whole30 PCOS

[ach324]

Anyone here have PCOS? I just found out (about 3 weeks into my first whole30) that i likely do! I have to have some blood tests to confirm but it seems likely given the ultrasound I got and the other symptoms I've been having (hair and acne on my chin out of nowhere, sudden and unexplained weight gain despite no change in eating or workout habits, missed periods etc). The main way to treat it is to go on birth control pill-- which I DO NOT want to do because I've had an IUD for years and love love love it. Do you ladies feel that whole30/paleo eating in general has helped alleviate some of your symptoms? Are there any particular foods that were good to avoid (or good to eat more of) to help regulate your hormones? I'm guessing dairy is prob one of them!

[ladyshanny]

Hi ach234,

Try googling "Whole30 pcos" and you'll see tonnes of results from this forum. The best way to search the forum is via google and we recommend searching before posting new questions because nearly everything you can conceive has been asked and answered at least once.

[Cindy84HD]

Anyone here have PCOS? I just found out (about 3 weeks into my first whole30) that i likely do! I have to have some blood tests to confirm but it seems likely given the ultrasound I got and the other symptoms I've been having (hair and acne on my chin out of nowhere, sudden and unexplained weight gain despite no change in eating or workout habits, missed periods etc). The main way to treat it is to go on birth control pill-- which I DO NOT want to do because I've had an IUD for years and love love love it. Do you ladies feel that whole30/paleo eating in general has helped alleviate some of your symptoms? Are there any particular foods that were good to avoid (or good to eat more of) to help regulate your hormones? I'm guessing dairy is prob one of them!

You do NOT have to go on the pill to "help" your PCOS if you love your IUD.  Artificial hormones just mask the symptoms but the underlying problem is still there.

 

I've only done one round of W30 and didn't stick with it... but I've heard from a lot of people it helps a LOT with PCOS issues.  Dairy is definitely an issue with most PCOSers... as are grains and of course sugar.  I intend to stick with paleo when I'm done with this round because we're hoping to get pregnant again this year and I firmly believe this lifestyle will help (with exercise of course!).

There's a LOT of crazy info out there about PCOS... but weight loss, clean eating, and regular exercise are often the most safe and effective treatments!

[SusanB.]

Whole30 pretty much completely abates the PCOS symptoms that I have (acne, hair falling out- the period-related symptoms have been helped by the BCP). For me, any diet that controls blood sugar/insulin does that though - my doctor suggested south beach when I was first diagnosed a decade ago- it was a revelation after years of seeing no results on the typical low-fat diets.

[Unobserved_Journey]

I have PCOS and read lots of good information about Whole30. It all falls in line with what doctors have told me over the years. Grains are bad, mmmkay? Dairy is bad, mmkay? 

 

Currently, I'm going on 18 months since my last cycle (I average one about every 9-12 months). In the past, when I've lost weight (about 20lbs) my period would occur naturally. I'm on week 3 of my very first Whole30 and started spotting and cramping hard on Friday. I was relieved...it had been a LONG time since my last cycle. A few spots and then nothing. I still have very strong cramping from time to time, but nothing appears.

 

I've taken progesterone and several other hormones (including BC) in the past to regulate my cycle (or to just get the damn thing to show its face)....but with no luck. The older I get, the more worried I become. I'm truly hoping the Whole30 will help rid my body of chemicals and additives affecting my hormones.

 

Let me know if anyone has experienced significant changes with their PCOS while doing Whole30 or shortly thereafter.

 

Thanks!

Amanda

[ach324]

So my 4 main PCOS symptoms have been: unexplained weight gain and a complete inability to lose any of it no matter what I did, hair on my chin, constant break outs, and no period. Acne has almost completely cleared up-- I'm attributing that to the lack of dairy for the most part-- and I have lost a bit of weight, though nothing extreme (then again I'm already within the healthy weight range for my weight and I have not gone hungry at all or eaten a lot what I'd call diet food ie grilled chicken and steamed veggies... so that's not entirely surprising.) Chin hair is still there and STILL no period, which is really disappointing. Is it weird I kind of miss it? 

[Unobserved_Journey]

So my 4 main PCOS symptoms have been: unexplained weight gain and a complete inability to lose any of it no matter what I did, hair on my chin, constant break outs, and no period. Acne has almost completely cleared up-- I'm attributing that to the lack of dairy for the most part-- and I have lost a bit of weight, though nothing extreme (then again I'm already within the healthy weight range for my weight and I have not gone hungry at all or eaten a lot what I'd call diet food ie grilled chicken and steamed veggies... so that's not entirely surprising.) Chin hair is still there and STILL no period, which is really disappointing. Is it weird I kind of miss it? 

 

Def not weird that you miss it. Sometimes I feel like it reminds me I'm a woman so when it stays away for so long, I stay looking out the window waiting for the car lights to appear so I know it's home. LOL

[praxisproject]

For those with PCOS who get blood tests, if you've never been tested you may also want to add MTHFR to your next round. There is some crossover between those with PCOS and MTHFR, but at this time they don't believe they are cause related, just correlated. Both often go undiagnosed.

[danwithatwist]

I have PCOS and want to chime in on the "you don't need birth control if you don't want it" wagon.  I have a Mirena IUD and that has been the most effective thing for me.  That, and, at some points in my life, going on Metformin on a medium-term basis to balance blood sugars.  Not currently on the Metforin, and Whole30 seems to be taking care of everything else nicely!

[the_only_colie]

My sister suspects I have PCOS because she has it and since the start of a couple of years ago I've had the symptoms. Docs found huge cysts when I went in for a gallbladder surgery. Reading people's hopeful responses on this post is so very encouraging. (just started w30)

[starxlr8]

I used to get my period just a couple of times a year and was diagnosed with PCOS in 2007. Before I found Whole30/paleo, eating low carb (Atkins-style) helped me successfully get regular periods and lose some weight. I personally feel better overall on Whole30 though.

If a few months of Whole30 and "Life after Whole30" eating don't seem to help with your symptoms, you might look at how much starchy veg and fruit you are eating. It seems that everyone has their own optimal amount of carbs that balance hormones.

One thing to note is that it's very common to not get a period at all on the Mirena, if that's the type of IUD you have.