The Best Carbohydrate Counter for Women With PCOS

by AmyPlano | Jul 23, 2016 | General information about PCOS, PCOS and carbohydrates, PCOS Breakfast Foods, PCOS snacks, Weight Loss

Hi Everyone –

This will likely be one of my longest posts – but I think one of the most resourceful blogs! One of the questions I get asked a lot is, “How do you determine how many carbohydrates are in specific foods?” We can always read the label. But what happens if our food (or beverage) doesn’t have a label? Like champagne! Champagne does not have a label right? [Side note – if you want to be in the know on the carbohydrate content of all alcohol click HERE to get the 411. I wrote a killer blog on this very topic!] Well, that is why exactly I created this fancy guide to counting carbs for women with PCOS.

The ultimate guide to counting carbs for women with PCOS

If you have ever been in a PCOS nutrition session with me, you know I’m like a carbohydrate calculator. Throw any food my way and I can tell you how many grams of carbohydrates are in that particular food. But no worries if you’re not a freak show like me 🙂 That is a-okay!

I’ve created what I consider to be a comprehensive guide to counting carbs for women.with PCOS. This list should be awesome for any woman who has PCOS and is counting their carbs (Hint: if you have PCOS you should always being counting your carbs!)

This list is by no means all-inclusive – but I think I cover the majority carbohydrate containing foods most people eat. If a food is not listed — a great resource which I use all the time is www.calorieking.com . This website is awesome! You can download the app and have the carb count of all foods at the tap of a button! And extra bonus – it is FREE!

You have probably heard me reference that I often recommend a total intake of carbohydrate for most women with PCOS to be between 90 – 140 grams per day. You can use this list below to see how close you are coming within those targets. To be fair – I never count the carbohydrates that are in non-starchy vegetables. The only ones I do count are the starchy vegetables, peas, corn, potatoes and the winter squashes. All other vegetables have about 5 grams of carbs in each 1/2 cup.

Here you go! Enjoy The PCOS Dietitian’s guide to counting carbs for women with PCOS

The BEST guide to counting carbs for women with PCOS

Carbohydrate Content of Foods

BREADS / CRACKERS / GRAINS/ STARCHY VEGETABLES

* carbohydrate content may vary from brand to brand, always read the food label if there is one!

Starches Amount Carb grams

Breads

Bread, white or wheat 1 slice (1 oz) 15 g

Light bread 1 slice (1 oz) 7-8 g

Low Carb bread 1 slice (1 oz) 9 g

Challah 1 oz 15 g

Lavash, plain 2 oz 30 g

Pita bread, all types 2 oz 30 g

Mini/Pocket 1 oz 15g

Turkish/Middle Eastern 1 oz 15 g

Hamburger or Hot dog bun 1 bun 20 g

Dinner rolls 1 small 15 g

Sandwich roll 1 medium (2 oz) 30 g

Bagel 1 (Deli style) 60-70g

Mini bagel 1 (1 oz) 15 g

Croissant, plain 1 mini (1 oz) 15 g

1 medium (1 ½ oz) 20 g

1 large (2 ½ oz) 35 g

Danish, fruit 1 regular 30 g

Doughnut 1 medium 25 g

Pancake or waffle, frozen 1 small 15 g

English muffin, plain 1 30 g

Muffin, blueberry 1 small (2 oz) 30 g

Dunkin Donuts 1 regular 75 g

Tortilla, corn, 6” 1.2 oz, each 10 g

Soft Taco 1 15 g

Flour Tortilla 1 (1.7 oz) 30 g

Burritos Tortilla 1 30 g

Wraps, plain

Regular size 1 75 g

Large size 1 120 g

CRACKERS

Saltine 1 cracker 2 g

Cheese 1 crackers 2 g

Graham 1 cracker 5 g

Wheat Thins 1 cracker 1 g

Soda 1 cracker 10 g

Peanut Butter 1 cracker 4 g

CEREALS

Oatmeal 1 cup (cooked) 30 g

Farina 1 cup (cooked) 25 g

Dry Cereal 1 cup 22 – 45 grams

GRAINS

Rice, white or brown 1 cup (cooked) 45 g

Spaghetti 1 cup (cooked) 40 g

Elbows/spirals 1 cup (cooked) 40 g

Small Shells 1 cup (cooked) 30 g

Mac & Cheese 1 cup (cooked) 30 g

Grits 1 cup (cooked) 30 g

STARCHY VEGETABLES

Corn ½ cup 15 g

Corn on the cob 1 medium 20 g

Popcorn 3 cups 15 g

Potatoes

Plain, baked small (3 oz) 15g

Wendy’s, baked large 60-70g

Mashed ½ cup 15g

Plantain 1 medium 30 g

Yam ½ cup (mashed) 15 g

Yucca ½ cup (mashed) 15 g

Hash brows ½ cup (mashed) 10 g

French Fries

McDonald’s small 25 g

medium 60 g

large 70 g

Restaurant style 15 fries 25 g

BEANS

Beans, dry:

Black-eyed peas 1 cup (cooked) 30 g

Lentils or peas 1 cup (cooked) 40 g

Navy beans 1 cup (cooked) 45 g

Pinto or Black beans 1 cup (cooked) 45 g

Beans canned:

Backed in sweet sauce 1 cup 50 g

Black or Kidney beans 1 cup 40 g

Chili with beans 1 cup 30 g

Garbanzo beans 1 cup 50 g

Lima beans 1 cup 30 g

Refried beans 1 cup 40 g

FRUIT/ FRUIT JUICES

* Use a Food Scale to measure carbohydrate content of fruit per amount (oz.)

Food Amount Carb grams

FRESH FRUIT

Apple

Small 4 oz * 15 g

Medium 6 oz 25 g

Large 8 oz 35 g

Apricots 1 medium (2oz) 6 g

Applesauce ½ cup unsweetened 15g

Banana

1 medium 5 oz 20 g

1 large 7 oz 25 g

Berries 1 cup 20 g

Cantaloupe/Honeydew 1 oz 2 g

1 cup (cubes) 15 g

Cherries 10 pieces 10 g

Clementine 1 medium (3 oz) 15 g

Grapefruit ½ fruit 15 g

Grapes 15 pieces 15 g

Kiwifruit 1 medium (3 oz) 10 g

Mandarin 1 small (3 oz) 6 g

Oranges

Small 1 (5 oz with skin) 12 g

Medium 1 (7 oz) 18 g

Papaya ½ cup (cubed) 8 g

Medium 1 (with skin) 30 g

Peaches 1 medium (4 oz) 8 g

Plum 1 small (2 oz) 6 g

Pear 1 medium (6 oz) 22 g

Pineapple 1 thick slice (3 oz) 10 g

Strawberries 1 cup (sliced) 10g

3 large (2 oz) 3 g

Watermelon 1 cup cubes 12 g

CANNED FRUIT

(check the label!)

DRIED FRUIT

Apricots 8 halves (1 oz) 15 g

Prunes 3 medium 15 g

Raisins 2 Tbsp. 15 g

FRUIT JUICE

Apple juice 4 oz (1/2 cup) 15 g

Grape juice 4 oz (1/2 cup) 20 g

Orange juice 4 oz (1/2 cup) 12 g

Vegetable juice 4 oz (1/2 cup) 6 g

MILK / YOGURT

Food Amount Carb grams

MILK

Whole, low-fat or skim 8 oz (1 cup) 12 g

Chocolate milk 8 oz 26 g

Soymilk (plain) 8 oz 8-10 g

YOGURT

Plain yogurt 8 oz (1 cup) 12-14 g

Light yogurt 8 oz 16-20 g

Fruited yogurt 8 oz 32-40 g

Greek yogurt (plain/non-fat) 6 oz. 7-10 g

Greek yogurt (plain/ 2%) 6 oz 7-10 g

Greek yogurt (flavored/non-fat) 6 oz. 8-35 g

CONDIMENTS / SWEETENERS

Food Amount Carb grams

SUGARS

Table sugar 1 Tbsp 15 g

Honey 1 tsp 6 g

Jam or preserve 1 Tbsp 15 g

Syrup, Regular 1 Tbsp 15 g

Syrup, Light 1 Tbsp 7 g

BBQ sauce 1 Tbsp 6 g

Ketchup 1 Tbsp/ 1 pkt 5 g

Spaghetti sauce ½ cup 10 g

Cranberry sauce ¼ cup 25 g

FAST FOODS

* Ask for nutritional information where you buy/eat fast food

New York style pizza 1 slice 45 g

As I noted I am sure I missed a couple of foods. But I did my best to provide you with a comprehensive guide to counting carbs for women with PCOS . Let me know in the comments below if I missed any of your favorite carbohydrate containing foods. I would love to know. Bet your eyes are better than mine! ♥

Why Weight Watchers and PCOS Don’t Play Nice in the Sandbox

by AmyPlano | Jul 19, 2016 | PCOS and carbohydrates, PCOS and metabolism, PCOS and Weight Gain, Truth Bomb, Weight Loss

Could it be possible — that the very diet — that you follow to a T … is making you fat if you have PCOS ? Abso -friggin-lutely!

Given the fact I have been successfully helping women with PCOS lose weight for the last decade, it is fair to say I have seen my fair share of diets. However, one thing I can tell is certain Weight Watchers and PCOS don’t mix!

Typically by the time most women find me, they have been struggling for quite some time with their weight. They have tried every diet out there with minimal success. I don’t think there has been one woman who has exited their initial visit with me not having an “ah-ha!” moment. When women leave my office, it’s often with a sigh of relief — like a load has been lifted off their shoulders. What they have been doing for so long has been so wrong — but they have been brainwashed to think that it is SO right. That folks is the true definition of frustration! No bueno!

PCOS and Weight Watchers: Why Weight Watchers is making you fat!

You see, most women with PCOS are SO confused when it comes to diet. And rightfully so! There is so much information out there — low fat, high fat, no gluten, no dairy, no salt, no carbohydrates. I’ve seen every diet out there. But if I were to say there is any one diet I see many PCOSers follow (or followed at some point in their weight loss journey!) is Weight Watchers. If there is anyone diet platform that is just so damn wrong for women with PCOS it is Weight Watchers. Yes, you heard me correcty! If you have PCOS, Weight Watchers is making you fat! Stop the presses — if you are following a Weight Watchers style diet – get the heck off of it now. Weight Watchers and PCOS do not play in the sand box nicely!

Let me tell you why.

Why Weight Watchers doesn’t work for women with PCOS

You see, Weight Watchers is a very high carbohydrate, moderate protein, low fat diet. Most of the programs created by Weight Watchers provide at least 60 % of the total daily calories from carbohydrates. For Pete’s sake — I don’t even feed my professional athletes that many carbohydrates! Most women with PCOS effectively lose weight when their diet is just around 30 – 40 % total calories coming from carbohydrates. For someone following a 1300 calorie diet, 40 % of your calories coming from carbohydrates would be < 140 grams per day. If you were following the same level calories (I know you don’t count calories on Weight Watchers – you count points – but bare with me sister’!) on a Weight Watchers plan would you would be taking in about 200 grams per day. As small as it sounds — these 60 grams of extra carbohydrates ARE NOT working for your waist line – not to mention how it is impacting your fertility and overall health.

Every time we consume carbohydrates of any kind (it doesn’t matter if it is fruit, oatmeal or a sweet potato!) our bodies break down the carbohydrates into glucose. In response to glucose your angry body dumps out the hormone insulin. Insulin is what we consider a storage hormone. This means when insulin is circulating in our blood system – our bodies do not break down body fat for fuel – but instead it goes into fat storage mode.

As many as 70 % of women with PCOS are insulin resistant. This means their bodies’ are resistant to the effects of insulin. Insulin resistance makes it very difficult for their bodies to process carbohydrates. That is why many women with PCOS take the medication Metformin. This miracle drug for women with PCOS makes their cells more sensitive to the effects of insulin. Therefore, Metformin allows them to break down carbohydrates more effectively. I say more effectively because even on a therapeutic dose of Metformin, say around 1500 mg/day, women with PCOS still tend to not thrive on a diet higher than 40 % total calories coming from carbohydrates. I think of PCOS like having a carbohydrate handicap – that even when medicated on Metformin — this handicap does not go away 🙁

Stop the carbohydrate madness – just say heck ‘no’ to Weight Watchers and PCOS

Weight Watchers is the wrong weight loss program for women with PCOS

So back to Weight Watchers and why it could be responsible for making you fat if you have PCOS. On a typical Weight Watchers program you are eating carbohydrates all day. Breakfast — Special K Cereal (Carb) with Skim Milk (Carb) and fruit (Carb) Lunch – Turkey Sandwich (Carb) with pretzels (Carbs) and a yogurt (Carb) Dinner — Chicken, Sweet Potato (Carb) and broccoli. Snacks – Flavored Greek Yogurt (Carb), Apple (Carb), Skinny Cow (Carb). As you can see there is no shortage of carbohydrates. You mine as well be fueling for a marathon!

I want to make it clear – I have nothing against any of these foods. But for women with PCOS this style of eating creates an insulin disaster! All day long your body is getting flooded with carbohydrates that drives your insulin through the roof. Therefore, on a program like Weight Watchers you become a fat-storing machine – completely the opposite of what you want!

I think Weight Watchers is fantastic for many things – one being accountability. Also for many people it clearly works – and I cannot deny that! But I lie to you not – Weight Watchers is NOT the appropriate program for someone with PCOS trying to lose weight. I work with MANY women who actually gain weight while on a Weight Watchers program. If this is you — do not blame yourself. I bet you are spot-on with your points — it is just not the right program for you.

The right weight loss diet for women with PCOS

Women with PCOS need to follow a modest, lower carbohydrate diet to promote and sustain weight loss. That isn’t the same thing as a no-carbohydrate diet or a low-carbohydrate diet (< 20 grams per day). No need to be so drastic. So please don’t get these terms confused. Most women do well when their carbohydrates are between 90 – 140 grams per day.

In future blog posts, I’ll discuss what a typical day looks like at these carbohydrate levels. But in the meantime if you are hanging with the ladies at Weight Watchers and you have PCOS, please promise me you will cut your ties?

I’m only saying this for your own good – I promise.

Got questions on why Weight Watchers could be making you fat if you struggle with PCOS? Please post them in the comments below. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Who’s at risk for PCOS?

by AmyPlano | Dec 20, 2013 | PCOS and Gestational Diabetes, Truth Bomb, Weight Loss

Who has an increased risk for PCOS?

The main risk factor for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is genetics. A woman’s risk for PCOS is higher if she’s genetically predisposed to it: that means other women in her family have PCOS, have irregular periods or have diabetes. PCOS can be passed down from either your mother’s or father’s side.

A family history of diabetes may increase your risk for PCOS because of the strong relationship between diabetes and PCOS.

Long-term use of the seizure medicine valproate (such as Depakote) has been linked to an increased risk of PCOS.

What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?

by AmyPlano | Dec 14, 2013 | PCOS and Gestational Diabetes, Truth Bomb, Weight Loss

What is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common ovulation problem that affects about 5% to 10% of women in their reproductive years.

PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that can make the ovaries stop working normally.

In most cases, the ovaries become enlarged and appear covered with tiny, fluid-filled cysts.

What are the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?

No periods, irregular periods, or irregular bleeding.
No ovulation or irregular ovulation.
Obesity or weight gain (although thin women may have PCOS).
Insulin resistance (an indicator of diabetes).
High blood pressure.
Abnormal cholesterol with high trigylcerides.
Excess hair growth on the body and face (hirsutism).
Acne or oily skin.
Thinning hair or male-pattern baldness.

How can I cope with PCOS?

PCOS can be emotionally trying for women. Those who suffer from PCOS often report feelings of depression, pregnancy concerns, and feeling self-conscious about their appearance.

If you have PCOS, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone — therefore, you shouldn’t go through this emotional journey by yourself.

There are countless resources for women to help them cope with the emotional effects of PCOS. Reaching out for help is truly taking the first step in winning the physical and emotional battles of polycystic ovary syndrome.

If you’re feeling alone in your PCOS journey, please contact me today. For over a decade, I’ve been working with top doctors in women’s health and fertility to design the most comprehensive and effective nutrition programs for women with PCOS.

We’ll make PCOS a minor bump in the road, and get you back to the healthiest version of you.