crash dieting and what is realistic

DebTavares

About five years ago I went on a crazy diet and went from about 180 to 137 lbs. I was barely eating anything and was exercising like cazy. My loss stopped there so what is realistic this time around if I am eating more and moving less on this diet? Will pcos make it impossible for me to get to my goal of 130? I'm 5'4 and weigh 161 lbs, down from 173 lbs. I'm also on paxil which probably doesn't help matters. I was on 30mg and recently started cutting my pills in half. I'm also gluten free since I have celiac disease and recently started fartlek training 3 miles 4 days on, one day off. What can I realistically expect given all of the above? Will I ever get to 130?

I'm done with starving and exercising like crazy. Have any of you been able to do it?

Dragonwolf

Yes, you can, provided it's the right weight for your body. I highly recommend checking out Paleo and low carb, high fat (LCHF) resources, as these two frameworks combined tend to be the best overall, especially for PCOS. Additionally, Paleo is by default gluten free (and "orthodox" Paleo is also dairy free), so you'll have all those recipes that you don't have to worry about modifying.

Regardless of what way you go, expect the weight loss to be slow. If 130 is your ideal weight, that means you only have about 30 pounds to lose. Even without PCOS, you're looking at about half a pound a week loss, at most. With PCOS, don't be surprised if you're looking at half a pound every two weeks. It sucks, but it is what it is (that said, Paleo and LCHF will help keep your insulin levels down and can help keep testosterone down, which should help you lose weight without losing your sanity in the process).

Additionally, I highly, highly recommend some form of strength training. If you have access to weights, pick up New Rules of Lifting, Strong Lifts, or Starting Strength and do the routine. If not, then grab Convict Conditioning, or You Are Your Own Gym. Strength training is imperative in weight loss, especially with PCOS, because it helps you maintain the lean mass you have, which will keep your metabolism up. If you don't prompt your body to keep muscle, it will be more likely to burn it in a caloric deficit, and that's bad, because it ultimately lowers your metabolic rate, making it even harder to lose weight (not to mention easier to gain, and harder to lose, down the road).