TTC Girl Diet and Ovulation

[hollyberry7]

Does the TTC Girl Diet negatively affect ovulation? I'm on day 4 of the diet and feeling very, very weak. I'm struggling to get in even 1800 calories per day because I feel very restricted (have only been getting around 1450 calories per day). I really want to get pregnant on my next cycle in June and fear that this diet will prevent me from ovulating and/or change my ovulation day of CD19. Anyone have any input? Maybe I shouldn't have cut the calories out so quickly? Should also add that I'm not exercising at all as I'm pretty sure I would waste away if coupled with the diet, lol. I'm currently 5'6" and weigh 122 lbs.

[lindi]

Wasting away is kind of the idea...it sucks. I think 1450 calories a day for a short period of time while ttc won't negatively harm ovulation. I o'd as expected while on girl diet. If you really did a terribly extreme starvation diet I think things might get thrown off. Other may have better input, there may be ways to alter things so you can cope with your sway and stick to it. Are you skipping breakfast? Maybe just do a late breakfast. And exercising I think in moderation is bad for ttc girl because its builds muscle. You want to lose muscle to lower your testosterone, so its probably beneficial not to exercise.
Hope that helps for now and good luck!

[hollyberry7]

Thanks, lindi! I've been trying to make it until noon, but usually end up eating at 11. I have a cup of coffee with some skim around 8ish. On a normal day/diet, I don't usually eat until 9:30 because I'm just not hungry for the first few hours after I wake up. However, I usually throw down a bag of cereal at that time...total boy food! I miss my cereal so badly! I'm going to try eating a cup of corn flakes around 11 instead of yogurt (corn flakes in moderation sways girl, correct?). Also, I'm finding it difficult to be on this diet while working as I don't have my blender/fridge on hand to whip up whatever I want. I really have to plan my food for the entire day until 5 o'clock, so I've been keeping stashes of low sodium saltines, peppermint tea, etc. No exercise for me! I occasionally go on walks around the neighborhood with my husband in the evening, but that's it.

PS - lindi, can I ask what you ate for the girl diet? I'm desperate for more ideas! Did you sway with your son?

[atomic sagebrush]

Does the TTC Girl Diet negatively affect ovulation? I'm on day 4 of the diet and feeling very, very weak. I'm struggling to get in even 1800 calories per day because I feel very restricted (have only been getting around 1450 calories per day). I really want to get pregnant on my next cycle in June and fear that this diet will prevent me from ovulating and/or change my ovulation day of CD19. Anyone have any input? Maybe I shouldn't have cut the calories out so quickly? Should also add that I'm not exercising at all as I'm pretty sure I would waste away if coupled with the diet, lol. I'm currently 5'6" and weigh 122 lbs.

I answered this on your other thread but I will repost for anyone who didn't see it.

YES the diet can affect your ovulation. But that's kinda the point. You are trying to slightly supress your fertility. I strongly urge you not mess around much with timing or jellies and just do what you need to do to get pg, even if it means 2 or 3 attempts in your fertile window.

At some point with weight loss, your weight will stabilize (when your BMI reduces to the point where you're no longer burning as many calories) and you'll stop losing. Anyone who's ever dieted will recognize this as the dreaded "plateau". No one will keep wasting away forever unless they reduce cals more and more. I do think you need to make the effort to up your intake a little bit esp. since you're a bit taller, do what it takes to get to 1800 and stay there.

[atomic sagebrush]

Thanks, lindi! I've been trying to make it until noon, but usually end up eating at 11. I have a cup of coffee with some skim around 8ish. On a normal day/diet, I don't usually eat until 9:30 because I'm just not hungry for the first few hours after I wake up. However, I usually throw down a bag of cereal at that time...total boy food! I miss my cereal so badly! I'm going to try eating a cup of corn flakes around 11 instead of yogurt (corn flakes in moderation sways girl, correct?). Also, I'm finding it difficult to be on this diet while working as I don't have my blender/fridge on hand to whip up whatever I want. I really have to plan my food for the entire day until 5 o'clock, so I've been keeping stashes of low sodium saltines, peppermint tea, etc. No exercise for me! I occasionally go on walks around the neighborhood with my husband in the evening, but that's it.

PS - lindi, can I ask what you ate for the girl diet? I'm desperate for more ideas! Did you sway with your son?

I wouldn't do the corn flakes. They are highly fortified. Puffed rice is better or even just cooked rice with milk and sugar. I would eat 1/2 plain glazed doughnut along with your yogurt and that alone is going to help your caloric intake plus it's easy to find them at work. Yes, they do have more sodium so you have to take that into consideration, but sometimes it's better to fudge a little on the sodium if it helps you to stick with the overall goals of the diet. Then wrap up the other half and eat it with a salad at lunchtime. If you're not into doughnuts you can bring a homemade muffin, low sodium and made with Splenda but that's another thing to keep track of. 1/2 bagel is another idea (although they have more protein than a doughnut and also have the sodium to contend with).

Being at work makes everything harder but it is totally possible to stick to the girl diet at work.

[praying4princess]

Eh, honey I was only hitting about 800 calories a day!! Which I know is not good, but that was skipping breakfast...having lunch, dinner and a couple snacks in between! But I was still O like normal! Even though my calorie intake has been super low, I have hit that "plateau" and havent been able to lose anymore. I will be SOOOOOO glad when I can eat again!! I am craving EVERYTHING!!! LOL And yes, I know, it makes you feel sluggish and fatigue all the time. Thats also because we're not getting in enough iron and protein. It will be better just as soon as we get pregnant, so just hang in there!

[hollyberry7]

I answered this on your other thread but I will repost for anyone who didn't see it.

YES the diet can affect your ovulation. But that's kinda the point. You are trying to slightly supress your fertility. I strongly urge you not mess around much with timing or jellies and just do what you need to do to get pg, even if it means 2 or 3 attempts in your fertile window.

At some point with weight loss, your weight will stabilize (when your BMI reduces to the point where you're no longer burning as many calories) and you'll stop losing. Anyone who's ever dieted will recognize this as the dreaded "plateau". No one will keep wasting away forever unless they reduce cals more and more. I do think you need to make the effort to up your intake a little bit esp. since you're a bit taller, do what it takes to get to 1800 and stay there.

Thank you, Atomic! I'm trying to keep my caloric intake at 1800 but I'm finding it's very hard to keep the protein/sodium low while doing so. Do you have any food recommendations that have a lot of calories without the protein sodium?

[hollyberry7]

I wouldn't do the corn flakes. They are highly fortified. Puffed rice is better or even just cooked rice with milk and sugar. I would eat 1/2 plain glazed doughnut along with your yogurt and that alone is going to help your caloric intake plus it's easy to find them at work. Yes, they do have more sodium so you have to take that into consideration, but sometimes it's better to fudge a little on the sodium if it helps you to stick with the overall goals of the diet. Then wrap up the other half and eat it with a salad at lunchtime. If you're not into doughnuts you can bring a homemade muffin, low sodium and made with Splenda but that's another thing to keep track of. 1/2 bagel is another idea (although they have more protein than a doughnut and also have the sodium to contend with).

Being at work makes everything harder but it is totally possible to stick to the girl diet at work.

I'll buy some donuts at the grocery store and try to eat with my yogurt. It's very hard to be on the girl diet at work because I have to prepare everything in the evening/morning, so it takes a little more time. Also, I just realized that I've been eating wheat puffs instead of rice puffs, woops!

[hollyberry7]

Eh, honey I was only hitting about 800 calories a day!! Which I know is not good, but that was skipping breakfast...having lunch, dinner and a couple snacks in between! But I was still O like normal! Even though my calorie intake has been super low, I have hit that "plateau" and havent been able to lose anymore. I will be SOOOOOO glad when I can eat again!! I am craving EVERYTHING!!! LOL And yes, I know, it makes you feel sluggish and fatigue all the time. Thats also because we're not getting in enough iron and protein. It will be better just as soon as we get pregnant, so just hang in there!

Thanks for the reassurance, P4P!! I can feel that I am Oing today and my temp dropped this morning (which it always does before it spikes after O), so yay! Are you exercising at all?

[praying4princess]

Thanks for the reassurance, P4P!! I can feel that I am Oing today and my temp dropped this morning (which it always does before it spikes after O), so yay! Are you exercising at all?

I usually do Zumba and a Cardioblast class, but Ive only been exercising during the 2WW because we do alot of toning. That way atleast Im getting SOME exercise in but not too close to O ( because of testosterone) and not much at all right now. I only go a few times when I go! It makes me feel like a fat lazy bum not exercising at all!