PCOS and VLCD

[shabbychic86]

Hi I am not sure if this is already a topic but I couldn't find anything
Has anyone with PCOS tried a VLCD diet I have been raiding the internet trying to find information I feel like I have searched every other avenue now the doctor has offered me a referral for a gastric band but I desperately want to avoid this!

I have been TTC for a number of years now with no luck but i can't go through ivf or be given any tablets until I reduce my BMI so this is my last chance now

I just wanted to see if anyone else has had much luck with them

I read on a forum someone having 2 slim fasts and a chunky veg soup a day with plenty of water and was looking into giving this a go but don't want to make myself ill so hoping for any advice

 

[RossiRea4665]

Hi shabbychic, I've just started on the cambridge diet (costs around £42 per week and you have 3 of either shake, porridge or soup) am only on day 6 but so far so good. I googled reviews of CD and PCOS and it seems to be the best option. Have a look on the cambridge/other VLCD and see what you think. I have PCOS although I was able to conceive and have 3 beautiful kids, but I was having problems with carb and sugar craving and all my symptoms were returning. Even after the 6th day, my stomach is shrinking and my spots are lessening-which is a miracle x

 

[lenubienne]

Hi, I also have PCOS and started Exante on Monday. Keeping my fingers crossed for the belly shrinking and that weight loss is consistent. Counting calories just didn't seem to work for me.

 

[SammyB]

I suffer from PCOS and have a TOTM every few years, so almost impossible for me to conceive. In 2004 I lost 5 stone on the Cambridge diet and conceived twins naturally. Now we are trying again I have started Exante (It works just the same but is considerably cheaper). I have been dong this for 5 weeks and lost 33lbs so far...

I would definitely give the low calorie diet a chance before surgery, it isn't easy but we all have a brilliant incentive to stick with it.

 

[MissSmileyBrunette]

Hiya. Im doing slim and save after slow losses on ww and sw. So far lost 18lbs in 3 weeks. Got lots more to lose but I find the lack of carbs is good for me.

 

[deepwaters5]

Hi, I'm doing Lipotrim and have PCOS. Only in week 2 but have lost over a stone and I feel much better also. The diet isn't easy but it's true that if you have a really good incentive to start and remain on the diet, it does make it a bit easier. If you haven't spoken to your doctor about going on one of these diets, you should do that first. They may be able to suggest one that is best for you.

 

[kittyperry]

Hello everyone,

I've got PCOS and just started on the Cambridge Plan yesterday. Moving on to Exante once the packs are done. Only discovered Exante after reading the reviews online for it. Wish I'd known about it before.
Anyway, I'm so desperate to have the weight go down. I'll be 36 on the 9th - so time to sort my body out if hubby and I want to have children, which we do.
Glad to know the VLCD route works.

 

[deepwaters5]

Hey Kittyperry, good luck with your weight loss! I only heard about Exante recently also but it seems that it works the same as a couple of other VLCDs. From experience, I completely agree with you that if you want kids, you should definitely do what you are doing. I waited until around then to start getting help with my infertility and tried a few drugs which didn't help (Clomid, Metformin), then had a surgery and then finally the GYNAE referred us for IVF. By that time I was 39 and my BMI was too high and had no way to lose the weight before my 40th.

 

[kittyperry]

Dear Deepwaters5,

Thank you for your support. I need it so much. My husband is wonderful, but my mother who is nearly 75 just moved in with us. She is so hard to diet around. She doesn't help or support me at all. So... having a constant nagging presence in the house is driving me nuts. Hence the desperate need for online support while hubby is at work and I'm working on my writing in the attic/study.

Yesterday wasn't bad, but I did have a few things to nibble on at night. Note to self. Don't sit at the table while they are eating. But I didn't eat non-protein things, so, having lost the momentum.

Also, can I ask a quick question? What are the best times to have the packs/bars/shakes etc.? How do I space them out?

Kitty

 

[deepwaters5]

Supposedly you should have the 3 shakes/bars in 3 'meals'. I can't space them out that far tho! Plus I drink coffee and need the 'milk and sugar' from the shake. I have half a packet in my coffee in the morning, around 730/8 and my coffee mug is probably twice the size of a normal one. Any more than half a shake in that would be awful. Then I try to wait at least 4 hours and have the other half in another coffee. Around 3, same again, with a new packet. Depending on the weather, sometimes I blend these with ice and cold water. When my husband eats his dinner I have my chicken soup which I put in an over-sized mug and then before bed I have my last half of chocolate shake as 'hot cocoa'. I partly feel justified doing this because I read somewhere that with PCOS, it's really good to eat small amounts/meals every few hours as it helps the metabolism. Anyway, that means I have something at least every 4 hours and I find that manageable. Drinking lots of water really helps and if you like certain teas, drink those too as it helps to have another flavour when you feel a bit hungry. I'm in week 3, yay!, and still get a little hungry but I just try to think of all the reasons I want to stay on the diet. Sorry your mother isn't much support, but just remember you're doing it for you, not her.

 

[kittyperry]

I have half a packet in my coffee in the morning, around 730/8 and my coffee mug is probably twice the size of a normal one. Any more than half a shake in that would be awful. Then I try to wait at least 4 hours and have the other half in another coffee. Around 3, same again, with a new packet. Depending on the weather, sometimes I blend these with ice and cold water. When my husband eats his dinner I have my chicken soup which I put in an over-sized mug and then before bed I have my last half of chocolate shake as 'hot cocoa'. I partly feel justified doing this because I read somewhere that with PCOS, it's really good to eat small amounts/meals every few hours as it helps the metabolism. Anyway, that means I have something at least every 4 hours and I find that manageable. Drinking lots of water really helps and if you like certain teas, drink those too as it helps to have another flavour when you feel a bit hungry. I'm in week 3, yay!, and still get a little hungry but I just try to think of all the reasons I want to stay on the diet.

Hello deepwaters5,
Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you.

Thank you so much for the advice. I shall definitely try to break my shakes in half tomorrow and also cut my bar in half so that I have 6 little meals instead of the 3. I agree - it is hard to go for so long without food. I'm starving today after having spent the weekend with the in-laws. I didn't fall of the wagon, but I did eat protein and salad, so now I guess I've got my body expecting food again. Oh well.

At least I did lose weight over the weekend.

 

[deepwaters5]

Kittyperry, good for you to sticking to it as much as you did! I haven't been 100% this weekend either but have tried to stick to protein also. I knew it was a mistake to eat anything though because I'm back to feeling like I HAVE to eat, NEED to eat. Gah.

 

[kittyperry]

... because I'm back to feeling like I HAVE to eat, NEED to eat. Gah.

Hi Deepwaters5,

Tell me about it. I was starving last night so just had an extra bar to tide me over.

I've also had a bit of prawn omlette this afternoon - not a lot, but enough to be more than one bite to taste Oh well. I didn't have a lot, its all protein and hopefully the rest of the day will be better. I guess we are in a hour by hour, minute by minute struggle, and each victory is important.

 

[deepwaters5]

That's not a bad way of looking at it. If I think about how long I'll be doing this diet... yikes! But I do like to think how much weight I'll lose and how much better I'll feel. In the meantime.... must get through each day, hopefully without eating.
Have you switched to Exante now?

 

[kittyperry]

Have you switched to Exante now?

I've been switching between the two. Really enjoying the Exante products for some reason. But my last CD pack is going to be the vegetable soup tonight for dinner. You can tell it was the one I liked the least because it is the only one left

From tomorrow I'll be Exante all the way.

Just went upstairs and tried on two frocks I've got in size 16. I wore one in May to a concert at the Bridgewater Hall and I looked like a sausage. My husband had to do up the zip. The other I wore on my birthday on the 9th - again the sausage look was in evidence. Today, both fit really well. I could do up the zip in my cobalt blue cotton one and the flirty floral one looked really nice. I'm so over the moon. That was a mini target - to be able to wear the pretty frocks in size 16 and I've got it. And I only began doing the VLCD plan on the 6th of June. Not bad at all. That means I've lost nearly a stone in 2 weeks.

 

[deepwaters5]

That's awesome! And should help with the motivation too!

 

[kittyperry]

That's awesome! And should help with the motivation too!

Thanks. I'm really pleased and you're right. It did help. I was a complete 100% on plan yesterday and today is shaping out to be a 100% day too. Other diets were so slow because of the PCOS. I know on Slimming World I'd be lucky to get 2lbs a week. This seems miraculous.

 

[deepwaters5]

Did you do OK yesterday? I did 100% for 3 weeks. On week 5 now... Only having chicken and I've tried to up my water intake as well. I've been thinking about switching to S&S but not sure if the weight loss would be at the same rate.

 

[slimming-girl]

Yes the weight loss rate is around the same on slim and save and it makes a nice change to have meals that are vlcd I liked spicy spag Bol and the spag Bol. I don't do that now as I needed to wean off vlcd it became too much of a danger chain of carb loading and starving. But if you can keep motivated keep it up

 

[deepwaters5]

Thanks slimming girl. I kept looking for people's weight loss that did s&s but could only find a few. I started S&S fully yesterday (altho I have some LT left) and get pretty full eating the soup and meals packs. Plus I get to have veg! I figure I will try it for a few weeks and see how my weight loss is as people are different.