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Re: Am I I.R. because I'm fat, or am I fat because I'm I.R?
From: kena (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 11 Mar 2001 16:12:45 -0600 (CST)
Hi Kathy, I was diagnosed w/PCOS about 3 years ago - this year I
actually decided to take charge and try to control my condition. I
understand whole heartedly the sugar addiction, as I have it. I too
could eat dessert for dinner - sometimes it serves as breakfast and
lunch too. Without a doubt this is an unhealthy habit and needs to be
broken. Based on my resent research, women with Insulin Resistance
should try a low carb diet of some sort to help alleviate the symptoms,
this should also aid with weight loss. I'm not sure what diet I'm going
to try but am anxious to start this lifestyle change. What are your
plans? Has your doctor put you on any type of medicine to help with the
IR? Anyway, know that you are not alone and that there are alot of women
battling the same things you are. Good Luck!
At Sun, 11 Mar 2001, Christine DeZarn wrote:
>
>Hi Kathy,
>
>Well, we are all different, metabolically, but the most common school of
>thought with PCOS is that it is the insulin resistance that initially leads
>to the storage of fat. But then as we get heavier, the fat can contribute
>further to the insulin resistance. In other words, it may be a vicious
>cycle. According to this principle, you will probably always be resistant
>to insulin, but you can improve your insulin response somewhat as you lose
>the weight.
>
>It's not surprising that the "weigh-down" diet did not provide you with
>permanent results. When you are insulin resistant, you unfortunately can't
>just eat what you want (even if it's just when you are hungry). Counting
>calories alone doesn't work either. When my insulin resistance first kicked
>into overdrive, I gained weight out of control, eating only fat-free granola
>bars and pasta at 800 calories per day. I thought I was doing the right
>thing by eating these "healthy" fat-free foods. My doctor had even made
>these recommendations. Little did I know that I was making it much worse,
>and this permanently damaged my metabolism.
>
>After learning about insulin resistance and changing my lifestyle, I
>successfully lost the weight and have been able to maintain a size 8 for the
>past four years. I take metformin and I follow the Zone diet. I am a
>confirmed choco-holic, so I indulge in chocolate (just a little of the
>supreme Belgian or Swiss variety) every day after lunch. I don't feel
>deprived that way. But a the same time, I don't sit down and eat a whole
>box.
>
>Please don't take this the wrong way - I don't mean it as criticism at all.
>But from my experience, one of the worst things I could do would be to sit
>down and eat a dessert on an empty stomach. Here's what has happened to me
>when I have done this. First, I get a "sugar high". I feel great for a
>half hour or so. But then I start to get a dull headache, which I often try
>to cure with caffeine if I am not at home and I need to stay awake. Without
>the caffeine, I start to get sleepy and I want a nap at about the 1-hour
>point. Regardless of the caffeine, if I am not home where I can crawl in
>bed, I get cranky and irritable. I am mean to my husband for any little
>infraction (like not turning on his turn signal soon enough, or something
>little like that). I cry easily and I am very sensitive to anything that
>can be vaguely construed as criticism. At the 2-hour mark, then I am
>starving to death and I wand FOOD! I am a little spacey, and I don't think
>real clearly.
>
>This whole chain of events I describe is indicative of insulin resistance.
>Does it sound familiar? If so, then you may want to really think about your
>alternatives.
>
>A couple of comments:
>
>The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate diet. In some individuals, this works
>by releasing stored fat, but it can also lead to degeneration of other
>tissues in the body (muscle, organ, connective, bone) if the induction phase
>is followed for more than the recommended time. It can be very tempting for
>individuals who respond well initially to want to stay on the induction
>phase of this diet for longer than recommended, just because of the rapid
>weight loss. Thus the trouble begins. You want FAT loss, not WEIGHT loss
>due to degeneration of other types of tissue in your body that you really do
>need to remain healthy. So please be careful, and if you do respond by
>losing weight during the induction phase, still don't continue this phase
>any longer than recommended. You need to move to the next phase where you
>include moderate amounts of carbohydrates in your diet to keep all of the
>tissues in your body healthy. At the same time, you can achieve fat loss,
>but it is not a quick fix. It takes a lot of time to lose fat safely.
>
>Another alternative, reduced-carb diets, are not the same thing as low-carb
>diets. For example, the "Zone" diet derives 40% of each meal and snack from
>carbohydrates. That is not considered to be "low" in carbohydrates
>comparative to Atkins. Yet at the same time, it can reduce insulin response
>by using carbs that are low on the glycemic index and are balanced with
>proportional protein intake to protect your muscles and other tissues. If
>you do not respond well to Atkins, this might be an alternative for you.
>Other diets like the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet and Protein Power have also
>been successful in women with PCOS. Experiment and learn what works for
>you!
>
>Christine
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: anonymous@obgyn.net [mailto:anonymous@obgyn.net Behalf Of kathy doolin
>Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2001 8:35 AM
>To: Multiple recipients of list PCOS
>Subject: Am I I.R. because I'm fat, or am I fat because I'm I.R?
>
>I have lost a lot of weight doing weigh down diet(basically it's eat
>whatever you want, but just when you are hungry). But gained it right
>back. i've started atkins today on the advice of my ob/gyn. my
>question is this: because i have pcos, will i ALWAYS be predisposed to
>insulin resistance,or is the I.R. just because I'm fat? Dr. Atkins
>seems to think the I.R. is because I have always eaten too much sugar.
>I could live off of sugar. When my husband and I go out to eat I only
>eat dessert. So I'm a little worried about this diet, but I am scared
>enough to stick with it. I don't want diabetes or heart problems.
>
>kathy doolin
>
>--
>kathy
>
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