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Newly diagnosed prediabetes, hunger and PCOS

H

Hbomb

Member
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6
Hi,

I've recently been diagnosed with prediabetes which hasn't come as a surprise. I also have PCOS, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I've gone low carb but am constantly hungry. Even when I was a healthy weight I was always hungry, which I suspect was due to insulin resistant PCOS. I have increased my protein, but I don't eat meat (just fish) and have cut out eggs and cheese due to my cholesterol and weight. Just wondering if there is anyone on here with PCOS or other health issues that has any tips on how I can balance my food so as I'm not constantly hungry. I'm making sure I exercise and have sadly yo yo'd with weight my whole life. I just know now I need to make this the last time.
 
Hi, have you been prescribed Metformin? Women that I know with PCOS have found this drug useful in balancing blood glucose levels and reducing hunger.
Also, eggs, although high in cholesterol, have little effect on blood cholesterol levels.
Have you increased your intake of healthy fats e.g. oily fish, avocado, nuts to replace some of the carbohydrate calories and to quell hunger?
 
Hi @Hbomb , and welcome to the forum!
Hbomb said:
I've gone low carb but am constantly hungry.
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Have you checked how much calories you are getting over the day? If you cut out one of the three main macro's (carbs, fats and proteins) you'll need to up something else to get the fuel you need.
Many of us, including myself, found our cholesterol numbers improving with cutting down carbs and upping fats and eggs.
 
Hbomb said:
Hi,
I have increased my protein, but I don't eat meat (just fish) and have cut out eggs and cheese due to my cholesterol and weight..
Click to expand...

There's your answer.
Natural fats don't cause fat.
Your weight is caused by hyper amounts of insulin circulating to cover your carbs.
Reduce carbs, enjoy your dairy.
 
Hi,
Thanks for the quick reply! I know of metformin but the doctor wants to try the natural way first before going down the tablet route. I'm getting tester again in 12 weeks so will see what happens by then.
I didn't know that about eggs! That is a relief to know because I love eggs. Oily fish and avocado I have regularly, but I will add more beans and nuts and see how I go. Thanks for your advice. I hate feeling this hungry!
 

Hi!
Thanks for the insight. That is good to know that I can increase the fats and dairy. I will adjust my macros and find the right balance. Out of curiosity what percentages roughly are your protein/carbs/fats?
 
Ronancastled said:
There's your answer.
Natural fats don't cause fat.
Your weight is caused by hyper amounts of insulin circulating to cover your carbs.
Reduce carbs, enjoy your dairy.
Click to expand...

Enjoy my dairy sounds good to me! Thanks for the advice. I will certainly be adjusting things so as 8 can feel more satisfied.
 
have more of what low carb foods you like. No need to be hungry. Eat until full, then stop.
When I first started my between meal hunger pangs were satisfied by nuts, or full fat greek yoghurt or even a spoonful of double cream. Now I have the balance and quantity of meals right I'm rarely hungry in between
 
Watch out for beans - they are OK for some, but I seem to extract more carbs from them than the listed value. They are also renowned for being gassy - not for me. My gut flora and fauna don't seem to get a look in, which could be why they had such a party when I ate some polyols, aka sugar alcohols.
 
Hbomb said:
Hi!
Thanks for the insight. That is good to know that I can increase the fats and dairy. I will adjust my macros and find the right balance. Out of curiosity what percentages roughly are your protein/carbs/fats?
Click to expand...
I only watch my carbs so I wouldn't know. I simply eat to satiation (or a bit more, I'm no saint and I like food!) on low carb stuff.
 

Hi-
I'm newly diagnosed too and PCOS, high blood pressure and PoTs My endo started me on metformin and spironolactone. Have to say I've not noticed any side effects of the metformin and although I would like to come off it I'm not in any rush to. I have a meeting with him next week so we'll see. I have gone low carb, in fact that was his advice - no bananas, grapes, mango, watermelon, dates, sugary fruit and no bread, pasta, potatoes etc. and I've upped the fat - coconut oil, ghee, avo, cheese etc and also done time restricted eating and found I'm rarely as hungry as I used to be. In fact, if I cheat and eat carbs I am much hungrier that day and the next. Not sure I have too many tips but this forum is such a blessing. A good read around is probably the best advice I can give, oh and for me a continuous glucose monitor was an expensive but worthwhile investment. Seeing exactly what my blood sugar was up to has been a godsend. I didn't know I was having hypo's at night! but just seeing my huge spikes after even a sniff of a carb has helped me stay, or get back, on track.
 
Hi,
Nice to hear from you on here. You can sympathise with the evilness of pcos . I think I will invest in a blood glucose monitor because I need to know what's having an effect. There is so much conflicting advice online that I am glad for this forum. Obviously everyone is different but I read some stupid things online about food. I've set all my macros on my fitness pal and have been planning days in advance which helps.
 
Donought said:
I didn't know I was having hypo's at night! but just seeing my huge spikes after even a sniff of a carb has helped me stay, or get back, on track.
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(Completely off topic, apologies for this, @Hbomb )
Those hypos are only hypos if you confirmed them with a fingerprick test. Glucose sensors are known for being a bit off, especially in the low and very high range.
And wonderful to hear how helpful the insights from a glucose sensor are to you!
 
Indeed, you have my total sympathy. Not sure what your endo has told me but mine mentioned that my blood pressure may well be linked to my insulin resistance. Case in point, I snarfed a McDonald's egg mcmuffin the morning of my endo appointment as I had a feeling I would be told to cut out the carbs, which of course I was. Driving to the endo appointment 3 hrs later my BP was 180/150. Then again, he also said I need to eat every 3 hrs, which I initially ignored but have since discovered he's correct. I can do time restricted eating just fine but once I start eating I need to go every 3 hrs until I stop. I tend to do 10am - 5/6pm.

I've just this week decided to start having a European breakfast so ham, eggs, chillis, nuts, bit of yoghurt and berries and moving my smoothie (no fruit but high fiber - chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, psyllium husks, spinach, coconut milk, avocado) to lunch. This is definitely helping the BG stay level. You're so right that planning meals really does help. And finding nice things you enjoy eating that don't spike you.
 
Yeah I noticed that but mine seemed to be OK early on when wearing it, I would test both - finger prick then look at CGM 15 ins later and it was within about 95-99% accuracy although this tailed off at the end to about 75-95%. I also had a couple of hypos during the day (G&T induced ) and CGM caught it and finger confirmed. I do know what you mean though, I wish the GCM could be 100%.
 
I think by cutting out the sources healthy natural fats, you are simply not eating enough to satisfy your hunger.

I don’t have PCOS myself but T2 is a disease of insulin resistance so it has much in common. Many on here, myself included, have had great success for lowering BG and achieving weight loss with low carb, higher fat. But you do need to ensure that you are replacing the lost carbs with something otherwise you will be hungry and your body will think you are starving, and do its utmost to hang on to whatever fat you currently have. Which is not what many of us desire.

I have lost over 24kg on LCHF without really thinking about weight loss, and without being hungry. Eggs, cheese and double cream are all staples in my diet along with fatty meat (not your preference, I know ) and oily fish and lots of above-ground veg. I think perhaps you need to revisit your previous ideas about dieting and weight loss in the light of new info about low carb, and reassess the risks of healthy fats in your diet. I have done some personal investigation about the effect of dietary fat on cholesterol, and cholesterol on the body and have satisfied myself that most current advice is behind the times and that dietary fat does not affect blood cholesterol or ‘clog up your arteries’.

But I’m sure someone else will be along with references, if that would interest you.

Edit to add - sorry somehow I failed to scroll to the end of the thread, so most of what I have said has already been covered. Oops!
 
Always good to have agreement
 
Hi just wondering if anyone on this thread has any breathing issues along with other symptoms? The beginning of last year I went from being able to to a 10 mile bike ride with no issues, to gasping for air climbing the stairs. I had something viral the end of Jan last year (Dr doesn't know if it was covid or not because they tested for antibodies so late). I'm asthmatic anyway but have never experienced issues like this in my life. It's worrying and I know how all my other issues are related to the cardiovascular system too. I shed very little weight without vigorous cardio, which I can't do anymore. I've been waiting months for a 24 hr heart monitor from the dr/hospital. I had a chest x-ray which was clear. The GP isn't allowed to test for Copd because of covid. I am in limbo. I have another blood glucose test in 12 weeks but can't manage much more than a walk most days. Just wondering if anyone else has had this? I have put weight on this past year but I have been much heavier in the past and not had any of these breathing difficulties. Some days I am okay and others it's like there's a brick on my chest, mucus that is stuck somewhere and air hunger.
 
· https://diatribe.org/reversing-prediabetes-with-intensive-lifestyle-changes

· These lifestyle interventions were linked to positive results: only 6.5% of participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over ten years, and 43.5% of the people in the study achieved prediabetes remission within ten years. Prediabetes remission was defined as “restoration of normal glucose regulation,” or a fasting glucose below 100 mg/dl and two-hour post-meal glucose below 140 mg/dl.

· Based on this data, Dr. Dagogo-Jack argued that type 2 diabetes prevention and prediabetes “reversal” are achievable with lifestyle modification, and both should be primary goals in diabetes care
 
Do you know anything about PCOS??
“Lifestyle changes” are not always enough. One of the symptoms of PCOS is extreme insulin resistance which make it almost impossible to achieve “remission”
Low carb and or Keto can help but weight loss is very difficult.
Please be more thoughtful about what you post and to who.

edited to add, that most studies do not include Women with PCOS.
 
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