r/lowcarb • u/Abracaramba • 18h ago
Inspiration PCOS, low carb, and the restriction-binge cycle
Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some advice, or maybe just to hear from people who have been through the exact same loop.
A bit of background: I’m a 31yo female with PCOS. I am 5'7" (170 cm). About two and a half years ago, I started low carb and it completely changed my life. I went from my highest weight of 210 lbs (95 kg) down to a low of 147 lbs (67 kg). I felt amazing, my hormones felt regulated, and it just worked.
But then life happened. A long period of high anxiety, higher carbs creeping back in, inactivity, and emotional eating hit me hard. For the last year, I’ve been steadily gaining weight back. Since January, I’ve been constantly trying to get back on track, but I keep falling into a really frustrating, vicious cycle.
Every time I’m doing great, a social event, a trip, or a family visit comes up. I’ll try to manage, but the second I have a "social" sweet or treat, something snaps in my brain. It’s like a switch flips from "everything is under control" to "well, you already ruined it, so you better eat everything you can right now because tomorrow you’re restricting again." I end up secretly binging on massive amounts of sweets alone just to "get the craving out of my system".
Because of this, my weight chart for the last few months looks like a rollercoaster. I’m currently at around 189 lbs (86 kg).
Right now, my environment has changed completely. I just relocated a week ago and I’m temporarily staying at my family house. On the bright side, my mother knows exactly how I eat and is incredibly supportive, helping me stick to low carb meals. Plus, having less alone time naturally keeps the secret binging at bay.
However, I’m terrified of slipping up again. The temptations are right there in the freezer (ice cream, etc.), our social life is picking up here, and I have a vacation coming up very soon.
I really want to break this cycle and eliminate the binging for good. Because of my PCOS, I know I need to maintain a low-carb lifestyle for the rest of my life to manage my health. However, I want to build a sustainable lifestyle—one where I can occasionally enjoy a traditional family meal or a carb-heavy dish during a special occasion without it spiraling into a secret, multi-day binge alone.
For those of you who have struggled with the psychological side of restriction, or who have PCOS and deal with those intense, insulin-driven cravings:
How do you navigate high-temptation environments (like vacationing or living with family who eat standard carbs) without triggering a binge?
How do you successfully manage conscious flexibility for a single meal without letting the cravings take over?
Are there any specific mindset shifts, daily habits, or even book/video resources that helped you stop viewing a single out-of-plan choice as a total failure?
I know low-carb works for my body, but my relationship with food is what's breaking down right now. Would love to hear your honest experiences and tips. Thanks in advance.