A year on keto from a gal with PCOS

pcos
(Jessica) #21

Awesome thread! So many women have such huge hormone issues. I wish they’d all stick with it like you have. I agree with everyone else. That looks like way more than 25lbs!

(Mandy) #22

ha, she does have some of those posts but i listen to her podcast when it comes out. i find she has a lot of really useful info. its not just about keto but also about regulating hormones.

#23

Hi Mandy,

Thanks for sharing everything with us. Every noob and veteran should read this thread.

Otherwise yes every medical condition and every pill counts. I’m amazed how many threads talk about this that issue and stalls no mention of medical info and 15 posts later - “oh Yeah I have this medical condition or I take these pills.”

Those 25 pounds lost look amazing. Well done.

Yes I’m in this for this for health reasons not fat loss (although that’s nice too)

Cheers

(Jill F.) #24

Congrats you look great! I have learned to appreciate a lot of those non scale victories like losing major inches. My hubby and I started same day and he has lost more pounds than I have but I have passed him up on inches lost! It is crazy how much better we feel and our bodies change. Keep up the good work!

(K) #25

Wow! Congrats! You look amazing! I’m in the same boat as you. On week 3 with pcos and only lost 1 pound. Another member actually pointed me in your direction. Glad to know I’m not the only one and that it can take time. I’m going to continue on with keto :slight_smile:

(Lazy, Dirty Keto 😝) #26

You look great! Thanks for sharing your story :slight_smile:

#27

Sparkling-You-Rock-Graphic

Here’s to many magic keto female days!!!

Yep, there is a relationship between a bit o’ whole foods carbs and stress reduction which seems very complex to me, as it has to do with microbiome and the brain/pituitary… The good bacteria in the large intestine feed on fiber and resistant starch, and then produce a TON of butyrate (a short chain fatty acid), way more than the butyrate we get from butter for example. It needn’t be the “high” fiber diet as touted by the USDA - just very small servings per day, or one sweet potato a week as you said, can be quite balancing for the pituitary-hypothalmic-ovarian axis. (That said, it’s not for food addicts - addictions/cravings must dissipate first before being able to face a pot of boiled sweet potatoes!)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304394016300775

And the good bacteria also produce neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin.

Female hormone biology is highly sensitive to cortisol - on behalf of the species apparently - and it’s possible that in our high stress times, certain whole foods carbs in moderation can be grouding due to the neurotransmitters modulating cortisol.

Most days of the week I supplement with Ginger capsules to aid in cortisol management. And I also eat one apple or pear a few days a week, and on other days use a couple tablesppons of refried basmati rice for resistant starch that makes it through the stomach and into the good bacteria land.

All of this is helping me continue measurable recomp progress and strong mental & emotional stability and stress management.

#28

Wow thanks for sharing this, I never considered PCOS being a root cause for not losing… But I share some of the same things you mentioned. I’ve also kept with it for over a year now despite no net loses in weight, but lots of other benefits. And the more I read and listen, the more confident I am that I’m making the right decisions for long term health. Maybe one day I’ll even heal enough inside to lose a little weight, but even if I don’t I’m not going to abandon low carb, even if I do have a sweet potato now and then. Cheers!

(Doug) #29

:slightly_smiling_face: Holy Moly what a great post, Mandy.

#30

Just keep going!

Congrats on your awareness, acheivements and contributions.

(Mandy) #31

Thanks for the science. Very interesting indeed!

(Tony ) #32

Hello there, yes, I agree with others, in that you look transformed ! You certainly do look as if you have really toned up - big time !!!

(PSackmann) #33

That’s an amazing loss in the waist, what a difference to your health. Who cares what the scale says, these pictures say it all!

(Traci Moore) #34

Thanks for your post. I’ve just lost 15 lb in 7 mos and would like to drop the last 10 but it’s been very hard to lose without being super low calorie which I don’t see as sustainable. I have PCOS and stopped metformin about 2 months into Keto so maybe my body just needs adjustment time without the medication. Your post is super encouraging and you look amazing.

(MelissaH) #35

@tramoo care to join us for dairy free March? There is a whole thread about it😊 eliminating dairy will do wonders for your pcos

(Tammy Jacobs) #36

I really needed to read your story today. I have been doing dirty keto since December and mostly lost inches. Fell off last week and getting back on this week. I need to remember it is a slow process but will be worth it. Thank you again

(Mandy) #37

It happens like that. Just a glimpse into my past year. The light blue dots are my entered weights, the dark blue is the trend. Notice how many ups and downs I had but it always trends down. Chin up!

2018

Screenshot_20190301-060532_Fit
Screenshot_20190301-060532_Fit.jpg907×458 45.7 KB

2019

Screenshot_20190301-060609_Fit
Screenshot_20190301-060609_Fit.jpg902×433 33.3 KB

(Mandy) #38

You must be a Saint. I haven’t been able to give up dairy yet without losing the will to live. Maybe someday but today is not that day!

(Jessica) #39

This is totally my attitude!

(Jules) #40

This is good to read. I have endo and find it very difficult to lose weight. It’s hard to read everyone’s story about big losses quickly when things don’t seem to be moving and you are doing all the right things. You look great and well done for sticking with it.