PCOS and weight loss

swall0810

I have PCOS also. Was diagnosed 2 years ago and my weight is always up and down. Recently I put on a lot of weight and struggling to lose it. I just started Metformin 2 days ago but it wasn't for weight loss, it is for other reasons. Pcos sucks. Feel free to add me and we can encourage each other.

azulvioleta6

I have PCOS as well as 4 other metabolic diseases.

I eat a lower-carb diet (75G/day seems to be my sweet spot...100G/day is my upper limit for maintenance) and I exercise a lot--generally 90-120 minutes/day, generally 6 days/week. About half of my exercise is low-intensity (walking) and the rest is higher intensity. I tend to alternate high- and low-impact exercises so that I don't need to take many rest days.

I've not kept track of speed of weight loss, but I have been able to lose 90 pounds and maintain it. I would like to lose 20 more pounds, but serious medical issues mean that it might not be physically possible for me.

It's going to take you longer than a healthy person and it will be more difficult. Do it anyhow. You can make a HUGE difference in your A1C and that translates to a lifetime of improved health and feeling better. It is worth it.

diwijo13

cafeaulait7 wrote: »

One of the worst effects of PCOS is male-pattern facial hair problems (not to mention infertility), so I wish I'd taken the metformin way, way back when it was first suggested to me. It does help balance the androgens (although I also need Prometrium to further cut down the extra estrogen from PCOS).

For me, that's also aside from the fact that it might have prevented my worsening IR problem I did not have to lose weight (was quite skinny for most of those early years) and my yearly fasting blood glucose didn't show diabetes, so I did not take the metformin back then. Now I definitely do --after the facial hair growth and hyperglycemia, dammit. I never tried to have kids.

The side effects of Metformin go much, much better if you wean on slowly and take the met with food. Mine does great now. I dropped weight really quickly for no reason for a few months when I first started, too, so that was pretty cool since I was trying to lose the last few lbs of a 30-lb weight gain.

ETA: Oh, and Metformin made a change in how I finally lost my lower tummy pooch! I never, ever lose this certain amount of pooch, yet I did last year after getting on Metformin and losing those last lbs. I've been at this weight before, often, and the composition was different. The only problem was that I have a teeny bit of loose skin at the bottom because I've had that little pooch since puberty, lol. It's not many inches at all, but I swear I did nothing different except for met and lower carbs (for the hyperglycemia I now have).

Yes! The facial hair. I hate it! I've taken spirolactone (sp) to help with that, but it takes a while to work and once you stop taking it the hair just comes back. I've even thought about laser treatments but heard that it's not guaranteed for people with PCOS and that the hair can just come back.

I've never heard of Prometrium. I'll have to look into that. And I too was very skinny when I was young. Oh how I wish I could get back to those days. Lol

My next step is to go back to my endocrinologist for the metformin. I hear that the XR pills lessen the side effects.

diwijo13

wkwebby wrote: »

From the forums I've heard that women with PCOS will need less calories than an average healthy woman without PCOS. So if 2000 calories is what MFP allowed (without adjustments), then you should shoot for lower than that and figure this number is your maintenance number (at the best case and hope you don't gain on that number). Everyone is different and will expend more or less energy. Please carefully consider these things. You definitely don't want to starve, but try a little of each of the methods. Low carb (so you feel fuller on less calories), exercise a little, and keep strict track of your calories. You should be able to lose the weight. Metformin is one way to go, but it is a crutch that you will have to keep taking if you don't change the other factors in your life.

I've never heard about eating fewer calories than MFP recommended, but maybe that's why I gave up last time. Right now MFP has me at 1540 calories to lose 2 lbs a week. I don't think that I can go any lower. I already feel irritated probably due to eating fewer calories. Last time I did too much in the beginning and by the end of the 1st month, I felt tired and run down, not energized even though I had lost 10 lbs. Now only after 6 days I am feeling the same way. I'm really considering metformin so at least I can level the playing field.

diwijo13

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

I have PCOS as well as 4 other metabolic diseases.

I eat a lower-carb diet (75G/day seems to be my sweet spot...100G/day is my upper limit for maintenance) and I exercise a lot--generally 90-120 minutes/day, generally 6 days/week. About half of my exercise is low-intensity (walking) and the rest is higher intensity. I tend to alternate high- and low-impact exercises so that I don't need to take many rest days.

I've not kept track of speed of weight loss, but I have been able to lose 90 pounds and maintain it.

90 lbs is impressive! How long did it take? I have my carbs set at 40% now. My goal is to lower that to 30% by April since I just started on this journey. Now I'm trying to increase my protein, which will help lower my carbs.

I wish i could exercise 1.5-2 hrs a day but i don't think i could keep that up for long. Lol. I exercised 3 times this week already so I am doing a little something. Last time I did stronglifts and loved it so I'm going to start that soon and take group classes, something I didn't do last time. I have heard that walking is a big help, even low intensity walking so I do Leslie Sansone's Just Walk.

diwijo13

suz_z_q wrote: »

I have been working out for about 3 months now and i am down almost 20 pounds. I have not changed much with my eating yet, but i did increase my workouts. I just downloaded the mfp app on my new phone to start tracking my food so that i can better manage my good and exercise.

Impressive, especially since you haven't changed your eating habits much. Yesterday, I bought a digital scale so I can log accurately. I'm hoping the scale and Metformin will help tremendously.

LKArgh

diwijo13 wrote: »

wkwebby wrote: »

From the forums I've heard that women with PCOS will need less calories than an average healthy woman without PCOS. So if 2000 calories is what MFP allowed (without adjustments), then you should shoot for lower than that and figure this number is your maintenance number (at the best case and hope you don't gain on that number). Everyone is different and will expend more or less energy. Please carefully consider these things. You definitely don't want to starve, but try a little of each of the methods. Low carb (so you feel fuller on less calories), exercise a little, and keep strict track of your calories. You should be able to lose the weight. Metformin is one way to go, but it is a crutch that you will have to keep taking if you don't change the other factors in your life.

I've never heard about eating fewer calories than MFP recommended, but maybe that's why I gave up last time. Right now MFP has me at 1540 calories to lose 2 lbs a week. I don't think that I can go any lower. I already feel irritated probably due to eating fewer calories. Last time I did too much in the beginning and by the end of the 1st month, I felt tired and run down, not energized even though I had lost 10 lbs. Now only after 6 days I am feeling the same way. I'm really considering metformin so at least I can level the playing field.

If you not have done so already, you will need to change what you eat, to be happy with less calories. You can e.g. spend 500 calories on something that is low volume calorie-dense or for the same calories eat for example a normal serving of grilled meat/fish, plus a big side dish of vegetables, that will keep you fuller for far longer.
Also maybe 2 lbs per week is a goal that is just too aggressive? Better slow and steady than giving up.

bellaa_x0

diwijo13 wrote: »

cafeaulait7 wrote: »

One of the worst effects of PCOS is male-pattern facial hair problems (not to mention infertility), so I wish I'd taken the metformin way, way back when it was first suggested to me. It does help balance the androgens (although I also need Prometrium to further cut down the extra estrogen from PCOS).

For me, that's also aside from the fact that it might have prevented my worsening IR problem I did not have to lose weight (was quite skinny for most of those early years) and my yearly fasting blood glucose didn't show diabetes, so I did not take the metformin back then. Now I definitely do --after the facial hair growth and hyperglycemia, dammit. I never tried to have kids.

The side effects of Metformin go much, much better if you wean on slowly and take the met with food. Mine does great now. I dropped weight really quickly for no reason for a few months when I first started, too, so that was pretty cool since I was trying to lose the last few lbs of a 30-lb weight gain.

ETA: Oh, and Metformin made a change in how I finally lost my lower tummy pooch! I never, ever lose this certain amount of pooch, yet I did last year after getting on Metformin and losing those last lbs. I've been at this weight before, often, and the composition was different. The only problem was that I have a teeny bit of loose skin at the bottom because I've had that little pooch since puberty, lol. It's not many inches at all, but I swear I did nothing different except for met and lower carbs (for the hyperglycemia I now have).

Yes! The facial hair. I hate it! I've taken spirolactone (sp) to help with that, but it takes a while to work and once you stop taking it the hair just comes back. I've even thought about laser treatments but heard that it's not guaranteed for people with PCOS and that the hair can just come back.

I've never heard of Prometrium. I'll have to look into that. And I too was very skinny when I was young. Oh how I wish I could get back to those days. Lol

My next step is to go back to my endocrinologist for the metformin. I hear that the XR pills lessen the side effects.

I started laser treatment about a year ago and it has definitely improved the hair situation for me; however, mine was not super extreme to begin with.. it was mostly my chin area. I still have a few strays that grow back in every now and then but they're not thick and dark like they used to be.

cafeaulait7

I tried several sessions of laser and it didn't do a thing! Not one thing. It was hundreds of dollars and I got zero out of it. Mine's not all that much (on my chin only, too) but the texture is startlingly male-like, so of course I hate it. It's definitely from androgen excess

The Prometrium for me is taken every day, because I also have endometriosis and my doc and I wouldn't mind me not having a period at all. I don't take estrogen products, being in so much excess already from PCOS and being well over 35, etc. But lots of women with PCOS take the progesterone on a schedule that has their periods come back, where they don't take it certain weeks of the month. It works for fertility that way.

The balance with PCOS is usually too much estrogen, too many androgens, too much insulin and not enough progesterone (of the ones that are commonly medicated for). That's why the symptoms include so many distressing things. It's also why I don't think the pill is nearly the best way to go about things, yet that's what doctors push for so hard. That's what I took for decades for it (and look how far it got me).