PCOS / Insulin Resistance

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  • I was diagnosed with PCOS/insulin resistance 15 years ago and have been cutting carbohydrates to loose weight on and off ever since. The reason I decided to try this diet is because I have grown tired of high protein, low carbohydrate diets, and the feeling of deprivation they give me, so I was hoping this strategy of eating would allow me the variety I crave in my diet. I’m also very social and hate to be the girl who can’t eat the cake at every party. If I do the 5:2 fasting, do I still need to cut carbs on non fast days to see weight loss?

    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)

    Ok. Thank you for the clarification Clare. I will keep you posted.

    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…

    Hello I just started the diet today. I have PCOS, I was diagnosed about 10 years ago. I was taking Metformin but came off it as it made feel sick. I lost 9lbs just by reducing my calorie intake, but thought I would give this a try. I am hoping that by losing weight it will help with some of the other problems I have (facial hair).
    Would like to hear how others who have PCOS are doing.

    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

    Really interested to see how this goes, unfortunately the Drs haven’t got a clue what’s going on with me, I’ve suffered from hair thinning, receding hairline,acne rosacea menopausal waistline regardless of how fat/thin i am (from the age of 27, i’m now 35)belly fat that I just cant shift, brain fog, extreme lethargy and blood tests showed high androgen levels. Sadly my GP said well you can’t have PCOS because you’re pregnant so I have no idea why your androgen levels are high! I’ve just had my second child and the pregnancy was awful, I felt terrible the whole time and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 27 weeks (although I wonder if, I may have had insulin issues and undiagnosed PCOS before). Sadly my baby had to be delivered at 35 weeks due to a heart rhythm problem that was not spotted (he’s on medication) but I can’t help but wonder if his heart problem was caused by PCOS/Insulin resistance and high blood sugar at conception and early pregnancy and high androgen levels. I want another child but am clearly terrified of a repeat of this experience so I am praying that 5:2 is the answer to the problems and questions I have had since my early 20s. Still no diagnosis though, I feel like I’m going mad. Anyone else had the above symptoms and actually managed to get a diagnosis?!

    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’m really new to The Fast Diet and I too have PCOS and so I am looking forward to seeing how this diet/life plan works out for me. The main problem I’ve had with all the other diets is getting demotivated. I am only 2 weeks in but still feeling positive and have seen a 2 pound weight loss so far. I find the idea of having anything I want, IF I want it on a ‘feast’ day, much easier to deal with.
    I’m 30 and currently weigh 12 stone at 5’6″ so not majorly overweight, but enough to not feel very comfortable and to make my legs hurt a-lot in the summer when they rub together! Haha. Luckily I don’t suffer some of the other more noticable problems associated with PCOS now i’m out of my teens.
    I am interested to know if people with PCOS can still lose weight while eating some ‘naughty’ stuff too as I find it so hard to resist.

    I Look forward to being inspired by you all and hearing how you are getting on. x

    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.

    Hi, so just to update, It turns out that I think I will have to follow a normal low GI diet for the non fast days to see this working as I am now stuck at only a 2 pound weight loss. I haven’t been going mad, but I havent been counting on non fast days like the book says. Has anyone else found they have to do a special diet on the non fast days?

    How are you getting on?

    Is anyone here around my age (30) with PCOS out of interest?

    x

    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, I just wanted to write a quick post to let anyone with PCOS know about my experience. I am 35 and always been within my BMI or slightly over. I have never had regular cycles in my entire life. I very luckily got pregnant after just 2 months of trying when I was 28 but I was near the bottom of my BMI – still no regular cycle however. My second child came along after nearly 2 years of trying – still no regular cycle. I lost a lot of weight and as soon as I was back to the weight I was at 28, got pregnant. My youngest is nearly two now and fertility is not a concern, however, my husband started the 5:2 diet about 8 months ago due to male diabetes running in his family. He convinced my to try it. Well, I’ve been on it for 5 months and guess what??? 5 regular periods – for the first time. I can’t tell you how much better I feel, even though I have been much thinner in the past. It’s almost like this is exactly how my body wants to be and had I know about this sooner, could have avoided much heartache when trying for my second and life in general would have been easier to plan. Don’t know if I’m an anomaly or whether most PCOS sufferers would experience something similar but it’s been pretty amazing for me. I actually can’t believe it each month!!!

    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!

    mermaid apologies for delay in reply over the summer – how are you getting on? i would hope your HbA1c has improved with IF. Curious to get the hypos whilst eating regularly as hypoglycaemia generally doesn’t occur with Metformin and particularly when you are eating. When did you check your blood sugars during on the non fast day? I wouldn’t expect you to get hypos on the fast day either. It does sounds as if you are finding a healthier eating pattern and wonderful to see that this is showing in your results. In non diabetics who fast the blood sugar drops steadily and then settles at a fairly steady average blood glucose around 5.
    There is increasing evidence that IF will reduce insulin resistance and improve type 2 diabetes. Do let us know how things are going

    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! !

    I just found this forum and kells75 I wanted to share with you I am also 38 and have had one ovary removed. I Wanted to share that we all have several things in common and others that are not. But the one thing is that we need to become healthy. I have been on a directed plan since 05/2013 so for 7 months and I have lost 30#. My plan is a little different than 5:2 in that OB/GYN has me alter each day! 500/1200. I can’t even start to tell you all how well I am compared to the spring. STICK with it! IT works so well for PCOS Insulin resistance/ metabolic conditions. Share the joy of a healthier body.
    I still have 20# to go but I will get there as my body adjusts to it self and will love the new me even more.

    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 all.
    I am 35 (in 2 days 😉 and have been diagnosed with insulin resitance and some of the symptoms of PCOS.
    After struggling with my weight for a while a doctor gave me Metformin a few years back and in combination with a low carb diet I have lost weight. I did not want to be on mediaction long term, so I stopped and kept the low carb/low calorie thing going with moderate success to keep the weight down.

    I recently became vegtarian but still kept doing low carb, eating healthy and going to the gym on a regular basis, however my weight has increased over the last year and I am at an all-time high and my cellulite got worse, so depressing…

    I really do not want to go on meds, but I do want to lose 10kg and firm up.
    I am in my first week of The Fast Diet now and feel very motivated. I keep eating what I consider “normal” (few and no refined grains, no sugar, few starches, no meat, no processed foods, etc) on non-fast days.

    I would love to hear if some of you with IR or PCOS have sticked to 5:2 for a while and seen some sucess? I really hope you do…

    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

    viennesish, I do not have PCOS but serious insulin resistance, so serious I was diagnosed with type II diabetes a few years ago. When I found the 5:2 earlier this year I had the immediate idea that fasting could break the cycle of eating – insulin – insulin resistance – hunger – more eating – more insulin – more insulin resistance ….

    I had my bloods done before I started, HbA1c was 63 and the diabetic nurse gave me Metformin. Within a few weeks I stopped taking Metformin as I felt shaky and faint about an hour after taking it. (Thanks to NHS rules, a diabetic early in his career, on only one medication and without complications is not allowed to take an interest in active disease management and therefore not allowed a blood glucose meter. I had to guess that it might be my glucose level and insulin resistance improving that caused this effect.)
    Three months in I had my bloods repeated: HbA1c is now 48, without medication. We will check again in 3 months to see what is happening but I am already happy with this result as I can maintain this lifestyle until the cows come home.

    Oh, my weight loss varies. Some weeks I lose more than a pound, some weeks I lose nothing. The weirdest weeks were in April when the scales said I put on 1 kg, but my waist shrank by 1 cm and the body fat came down 2%. Something was going in the right direction I guess.

    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!

    I had to stop 5:2 after 3 months as I had lost nothing and the results of blood tests were heading in the wrong direction (and I’d gained 6cm in my waist in that time). I hope it’s successful for you @viennesish as I know I’m not typical of results.

    @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).

    Hi
    I am 22 yrs old and have been diagnosed with PCOS before 2 years.Since then I have been gaining weight.I have gained around 15 kgs.Can anybody tell me how to redcue weight faster.

    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.

    Can somebody please tell me what is this 5:2 diet plan?
    I really need to loose weight.please 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

    Hi and welcome lovika:

    The way 5:2 works is you go to bed, get up, eat 500 or fewer calories during your waking hours, go to bed, get up and eat to your TDEE or less – twice a week. On all 7 days of the week you can eat foods you want to eat – there are no forbidden foods, or foods you have to eat. For the first month or so focus on doing your diet days correctly (500 calories or less) and most everything else will fall into place.

    Here is what TDEE means: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

    And here are some tips for beginners: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/warnings-to-newbies/

    There are books and other stuff, but you now have everything you need to get started.

    Good Luck!

    @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.

    A “Fast Day” means the two days a week when you eat 500 calories – mostly in an evening meal.

    A “non Fast Day” are the other 5 days of the week when you eat up to your TDEE. (explained here: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/).

    To learn more, go to the main site http://thefastdiet.co.uk/ and read all the pages. There are books you can purchase that explain the diet, but simcoeluv explained the basics very well in a posting right above this.

    There are not many rules to follow.

    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 Cat – Sorry to hear about your concerns about thinning of your hair. There are a host of possible causes but it can be associated with low levels of thyroid hormone and also with metabolic syndrome and PCOS. So it may be worth considering getting your hormone levels checked by your GP and at the same time check your full blood count to make sure you are not anaemic/lacking in iron.
    A low dose of multivitamins for a few months might help and make sure that you are eating enough protein and getting a varied diet. Frustratingly in many cases no cause is found, but often it is temporary and hair regrows over a matter of months.
    Good luck and I hope intermittent fasting helps your reach your target weight and improves your PCOS.
    Clare

    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 Kathyr

    Sounds like you have done fantastically to have lost 12 lb in the past 5 weeks! As a lot of the weight tends to be lost from around your middle and some if it will be from within your liver and pancreas I would expect your pancreas to become more efficient again and your blood sugars to improve. And well done for increasing your exercise as this should help too.

    I don’t know what your blood sugars are but would it be worth reducing your Metformin or even stopping it on your fast days to see if this settles your tummy? Are you on other medication for your diabetes?
    Wise to continue to stick to the carb diet if you can, with moderate fat intake. The evidence seems to point to refined carbs as one of the main culprits rather than fat! (though obviously fat is pretty calorie dense)
    You might find Mikes recent article on the fat vs carbs debate interesting

    http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/article4135690.ece

    good luck and interested to see if your blood sugar and HbA1C improves
    Clare

    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

    Hi Kathy – delighted to hear that your fast day was easy. Keep us posted as to how you get on!

    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.

    PCOS is Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome is the most common hormone problem of women of reproductive age. It is a hormone imbalance often associated with some or all of the following; acne, menstrual/fertility problems & excess hair and often also involves some degree of metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes and raised blood lipids). Improving diet, reducing weight and doing more exercise can often have a significant benefit in improving the metabolic syndrome/impaired fasting glycaemia and also reduce some or all of the symptoms of PCOS.
    For women who are overweight, successful weight loss is seen as the best way to reverse the symptoms of PCOS. Intermittent fasting would be a good option, ideally also reducing refined carbohydrates on non-fasting days if possible.
    Shadow that is really good news to see your fasting blood sugars dropping from 6.1 to 5.6 after only 2 weeks on the 5:2. Well done & I hope it works for you. Keep us updated!

    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.

    Clare we are not able to read that article unless we have a subscription. Could it be copied over to this site please?

    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.

    Hello all,
    I have PCOS and have just found this site/diet. I’m 27 and have majority of the PCOS symptoms. I’m looking for advice from other women who are on the diet and if it worked for you? Also if you did this in conjunction with medication or specific eating on the ‘not fasting’ days? I take metformin however the side affects (mostly nausea/toilet related) are becoming overwhelming. Any advice greatly appreciated 🙂
    Thank you,
    Bec

    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 everyone. It is great to hear all of your stories.

    I am 40 years old and I was diagnosed with PCOS about 18 months ago. I was prescribed Metformin and while that has helped, I know that carrying excess weight only exacerbates the symptoms of PCOS. I was on a VERY low-carb diet last year and I lost 21lbs but the diet was very restrictive and completely unsustainable and, inevitably, I ended up gaining that weight back on (plus a few lbs over Christmas for good measure!)

    However, I tried the 5:2 and I am delighted with the results so far – 11lbs down. I did 4:3 for the first two or three weeks to try to ‘kickstart’ my weight loss as none of my work clothes were fitting me! I think that those of us with PCOS may lose weight more slowly than others, especially the ‘stubborn fat’ around the middle, but the 5:2 will produce results, I think, as long as you persevere and eat a bit less than the TDEE on most (not necessarily all) of your non-fasting days.

    By the way, thank you for that study angelmouse75 – it makes a lot of sense!

    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 Clare – do you know anything about the links between insulin resistance and miscarriage rates? I was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 22 (I am now 29) and after 4 miscarriages I am very interested in some of the research I have found between the links of miscarriages/pcos/insulin. My Drs can’t really answer me and I decided to continue metformin throughout my 3rd pregnancy due to the research I found online which states it reduces mc rate dramatically.
    Anyway, I know the 5:2 diet can improve insulin resistance? Are you able to tell me anything regarding insulin in pregnancy? Should I continue the 5:2 diet when pregnant if insulin resistance could have caused mc before?
    Thanks

    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

    Hi there, PCOS does not go away when you are pregnant. Seriously think about getting a new doctor! You have an awful lot of the symptoms. My hair grew back on spironolactone (also take metformin) you can ask for it once you have finished breast feeding.

    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.

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