Hi pecklez, a sense of constant deprivation gets a bit depressing can definitely chip away at your will power to persist with a diet! In answer to your question about cutting carbs on the non fast days, as a rule reduce them if you can, but dont worry about the odd indulgences. In terms of indulgence, it is Ok to use a bit of healthy fat, like olive oil, to help make food more palatable eg in dressings for salads etc. Fat has little effect on insulin resistance as it is metabolised differently. Do keep let us know how you get on. Your insulin resistance associated with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is likely to respond well to intermittent fasting. Hopefully other associated symptoms will improve too. All the best and I hope this diet works for you. Clare, Mike’s wife (I’m also a GP)

How are you getting on peclez?

This is very interesting, as I’m also a PCOS sufferer. I’ve been trying out the 5:2 plan for 2 weeks, and it is surprisingly easy and does make me feel better. I went to my GP to have complete blood works done before I started the diet, and will go back in 3 months to see if blood values have changed.

Unfortunately, I’m way beyond insulin resistance – I was diagnosed with diabetes II about 2 years ago (I don’t use insulin, but Metformin and Victoza). However, I’m very hopeful that I’ll be able to reduce my medication, and maybe even discontinue the medication altogether if the 5:2 plan works for me…

Hi all my daughter who is 32 years old has PCOS & insulin resistance & has had both conditions for many years. Controlling her weight has been & still is very difficult. She’s tried all the “usual” diets but they invariably don’t work particularly well for her. So, when she read about the 5 & 2 diet it seemed such a change from what’s she’s done in the past that she thought it was worth a try. Results?…..doing 5 & 2 gave her a small weight loss for a few weeks but then the weight loss stopped completely. So she moved onto 3 days of fasting per week. This way she has lost weight but only at the rate of 1lb per week & some wks no weight loss at all. To say that on non-fasting days you can eat “anything” & still lose weight I think is somewhat misleading. This diet obviously works well for “normal” people but those with a double whammy of insulin resistance & PCOS it’s really not quite that simple & my feeling is that even on the non fasting days you need to be very careful of what you eat

Hi marmitewasere. I’m 39 and have PCOS,Endometriosis and thyroid problems. A few months back I was doing really well losing weight eating 800 to a 1000 calories a day. I was under a dietician and she concluded that I must have a really slow metabolism to eat so few calories. The problem was I couldn’t sustain it long term. It was boring and really hard. Like you I often felt foggy headed and had thinning hair. It wasn’t till a few years later they told me I had Graves disease which affects the thyroid and also a severe wheat intolerance. Keep trying with your Dr and if you don’t get anywhere with him, is there another doctor at your practice? My doctor was brilliant but it took him a long time to sort out my issues. I think he quite enjoyed the challenge to be honest.My insulin levels after fasting were 5.8 which my new dr (old one retired) said was fine??? I find if I cut as much sugar as I can from my diet that I feel a lot better in myself,and not so lethargic.I also take magnesium which helps a lot.I don’t know if this helps at all.

Hi
I have been on the Fast Diet 2 weeks now. I have lost 2lbs. The best part for me though is I have lost inches from my bust, tummy and bottom. I am able to get in to trousers that didn’t fit 3 months ago. On non fast days I am keeping to my 2000 calories and eating more healthily. I still have some chocolate here and there but don’t have a craving for it as I did before. Apart from walking the dogs, I don’t do any other exercise, so will look at increasing that. I have had PCOS for about 10 years now. I am feeling so much better in myself, less lethargic and I feel generally brighter. Hope everyone else is doing well.

Hello all posters before this. Seems we have a lot in common, I too was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last year, and obvious insulin resistance. I am on Metformin also. My question for Clare (Mikes doctor wife) is, how come I can get hypoglycaemia on a non-fast day, when I am having three good meals a day, yet I can fast up till dinner time (5.30 – 6pm) on my fast days, and I don’t go hypo? In fact my blood glucose rarely dips below 5.2. I feel myself that if I don’t press the ‘start’ button by eating in the morning…my body seems to revert to normal blood glucose levels. I was diagnosed Diabetic with an HbA1c of 7.2 last year and got it down to 6.2 over 6 months with a strict (if unsustainable) low carb diet. This entails eating more protein than really healthy, so I hope adherence to the 5:2 suits me better. Any other diabetics have an interesting account to tell?

Hi stephrcart good to hear that fertility and weight has not been a problem for you. Thanks for sharing your observation that your cycle has returned to normal with intermittent fasting despite having been thinner in the past and remaining irregular. I guess that as PCOS is part of a metabolic syndrome and given the evidence that the metabolic benefits of intermittent fasting go beyond simply those related directly to the weight loss, this is not entirely surprising. Ie the intermittent fasting is known to help to correct the metabolic syndrome . Great to hear that you are feeling better to! Well done for sticking to it & I hope your husband is reaping the benefits of the 5:2 too!

Hi I have just started the plan? Did my first fast day (36hours) yesterday and feel that I can adjust to this way of life. I was diagnosed with pcos 6 years ago I am 38 and have an 11 year old daughter. In 2005 I had my right ovary and part of my left ovary removed due tp dermoid cysts, docs told me I may still be able to conceive but after years of trying still no joy. Just wondering really if any success stories from other sufferers. Ps. So weird on the day after my first fast day I can’t even finish a cup of tea, couple of sips and I am done! Hope I dont lose my appetite altogether! !

Hi, I’m on my 3rd week and hoping for an improvement general wellbeing (losing weight would be a bonus).

I was diagnosed 4 years ago in my mid 40s but told by the specialist that PCOS and a genetic disorder for androgens that it had been there since puberty. I lost 20kg with medications to treat it, but gained 10kg back after my gall bladder surgery last April.

Thankfully I didn’t slip over the line to Type 2 diabetes but I want to make sure that I dont. Which is why I’m willing to stick with intermittent fasting even if my weight loss is very slow.

I was wondering how you’re going?

Hi Vienneshish
My husband was injecting insulin daily and had very erratic BS readings for years before he started 5:2 just over a year ago.
Within weeks he was reducing his insulin (using none on fast days). He lost 30kg in a year and uses only 1 Metaformin tab a day. No insulin injections. He takes his BS level and records every morning. When he first went on the diet he took it 4 times a day to record what was happening. Within 2 weeks he was reducing his insulin. He is a scientist and was very careful to watch trends and relationships between what and how much he ate and his BS readings. He adjusted the insulin and Metaformin accordingly.
His blood sugar levels are now consistently low and very steady. He is a new man.
His insulin sensitivity seems to have restarted with this change in diet.
He realises he will have to continue doing 2 days fasts every week for life to ensure his body stays healthy, but it is nothing compared with having full blown uncontrolled diabetes.
It really works.
All the best PVE

Thanks Dummerchen and Purple Vegie Eater,
that is really encouraging! 🙂

I do not expect to drop 10kg over night, but I need the scale to show a downwards trend over time. I know I can stick to this long term if I see success, so I really hope this is the solution for me.

All the best!

@arla oh, I hope you find some other way of coping with PCOS. I am 40 (almost 41), have had PCOS for ages (since mid-20s) and have been struggling with my weight on and off for a while. I am at my heaviest in the last 10 years – 61 kg, so I decided to give 5:2 a go. I am at the end of my first week (and a half week) – I did not start on Monday. I fitted in 4 fast days (one was back-to-back which was surprisingly easy. Alas, today’s date with the scales was not encouraging:( No improvement yet.

During non-fasting days I am trying to keep to BMR calorie rate (1200); I am not exercising enough, I know (yoga two-three times a week and walking).

I don’t have PCOS, but my understanding is losing weight and exercise helps your body get back to where it needs to be.

If new to the 5:2 fasting plan, following this way of eating should help.

Lovika, the 5:2 plan is simple. Two days a week you only eat 1/4 of your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), which you can calculate with the calculator on the home page. This is usually 5 to 6 hundred calories for average size people. It’s easier than zero calorie fasting by quite a bit, but still pretty challenging. The diet is flexible other than that. Any foods, any days, any time of day is ok. But experience shows that it’s easier to do if you stick to low-cal vegetables and protein foods on fast days because it doesn’t take much fat or many carbs to use up your allotment of calories. On non-fast days try not to overeat too much but many people lose weight without really dieting on non-fast days. You can lose weight faster by fasting 3 days a week.

One of the most reliable side effects of 5:2 is a reduction in insulin resistance. My insulin and blood sugar levels dropped dramatically as soon as I started. And losing weight caused them to drop more. Obviously, this effect should be enhanced if you avoid carbs on fast days and try to limit high glycemic foods on non-fast days, which you should anyway. So it seems an excellent fit for PCOS

@dlroseberry what is this fast day and non fast day? Can you please elaborate. I am New to this,I don’t know anything about this and is there anything specific which I should be eating or shouldn’t be eating.I dnt do much of exercise. I dance when I am free instead of doing exercises.

Hi, Clare,

I suffer from PCOS and I found that in my case I have to do the 4:3 pattern of IF to lose weight and on non-fast days I have to stick to 1200-1300 calories to actually lose weight 🙁
I am concerned about my hair: it is thinning (hardly surprising given the above) – will taking a vitamin supplement daily help with the hair problem or is this a question of giving up the 4:3 ?
I know other people here have the same problem…

Many thanks in advance!
Cat

Hi all,

Like most of us been up & down the scale many times. I am just approaching my 50th birthday. I have 3 auto immune conditions, from Hashimoto’s (underactive thyroid caused by last pregnancy), also coeliac (gluten free) and glucose intolerant, diabetes usually is the third member of the group to join Hashimoto’s & coeliac. Considering that I feel very well. I am trying to swim 5 times a week and do lots of walking as work from home as website designer so sat on my butt a fair bit.

There seems to have been a change of thought with Drs regarding Thyroxin and my dose was dropped from 225mg to 100mg last year and I put back on the 20lb I had lost such a pain in the butt. They have now put it back up to 150mg as far too low.

I have always done low carb high fat which suits me as I never eat processed food cook everything from scratch, the most time consuming being when I crave scampi and have to hand breadcrumb each piece individually. LOL

Although I usually eat a high fat diet I do have low cholesterol

Lately low carb does not seem to be working as well so I have moved over to the 5:2 diet. I was horrified when I started counting calories and did not realise how much I had been eating. I have lost 12lb in 5 weeks but on my fasting days I have had an upset tummy which I think may be done to metformin I take for glucose intolerance/insulin resistance .

Kathy

Hi Clare

Did not take metformin at breakfast just dinner and tummy was fine. I am not diabetic more pred diabetic as my family are and I have 2 of the auto immune and this one usually goes hand in hand .

I have always though carbs are not great for you and the cause of most problems to do with over weight.

Fasting today was an easy one, very pleases about

Kathy

Just been reading all your interesting comments. What is PCOS? I have impaired fasting glycaemia so I am looking forward to an improvement in my blood sugar level. They have already droped from 6.1 to 5.6 after 2 weeks on 5.2 diet.

5:2 diet going well but haven’t been always fasting 2 days a week as we have been away for a few weekends and I did have more to eat than I should have done but my weight is still going down very slowly and it is fabulous to see. I had very bad headaches at first when I was fasting but they seem to be getting much better now my body is getting more used to fasting. I have dieted on and off for 40 years and have always struggled maintaining my weight. This is the first time in my life that I feel I will be able to maintain my weight once I get down to target weight my fasting for one day every week. I have just recently realised that there is so much sugar in fruit and yoghurts. they were my staple diet on a weight watchers diet. No wonder I found it very difficult to lose weight. I am still struggling with trying to keep my daily sugar level to 24g. I always thought that fruit was good for you, I have just posted a comment in the general health section asking how other people manage. I am only just realising that I may need to be very strict over what fruit I eat instead of eating as and when I want. How much fruit do others eat per day? I no longer eat pineapples, melon or grapes. Looking forward to your comments, its fabulous to have this support.

Fruit is good for you! Unsweetened yoghurt is good for you! Just cut out the refined sugars.

Unless you are on a low carb diet, you don’t need to worry about the sugars in fruit and dairy. It annoys the pants of me that refined sugar and fruit have been conflated.

Watch carbs not sugars if you are counting on mfp. There are many ways to reduce your carbs before its necessary to cut out fruit and yoghurt. Cut down on bread, rice, pasta, all sweets, chocolate, ice-cream, cake, dried fruit, tomato sauce, bottled salad dressings, process foods of any type, packaged cereals, even oats.

I suggest keeping fruit in your diet as long as possible for the value of the sweetness. If you cut out all sweetness you will probably miss it.

And i still find the easiest way to get my calcium is via milk and yoghurt and cheese.

I’m very interested in this diet and in particular using it in conjunction with doing Slimming World on the 5 days – in fact Slimming World itself have now introduced an additional element to their traditional plan where you focus on eating protein and speed foods a couple of days a week to boost weight loss – by eliminating carbs, it reduces the calories significantly.

My reason for posting is that I’ve been reading how many of the women with PCOS +/- IR are finding that they have to cut calories on their non-fast days, way below their BMR and there is a good reason for this. If you have PCOS (with or without IR), your BMR is significantly reduced.

A 2008 Greek study “Basal metabolic rate is decreased in women with polycystic ovary syndrome and biochemical hyperandrogenemia and is associated with insulin resistance” concluded that:

“Adjusted BMR was 1,868 +/- 41 kcal/day in the control group, 1,445.57 +/- 76 in all PCOS women, 1,590 +/- 130 in PCOS women without IR and 1,116 +/- 106 in PCOS women with IR.”

This means that if you have PCOS and IR, anything above 1200-1300 cals a day is likely to make you gain weight. I’m not ashamed to say that I cried with relief the first time that I read this. Suddenly everything made sense. So, those of you having to cut cals right down on non-fast days or having to do 4:3 – this is why.

You are not alone xx

Hi, I have been doing the 5:2 for 1 month now and have had good results so far – 4 kg (which I think is around 8 pounds). I have polycystic ovaries, insulin resistance (managed with metformin) and an under active thyroid. Am really hoping I can keep this diet as like many I have tried and failed so many times in the past. I have a lot to lose – around 60kg. I find I am ok with the fasting during weekdays when I am distracted at work but go a bit crazy on weekends! I am still losing at the moment even with the weekend binging but I guess the weight loss may slow down as I shed the kg….

Hi mbiston, firstly I am sorry to hear about your miscarriages and hope that your third pregnancy went smoothly.I am not clear whether you are fasting mainly for health or for weight reasons so I have put together some general information & links for you on PCOS, insulin resistance and increased miscarriage rates. Sorry for the long post!

Research shows that obesity is associated with increased risk of first trimester and recurrent miscarriage. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/19/7/1644.short
And obese women, particularly those with central obesity, are less likely to conceive per cycle. http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/140/3/347.abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common form of female infertility in the United States. In addition to poor conception rates, pregnancy loss rates are high (30–50%) during the first trimester. (Rates are lower in the UK) http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jcem.87.2.8207

Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia in people with PCOS is associated with raised plasma homocysteine levels, regardless of body weight. This finding may have important implications in the short term regarding reproductive performance, and in the long term regarding cardiovascular complications associated with insulin‐resistant PCOS. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/4/721.short

There is also evidence that insulin resistance/hyerinsulinaemia is often increased in 40% of women with PCOS. The underlying mechanism in the development of PCOS remains unclear. A retrospective study done in 2001 looked at whether it contributes to early pregnancy loss in PCOS. They found that decreasing hyperinsulinemic insulin resistance with metformin during pregnancy appeared to significantly reduce the rate of early pregnancy loss. http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jcem.87.2.8207
This confirms the negative effect of high levels of insulin which appears to lead to low levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, hyperandrogenaemia and high levels of free insulin-like growth factor 1.

It is known that obesity reduces successful pregnancy rates in both natural and assisted conception cycles. In addition, weight loss through lifestyle modification or bariatric surgery has been demonstrated to restore menstrual cycles and ovulation and improve the likelihood of conception.

The metabolic syndrome involved in obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with subfertility. Glucose metabolism has been proven to be important for the preparation of the endometrium for embryo implantation. And the loss of as little as 5% of body weight is accompanied by an increase in ovulation rates and reduces biochemical abnormalities. http://www.reproduction-online.org/content/140/3/343.full

According to an article in Reproduction in 2010, the increased insulin resistance in obese pregnant women leads not only to pregnancy complications for the mother, but also greater growth and disproportionally greater fat mass for the baby at birth and in later life.

There are metabolic alterations during pregnancy that result in a 60% decrease in insulin sensitivity ie greater insulin resistance resulting in overweight and obese women being at increased risk of metabolic problems during pregnancy, i.e. gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and fetal overgrowth.

A review in Reproduction by Catalano in 2010 suggests that “pregnancy can be considered as a metabolic stress test for the future risk of the metabolic syndrome.” And that Lifestyle measures are likely to “not only have short- and long-term benefits for the woman, but also for her offspring as well.”

So if you have PCOS & are overweight, it may be that by reducing weight & so reducing insulin resistance, you may be able to improve conception rates and outcome of pregnancy. The best time to do this is likely to be prior to conception. This could be done through intermittent fasting and a low carbohydrate diet. Once pregnant, it would make sense to consider maintaining a diet low in refined carbohydrates (to reduce insulin levels and insulin resistance), whilst maintaining a good protein and non-starchy vegetable intake.

I hope this helps answer you question
all the best
Clare

Just start the fast diet a week ago (introduced myself in the NZers thread). I was obese but just shot down to the overweight category in 7 days on fasting (alternate days) shifting to 5:2 as 7Kg in a week is amazing but too fast. Am reducing my metformin (talking to GP tomorrow) as I started getting diahorea and stomach symptoms similar to when I started taking it originally. Suspect the insulin resistance (or at least the blood glucose) is already improved.

Cannot believe how the ‘brain fog’ I have been living in has completely gone. I have never found a way of eating that allowed me to lose weight and didn’t make me miserable or take a huge amount of will power. Hoping for a steady weight loss and a reduction in asthma symptoms too.