PCOS and weight loss!

onmyway214

I have PCOS and have been diagnosed since I was 12. My blood sugar is always good but I have other symptoms. My periods have been regular for the last 4 years until this month. I thought I was pregnant, which we have been trying, but I have taken two tests and both are negative. About 3 weeks ago I tried the Intermittent Fasting/One meal a day diet. I read where it can send PCOS patients' hormones into a tailspin, which makes sense because of my missed period. I am very discouraged and feel very defeated and I am just searching for people that have PCOS and have overcome it and lost the weight and any advice as to how to get back on track. I feel in my heart that losing the weight will be my ticket for the positive pregnancy test!!! Thank you in advance!

123Allyxox

I was diagnosed with PCOS at age 12 also, I've struggled with my weight basically my entire life. about a year and a half ago after not getting my period for almost a year, constantly dieting and being stressed out I decided to quit dieting. I just started eating a clean unprocessed diet and exercising and two months later I ended up pregnant! I am now on my journey to lose the baby weight I gained. Please feel free to add me as a friend:)

cerven2008

I have PCOs and endo. Ended up after 4 years going to a fertility doctor and I was wondering if anyone has checked your insulin levels. My sugars were fine but when they did the fasting glucose test they discovered I had insulin resistance which came along with the PCOs I think from all the body produces with the cysts. I had to be on metphormin just first weeks of pregnancy but it did help me loose weight as well. Good luck in your goals

onmyway214

I don't have PCOS, but I do have endometriosis, so I sympathize. The biggest impact to weight loss, in my opinion, is water retention. It does not keep you from losing weight, but you can get very frustrated and discouraged while watching the scales if you're not patient. The key is to adopt a long-term attitude toward weight loss.

Also, exercise is SO valuable - especially when you have pain or other issues. I think you're right that weight loss could help with your fertility issues. Estrogen is stored in fat cells, so the more fat you have, the more estrogen you have. When you already have hormone imbalance due to something like PCOS or endo, this just compounds the problem. My advice is not to get upset if your weight loss efforts mess with your cycles in the short term - it should be temporary and eventually even out. Make your focus the weight loss, because doing nothing just to keep your cycles regular is a vicious cycle.

I've never tried fasting for weight loss purposes. There's all kinds of evidence that fasting has healing benefits, though, so if it works for you, go for it!

The fasting was something I only did for a week or so but this is the first time trying that and the first time in 4 years I have missed a period. I didn't think it was a coincidence so I researched it and sure enough some people do have this problem with it. Yes it has healing benefits but if it's going to mess with my body, I need to find another option. I have heard good things about the Atkins/South Beach type diets, but I haven't known or heard from anyone that has had success with PCOS.

onmyway214

I have PCOs and endo. Ended up after 4 years going to a fertility doctor and I was wondering if anyone has checked your insulin levels. My sugars were fine but when they did the fasting glucose test they discovered I had insulin resistance which came along with the PCOs I think from all the body produces with the cysts. I had to be on metphormin just first weeks of pregnancy but it did help me loose weight as well. Good luck in your goals

They checked my insulin levels years ago and put me on Meftormin but after waking up every morning with diarrhea and/or vomiting, I decided that I would do it the natural way. I got pregnant last year pretty easily but lost it due to an abusive relationship. My husband and I now are trying and I am about 30 pounds heavier than I was when I did have a successful positive test I know this has something to do with it.

MzSmythe

There's some threads on Low Carb Friends where there are some discussions about Atkins-type diets for women with PCOS. It's a bit old, but it might be a useful starting point?

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/general-health-medical-issues/679237-atkins-low-carb-pcos.html

and here:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-175010.html

And some fairly good info here:

http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/diet-news8.html

Not saying I agree/disagree with any of the views expressed but could be worth a try if fasting is messing up your cycle?

innersite2

I understand what you are going through. I have PCOS, endometriosis, hypothyroidism, which all seem to go hand in hand. But the deck doesn't necessarily have to be stacked against us. We just need to know the rules of the game.

So when I say "we", "us", "our" I am referring to people with one or more of the above conditions. I am not an expert or a physician, BTW - just a person with these same challenges as you.

1) Have yourself tested for hypothyroidism. If you have PCOS, you likely have a faulty thyroid too. Especially if you also 1) have serious acne and/or 2) have white patches or dark patches on your skin which look like birthmarks but only appeared later in life. These patches could indicate vitiligo, and sometimes hypothyroidism goes hand in hand with THAT (or so my dermatologist says).

2) If you decide to fast, then consider limiting it to one day. Your metabolism will be effected by anything that you do, more so than "normal", so there is the threat of "starvation mode" that makes us hold on to fat. We go into that mode too easily, so avoid it by fasting too much.

3) Seriously, try to kick or at least really limit sugar, sugar alcohols, and artificial sweeteners. Limit salt intake. Limit yeasty breads or fermented foods. All of these kick fat storage into overdrive for our condition. I don't know why - it just seems to be more of a challenge.

4) Drink water. Good ol plain water. If you drink coffee, drink more water.

5) Eat freshly prepared foods. Avoid prepackaged meals that contain excess salt and chemicals. Heck, everyone should do that anyway but we especially should because we tend to be sensitive to this stuff. Might as well be in control of what we tend to store anyway.

6) You have to get both strength training and cardio in - not one or the other but both. Cardio daily for at least 30 minutes at least 4-5 days a week. there's lots of tapes and plans out there designed to get your money, but walking briskly does more for you in the long term than you can imagine and its free. It doesn't matter how you get that cardio in actually, and really, as long as you are breathing heavy when you're doing the cardio, you're doing what you need to.

7) Accept the beauty that is you. As you are now. If you're not happy with yourself now, you will find flaws with yourself when you reach your goal weight. So start now with positive framing and getting real about this and about what your body is actually capable of.

sarahz5

I have been diagnosed with PCOS. After two years of infertility, gaining 30 lbs coming off the pill, and gaining 60 lbs with each of my pregnancies, I have managed to be pretty successful in managing my weight and - well, had two kids. For the weight management, I suggest a low glycemic index diet, calorie counting, and exercise. Try to focus on foods with a low glycemic index - most are intuitive, it's basically avoiding processed and foods high in refined sugars, but there are some things you might not assume. But mostly importantly, count your calories, and if you aren't losing weight at a certain intake, lower your intake. The best exercise is strength training but anything is good.

For pregnancy, losing weight will definitely help, as will the exercise. I know this is a terrible piece of advice and I used to cringe at it, but taking my mind off it worked for me. I first got pregnant the cycle after we stopped treatments and were selling our house to get money to do IVF. I got pregnant the second time on vacation in France. And finally - even though I assumed that the problem was me, when we went to a fertility doctor, it turned out my husband also had pretty serious issues. Make sure he has been checked out - you might be trying to fix it assuming you are the problem when there is something else going on entirely!

Good luck. PCOS really is manageable and there are tons of women here with it. If you look in groups you will see many groups dedicated to overcoming PCOS.

calibriintx

I have PCOS and many of the symptoms, but only when I'm very overweight. For me, the magic number seems to be 180 lbs. I keep it under 180, and I have 28-30 day cycles, and no symptoms. I get over 180 and I'm lucky to have a period more than a few times a year, and I have all sorts of other suck@ss stuff going on.

If you're not on Metformin, talk to your doc about it, even if your blood sugar is normal. Mine has always been normal but I stayed on Met while losing the weight initially, TTC, and during my pregnancy, as it reduces the risk of m/c in women with PCOS.

I'm sorry that you're struggling with TTC. It's hard and it hurts and it sucks. If you've been at over 6 months with fertility meds be sure to get your DH checked out.

We waited too long to have mine checked b/c we just assumed that it was me, but it turned out that he had double varicocele causing really horrible morphology. He had surgery and 6 months later I was pregnant. I kept taking fertility meds (Chlomid SUCKED, but Femara was amazing and what ultimately worked for us) even though my cycles were normal b/c we were ready for it to happen at that point.

Anyway...I've been out of the game awhile when it comes to burying my nose in the computer, looking for new studies and info on PCOS. So I don't know if anything new or different is recommended, but I can tell you what has and is working for me. I do TDEE - 20% and I eat whenever I want to eat. I prefer lunch, dinner, occasionally breakfast, and lots of snacking in between. I do try to limit my "dessert" type food simply b/c that's a lot of calories I'd rather have for dinner. And I know that I won't eat less at dinner to offset the overage from eating all the chocolate in the afternoon, so basically, overindulging in dessert type foods pretty much always means I'm going over.

I do NOT do low carb or low sugar, or low anything else. I try to get my recommended protein and fat and the carbs will fall where they may. I won't discourage anyone with PCOS from trying it, especially on Met, but it wasn't something I was willing to do for the rest of my life, and I wanted to lose weight eating in a way that I could maintain for the rest of my life.

I wish you the best, OP, and I hope you find some useful information in this thread!

I wish I had more advice

onmyway214

I have been diagnosed with PCOS. After two years of infertility, gaining 30 lbs coming off the pill, and gaining 60 lbs with each of my pregnancies, I have managed to be pretty successful in managing my weight and - well, had two kids. For the weight management, I suggest a low glycemic index diet, calorie counting, and exercise. Try to focus on foods with a low glycemic index - most are intuitive, it's basically avoiding processed and foods high in refined sugars, but there are some things you might not assume. But mostly importantly, count your calories, and if you aren't losing weight at a certain intake, lower your intake. The best exercise is strength training but anything is good.

For pregnancy, losing weight will definitely help, as will the exercise. I know this is a terrible piece of advice and I used to cringe at it, but taking my mind off it worked for me. I first got pregnant the cycle after we stopped treatments and were selling our house to get money to do IVF. I got pregnant the second time on vacation in France. And finally - even though I assumed that the problem was me, when we went to a fertility doctor, it turned out my husband also had pretty serious issues. Make sure he has been checked out - you might be trying to fix it assuming you are the problem when there is something else going on entirely!

Good luck. PCOS really is manageable and there are tons of women here with it. If you look in groups you will see many groups dedicated to overcoming PCOS.

I agree that taking my mind off will work. It will help because right now it's driving me insane. I heard Atkins diet plan works well. Do you know anything about that?

jjoreister

Oh my gosh - it is so good to hear other people with this same issue! I was diagnosed with PCOS in 1998 as a high schooler who had irregular periods. Fast forward 16 years of yo-yo dieting and now I'm 70 pounds overweight and want to start a family but have this secret fear that due to the PCOS, it's not going to happen. I've always been a pretty natural, whole food cook in the kitchen but for the last two months, I've been really diligent about eating gluten-free, low-carb, no sugar, no dairy, very natural whole food and am running 5 times a week and to my horror - THE SCALE HAS NOT BUDGED! Like, zero. :-( Usually my body responds pretty well to a strict diet and in the past I would have been 5-10 pounds down at this point. I am so, so discouraged and have made a doctor's appointment for next week to see if they can help me get the bottom of the issue. Maybe Metformin might be helpful...I've seen some success stories in this forum today which sound hopeful.

It's both encouraging to read everyone's stories and also really frustrating. We are all working so hard to be our healthiest selves, but there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. Keep up the good work, everyone! I am glad to find a support group with this issue... :-)

Feel free to add me as a friend and we can cheer each other on!

onmyway214

I think I have found my answered prayer! This is the exact diet that I've been looking for! I will post my results as I do it but if you'd like to do it too, it is www.thehormonediet.com

kazzsj0urney

I have PCOS and endo and to date have lost 68.9 kilos/151 pounds. I have found a focus on protein and fat works well with me (i still eat between 100-150 grams of carbs a day) I also think exercise and getting enough sleep for me has been key as well.

onmyway214

I have PCOS and endo and to date have lost 68.9 kilos/151 pounds. I have found a focus on protein and fat works well with me (i still eat between 100-150 grams of carbs a day) I also think exercise and getting enough sleep for me has been key as well.

That's amazing! Congrats!

TMM211073

I am 40 & I have PCOS, I've had it years - I don't have any of the other related conditions (for which I'm grateful) & as my ticker shows I have lost almost half my body weight....

I don't follow any diet plan, I don't believe in Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Slimming World (to name but a few); I eat out regularly (McDonalds, KFC, Chinese buffets, local cafes and the likes) I count calories, sometimes I'm over, sometimes I'm under - such is life....

What I have found works for me is Intermittent Fasting, I do 16:8 - I eat & drink freely (within my calories) between the hours of 12:30pm & 8:30pm, then between 8:30pm & 12:30pm I drink only water or clear, sugarless fluids (herbal teas); this has been a recent addition to my journey, but it's been a successful one.

My other saving grace is exercise - I go to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays; I go swimming on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays, I do a lot of cardio exercises, I do strength work as well, but the cardio is what shifts the weight for me.

To be honest PCOS can make weight loss unreliable, but it doesn't have to stop you losing the weight - I have lost 148lb (between November 2012 & now, July 2014) and it hasn't really been that difficult, you just need to knuckle down and focus, work out what works best for you (not what other people tell you will work for you) and give it your all, it will take longer to lose weight having PCOS, but it won't stop you losing weight - only you can stop you losing weight.

Good luck xXx

ShalaraQ

I have PCOS. It wasn't diagnosed at 12, because back then they didn't have any answers for what was wrong with me. But I am certain I've had it since puberty. At my highest, I was 375 pounds. Now, let me say that my family in general is very fertile. My Gram used to say "if a man throws his pants over the end of the bed, we get pregnant". We tried for years to get pregnant, and I did, but I always miscarried. Doctors told me that carrying a baby to term was just not in my future. We adopted (from foster care) in 2004, after 6 years. I lost almost 100 pounds over a 4-5 year period (still obviously very obese, needed to lose 120+ more pounds) and I got pregnant in late 2008.. I didn't KNOW I was pregnant until 13 weeks along. I had no real morning sickness, missed periods? Well duh, I could go 2-3 months without one easily and not suspect, thanks to the PCOS. But I was so tired, just completely worn out exhausted. I went in to the doctor several times - is it anemia, are my blood sugars much higher than normal? what? what is going on! For some reason, I still don't know why, I was lying awake one night and started to wonder. I went to a 24 hour pharmacy at 2am and bought a test. Positive? Boggle. To the doctor the next day. Positive!?

PCOS inhibits weight loss both by the insulin resistance (which means insulin is in your body longer than a "normal" person), and insulin in your blood is a trigger that turns OFF fat burning, but also by some other mechanism that medical science does not understand. After all, its still a "syndrome" which means a collection of symptoms that happen together often enough that doctors recognize it must be a disorder of some kind, but don't know what causes it.

I lost weight by eating a diet recommended for diabetics, only even stricter with the carbs. I ate protein with every meal, and restricted most of my carbs to fruits and vegetables. I wouldn't even eat a piece of fruit alone though, I always paired it with protein, and sometimes a little healthy fat, to reduce the rate carbs would enter the blood and minimize the insulin reaction. I practically memorized the glycemic index charts to make the "best" choices. I was also doing aerobic/cardiovascular exercise for 45-60 minutes 6 days a week.

It still took YEARS to lose the weight. I got "talked into" a lapband in 2007, and it essentially made no difference. It's been removed.

Anyway -- yes, losing weight can make a big difference in your fertility, but it can also be very challenging to lose the weight. And not all sufferers of PCOS are the same. There are "thin" PCOS'ers who don't seem to have the same troubles with weight loss/maintaining their weight, and then there are the rest of us.

Edit: I am no longer as strict with my diet. I am more careful about processed carbs, and I still don't like to eat carbs alone, but I am less rigid about the choices, and I am much happier as this is a sustainable way of life, where before it was an agonizing diet. I am losing weight this way, but exercise is still pretty key for me.

GalaxyBird

I was diagnosed in 2008 with PCOS/Insulin Resistance. I was 21 years old.

The symptoms I had when I was diagnosed were massive weight gain (about 80 lbs, unexplained at the time), patches of discolored skin under my arms and on my knees, acne, and hairloss. I continued to have a regular period because I was on birth control at the time. I also have high testosterone which causes me to gain weight around my middle, the hair loss and the acne.

Went on Metformin right away, had the same awful symptoms that you did, but stuck with it and eventually they went away. Still on Metformin now but I am convinced I have an incorrect dosage. I recently bought an inexpensive glucose reader and am recommitting myself to keeping up with it.

Like I said, I was having normal periods, and several years ago I decided to go off birth control because the one that I was on was really affecting my mood and energy level. I have been off of it ever since, was still having normal cycles until these past 2 months when I have had very light spotting but no period. I am not trying to conceive, though am sexually active, so I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. So I'm positive my PCOS is getting out of hand again.

My goal is to EVENTUALLY be off of Metformin, when I have enough discipline to control my blood sugar with food and exercise.

i've never heard of fasting messing with blood sugar/hormones, but it does make sense. When you don't eat, I'm sure there is a hormonal reaction to that.

And I am 100% positive that when you lose weight, your chances of getting pregnant will increase enormously!

Good luck , girlie! Feel free to add me on here

PrissyPisces

I'm feeling so down today...

I also suffer from PCOS, but I'm down because for one, I keep weighing myself, and found that I've gained a pound. This could be due to the fact that I'm spotting, (I guess my period will be here soon, but sometimes spotting goes away) but I'm afraid that it's from my PCOS.
It just seems like the weight isn't going to come off as quick as MFP said it would. I DID lose about 6-8 lbs my first week, so seeing a gain makes me think I just lost water weight, and that the real fat isn't going to come off. I have been overweight pretty much my entire life, and I use to eat once a day to maintain a size 14.
I am not on any medication at the moment. I want to cure this naturally, since metformin tends to make me sick. What's getting me down, however, is that I've worked hard to lower my calories to 1200 a day, (on most days) but now, it seems that lowering calories isn't enough. Now I need to let go of even MORE carbs and sugar. I LOVE sugar and carbs. I'll be miserable if I can't at least continue to have my plain Cherrios, yogurt, and fruit.
I'd also like to mention, that I am pescetarian, but I have been eating as an ovo-lacto veg for a few days, and wish to continue to do so. I ALSO heard that I need to do away with DAIRY! What CAN I eat? I'm so frustrated!
I really want this weight loss. I'm just sad about having to give up everything I like. I went from having to add sugar to everything, to only getting my sugar from fruits, veggies, cereals, yogurts, and milk. UGH!
P.S. I do love silk almond milk, ( french vanilla) but the unsweetened kind is just....so bland.