PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and weight lose

naturalbeautyisme55

I wanted to reach out to MFP to find any women who are in the same situation as myself. Though I have not been diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) I have many of the symptoms and believe I need a second opinion and more test done. I have struggled with losing weight over the past 7 years. I am very active, eat a healthy diet, constantly moving around but yet I lose about 1lb a month if that It's hard and depressing at the same time to see my friends dropping 50+lbs and I'm stuck at nothing. I did manage to lose 12lbs, but over a 4 year span. My body seems to carry and store fat like crazy and it''s frustrating because I put so much time and energy into diets and exercising. I am not complaining about the time I put in because I love exercising and eating healthy, but at the end of the day it gets depressing. It seems as though my hard work is in vain. If you are in the same situation or struggle with PCOS, what tips or information do you have that will help me on my journey? Thanks MFP!!!

LinderLou2000

I am kind of in the same boat you are. I have not been diagnosed with PCOS, but have many symptoms. I have a really hard time losing weight also. I will do good for awhile, but then it tapers off and I feel like I am starving, yet with no results! But I'm trying to re-examine and make sure I'm not getting too lax with my eating. That's why it helps me so much to keep a journal. We just gotta keep going and keep trying.

Bethie_J

Well, first, try to get a confirmation from you doc.

Losing weight is harder with PCOS. It just is. But if you stay dedicated, and absolutely stop comparing yourself to others, you can do it.

The majority of us PCOS gals have a much higher rate of success by eliminating processed carbs from your diet (white flour, white sugar, etc). Stick to whole grains and get your sugars from fruits. And sadly, you should try to limit these as well.

Most importantly, don't give up. It IS harder. But just imagine how good you'll feel about yourself when you accomplish your goals!

Livdoesketo

Hiya, I'm not diagnosed with PCOS but my mum and sister have it, and when my periods starting going haywire I went to the doctor, they told me that I don't have it but at the weight I was I would get it. Can I ask what diet you are doing? In all honesty with PCOS the best thing you can do is do a low carb diet, it will help you maintain a constant blood sugar level which is really important in combating this thing!

I'm doing a strict ketogenic diet, so I keep my net carbs (total carbohydrate grams-fiber grams) under 20g a day, I eat a normal amount of protein, and get the majority of my energy from fat. If you search for ketogenic diet on google loads of information will come up, if you are a reddit user then www.reddit.com/r/keto and www.reddit.com/r/xxketo for ladies issues, I know there are a lot of women on that group who have PCOS and are succeeding with keto where other diets have failed.

I myself have done lots of diets before and keto is the only one I can maintain for long periods of time and I've lost nearly 4 stone so far. An example of my meal plan

Breakfast:

2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon
or bulletproof coffee ( coffee with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp coconut oil blended in) not for everyone
or 80g almonds

Lunch:
Pork loin chop, cheesy chorizo vegetables ie broccoli/spinach/green beans
or Chorizo omelette
or any luncheon meat with some cheese and green veggies.

Dinner:
similar to lunch- any meat, green veg and a fat source- so blue cheese/ranch dressing on a salad, garlic butter, mayonaise.

I'd recommend Gary Taubes book "good calories bad calories", if only for the eating guide at the back which is fab. Feel free to add me if you want to have a look at my day to day eating.

sallielozo

Well, first, try to get a confirmation from you doc.

Losing weight is harder with PCOS. It just is. But if you stay dedicated, and absolutely stop comparing yourself to others, you can do it.

The majority of us PCOS gals have a much higher rate of success by eliminating processed carbs from your diet (white flour, white sugar, etc). Stick to whole grains and get your sugars from fruits. And sadly, you should try to limit these as well.

Most importantly, don't give up. It IS harder. But just imagine how good you'll feel about yourself when you accomplish your goals!

This ^ High protein, low carb diets do wonders for PCOS. I take Metformin for my PCOS which has helped me lose weight, along with going Paleo.

naturalbeautyisme55

I am on a low carb diet because I have heard it will help. Thanks for the information, I will look up the ketogenic diet.

omma_to_3

Metformin and LOTS of exercise has helped me be successful. I've tried following a low GI diet before (lower and balanced carbs) but it didn't actually work well for me. It just made me unhappy LOL. Once the met got my insulin levels under control, it was easier to lose weight (not easy, but easier). I still lose at a slower rate than most, but I'm able to lose.

naturalbeautyisme55

Metformin made me sick as a dog. it was so hard to take it I stopped. I see it has worked for many people, but the side effects are awful I was not happy on Metformin.

AbsoluteNG

Metformin made me sick as a dog. it was so hard to take it I stopped. I see it has worked for many people, but the side effects are awful I was not happy on Metformin.

You are insulin resistant, that's why it's harder for you to lose weight. Taking Metformin helps fix your problem until you fix your glucose levels which is done by losing weight. Extremely low carb with high fat and high protein is the way to go. You only need to eat enough carbs to allow you to function in a day. For most people it's around 40 grams. Get a blood glucose meter and keep track of your glucose levels. High levels of glucose means hard to lose weight. You want it to be low most of the day.

LisaWixom

It takes hard work and dedication. It seems like even when I just take one cheat (popcorn at a movie, a coke etc) I am up 2/3 lbs. We gain easier and it is definitely harder to take off.

Kristy7418

I'm in the same boat. I have changed my diet drastically. Have really cut my sugar and white flour / starches from my diet. I eat whole wheat everything now and lots of fruits and veggies. Try to work out as many days a week as possible. The weight is starting to come off slowly but it's coming off.

Jennisin1

Low carb diet and lots of exercise equals success for me....

ItalianFire91

i have PCOS and am trying to be super careful with sugar and carbs, still doing some research, basically if i lose all my weight i have a good chance of treating my PCOS. although PCOS makes losing weight hard

omma_to_3

Metformin made me sick as a dog. it was so hard to take it I stopped. I see it has worked for many people, but the side effects are awful I was not happy on Metformin.

You are insulin resistant, that's why it's harder for you to lose weight. Taking Metformin helps fix your problem until you fix your glucose levels which is done by losing weight. Extremely low carb with high fat and high protein is the way to go. You only need to eat enough carbs to allow you to function in a day. For most people it's around 40 grams. Get a blood glucose meter and keep track of your glucose levels. High levels of glucose means hard to lose weight. You want it to be low most of the day.

This is not accurate. Insulin resistance may eventually lead to glucose issues, but many people with IR have normal glucose levels. Also, losing weight doesn't fix the problem for everyone. My issues CAUSED the weight gain. Losing weight has never fixed my insulin levels nor my PCOS symptoms.

xoxomarshmallow

i have pcos too. :-(

Ashley_Panda

Metformin made me gain.

I have PCOS, Hashimoto, the whole deal.

Ask your doctor, not a website.

foxylady522

I see that others already responded with this but low carb is the way to go. I found that I was able to lose weight without the use of Metformin once I did low carb. I did a true Atkins diet for a period of time with the best success. I have also done South Beach. Those guidelines have been very helpful in educating myself on food and what I need in order to lose weight. It is so much harder to lose with PCOS. However, with eating within a lower carb diet I am able to lose much better.

Lauren_Ellison

I have PCOS too and it is insane how much it affects weight loss. I try to drink LOTS of water and am limiting my white sugar.

You are not alone! Keep kicking butt!!

spike90

I have PCOS (been diagnosed by doc). It does make losing weight very difficult. You need to go see your doc (I saw my OBGYN) and they will so some blood tests, check you for cysts in your ovaries, and do a question/answer test. If you have PCOS and are insulin resistant (which I am not), they can put you on Metformin which apparently helps with weight loss. They will also put you on a certain type of birth control to lower your androgen levels (the birth control hinders my weight loss unfortunately).

The best thing for PCOS to lose weight is exercise, and a low carb/heart healthy diet. My diet is not that great so I would probably have done better at losing weight it I could have the willpower to eat better. If you think you have PCOS, please get checked as it leads to heart disease, ovarian cancer, and diabetes. It also can have nasty "side effects" if not treated like non cancerious ovarian cysts (which I have had and are very, very painful) and things like growing hair on body/face (luckily I don't have this problem), and causing your hair to fall out of your head (this problem I do have). It is not really cureable but is treatable with the right medicines and healthy living.

Espressocycle

My wife has it. She used to be fat. She lost the weight and kept it off. All I can say is, any condition that makes it a little harder to lose weight or a little easier to gain can't keep you overweight forever if you maintain a deficit, so don't make it an excuse. Just congratulate your super-efficient metabolism for being oh so good at wringing every calorie out of your food and storing it so well and move on.

AbsoluteNG

Metformin made me sick as a dog. it was so hard to take it I stopped. I see it has worked for many people, but the side effects are awful I was not happy on Metformin.

You are insulin resistant, that's why it's harder for you to lose weight. Taking Metformin helps fix your problem until you fix your glucose levels which is done by losing weight. Extremely low carb with high fat and high protein is the way to go. You only need to eat enough carbs to allow you to function in a day. For most people it's around 40 grams. Get a blood glucose meter and keep track of your glucose levels. High levels of glucose means hard to lose weight. You want it to be low most of the day.

This is not accurate. Insulin resistance may eventually lead to glucose issues, but many people with IR have normal glucose levels. Also, losing weight doesn't fix the problem for everyone. My issues CAUSED the weight gain. Losing weight has never fixed my insulin levels nor my PCOS symptoms.

Good to know. So if your weight gain is the cause of insulin resistance, what I said earlier holds true but if insulin resistance causes weight gain, you're body is out of luck for using insulin like a normal person even if you lose weight. Is that a fair assessment?