insulin resistance and cutting out snacks

[coatesy79]

Hey everyone

I am very new to this site and to the joys of PCOS!
I have been diagnosed as insulin resistant by a consultant. He told me to cut out snacking and to only eat 3 or 4 times a day. Has anyone else been told this?
I am slightly underweight and am trying to put some weight on. Most info I find on websites say eat lots throughout the day but i've been told the complete opposite. My consultant said it is because my blood sugar increases 4 times the "norm" and everytime I eat it will rapidly rise and therefore my insulin will too and if i don't let it get back to base level before eating ,my insulin throughout the day will just continue to rise and rise and will the end the day way up. i'm confused!

Hope that all makes sense!

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[Annoldie]

Hi there, the recommendation in the new Verity booklet about nutrition is - to have a healthy diet based on low GI foods, this should make you feel full for longer and you may not need snacks. If you still feel you do, then have low GI ones such as fruit or veg snacks. If you join Verity you will get a pack of really up to date booklets written by people who have special expertise in PCOS. You will also get two magazines a year with all the latest information about PCOS. Ann

[BJ1974]

I have been following a method where it does not recommend snacking in between meals, but you should eat when you TRULY feel hungry. This allows your body to "rest" between meals instead of having insulin and leptin levels constantly raised. If both are always high, your body stops responding to them after a while which is how we develop insulin resistance and diabetes.

[coatesy79]

so it clearly worked!! got a BFP yesterday!! (well 4 BFPs as my hubby and i didnt quite believe it!!)

[TinaD]

Hi ladies, I'm still confused about the snacking with IR? After seeing the dieticians depended on who's on at the clinic, one says no to snacking and one says we need the snacks. I've gone with listening to my body and if i don't eat every 2-3 hours i literally start to shake and feel ill. So i purposely eat regularly before leaving it too long and it seems to prevents the shakes. I thought that if we eat low gl/gi snacks inbetween meals, we keep our blood sugars steady preventing the dips. Just hope this isn't damaging my bodies natural regulation of insulin.

The one thing that has made a huge difference is exercising - i've been told this mops up the excess insulin i make after eating. But then its getting the balance, as when i exercise i get more hungry. I'm still keeping to low gi/gl to feel well and still trying to lose weight - its so complex isn't it? just like we are all so different i suppose

Tina x

[coatesy79]

i would say it may be best to listen to your body and if you are getting the shakes between meals then you should eat small meals and more often.

the other option is try to get referred to a specialist and get a glucose tolerance test done to see what the results are. after i had this done the consultant was able to read how my body reacted to the sugar and thus told me i needed to completely cut out snacks and it worked.

[TinaD]

Hi, after years of probs I got referred to a PCOS specalist who did the OGGT. This was 18 months ago which showed up impaired fasting glycaemia, impaired glucose tolerance and reactive hypoglycaemia.

I have seen the dieticians at gp practice who give me the conflicting advice. So at the moment i'm doing the snacks inbetween meals and trying to reduce amount eaten at meals times, especially the evening meal and watching the carbs.

Another thing that seems to work for me is having protein with any carb i eat. But then i have to be careful on the amount of overall protein for the day. I am following the low GI/GL. Its trying to get the balance isn't it.
Interesting that you were advised no snacks - but like we said hey, we are all different - thanks for your reply - regards

[belleandboo]

I was told to go low GI by my GP. I went to the library, read through lots of books and meal plans to find the one that suited my home cooking lifestyle and veggie food tastes best (Patrick Holford low GL).

I eat...
8am (porridge),
1pm (pitta, salad and a protein),
3pm (low GL cereal bar or 2 low GL nairns with a dip),
6pm (25% protein, 25% carb, 50% veg/salad all from the recipe books),
8pm (snack).

If I'm hungry inbetween I just drink water as I never learnt to listen to my body properly and confuse hunger with thirst a lot. I'm losing an average of 1-2lb a week with the nurses help and approx 4 hours exercise a week which I'm increasing gradually. I need to lose all my excess so I can have fertility treatment which is a huge drive. I'll admit though when I hear of people getting pregnant etc I slip.

[TinaD]

Hi Belleandboo

Thanks for your reply - your diet is similar to mine! and i follow the patrick holford one too. My worse time for hunger is morning, so i have a snack about 10.30 and my snack about 8pm is usually friut with nat yog. I've still got a bit of weight to lose, but it comes off so slowly (i know this is the best way) and i am always bloating up and down depending on my cycle?!

I'm doing a lot of exercising to train at the mo and i read in the patrick holford book that we can increase our gl allowance if exercising a lot, which i have and this seems to have reduced my shakiness when i get hungry. So i'll keep an eye on things.

Also another thing that seems to work for me is strong flavours to satisfy my taste/hunger. Sometimes i think i'm still hungry because food can taste bland. Thats why i like this diet as they contain loss of herbs, garlic (my family are always complaining!), anchovies etc.

I sympathise with you re fertility treatment - one of the manchester hospitals wouldn't treat me as they said i was too heavy and too old - i was 31yrs at the time?!

Keep up the good work and hopefully i will get to one of the meetings as you are only up the road. Take care - Tina

[belleandboo]

Hi Tina

That's really cool that youre on Holford too Know what you mean about strong flavours my herb and spice drawers are busting. My height matches for 40 GL a day and even if I exercise I'm trying not to eat any extra unless I really need it (like Sunday nights after Zumba!). I bloat too, as I'm so irregular its one of the first symptoms I notice.

Be great to see you at the next meet - group's the first Saturday monthly, 7pm in Wetherspoons Crewe.