pieces per day and only with a main meal, never alone. Second, the amount of starchy veggies that people need varies from person to person and even for a person, from day to day. For me right now I am eating the amount that makes me feel the best mentally. This is not necessarily the amount that makes me look the best physically. However...I drew the line a few months back that attempting to look a certain way at the expense of my mental health was pure lunacy. Eventually I may be inspired to experiment and really drill down to find my super, extra special, delicate flower sweet spot. Then again, maybe not. Maybe I'm just tired of trying to "become" the only permutation of a woman that society values and instead will just focus on being the me that I am right now in this very moment. Which is highly valuable, by the way! Third, starchy veggies are important for women, especially around the time of your period. I understand that your cycle may be altered due to PCOS but I imagine that there are times of the month that you are craving sugar, carbs, chocolate etc? Then and just before then is the times to eat starchy veggies. Your body is crying out for extra energy. Finally.............here's the big one. Regardless of fruit or sweet potatoes, your body may very well prioritize internal healing, hormonal balancing and blood sugar balancing over weight loss. It may need to do this for a long period of time depending on how much internal "stuff" needs to be worked on. Because you may not see weight loss you may be tempted to start cutting things like fruits and starchies. Don't do it....just stick with eating healthy, whole, nutrient dense foods, checking in with yourself and your body as you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgersinmycakehole Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Hello! I have yet to do the Whole 30, but girl I am so there with you. I've been led to believe that starch of ANY kind is the devil. And won't help with my PCOS. It's awful! And unfair? And my personal opinion would be allow yourself to have them. So you don't go crazy. But, maybe limit them to 1-2 a day (for fruit and potatoes.) Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkers Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 For PCOS, it is important to consume a lower glycemic diet to help the body combat insulin reistance, but here's the thing: You don't have to subscribe to a ketogenic diet to solve insulin resistance. The recommendation to eat lower carb/lower glycemic is in relation to the Standard American Diet (SAD). Even with starchy vegetables and some occasional fruit, if you're following the Whole30 then you will still be well below the average carb amount of SAD eating. I low-carbed for years to help with weight loss, PCOS, and insulin resistance and I do still believe in lower carb eating, but only as it compares to SAD. In my own reading and researching, I've come to the decision that carbs are more important to female physiology than they are for men and that women don't always fair as well on low carb diets. If you have PCOS, odds are good there may be other issues like thyroid or adrenal conditions and starchy vegetables help to support those conditions as well. So my advice is to eat the sweet potatoes, eat the winter squash, and eat whatever other tubers or root vegetables tickle your fancy. Experiment with the fruit. If it ups your hunger then maybe it's best to avoid. But if having some cooked apples with your pork chops doesn't cause any obvious issues, then dig in and enjoy it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernlite Posted May 8, 2015 Author Share Posted May 8, 2015 Thank you ladies, good information. I just have to shut down the old naggy thoughts, cause obviously they didn't work before or I wouldn't be where I am now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jomyke Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I have PCOS too. So hard to lose any weight! But I know my body has a lot of healing to do so I'm trying to focus on that. I'm on day 26 right now and feeling pretty good. I'm considering doing the Auto-Immune Protocol as my next 30 days to see if that makes a difference. Ultimately I'd like to do a full 100 days and then continue on as a lifestyle if it helps my symptoms! But yeah I kinda have a fear of fruit and carbs too so I've been limiting them as much as possible. Most days I have none, but a couple times a week I just have a need for something more so I will save the fruit and sweet potatoes for those days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ultrarunnergirl Posted May 8, 2015 Moderators Share Posted May 8, 2015 I don't have any experience with PCOS, but I just wanted to point out that almost all of those studies are done on men. Women, especially of childbearing age, are "confounders" so studies often omit this group. So keep that in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted May 8, 2015 Administrators Share Posted May 8, 2015 I don't have any experience with PCOS, but I just wanted to point out that almost all of those studies are done on men. Women, especially of childbearing age, are "confounders" so studies often omit this group. So keep that in mind. They did studies on men regarding poly cystic ovarian syndrome because women would upset the results? Really? Please tell me I've just misunderstood what you wrote. That would be highly upsetting on so many levels! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munkers Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 They did studies on men regarding poly cystic ovarian syndrome because women would upset the results? Really? Please tell me I've just misunderstood what you wrote. That would be highly upsetting on so many levels! I'm thinking she may have meant studies on low carb eating, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted May 8, 2015 Administrators Share Posted May 8, 2015 I'm thinking she may have meant studies on low carb eating, etc. OH!!!!! LOL. I hope so. I'm dumb...and distracted. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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