Looking for extreme weight loss success stories with PCOS

pamplemousse21

I have not been officially diagnosed with PCOS because every doctor I have talked to doesn't believe me when I say that I eat well and exercise but still can't lose the weight, and I'm sick of trying to defend this to them. I hate to self diagnose but since my doctors have been utterly useless I don't really have much of a choice until I work up the nerve (and money) to go try other doctors. I have had nearly all of the symptoms of PCOS for 5 years. In those 5 years I would try to lose weight, nothing would happen, I would take extreme measures (less than 300 cal a day for months), recover, and repeat the process. This was making me very depressed so I decided to give it up and just eat a relatively healthy diet - meaning I was eating some fast food, some sweets, but trying not to overdo it and trying to include healthy options. (I still stand by this decision as it was necessary for my mental health and keeping me from short term anorexic tendencies.) If I lost weight like a normal person I would expect to be a little overweight on that diet but not morbidly obese like I am. In these 5 years I gained 150 pounds (on top of an already slightly overweight frame). I am just starting to eat a PCOS friendly diet and reading stories about slow losses has made me really nervous. I don't mind being diligent and losing slowly but I have a lot to lose and if I lose a pound a month, for example, it would take me 14 years to enter healthy weight territory, assuming no plateaus or mess ups which seems pretty unlikely. Not to mention the fact that my metabolism will worsen over that time, the fact that I will likely try to have children in that time, and other outlying factors. Less than a pound per month and I might not even be able to lose all of the weight in my lifetime.

I've just been getting scared reading all of the stories because it seems like most people were under 50 pounds overweight when they started. If their weight loss was so difficult I can't imagine what mine will be with 3 times as much weight to lose. I was hoping there might be some success stories of extreme weight loss with PCOS that people could share. Even if it did take a while, I just want evidence that extreme weight loss is possible. Thank you in advance!

AJB1014

I've found a few on instagram - I cant remember specific names but if you visit instagram and search #pcosweightloss there are lots!

AJB1014

Also, I am not a doctor, but look into inositol - its an over the counter supplement that can help balance hormones and increase insulin sensitivity, helping us lose weight.

pamplemousse21

I didn't even think of looking on Instagram! I'm planning on trying inositol but want to see what happens with just the low-carb/high-fat and add one thing in at a time so that I know what is working and what isn't. Thank you so much!!!

Leannep2201

I was diagnosed with PCOS as a teenager. That was over 20 years ago. Have had it confirmed several times since then with related tests, scans etc.
When I started, I was over 50kg overweight (<110lbs) I’ve now lost half of that.

I haven’t had to do anything apart from eat in a calorie deficit, and ensure I am active enough (I make sure I hit 10,000k steps per day as measured by my Fitbit, and I go for a walk 2-3 times per week).

I have had to be VERY careful with the deficit, though, in that I weigh EVERYTHING on my digital food scales. No eyeballing or guesswork, apart from the rare occasions when I eat out and don’t have my scales. As long as I do this, the weight comes off just fine. Being strict in this way, and making sure I am honest with my food diary has helped me lose 25.7kg in the past 7 months, or around 55lbs.

I take progesterone due to an overproduction of oestrogen, which has caused some issues, but apart from that, it’s all in the deficit. As I said, if I’m honest, the weight comes off fine.

tmurphy3202

I also have had a long journey with PCOS. Started birth control (bc) in grade 9 and took it until I was 29.
Long story short went off bc and started metformin. Lost 30lbs in 6mo by also eating low carb low sugar low to no dairy. All this lead to being healthier no bc to control periods and I also was able to get pregnant quite easily!
You can do it, start now and never look back. Have a bad day? Just keep on going.
I am currently following the Keto diet ideoloyand have lost most of the baby weight quickly.
All the best.

CysterWigs

I had gastric sleeve a year ago and have lost about 100 lbs. I have PCOS and hypothyroid. It's possible. Best advice: Just focus on your journey and don't compare your experience to others. It will be harder with PCOS, but it is totally possible. Keep trying -- and keep learning -- until you find what works for you. Good luck to you! You can see videos and pics of me on YouTube and Instagram. I've been documenting the whole thing. My whole business caters to women who have this condition. cysterwigs.com

JulieSHelms

As one doctor put it, I had a 'doozy' of a case of PCOS. I had a hair transplant because I had reached stage 4 MALE pattern baldness, took fertility drugs to get pregnant, took hormones to even maintain the pregnancies. Oh, and I gained a crap-ton of weight. I had a doctor tell me a few years ago that PCOS women can NOT lose weight--the best they can hope for is to try and not gain any more. That was depressing. It also wasn't true.

After passing 300 lbs I finally got my head in the right place and got determined. It took about 2 years, but I lost 140 lbs. I've now maintained if for a year and a half. I'll always have to be careful, but it is definitely do-able.

MFP was a big help--logging EVERYTHING. I started around 1400 cal/day then dropped to 1200 cal when I hit 250 lbs. Averaged over the two years, I lost exactly 2 lb/week.


It's really important, especially when starting off, to measure everything for calorie recording. I found from the start that my guesses on calories were way off and I was consuming many more than I realized.

Please be encouraged that women with PCOS CAN lose weight. I'm almost half the woman I used to be! But it does take careful planning and a long-term dedication.