pcos

[sunnysandy]

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have actually joined because of my daughter who has a learning disability, pcos, ibs, insulin resistance, leptin resistance, weighs over 82 kilos and also has severe hirsutism all over her body. Her endocrinologist has put her on Glucophage 500 mg one tablet twice a day since the past 6 years. She is not diabetic but I have been told that she may develop diabetes as she carries a lot of weight on her belly. I have recently bough Dr Michael Mosley's 8 week blood sugar diet book. I am hoping that I can get my daughter's weight down to 65 kilos at least and also shrink that massive belly. Any support, ideas or advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Resurgam]

On the prescribed high carb cholesterol reducing diet I was on - even though my cholesterol was not that high, I reached 264lb and had more of an equator than a waist.
On diagnosis I went straight back to eating low carb foods and my waist softened and shrank - I can honestly say that my waist sucks, as it shrinks down and then moves in more fat from elsewhere, but I have seen reductions of up to 12 inches, and my whole shape has changed. I can now wrap the kilt I wore twice around, instead of one and a half. I have also realized that my arms and legs, which used to be rather hairy are no longer, after some 40 years of long sleeves and thick tights or leggings.
You might find that the Glucophage treatment is too harsh if you impose a severely low carb or low calorie diet - HCPs often assume a high carb diet is obligatory, so take care not to cause hypos.

 

[ickihun]

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have actually joined because of my daughter who has a learning disability, pcos, ibs, insulin resistance, leptin resistance, weighs over 82 kilos and also has severe hirsutism all over her body. Her endocrinologist has put her on Glucophage 500 mg one tablet twice a day since the past 6 years. She is not diabetic but I have been told that she may develop diabetes as she carries a lot of weight on her belly. I have recently bough Dr Michael Mosley's 8 week blood sugar diet book. I am hoping that I can get my daughter's weight down to 65 kilos at least and also shrink that massive belly. Any support, ideas or advise would be greatly appreciated.

When I stopped metformin for pcos I was picked up by blood tests as diabetic. Even though I had symptoms at 6yrs old.
So dont be surprised if child is diabetic (insulin resistant).
Glucophage is brilliant for IR.
6 yrs of steady metformin treatment must have helped, surely?

Diet is the biggest influence on bgs. So I recommend low carb even in this scenario. Weight loss if a concern can benefit hugely and a low carb version per person definitely helps with that.

In my experience steady swimming or activity similiar without stress is another aid.

 

[sunnysandy]

On the prescribed high carb cholesterol reducing diet I was on - even though my cholesterol was not that high, I reached 264lb and had more of an equator than a waist.
On diagnosis I went straight back to eating low carb foods and my waist softened and shrank - I can honestly say that my waist sucks, as it shrinks down and then moves in more fat from elsewhere, but I have seen reductions of up to 12 inches, and my whole shape has changed. I can now wrap the kilt I wore twice around, instead of one and a half. I have also realized that my arms and legs, which used to be rather hairy are no longer, after some 40 years of long sleeves and thick tights or leggings.
You might find that the Glucophage treatment is too harsh if you impose a severely low carb or low calorie diet - HCPs often assume a high carb diet is obligatory, so take care not to cause hypos.

Hello Resurgam, I had a difficult time looking for replies to my question! So glad that I managed to manoeuvre around my way through the forums before I saw your reply. Please would you be kind enough to explain what HCP is? I am so concerned as I feel so lost and don't even know if I am doing the right thing for my beloved daughter. She has lost three kilos so far on this diet but I am still worried about the big belly. Does everyone who is IR go on to develop diabetes?

 

[sunnysandy]

When I stopped metformin for pcos I was picked up by blood tests as diabetic. Even though I had symptoms at 6yrs old.
So dont be surprised if child is diabetic (insulin resistant).
Glucophage is brilliant for IR.
6 yrs of steady metformin treatment must have helped, surely?

Diet is the biggest influence on bgs. So I recommend low carb even in this scenario. Weight loss if a concern can benefit hugely and a low carb version per person definitely helps with that.

In my experience steady swimming or activity similiar without stress is another aid.

Thank you for your reply Ickihun, much appreciated. My daughter doesn't know how to swim but I do take her for long walks. I have been told that stress raises cortisol levels which basically affects IR as well and that in turn, leads to weight gain! My daughter is also leptin resistant .

 

[Resurgam]

Hello Resurgam, I had a difficult time looking for replies to my question! So glad that I managed to manoeuvre around my way through the forums before I saw your reply. Please would you be kind enough to explain what HCP is? I am so concerned as I feel so lost and don't even know if I am doing the right thing for my beloved daughter. She has lost three kilos so far on this diet but I am still worried about the big belly. Does everyone who is IR go on to develop diabetes?

Health Care Professionals
Before all the high carb foods I had a 24 inch waist - but I was very muscular - proper tomboy, riding, cycling, running about with the dogs, then went climbing and caving, sailing - and I could carry a speaker cabinet in each hand when I took up being a roadie for a folk duo. My diet was all wrong though - far too much fat and protein and too few carbs - the doctors were horrified. They were wrong - I did not need the carbs so they were all stored away and I became heavier with every passing year. Without the carbs I could lose weight, and now I am diagnosed as diabetic no one is going to be able to make me eat carbs again - without them my metabolism becomes as normal as it can be and the diabetes is irrelevant. Perhaps I am just lucky - but after 18 months I can really see that I am changing shape and looking younger so I am pretty sure that it is the right diet for me.
Hopefully there will be a new generation of HCPs who will realize that carbs are not a healthy diet at all.