Reddit reviews PCOS Diet Book: How you can use the nutritional approach to deal with polycystic ovary syndrome

Hi! It's so great you've decided to make a change! I'm about the same height and started losing weight about a month ago at 202 pounds. And I also have PCOS, I've probably had it since I was 14 or 15, but only diagnosed at 26! So far I have been able to manage the PCOS without drugs, just supplements and some massage therapy for pain relief (I also have fibromyalgia, so know what symptoms are from what is hard). A few years ago I read this book
http://www.amazon.com/PCOS-Diet-Book-Nutritional-Polycystic/dp/0007131844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321903178&sr=1-1 And it was really good in explaining a well rounded PCOS diet that wasn't anti-carb and super strict.


But, here is what seems to be working for me right now... I joined the gym and do low intensity cardio and light strength training (all body resistance, no really heavy weights) and I joined My Fitness Pal to track calories, that has seemed to be the biggest help so far. Just by getting to the gym and moving and eating less I'm down 11 pounds since mid October, which in my mind with PCOS is decent.

I don't know what will work for you, but I've been told over and over, that once you get your weight down your hormones will balance out and the PCOS symptoms will decrease. I know it's a catch 22, PCOS makes it hard to lose weight, but losing weight is what helps PCOS. I just think every little bit helps. But you can do it! You've done the hardest part already by wanting to start.

I've never done keto. I've always had excellent results on VLCD (very low calorie diets), which obviously give fast results, but you have to work hard to keep the weight off. These diets tend to be very low carb diets, putting you in ketosis. However, being on a VLCD is not necessary or realistic long-term for PCOS management and weight loss, which are your aims. I found a good PCOS nutrition book to be helpful when I was first diagnosed. It helped me understand what I should avoid (refined carbs and sugars, basically) or at least reduce my intake of (carbs and red meat) , in order to help my symptoms. Seafood is great, and definitely better in many respects than meat. It contains less chemicals (vaccinations etc), a lower harmful fat content, and less hormones to interfere with your own. Keeping your blood sugar levels steady and making the best food choices is achievable when you're taking a balanced approach, following, for example, a low GI regime. That way, you'll be avoiding the things that make symptoms worse, you'll reduce your risk of diabetes and insulin resistance, and you'll lose weight. I think taking note of calories is also very important.

A couple of books I found to be useful are listed below:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0007131844

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0071499849

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0340896019

Hope this helps!

I'm not a women, but my mum and sister have it. They lived on a strict diet, they used this book.
Edit: It really showed affect on them, my sisters hair became thicker etc.