PCOS NUTRITION CENTER BLOG

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• BJ April 27, 2011 at 8:56 pm I had success on WW. Lost 20lbs two years ago and have kept it off. If you attend meetings, the coaches (or whatever they call them)do promote self regulation a lot. In addition, going to the weekly meeting helped me be accoutable and helped me stay on track. I also continue to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to this day becasue I know through the points system that they are filling w/o a lot of calories. One down side was that I was replacing a lot of food that I would typically eat with highly processed foods (like frozen meals), that allowed me to lose weight, but I did not feel so great. Still need to lose another 20lbs though and need motivation to do it the low GI way. Maybe I’ll use the Weight watchers meetings for reinforcement while paying closer attention to GI and natural foods.

• Lynne Wallace May 28, 2011 at 8:57 pm While I agree that Weight Watchers may not be the best diet, it certainly isn’t a bad option. I have known for years that I needed to go on a low carb, low sugar diet. It wasn’t until I joined Weight Watchers that I really had the motivation for it. If someone with PCOS joins WW in hopes that just following their plan will work, then they are in for a big surprise. However, if you join WW knowing that you need something to hold you accountable, then it works. Knowing that I have to go weigh in every week gives me more motivation to follow my diet. Although WW recently changed the points plan to say that fruits are now 0 points, they frequently bring up in the meetings that even though they are 0 points, you shouldn’t go overboard and stuff yourself with them, specifically because of the high amount of natural sugars. Eating beyond your daily points is not recommended, but there is a 49 point weekly buffer specifically for that situation. If you are still hungry, then use some of your weekly points. They promote the use of lean meats, veggies and fruits as ‘Power Foods’ – ones that will keep you fuller longer. They are also lower in points, so eating these Power Foods fights the hunger, and keeps your daily point intake low, so you don’t risk going over. And WW does have a diabetic WW plan, which is a better option for us PCOSers. Essentially it’s all up to the person joining WW. The plan is general enough that you can fit it to your specific needs and lose weight. The problem, though, is that you have to care about what you are doing. If you are just making sure that what you eat stays in the point range instead of makign sure that the food is good for you, then you’ll fail.

• Amy May 31, 2011 at 8:57 pm What about the south beach diet,would that be better than weight watchers?

• LSR June 1, 2011 at 8:00 pm I had the same experience as written in the article. I did weight watchers twice in the last two years, with two different plans, and both times I didn’t lose anything. It was shocking, as I had done weight watchers when I was younger, and lost weight, and I weigh much more now. I worked with a dietician to eat low GI, and I have lost 4 pounds. Can you imagine not losing ANY weight on weight watchers and learning that full fat dairy and peanut butter are okay to eat and LOSING weight. It’s like a little miracle. I can honestly say that for the first time in my life I’m not hungry after meals and don’t have sugar cravings. Plus, I’m enjoying food SO much more. How great that I can have half and half in my decaf, and real cheese. I don’t count anything. Diets were hellish for me…this is a pretty good way to live. My two cents.

• Christina June 1, 2011 at 8:58 pm I had great success with WW (before and after I was officially diagnosed w/PCOS) by loosing a little over 100lbs. My problem was (and this is prior to the points plus program) when I got down to 20lbs from my goal weight I had uncontrollable cravings and because I my points were so low (I found out later I was only eating about 1200 calories vs my body size was supposed to be closer to 1600 calories) I was never able to eat enough while still maintaining the points. I ended up making the decision to stop WW for a few years, and study more about PCOS. I have recently started up because its nice to have that support, and follow the program while still keeping in mind the IR.

• LSR June 1, 2011 at 8:59 pm I just wanted to add that I haven’t lost 4 pds overnight. I’ve been doing this for two months, and I’ve just begun to lose weight.

• Tabitha June 1, 2011 at 8:59 pm I’m currently reading the South Beach diet book, and seriously considering starting it soon. He specifically mentions a woman who tried it because of infertility issues because of PCOS. I’ve been reading the PCOS Workbook and it seems they have similar focus (on the GI).

• Sharon June 1, 2011 at 8:59 pm I’ve lost 125 lbs following the insulin resistance diet – using your (Angela Grassi’s) food selection list from your PCOS Workbook. This has been about the best thing that has ever happened to me. I had tried for 20 years to lose weight – just low calorie diets didn’t work.

• Melody Mathews June 4, 2011 at 9:00 pm Thank you so much for this article on Weight Watchers. First of all, congrats to those who have had success on WW! It use to work for me, too. WW and I have had a long history together. I like the fact that all foods are allowed within moderation on WW, and it seems to be a little more balanced than some of the crazy fad diets out there today that exclude food groups! But at the same time, I’ve tried it 6 times. The first time when I was 12. That’s when I was diagnosed with PCOS. I lost weight, but eventually I developed an eating disorder. It wasn’t the diet’s fault, but I developed very restrictive eating behaviors at a very young age, and figured out which foods were good vs. bad. It’s taken many years to overcome these food lies…I turned into a yo-yo dieter and WW became my best friend. I often wonder if eating disorders and PCOS can feed off eachother. I’ve done WW on and off for years thinking “it will work this time!” “I’ll just try harder, work out harder!” And it did sometimes, but recently I just got done with another round of WW fun, and did everything I was suppose to…I even worked out more. Since I was given free pts(fruits,vege’s) and weekly allowance pts(37), I found myself having periods of overeatting, just trying to fit them all in. I could also eat more pts if I worked out and earned “activity pts.” This fed into the lie that I need to work out to give myself permission to eat. Even though WW wasn’t saying this, that’s how my brain took it. They were just encouraging people to exercise. I didn’t use the activity pts, and I cut back on my allowance pts. but I still didn’t lose a pound. Obviously, someone with past eating disorders shouldn’t even be trying something like this, but I felt like I could “get away” with it since I’m wasn’t skin and bones anymore and 30lbs. overweight. I think Angela knows what she’s talking about here when it comes to following a LOW GI nutrition plan, and if WW is what someone still wants to follow, than incorporate LOW GI foods for most of the pts and add “play foods”(hi in sugar,carbs,fat)in moderation. They aren’t bad foods. Also, being aware of body signals is important. Sometimes I wasn’t hungry, but having so many pts leftover encouraged me to eat more and get too full. I found myself obsessed with pts. I wouldn’t eat anything unless I knew the value of pts the food contained. For goodness sakes! So I’m ending my long-time relationship with WW. But again, it may be beneficial for some people. I don’t condemn it at all. WW is nothing compared to some of the crazy things I’ve tried to lose weight! So thanks for this article Angela. Now I don’t feel like it’s my fault that I’m not losing these 30 stubborn lbs. on WW. It’s not that I’m not trying hard enough, it’s the fact it doesn’t go with the condition of PCOS/nor does it go with the fact I’ve struggled with eating disoders.

• HOLLY June 6, 2011 at 9:01 pm I tried WW 3 times each time losing 30pds but soon start regaining. and then gain another 10 on top of the 30 lose b4.

• LYNN June 7, 2011 at 9:01 pm Well…I’ve was diagnosed with PCOS about 3 1/2 years ago and let me tell you it has been a battle! I gained 30 lbs (from the birth control) in 3 months and haven’t been able to lose any of it…even after I stopped the birth control 2 years ago! It’s so frustrating when you work out regularly (1 hour 5x’s a week), eat healthy and nothing is changing! My doctor basically told me that everything I was doing was just keeping me from weighing 200lbs and that I would have to work 10x harder to actually lose weight. I was so discouraged and got kind of depressed. And it didn’t help that people didn’t really believe me when I said I was weight-loss resistant. They thought it was an excuse 🙁 But I am encouraged reading these blogs and hope that following a low GI plan will help move me in the right direction. It’s hard being petite and overweight!!!

• GIGI August 6, 2011 at 9:02 pm I have been diagnosed with PCOS for almost 10 years now. I have tried EVER diet under the sun. I have finally tried the Weight Watchers Online program. It has changed my life. The reasons that people seem to be failing is due their own faults. You have to find the program that fits perfect for you regardless of what you choose. But if you go on WW and don’t stick to the guidelines, it won’t work. You are NOT supposed to eat all your points all at once. You are supposed to separate and even out what you eat over the course of your entire day. And if you have to watch EVERYTHING you eat, including the free point foods. It is one of the few diets that holds you COMPLETELY responsible for what and how much you eat. If you are still eating within your points and NOT losing weight, look at your calorie intake. You are taking in WAY TOO many calories. For once, I have found a program that holds me accountable and has helped me to lose weight. I have already lost 38 lbs in 4 months. I have lost 2 pants sizes and 3 shirt sizes. Its amazing!!! I also host a group of women with PCOS who are trying to lose weight on WW. It is hard but if you are sticking to the program, the way that it was designed, you should lose weight. If you are not, SEE YOUR DOCTOR. There may be other issues other than just PCOS. WW is about a LIFESTYLE change for me NOT a diet. I will PCOS my entire life which means that weight gain will always be a problem. I need to do this for me and my future family. I suggest WW to anyone who is ready to put in the time and the work to lose weight.

• Martina Portis August 28, 2011 at 9:02 pm Hello Ladies I am a recent diagonsed PCOS sufferer and your comments about WW has really inspired me to give them a try. My stepmom is on this diet and has recently lossed 30 pounds with only being on the diet for 4 months. I have tried other diets and theyhave worked for a hot minute. I will keep everyone up to date on my process! Thanks for the support.

• Sammy August 7, 2012 at 9:02 pm I was just diagnosed with PCOS about a month ago. They think that I have had it for a couple years but I was just told I had insulin resistance and that with all the cits I had they diagnosed me with PROS. I have been on WW for about 2 yrs on and off. At one point I lost 20 pounds and have keep most of it off for 6months now. I am having a hard time decideding whether to stay on WW now or not. My dr suggested the south beach diet was a very good diet to go on for people that have PCOS. The only problem I have is I hate seafood and don’t eat very many veggies. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I know sometimes PCOS can cause infertility so I am trying to find the best diet for my situation. Any tips are very well appreciated! Thanks!

• Angela Grassi July 29, 2013 at 9:03 pm I have PCOS and on Weight Watchers. All was good until I got to the part about Ignores internal regulation makes me feel as though the person who write this isn’t entirely educated about the WW program. This section is misguided and misleading… basically just untrue. I stopped reading the article after that. I don’t want to go into what is off about this article, but I hope this website will talk to a WW representative about the article and make the appropriate corrections. My experience was as follows: I had had success on the WW program while on birth control, but when I went off of it, the program didn’t work like it did before. All it did was slow down then halt my weight loss. I was maintaining but not losing weight. I was told I might have had PCOS and started to focus on low GI foods while still tracking points. I started to lose weight again, about a pound per week. It’s possible to overeat on low GI foods to I kept tracking the points.

• Beth September 18, 2013 at 9:03 pm Several years ago (before the Points Plus program) I lost over 50 pounds with WW. Once the program changed to Points Plus, like many others my weight loss slowed and then stopped. I went off of WW and began counting calories and tracking food through a free app. I was able to maintain, but not really lose. About 3 months ago I thought I’d give WW Points Plus a try again. Same thing. Total stagnation. For 3 months I have lost and gained the same 3 pounds – and I’m still not below my starting weight. I just thought that the issue was my metabolism. I hadn’t really considered PCOS as an issue until I was at a conference last week where the medical faculty knew right away when I said PCOS and WW in the same sentence what was probably happening. I agree that there are some misunderstandings of the WW program in this article. But after doing further research, I am pretty convinced that the current WW program is not the best for me.

• Amanda June 1, 2014 at 9:04 pm Like Beth the first time I went on WW I had success but it didn’t last. The next time nothing happened and at that time I think not only the diet did not work I had some emotional issues which WW is not equipped to handle.

• boyce October 16, 2014 at 9:04 pm I honestly think that weight watchers is a good program, however, it is quite expensive. You can achieve the same goals and eat similar meals by making them yourself at home. People who live an active lifestyle shouldn’t be lazy and should be able to cook their meals themselves.

• Angie January 5, 2015 at 9:05 pm I was diagnosed with PCOS 15 years ago and I’ve struggle withy weight my whole life. I tried Weight Watchers about 6 years ago and lost 53 pounds. However, I did not lose the weight counting points. I lost the weight doing their Core Plan! Clean eating and paying attention to my hunger/satisfaction level. I got pregnant shortly after losing all the weight and gained every bit of it back plus 10 lbs. Yikes!!

• Amy January 13, 2015 at 9:04 pm WW did not work for me. I tried it twice and felt like a failure yet again on yet another diet. WW is definitely not for people with PCOS!

• Jennifer January 31, 2015 at 9:06 pm I also have PCOS and have been very successful on WW. We are told constantly that fruit is a zero pt food but that you should stick with 3 serving sa day. It is a zero food because of the benefits it offers your body. Giving it a zero pts value encouraged people to eat their three a day. Internal hunger is a topic that is completely discussed and compared to external hunger signals. The two are often confused. You have a daily allotment of points and an overage amount to have on those days when you need them. If someone chooses to use their points only on brownies that is a behavior that they must deal with and can not be blamed on the program. Whole grains, protein ,fiber fruits and vegetables are good for anyone. Accountability in your choices can be a hard pill to swallow.

• Shirley November 24, 2015 at 9:03 pm Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.

• Summer H. May 12, 2016 at 11:12 pm This article is SPOT ON. Ive done WW 6 times. Each time I lost …I gained even more back. And the loss was slow and unpredictable. The points game is great guideline to help you, but it doesnt cater to insulin resistant people. Its fantastic for flexible dieting, but PCOS doesnt respond to flexible. Ive done EVERY diet known to man. HCG, South Beach, WW, 6 week Body Makeover, phentermine..you name it.. And I FINALLY found the perfect PCOS way of eating that works and is easy. Ketosis (keto/ ketogenic) eating!! Low low carb! Ive lost 40lbs in 8 weeks… and I only wish someone had told me about it sooner. Game changer… i will NEVER step foot into a Weight Watchers meeting again. ♡

• Roberta March 7, 2017 at 5:33 pm I think this article needs to be revised. Weight watchers has revised their plan and points system to the smart points. While it does allow unlimited fruits and vegetables, it is suggested to still limit the amount as too much of even a good thing is bad. It has also been revised to see higher protein foods as lower smart points and high sugar foods as higher smart points. On the previous points program I lost over 60 pounds. I only gained some of it back because I stopped paying attention to what I was eating. I’m back on the plan this time smart points and find myself eating healthy foods and to satisfy my hunger I reach for more protein than high carb foods.

• Grace March 7, 2017 at 8:09 pm I’ve had symptoms of PCOS since menarche (age 12), and I’m 39 now. I started suspecting I might have PCOS when I was in my early 20’s, but was only officially diagnosed in the last year. I’ve tried WW 4 or 5 times over the years (first time in 2001), and had to work very hard to lose 5 or 10 lbs. It was so frustrating! I’m grateful to know that it probably wasn’t just me.

• Julie January 9, 2018 at 3:41 pm Can NAC and Metformin be taken together?

• Angela Grassi January 9, 2018 at 5:41 pm Yes, you can take both together

• DJNic January 20, 2018 at 12:48 am I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2012. I am currently on WW and having good success by incorporating some of the suggested guidelines for PCOS into how I eat on WW. I focus on protein, veggies, and whole grains (in moderation). This would be no different than if I was following the plan you are trying to sell. The thing about WW which makes it effective for me is that it doesn’t restrict anything while giving me some restrictions in terms of how much I can eat. The zero-points foods are mostly proteins, high fiber and protein rich carbs like beans, fruits and vegetables. The very things most PCOS nutritionists emphasize. So I don’t get why PCOS diet advocates bash WW when it is nothing more than a calorie deficit plan that you need to tailor to your situation.

• Kimberly August 23, 2018 at 10:57 pm I totally don’t agree with this article. I have PCOS been diagnosed for a long time now. I recently join Weight Watchers in February this year and have lost 72 lbs to date!

• Beth shiai January 6, 2019 at 10:05 am I want to try ww…but I have PCOS….I have had my kids so no I just want to loose weight and feel better…I am also a binger. How costly is your program?

• Angela Grassi January 23, 2019 at 5:21 pm Hi Beth, feel free to schedule a call to find out more about our 3 month program and if it is a good fit for you: http://www.pcosnutrition.com/our-services/nutrition-coaching/

• Emma February 11, 2019 at 4:00 pm Totally disagree with this 1000% Been following WW for 4 weeks and lost 14lbs. My periods are regulating, I’m choosing healthier choices more protein less carbs. I followed the Slimming World Plan which promotes overeating and failed time and time again.

• Cassie April 11, 2019 at 7:12 pm I have to respectfully disagree with a few of your points. Weight Watchers does not restrict the types or amount of foods you eat. In fact, in terms of “diets” (and I’m grouping recommendations of giving up dairy/soy/whatever else that most experts of PCOS tend to recommend), WW is one of the least restricting. It promotes a balanced diet. I’m only on day 2, and I am not feeling deprived AT ALL. I’m feeling empowered to pick up more fruits and veggies, and eat less fried food and packaged food. That to me is what everyone needs to focus on; eating more REAL food, and I feel like WW is going to help me with that. I also don’t feel that WW is promoting overeating at all. The zero points does not make me think, “oh, since black beans are a free food, I’m going to eat 3 cans today!” Whether you are on WW or not, people are either going to overeat or they aren’t. WW isn’t promoting overeating. Of course, these are just my opinions 🙂

• Health n wellness April 10, 2020 at 7:31 am This is a very meaningful post for me. Thank you. blackheads