Success Stories
Dragonwolf
Posts: 5,600 Member
Have you successfully controlled your PCOS? Tell us your story!
It doesn't have to just be weight loss. If you've found a way to deal with the other symptoms -- acne, hair growth, etc. -- share those successes, too!
It doesn't have to just be weight loss. If you've found a way to deal with the other symptoms -- acne, hair growth, etc. -- share those successes, too!
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Well, I know some people really don't like Shakeology, but I have had success with it clearing up my skin AND recently noticed that after 3 weeks of doing Shakeology I have had a decrease in the growth and thickness of my facial hair. Excited about the results.
Not to mention it has helped me feel better with more energy and I have increased my weight loss when on it. 2 -
Thats great! I wonder what in the shakeology helped. I've heard it has alot of great things in it. Never tried but the cost scares me away.0
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I have used It Works! Hair Skin & Nails and their Cleanser since April and have had only 1 pimple since! I was having really bad acne on and around my chin at least once a week so it's been a life saver!!! I actually became a distributor because I love it so much!!! #gamechanger1
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Today I was literally crying as I weighed myself this morning! I'm so happy that finally something is working! I started a very high dose of Metformin and finally I've lost weight! I've been gaining non-stop for about 8 years and was morbidly obese when I first joined my fitness pal. Now I have a BMI in the 'obese' category instead of 'morbidly obese' and have lost nearly 5% of my original body weight! Don't get me wrong, I realise I still have an awfully long way to go but I've nearly reached my first initial target of losing 5% (12 pounds). It's just such a relief that there's the slightest bit of hope I might get better!19
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natalie994mfp wrote: »Today I was literally crying as I weighed myself this morning! I'm so happy that finally something is working! I started a very high dose of Metformin and finally I've lost weight! I've been gaining non-stop for about 8 years and was morbidly obese when I first joined my fitness pal. Now I have a BMI in the 'obese' category instead of 'morbidly obese' and have lost nearly 5% of my original body weight! Don't get me wrong, I realise I still have an awfully long way to go but I've nearly reached my first initial target of losing 5% (12 pounds). It's just such a relief that there's the slightest bit of hope I might get better!
I'm glad to here that Metformin helped. I recently have been prescribed a much higher dose of Metformin and I'm bad at remembering to take them but I was also unsure if it really worked. I get paranoid with medications sometimes.
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Metformin also worked for me as far as helping to lose weight, ease my mood swings, and regulating my cycles. Just wanna throw it out there that if you are taking Met, make sure you are also taking a B12 since Met depletes it. I'm very happy with it, it has made a huge difference in my life ^^0
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I have had success with weight loss thanks to eating low carb (most recently keto, which seemed to help more with belly fat than other ways of eating) and I also had success TTC on my second round of Clomid 50mg (though I did end up with twins!).3
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My success is linked to weight loss. Before my weight loss I was diagnosed with PCOS and was put on a pill to control it. That pill really disagreed with me, made me put on a stone and have horrendous periods. I came back off of it and my periods stopped for nearly a year as my weight continued to climb. Now I have managed to lose 70lb through controlled calorie counting and doing a lot of exercise (I've become incredibly obsessed with zumba and cycling). Gradually my periods restarted, but to my horror they were ridiculously heavy and making me want to be sick or faint for a few of the days. As my weight continued to come off my periods became both more regular, every 5 weeks or so, and they have become a lot more manageable, I can actually go out and exercise when I'm on without fear of blood everywhere. I am excited to see how my body reacts in 20lb time when I hit my goal weight!7
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When I used metformin, it made me inattentive and forgetful. I wished it had worked for me or else I'd probably be at a lower weight.2
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It always appears as if the doctors don't quite know what they are doing when it comes to PCOS and I think that is down to it being slightly different for everyone. Just like some of us have balding and some of us have extra hair it seems to be a concoction of symptoms for each of us. Metformin made me terribly sick and didn't impact my weight one bit. Now I'm on a pill which makes your body think it is pregnant and the weight is starting to come off finally. When I was actually pregnant I lost so much weight the midwife was cross with me so hopefully now I've found the right thing to sort me out. Keep going ladies. Find your groove x x2
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After struggling with PCOS for over 15 years, I finally found something that has helped me. I had to use fertility treatments to get pregnant with my son, which naturally, added a ton of weight to me. And as most of you know, PCOS also effects your sex drive, vaginal dryness, acne, and facial hair growth. On top of all of those nasty symptoms, I also had developed an auto immune disease and fibromyalgia. I thought all hope was lost. Then I discovered It Works products. I initially tried them for weight loss, because as you know, if you have PCOS, weight loss doesn't come easy. But what I found was nothing short of a miracle. I tried the cleanser for my acne, and it vanished. I tried the wraps, thermofit, fat fighters and greens, and the weight started dropping off, my energy level and sex drive came soaring up, at last check, my white blood cell count was back in normal range, I rarely have pain, and the facial hair has even subsided quite a bit. I have NEVER been so happy with products in my life!! That is my story and that is why I have become an It Works distributor. I want to share these products with the world!! I want to help others to get healthy. I also want to make friends on myfitnesspal, so that they can follow my journey and I can follow theirs and help support them on their way.1
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Ive never posted but I wanted to share in case anyone is trying to conceive. In Feb of 2014 I was weighing 200 lbs and was finally diagnosed with PCOS though Ive been dealing with symptoms since I was 16. I finally decided to start losong weight because my father died of diabetes complications and they dound my blood sugar slightly elevated. I started walking more, eating better, wighibg/logging food and my August of 2014 not only had I lost about 50 lbs, but I got pregnant. Since having my daughter Ive struggled to lose the weight I gained due to intense pregnancy carb cravings. Im nursing and when I cut carbs I lose my milk supply so thats made it difficult, but now that Im in the 190s again Im recommiting!6
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Low carb and dairy free, no processed or artificial anything helped me reverse my infertility, lose weight, slow my hair growth, and clear my skin. Unfortunately, even though most of my pregnancies were healthy (the last one I got Gestational diabetes and preeclampsia... 4 pregnancies in 6 years I guess was too much for my body to handle), I never was able to produce enough milk to breastfeed any of my four children exclusively, which made me very, very sad. Dairy still makes me break out when I cheat. Trim Healthy Mama helped it slow my hair growth even further, and it was nice to be able to reintroduce some good carbs sparingly into my life under those principles. Adding good probiotic, magnesium, omega 3, and chromium supplements also helped me when I hit a stall, and my body is making huge strides in overall health, and I'm going up in energy and down in inches again.
finally! 6 -
Didn't notice if anyone mentioned Spiro, but that stuff has been a life saver. No more back/chest hair (ew), very decreased facial hair, no more acne and my hair is growing on my head again! I was seriously getting some male pattern baldness. Metformin has helped tremendously with my appetite, but I log my food and do my best to eat LC/HF. I run three times a week, and strength train twice a week.1
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@spiritsattain - I'm utterly jealous. Metformin and Spiro together for me created a horrible level of dehydration that had me having to quit the Spiro completely. I no longer take Metformin, either, though I may have to go back to it if my fasting insulin is still back up in October... Spiro never helped me really either. Just goes to show that we should all try all the things, all the combinations of things, because no one thing works for everyone, and there's no guarantee that what doesn't work for me won't work for you (see your post!!)...or vice versa. Heck, even the same meds might work differently or better for me now, since I've improved a number of health factors. Never quit biohacking! 0
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I recently posted my story in the "Success Stories" thread - community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10442780/hypothyroidism-pcos-success#latest0
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »@spiritsattain - I'm utterly jealous. Metformin and Spiro together for me created a horrible level of dehydration that had me having to quit the Spiro completely. I no longer take Metformin, either, though I may have to go back to it if my fasting insulin is still back up in October... Spiro never helped me really either. Just goes to show that we should all try all the things, all the combinations of things, because no one thing works for everyone, and there's no guarantee that what doesn't work for me won't work for you (see your post!!)...or vice versa. Heck, even the same meds might work differently or better for me now, since I've improved a number of health factors. Never quit biohacking!
I totally understand the dehydration, I drink so much water and still deal with it. The Spiro took a good 6 months to see the positive effects, and my Endocrinologist said that was even early to see results. I agree, biohack!!!
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I just posted some pics in the Success Stories thread on the main board and someone suggested I come here.
Something started going wacky in my body during my first pregnancy at age 24 (1990). It seems very few doctors, and none that I came in contact with, knew about PCOS. I lost the baby at 4 months and the OBGYN was kind of scratching his head, saying my hormones were really a mess. That's when I started gaining weight after being stable through high school and college. And my periods, which had been normal up to the pregnancy, didn't resume. I had to take fertility drugs to get pregnant, and hormone therapy to stay pregnant. Two (live!) babies and 80lbs later, I didn't recognize myself.
At age 30, I noticed some serious hair loss in my scalp, plus I was growing hair on my chin, chest, and 'treasure trail.' My OBGYN tested my blood again and said, Yeah, your hormones are really out of whack. But since I didn't want to have any more babies, I shouldn't worry about it. And, oh, they make good wigs these days. I was devastated.
At age 35, I went for a hair transplant in desperation. I was classified as stage 4 male-pattern baldness. And I was 100 lbs overweight. The hair dr. did the tests and said, Ya know, your reproductive hormones are really a mess. I can do the transplant, but you're just going to keep losing hair till this gets fixed. I got the transplant and he sent me to an endocrinologist. Thankfully this guy knew about PCOS and I was finally diagnosed (at age 35) with a "classic" case of it.
He put me on Metformin, Spironolactone, and BC pills (I hadn't had a period in many years). The hair loss stopped immediately and the weight gain rate slowed considerably (from an average of 10 lbs/year to 2 lbs/year) and I had periods again. It took some fiddling with the dosages because I couldn't tolerate the drugs very well--Metformin gave me gut-wrenching diarrhea and spiro affected my heart beat. I am currently at Metformin 500mg twice a day and Spiro 50 mg twice a day with no side effects. My scalp is fine now, and the 'male' hair elsewhere is all gone.
Over the next 14 years I gained another 25 lbs. The rate had slowed but I was just blowing up like a balloon. It took seeing me in my daughters wedding pics (below) where I didn't even recognize myself to finally get my mind in a place where I could make a permanent lifestyle change. I'd had already proved numerous times that 'diets' had no lasting effect.
So at age 49, Feb 1 2015, I weighed 300 lbs. I removed all traces of potatoes, rice, pasta, and simple sugars from my diet. I cut way back on bread and fruit, but still ate some of that. That was all I did--didn't count calories and I have never, ever exercised in my life, and didn't start then either. I felt I was actually eating a little more than usual with the carbs gone. I lost 56 lbs in 8 months.
Then I hit a brick wall. Same diet and no change. For once I wasn't gaining, so I knew the secret to maintaining really was just removing most of the carbs from my diet. But I still had a lot more to lose. I figured my metabolism was probably just bottomed out. I had to face the horrible fact that I would need to start exercising if I ever wanted to lose more weight.
So 8 weeks ago, on my 50th birthday, I joined Planet Fitness. I had never even been in a gym before. My daughters patiently explained to me how to use all the equipment. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it!
Since then, 2 months, I have lost 24 lbs by exercising (5 days/week at PF, and swimming laps 2 days/week) and same low carb diet. It's actually coming off much faster now then it did before and is very motivating. I feel great because of the weight loss, but also because I'm probably in better shape now than ever before including my normal-weight teen years.
I had a doctor recently tell me that women with PCOS have virtually no hope of losing weight. The best they can expect is to maintain. She's wrong. So don't be discouraged if you are fighting this condition. It takes the right mindset but it is beatable, and it's really not hard or uncomfortable--just requires dedication and the rewards are oh so worth it. I wish I had started all this decades earlier, but I'm still happy about my success so far to this point.
My blood pressure was last measured at 116/62 and my cholesterol is normal. The dr. says he would no longer classify me as pre-diabetic and that I beat the odds on that!
So here are the stats and pics:
Age 50
5'8"
SW 300
CW 220
GW 175
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Amazing! Thank you for sharing2
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@JulieSHelms this is so awesome. It shows clearly why we have to be the best advocates for our own health and never stop fighting for answers.2
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Has anyone on here suffered with PCOS as well as hypothyroidism? My thyroid is under control as of now. My PCOS has been managed with birth control. My main issue is weight gain, can't loose it, and some acne.
I was diagnosed about 5.5 years ago with PCOS and hypothyroid about a year ago. Just curious!
And thank you for sharing your stories!!0 -
PCOS, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, BCP induced HBP, pelvic organ prolapse, and other things. Found out that with the PCOS and thyroid stuff, that low stomach acid plays in heavily for me, so having to take care of that, in addition to perpetually tweaking meds...but finally feeling somewhat human again...0
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@JulieSHelms - that is a fantastic, inspiring story!! And you're an organ donor!! Congrats on all the success. I'm hoping to see the same hair loss success that you and @spiritsattain saw. Switching BC brands helped for a few months but I'm back to losing again. Started taking 50mg of Spiro twice a day in July but just had to cut back to every other day because of spotting/break through bleeding.0
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@smarrell Thanks! Spiro solved my problem instantly--within 2-3 days of starting it the hair loss stopped. But it did take years to get to a dose I could tolerate. I'm on 50mg/twice a day now. One endocrinologist poo-pooed it and said I was below therapeutic dose. I disagreed--the hair was firmly stuck in my head. Once my testosterone numbers had been normal for about 10 years I tried going off the Spiro--and promptly started losing hair again. So I'm afraid it's a lifetime fix. But I'll take Spiro over the wig any day...2
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I just found this group and thread!
I am pre-diabetic and was told that because of my blood sugars and my weight, I most likely have PCOS. Starting Oct 2015 I re-started myself on the Keto diet and have lost 60lbs so far. At one point I went into the DMV to get my beginners license and they took my picture and asked for my weight. I lied and said I was 290, when in all reality I knew I was around 308lbs but too embarrassed to admit it. Anyway, my Dr prescribed me metformin to help regulate both my pre-diabeties and as a safety precaution in case I did have PCOS, but I decided to not take it. I decided to control everything through diet. So far so good.
My fertility issues are 100% gone. Back in 2012 I was getting married so I went back on Keto to lose weight because I knew it worked, and did it ever. I dropped some weight and also, unknowingly got my fertility boosted and found out I was pregnant around April 2012. Had my daughter in December The doctors did lecture me about my diet, about restricting carbs while I was pregnant (I was losing weight and they didn't like it) so I put myself on a typical diabetic "low carb" diet during my pregnancy. I had gestational diabetes so I knew I had to be careful. The carb amounts were not enough to be in ketosis (somewhere between 80 - 150g) so I assumed that was good enough to keep the Drs happy.
Anyway - I hope this gives people hope. It can be done, your body can be healed.. and from what I've experienced and what I've read, once your body doesn't have to constantly battle inflammation anymore, your body can use that energy to heal cysts or other things going on in your body.3 -
on may 1 I was told I was prediabetic was not ovulating and was having horrible periods that lasted most of the month. I started on 1500 mg metformin an's cut out sugar and refined carbs and potatoes. fast forward to last month I am now ovulating. skin cleared up. periods normal. lost 58 pounds and feel great oh and I am not prediabetic anymore. I've been pcos for 20 years and have never felt so good!3
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treehugnmama wrote: »on may 1 I was told I was prediabetic was not ovulating and was having horrible periods that lasted most of the month. I started on 1500 mg metformin an's cut out sugar and refined carbs and potatoes. fast forward to last month I am now ovulating. skin cleared up. periods normal. lost 58 pounds and feel great oh and I am not prediabetic anymore. I've been pcos for 20 years and have never felt so good!
That's awesome, I started last month on a low calorie low carb high protein diet with weekly shots of trulicity and daily dose of janumet (metformin mix) and I've lost almost 20 lbs in one month with only light exercise! Can't wait till I get all the weight off.1 -
Just remember, high protein *can* be harder on your kidneys. Make sure you're balancing that with moderate healthy fats. It will keep you sustained long term on your plan.1
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Just remember, high protein *can* be harder on your kidneys. Make sure you're balancing that with moderate healthy fats. It will keep you sustained long term on your plan.
Thanks you, it's always nice to be informed. My doctor put me on this program and is watching me closely. Between blood work, weigh-ins, and monthly visits I feel confident I'm on the right track. Feels good to finally shed the weight
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That's awesome, I started last month on a low calorie low carb high protein diet with weekly shots of trulicity and daily dose of janumet (metformin mix) and I've lost almost 20 lbs in one month with only light exercise! Can't wait till I get all the weight off. [/quote]
good for you. hope you are starting to feel better.....keep at it!!
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