OK, it’s been two weeks on the low-carb diet, and here are the results:
- I’ve lost 6 pounds.
- Those jeans that Land’s End sent that were a little too small fit now.
- Those jeans that Land’s End sent that fit just right are a little loose now.
- Those jeans that Land’s End sent that were a little loose are even looser now. (Yes, all three pairs were the same style and supposedly the same size. I credit the fine Malaysian craftsmanship.)
- No cravings for sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.
- Caffeine now makes me nuts, so I quit cold turkey with no bad effects.
- I’ve gone for a walk just about every day at lunch, plus my 2 25-minute walks to get to and from work.
- The neuropathy in my hands is better, though not totally gone.
- My energy level is more consistent - I can walk for roughly an hour a day and still have energy for chores, gardening, and unpacking (current task - hundreds of books).
- I’m sleeping better, and probably as a consequence, needing less sleep.
- My concentration has improved slightly.
It’s too soon, of course, to know whether this is having any effect on PCOS, but as I continue to read more and more about PCOS, the link between insulin resistance and PCOS becomes stronger and stronger in my mind.
Your mileage, of course, may vary. But I’m still kicking myself for ever getting off the low-carb diet in the first place.
Migraine aura picture from 
Yeah for you!
Comment by deborah — August 30, 2007 @ 11:26 am
Glad it seems to be working for you. What effect is it having on your migraines? It’s something I’m considering trying myself.
Comment by Miss Vertigo — August 30, 2007 @ 11:34 am
Deborah - thanks for the applause - and all the traffic your blog sends to my blog.
Miss Vertigo - well, that’s a funny question. I spent an hour last night getting my therapist caught up on the health situation, including the PCOS diagnosis, and she said, “So, do the doctors think PCOS has anything to do with migraine?” And I was, like, “Um … I forgot to ask.” The deal with me is that my migraines seemed to be well controlled by inderal, so it’s hard to say if the diet is making it any better. It certainly isn’t making things worse. I do know that there is a great deal of discussion about whether a gluten-free diet can help migraine, and virtually every low-carb diet is by definition a gluten-free diet (since you avoid grains). You might pop over to The Daily Headache and search on gluten to get some perspective.
If you do want to try low-carb, I recommend Dana Carpender’s How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds. Her discussion of why the diet is safe and of the many approaches to low-carb are accessible and chatty. There are two downsides to the book - first, she is addicted to exclamation points!!!!! And more important, I don’t think she always sites her sources, so if you want more info, it’s hard to track it down - and it’s hard to use the information in her book to argue with her friends that will try to talk you out of low carb.
Again, your mileage may vary. Thanks for stopping by!
Comment by psipsina — August 30, 2007 @ 2:30 pm
Thanks - I will. TDH is a great site - one of my regular reads. And thanks for the book recommendations and such. I’ll check them out! (!!!!!!!!) *grins*
Comment by Miss Vertigo — August 30, 2007 @ 3:39 pm