PCOS and Weight Loss

mommybehealthy

Hello All,

I'm looking for any women who have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and either have lost weight successfully, or are trying to (like me). It's an everyday struggle. I'm on month 8 of being on a 1200-1500 calorie restriction, working with a trainer, exercise 5 days a week at least, and do 10k steps every day. I'm down 27lbs but having to lose more than 100lbs and only losing 27 so far is quite discouraging. Especially with all that I'm doing.

Anyone going through the same or similar struggle?

LKArgh

May I ask how confident you are in your calorie counting? In general, it sounds like you are on the right track though, 27 lbs is great progress. It is about 1 lb per week which sounds very reasonable. With more than 100 lbs to lose, it could have been perhaps a bit more, which is why I would think your calorie counting is most likely not accurate. But still, it is good progress.

concordancia

Have you talked to a dietician? PCOS patients often respond well to lower carb/ low GI diets.

While waiting for an appointment with a dietician, you might look into something like the South Beach Diet, that starts you off with a severe limitation to help eliminate cravings, but then teaches you to slowly add back in whole grains while observing their effect on you. In this way, you can determine what works best for you.

mommybehealthy

Thanks! I severely limited my carb intake for the first 7 months and just recently added back Rice and potatoes (only at lunch). I went completely gluten free, but my trainer felt I should add back rice and potatoes mainly because I was limiting too much. I'm down 6lbs in the past month (which makes the total 27) so I guess it's going in the right direction....just super duper slow.

leticiafriend86

I'm in a similar boat with PCOS, and the best advice I have is to just keep going. Seriously. Every little bit of weight loss will all add up in the end. Also, try to work towards smaller goals and celebrate when you achieve those goals so that losing 100lbs isn't so overwhelming.

StacyChrz

I have PCOS, Hypothyroidism and am gluten intolerant. I have found that for myself dairy is a big issue. In a commercial farming operation cows are given artificial hormones to keep them producing milk, I am apparently sensitive to these hormones. Through trial and error I learned that when I eat dairy, whether it's low fat Greek yogurt or cheese, or milk on a regular basis I have more PCOS symptoms and I experience more fluid retention. I had 'fallen off the wagon' for several months, and had been eating dairy regularly. I had also not been measuring my portions accurately and ate a few gluten containing foods. I had maintained my weight through the holidays then in the past several weeks I gained about 9 lbs. back. My periods had become irregular and my joints were aching which is a signal for me of systemic inflammation. Starting last Monday I cut all dairy products, increased my protein, started weighing and measuring everything and have been very careful about gluten. I have lost 7.4 lbs. as of today. I have a Fitbit and have it set up to adjust my calories up or down based on activity and have ended most days a little over my calorie goal and am still losing. I am quite certain that a high percentage of my weight loss is due to fluid retention/inflammation but some of it is absolutely fat loss.

I have experimented with cutting out dairy along with gluten a few times and each time I have the same positive result. Did I mention my TOM started on Thursday and it was actually 'normal'? I don't find that I need to limit my carbs to severe level, just the gluten containing ones. It might be worth a try.

jenmomto4

I have pcos and hypothyroid. I'm 36 with 5 kids. I have 60 lbs to lose. I start lose weight and quit and gain it all back. I really need to stick to something .

mommybehealthy

@leticiafriend86 you are exactly right. Every little bit helps. I know I should be happy with my progress thus far, and I think I will start back looking at smaller goals. 100lbs seems so far away.
@StacyChrz - other friends of mine keep telling me to give up dairy. I know that since giving up gluten I do feel MUCH better, but I have found that when I'm eating more dairy I do feel more bloated, more achy etc. I have lots of issues with inflammation as well. That's awesome on your weight loss thus far. I may have to give in and start cutting out the dairy. Thanks for sharing!
@jenmomto4 I completely understand losing weight quitting and gaining it all back. In my case I lose, then gain back 10 more than what I lost. This is the first time I've refused to stop, and have only gained back a max of 5lbs at any given point in the past 8 months, but it's so incredibly frustrating

Thanks all for responding!

StacyChrz

mommybehealthy wrote: »

@leticiafriend86 you are exactly right. Every little bit helps. I know I should be happy with my progress thus far, and I think I will start back looking at smaller goals. 100lbs seems so far away.
@StacyChrz - other friends of mine keep telling me to give up dairy. I know that since giving up gluten I do feel MUCH better, but I have found that when I'm eating more dairy I do feel more bloated, more achy etc. I have lots of issues with inflammation as well. That's awesome on your weight loss thus far. I may have to give in and start cutting out the dairy. Thanks for sharing!
@jenmomto4 I completely understand losing weight quitting and gaining it all back. In my case I lose, then gain back 10 more than what I lost. This is the first time I've refused to stop, and have only gained back a max of 5lbs at any given point in the past 8 months, but it's so incredibly frustrating

Thanks all for responding!

I agree with Leticia, maybe set yourself a goal of 5 lbs and then work from there. As for giving up dairy, it will be tough the first few days but after that it won't be bad. I feel like the reward is really worth it. I am not going to say that being in a public setting is easy, it's much easier to control at home, but it makes a huge difference for me.

mommybehealthy

Thanks @StacyChrz ! I've already started the "weaning" process. I'm going to attempt 30 days as a challenge of dairy free, and then work from there. Hopefully it will help. I figure if I could give up the one thing I was so addicted to (breads, pastas, etc. ) I can totally do this. Thanks again!

cassondraragan

I could lose no weight without severe restriction and outrageous amounts of exercise until my RE/fertility doc put me on metoformin 1000mg twice a day. Then I could lose normally if I followed a normal exercise and eating plan.

cassondraragan

I lost 80lbs once I started Metoformin. Had baby number three with severe post partum and went on anti depressants and gained almost 50 of it back. I'm finally feeling normal again after baby #3 (took almost three years!!!) and I'm going down again...about 17 lbs since January.

Cylie5

I was diagnosed with PCOS back in 2014. I thought it was just a fertility thing but I got pregnant right after. I had no idea it affected weight loss. Back in the fall I cut added sugars out of my diet and lost some weight but perhaps the PCOS stunted that? Perhaps its something to talk to the doc about.

mommybehealthy

@cassondraragan congrats on your recent success, and feeling normal again! I completely understand post partum, gaining, etc. I actually just talked with my GYN today who put me back on metformin (was off because of the stomach upset), so he says it will take about 2-3 months to get into a regulation of my system.

@Cylie5 I was diagnosed back in 2000 in my late teens, and was told I would have fertility issues. I got pregnant with both my kids easily, so I was in denial that I really did have PCOS. I know better now because I have way too many symptoms of it Definitely talk to your doctor about treatment options. Usually they go with birth control pills , which do help but can lead to weight gain, so it's a catch 22

mommybehealthy

@DancingDarl I'm glad you were finally able to get correctly diagnosed (or un diagnosed ). Sorry to hear you were incorrectly diagnosed. My ovaries have never shown cysts in all of the ultrasounds I've had, however I have all of the other symptoms. I'm glad the parasite cleanse worked for you!

smurphy90

I was "diagnosed" with PCOS, but am still not positive that I have it. A blood test made my doctor suspect it last year (Feb. 2015), but due to insurance limitations at the time, I couldn't get an ultrasound to confirm it. I've been on 1000mg/2x day of Metformin (I can't use hormonal birth control, due to conflicting medication.) I haven't really lost weight on it, or noticed any difference in some of my other symptoms (like no period, some annoying facial hair, etc.) I'm trying to limit my carb intake, as it's definitely not my preferred food group and I know Metformin and PCOS tends to be better when combined with a low carb diet. However, living in Germany and having a very German, potato loving boyfriend, potatoes are 1/3-1/2 of our dinner about 3-4 nights/week. I'm also quite sensitive to eggs, so combining that with not wanting added carbs in my day, I never know what to eat in the mornings that doesn't require more than 3-5 minutes of cooking.

I was on a medication from November 2014 until October 2015 that had the side effect of getting PCOS. I've been off of that medication since then though and still no sight of my period, which I haven't had since Jan 2015.

I still have at least 80 pounds to lose, so I'm really hoping to rally some motivation and really stick to it this time. I really want to be sure my fertility is okay. I've never had regular periods, but I still always got them every 1-4 months... never gone over a year. =/

BoomstickChik

Hey, I don't have pcos, but i do have Hashimotos and it's extremely difficult to lose with thyroid disease as well. I understand the struggle of health issues impacting weight loss. Feel free to add

Hiddenstars18

Hey guys, I just started on here from recommendation from a friend and I just got officially diagnosed with pcos and high insulin levels after 3 follow up visits and blood work. Doctor gave me metoformin and I start it tomorrow. Any diet advice or any other advice would be great! I currently and unfortunately weigh 264 and my goal at first is to get under 200 then go from there. One step at a time right?

mommybehealthy

@smurphy90 I completely understand your struggles. I was on Metformin from 2009 until last July 2015 and I just started it back again. My doctor said that it takes 2-3 months to even begin to regulate cycles, if it will at all. Ugh, which is frustrating. Carbs were my weakness, anything bread, pasta, or potato related is all I'd crave. In July of last year I have it all up. I just started back taking my Metformin and am down 1/2 lb since Thursday last week. You will find excellent support here on this site! Keep it up because you can definitely do it. Don't worry too much about fertility, you can totally have children even with crazy cycles. I was told I wouldn't get pregnant my traditional methods, and I did it twice.

@BoomstickChik thyroid issues are a challenge. Both of my sisters have thyroid issues, and I'm checked frequently as well. Thanks for sharing that we aren't in this alone!

@Hiddenstars18 Welcome! The absolute 1 and only thing that has worked for me is calorie and carb restrictions. It's extremely frustrating seeing others who don't have PCOS just "cutting back" because for me I had to severely restrict. I basically follow a diabetic diet in order to keep my glucose from spiking and in turn making my insulin go haywire. I too am insulin resistant with high insulin levels. I was diagnosed in 2009. The metformin truly does help, but I found out the hard way that it won't work on it's own. Walking after meals is good to help keep your glucose low, as well as low glycemic foods. I can't do artificial sweetners, so I use things like agave that won't spike my glucose, and in turn make my insulin higher. I too am needing to get under 200 eventually (haven't seen 1derland in ....over 15 or more years. Best of luck to you!!!

redfoxwhiskers

Hi, guys! I can't tell you how excited I am to find other people with PCOS struggling with the same things I am. I keep losing weight and then gaining it back plus extra. I have never had regular periods and am pretty sure I'm infertile at this point. It's done terrible things to my self esteem (my hair is falling out! Gah!) But I've decided to regain my confidence and optimism by trying to beat this thing! My hope is to lose weight and to see if that counteracts some of the yucky effecrs.

I live in a very small town and the doctor here isn't really giving a lot of advice. Do you recommend metformin? I'm just thrilled to meet more people. Hi!

mariawpqe

Hi!

I've been feeling with pcos since I was 15 and would be happy to add you.

There's a ton of advice I can give! Go see an endocrinologist asap. You may need to take a trip and get a referral from your doc for insurance reasons.

As far as meds, metformin isn't being prescribed for pcos anymore and my doc took me off it. Get on birth control pills if you can. They helped me so much in regulating my female hormones. My hair was falling out too, but there is a blood pressure medication called spironolactone and it has a side affect of blocking androgens from being received, which is the hormone that causes our hair loss. And it totally worked for me!

As far as diet and exercise, stay away from simple carbs and try and high fiber, high protein or high fat diet. I really love lots of fruit and veggies with yogurt, hummus, nutbutters and cheese. But basically a portion of any carb we eat will go straight to fat because of insulin resistance, if you have that. Use Google!

I'm at a point in my life where I got down to a fit 165 about a year ago, then let myself go and gained it all back and then some. Now I'm darting all over, but bound and determined to be healthy again.

We can totally do this! If you want to friend me, I'm cool with that.

MegSchuy16

Hello, I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was around 15 years old... I didn't start experiencing the weight gain symptoms until I was around 18-19 years old. Since then, it's been a battle with weight loss and keeping my hormones in balance.

I could definitely use the motivation since I know weight loss will help with this syndrome... I am also looking to lose weight because I have been responsive to meds and might try to have kids soon, but I want to be back down to a good weight before my husband and I try. There was a time in my life when I didn't have any periods for 2 yrs. I always felt bloated and was in pain. Now I've found the right meds and I'm hoping that being on them will allow me to lose weight. I always was able to lose about 10lbs and then would fall off the wagon and gain 15lbs back. It was annoying. Now I am 216.4lbs, 5'6", looking to lose 65lbs and get back to my normal weight of 150lbs.

Feel free to add me! You're definitely not alone!

Dead_Darling

Hi! After exercising and eating right for over a year with no results, I am close to giving up. I have highly irregular periods too.
I just had my ultrasound scan on Monday. Initially the sonographer said I have cysts on my ovaries, but I will have to wait until the doctor can determine whether I have PCOS or not. I have all the signs and symptoms of it, so I am hoping this doctor will tell me that it's definite in a couple of weeks time.
I'm looking to lose about 50lbs, and so far I have only lost 3lbs due to food poisoning last week
Best of luck to everyone! This is highly frustrating.

mommybehealthy

@Redfoxwhiskers you are definitely not alone. For me, Metformin helps because it is regulating my insulin, which helps me lose weight. I was stupid, and stopped taking it 8 months back, and now am paying the price because even with calorie restricting, I wasn't losing the weight I should. I've been back on it for over a week now, and I'm now losing again. @mariawpqe has some great input as well. Birth control pills are a great options to help regulate your cycles. I've found that a combination of Metformin and birth control, in addition to limiting carbs has been the best combo for me. My doctor kept me on Metformin through my second pregnancy because he said staying on it through the 12th week would cut risk of miscarriage for someone who is Insulin resistant. You may want to ask your doctor about checking your insulin levels to see if they are high.

Hi @MeganSchuyler16 and welcome!! You are definitely not alone! You can definitely do this and we are all here to support you! I had 2 kids after my PCOS diagnosis, so you can definitely do it. My first was conceived after getting off of Birth Control, and my second I was on Metformin, but not Birth Control. Everyone is different, but it is possible. Best of luck!!!

@Dead_Darling I am totally with you!! I have days of complete and total frustration! sometimes those days turn into weeks, months, etc. It's a roller coaster for sure! This time around, I decided to do everything so differently than I have in the past. It's been very difficult, but now that I've got the ball rolling, I'm more determined. You've got this!!!

P.S. I started blogging last year in hopes to keep myself accountable. You can find it online by searching for Mommy, Be Healthy. I'm going to be doing a post about my PCOS frustrations soon.

Juacline

Hi everyone, I was put on birth control pills at 14 after having a cyst rupture and no one realized I had PCOS because the pills covered up the symptoms. I was only diagnosed as a Freshman in college. When I went to the Doctor's office, he took me off the pill to see what would happen. He didn't believe I had it because I didn't have bad acne and wasn't hairy. Low and behold I had the free testosterone levels of twice the normal woman. There was also a note on my ultrasound at 14 that I had pearls on my ovaries that no one told me about. I am in grad school and have started a 1200-calorie diet. I have always eaten better than my peers but just kept gaining. I am also always hungry which does not help. I read a bunch of studies that have said we have a resting metabolism of 1150-1450. I am making an appointment soon to have mine tested at our health center.

Concerning medications, I am currently on extended release Metformin and Cryselle (birth control pill). I have been on lots of different medications that worked for a while (no sickness) but after a year or two I couldn't keep them down (Metformin, then Glumetza, then Glucovance). FYI, the Glucovance didn't make me vomit but when I tried to be active, it gave me hypoglycemia. I was on Spironolactone but because it is a diuretic, I had digestive issues. I might try to get back on it to see if it helps now that my diet isn't college food. Before Cryselle, I was on Yaz because it has a similar chemical compound to Spironolactone and since I was going to take it separately, I didn't need the extra dosage. Vitamin wise, I've been taking women's gummies but realized I need more. I suggest that all of ya'll get your vitamin D levels checked. I had mine done and they were the lowest she had seen even though I was talking supplements. I found out it might be genetic (my mom took 5,000 iu D3 everyday for months and only got up to the line), or related to PCOS (according to lots of googling). I now take 5,000 iu D3 a day (to be checked soon), and fish oil supplements (which is supposed to be good for us). I will tell you the best thing you can do is take your Metformin. It stabilized by weight at least.

One thing that is driving me crazy is I can't find a consensus on what kind of diet to eat. My endocrinologist didn't know besides telling me that instead of having 4-6 servings of carbs a day, I should have 4. I have seen lots of contrary advice: eat lots of beans, eat no beans, vegetarian is best, no, try Atkins. High dairy, no dairy, eat nuts, don't eat nuts. I got this app to give me more accountability and to help me keep track of all of my nutrients and macros. I just need someone to tell me the right numbers to type in and I will be good to go. Hopefully, ya'll all have some good advice for me.

You now know everything I do after all of these years.

Agibelle

My story is almost the same as yours, but in addition to PCOS I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Last year, I stopped all my meds without consulting with my doctor. I started long and hard path with natural medicine, semi vegetarian/vegan diet, acupuncture, colonics and massages. I started taking supplements that help me with controlling my blood sugar and cravings. I'm short 5'0" maybe even 4'11", in my 30'. It is possible to control this disease with a good diet and persistence.

mommybehealthy

@Juacline , welcome and thanks for sharing your story! Everyone is different on how their body responds to meds as well as foods, even with PCOS. One thing that has helped me tremendously is changing my diet a complete 180. @Agibelle has a great point , in my opinion, that you can control this disease with a good diet and persistence. I spent so many years comparing myself to other people and why I couldn't eat as much as the next person, and why I couldn't just be "normal", but for me, completely cutting out gluten (and now I'm working on dairy) was the first step for me. I also eat a mostly vegetarian diet with lots of vegetables.
I stopped taking my Metformin 8 months back because of the stomach upset and struggled to lose close to 30 lbs (that's since Jan of 2015) , but since adding it back now 2 weeks ago, the weight is moving again. I haven't changed anything other than adding the Metformin back. I too have taken Spironolactone, and Yaz in the past (not at the same time) . Both of which I've stopped

Have you tried the Metformin on a small dose and gradually increase? I found that after about 2 weeks of doing this, the stomach issues have resided for me.

I would definitely recommend decreasing your carb intake. Eat lots of vegetables and healthy fats. My doctor recommended the "South Beach Diet" and said lots of people do well on it with PCOS. For me, I consulted a personal trainer and nutritionist to help determine my resting metabolic rate, and I eat calories based on that. My RMR is in the 1600 range, so I eat around 1200-1300 calories a day. Essentially creating a deficit of at least 300 every day. I also aim to work out 5-6 days a week as well and burning an extra 500 calories a day (doesn't always happen, but I try). Best of luck to you, I know others will have good input for you!

@Agibelle congrats on taking the leap of faith in natural meds! I'm so happy to hear that it's working for you! keep us posted on your progress

Juacline

@mommybehealthy I am actually on Metformin extended release. I wanted everyone to know that there are other variations of metformin out there because it is so important to take. I gained 30 pounds when I stopped. I had to stop regular metformin (not extended release) and glumetza because I was throwing up the pills the next day. I couldn't physically keep them down (even 24 hours later they were still in my stomach), but this strangely happened after a year or two on each of those medicines. Some people have months of stomach upset that just won't get better so it might be worth it to look into the other varieties of metformin I've mentioned.

aceness123

Hi everyone ! I'm really happy to see this thread ! I was diagnosed with pcos when I was 15, my weight was mostly fine but after I hit 18 it just started going up and not going down like at all. I plan on losing 45 lbs (hopefully)

After lots of research I really recommend the AIP diet for people like me who have auto immune disorders and also for people with food sensitivities and allergies (personally ive got a long list). You can take my word that it really helps. My sister is gluten intolerant and also suffers from auto immune disorders. I have auto immune disorders as well as arthritis,glaucoma, pcos and a few other things I won't mention cause the list is long haha. she and I did the change together and it helped to reduce inflammation in our body as well as reduce our migranes (which was a godsend). Also our food sensitivities are not nearly as intense for the most part although I can safely say that it made my soy allergy much more apparent and fast reacting. As for my sister her body constantly has hives and she is always itchy and her symptoms never really go away. After this diet change her symptoms reduced significantly.

If anyone wants to give it a try or ask any questions about actually being on the diet feel free to ask!

Oh I do have one question for anyone willing to answer .. my doctor recommended metformin, but she also said there was no harm if I dont take it. So now im confused should I take the pills or should I just wait until I need them? And if so.. when do I know if I need them ?

MegSchuy16

aceness123 wrote: »

Hi everyone ! I'm really happy to see this thread ! I was diagnosed with pcos when I was 15, my weight was mostly fine but after I hit 18 it just started going up and not going down like at all. I plan on losing 45 lbs (hopefully)

After lots of research I really recommend the AIP diet for people like me who have food sensitivity or allergies and also to people that have auto immune disorders. You can take my word that it really helps. My sister is gluten intolerant and also suffers from auto immune disorders , she and I did the change together and it helped to reduce inflammation in our body as well as reduce our migranes (which was a godsend).

Oh I do have one question for anyone willing to answer .. my doctor recommended metformin, but she also said there was no harm if I dont take it. So now im confused should I take the pills or should I just wait until I need them? And if so.. when do I know if I need them ?

I was on Metformin, but it didn't do anything. It's different for each person I suppose, but I found a great doctor who told me metformin wasn't even being used anymore for PCOS and put me on birth control instead. Since then I've finally started having periods regularly and have been experiencing less pain as well.

aceness123

@MeganSchuyler16 thanks for the response I guess I'll have to try out the birth control then since less pain is always a winner in my book haha