PCOS weight loss success stories? Pics please!

comittobethin

Hey there

So I am beginning my journey again for the umpteenth time. I am searching for any ladies out there who have had success with large amounts of weight loss who also suffer from PCOS. What methods worked for you/what didnt? I have insulin resistance so I am doing lower carb and will eventually step down to keto. What struggles did you guys face? Was the weight loss slow? Please let me know. Thanks!!

JaydedMiss

My opinions on this matter tend to differ very much from most peoples. We hear all this information about PCOS as if we are a textbook. All the rules like your insulin resistant ALL PCOS girls do best on low carb. I feel the need to respond to these posts because I show a different view. I do best on HIGH carb. And yes i had insulin resistance -Its now a non issue. Ill tell you a bit about my journey starting as reference but i am not recommending anything except self reflection. I am not a doctor obviously.

I am 24, 5 ft 3 i started at 235 pounds. I got diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 14 and had all the bad side effects - lack of period, alot of subcutaneous fat, Bad acne Etc. I heard all the stories and reasons behind why girls with PCOS have a harder time losing weight. It kind of sucked to hear and gave me an excuse to hide behind. Even if i didnt admit it to myself. One day a switch in my flipped and i decided i was going to lose weight. It wasn't an option to me to fail. My doctor echoed to do low carb so i did. And to put it simply, I was *kitten* miserable.

I would get weak and shakey. I would feel constantly hungry and i was a total pleasure to be around ( not). I did lose weight, My first 20 pounds lost miserably in the first few months. I was so angry at everything in the world and ended up binging semi often on carby foods. I kind of ended up rebelling and saying screw low carb im either going to backtrack or fail- or ill succeed and be miserable if i stayed on low carb. So i simply started counting calories. My blood sugar levels stabled out more the more i added back in healthy carbs (mainly potatoes, vegetables, fruits and some breads) I stopped feeling dizzy and actually became energetic. And i LOVE baked goods and bread. Yum.

Summed up I realized im a person who does best with high carb. Screw PCOS, Its a label that never did me any good. I am not a text book, And neither are you. So all im saying is dont let the PCOS "rules" define you. You know your body best, Its very possible you will do well low carb, But its also just as possible your like me and carbs are your fuel. Different people require different things. Labels be damned.

I lost all my weight simply counting calories and walking. Nothing crazy. Granted i do have an active job. I did find i burn less calories thn others who have simillar activity levels, By a significant amount. That sucked to find but it wasnt the end of the world. Was simply more knowledge about my body to work with i didnt treat it as an excuse. There is no excuse why you CANT lose weight, If thats what you want and you prioritize it. Everyone has different hurdles.

I lost 110 pounds the first 100 took 13 months the last 10 have been over the next 8. I am now happy and healthy and my diet consists of 70-80% carbs. Im a bulk eater so i eat ALOT of veggies and fruit. The "diet killing" potato is a huge staple for me. And my doctor is amazed and she no longer recommends low carb strictly as the only option to other girls with PCOS. Makes me happy to know my struggle is now helping her other patients who may be like me.

Sorry for the giant wall of text, But my main point is dont let a label define you. The most important part in anyones weight loss journey is taking in information they hear, Testing it, And deciding if it works for them. Finding what works for you is arguably the most important step. It will help you maintain, And stop weight loss being miserable and burning out. Take some time to experiment. Try different macros and different foods and really self reflect on how you feel- After eating?- 2 hours later? Do you feel satisfied and energized? Tired? Maybe energetic but still hungry?

In time youll find YOUR diet. And you will succeed

Heres a before and an after

My "before" I was already nearly 40 pounds down by the time i took this. notice how my arms are cropped out? MY arms were huge i carried ALOT of fat in them lol. I wish i wasnt such an expert at cropping pics i have no proper pics until about 50 pounds down lol.



And now


You can do it


Edit: I found another fun pic. Me 10 pounds ago in the same pants as above

jayne6485

Wow! You look amazing! You are absolutely right. What works for one person may not work for another. You know your body best. Congratulations! I'm just starting out and have a long road ahead. Stories like yours inspire me.

Fitness_and_FODMAP

I have PCOS and Endometriosis, I'm 44 and perimenopausal, but I went from 321lb in November 2012 to 157.6lb in November 2014 - I am maintaining my weight ... it is definitely possible, you just need to find what works for you - I find daily exercise, moderate carbs, moderate fat and higher protein works best for me.

Fitness_and_FODMAP

I've got heavier over the last year, but slimmer, because I'm changing my body composition.

Fitness_and_FODMAP

I do weight training & cardio 3 times a week, taking rest days on Saturdays only - my body fat percentage has reduced, I've got a bit heavier, but my waist, neck and hips are smaller.

Fitness_and_FODMAP

I don't have a goal weight now, I have a goal body fat percentage, which is a far way off, but it's a journey and I'm enjoying, so I'm in no rush.

jaynepickle

Super low carbs and high protein. I eat a lot of eggs, egg whites, chicken, etc... Yes, I will have a brownie when the occasion calls for it, but I no longer have one every night after dinner. I've also given up diet soda and am drinking a ton of water.

netitheyeti

I was diagnosed with PCOS at age 21 (after 7 years of problems)... at my heaviest I was around 90kg (and I'm pretty short, so that was a BMI of roughly 36), I managed to get to low/mid 50s (BMI 20ish) through calorie counting...
At the time I was diagnosed I was around 75kg... I, too, was told to go low carb... it made me completely miserable!

Basically, I just got "yup, you have it... lose some weight, it might fix your periods... and here's 1 year of birth control pills" and that was it

I did re-gain some of the weight over the past few years (got to roughly 68kg?), but I never got anywhere close to my heaviest and I'm losing again through calorie counting...

This was how much weight I managed to lose between 2009 (photo is from the year before but it's the only one I have of me at that weight) and 2012, and what I look like at the moment:

onematch

I've lost 62 pounds in about 7 months and have another 20 to go. I'm on a doctor-supervised plan and take metformin. It's made all the difference in the world.
I'm 47 years old. I eat lower carb and high protein. I work out 5-6 days/week.