finally gonna reach out. HELP.

KickassYas

Ok, my doctor's recommendation for help with my weight loss is gastric bypass surgery. (that's two different dr's telling me that pcos is going to make this virtually impossible) I started this journey six months ago at 327lbs. I have my ups and i seriously had my downs (mom was diagnosed with cancer and chemo sucks let me tell you!) but there is no excuse.

I will say this, i have PCOS and i know it makes losing weight way harder. BUt i need help.

I'm at my wits end. i'm 313lbs 6 months later and am stuck. past few weeks i've been pushing myself, trying hitting the gym getting those big burns in and still nothing. no movement. i gained at one point and felt like crying. I wish that inches were all i was worried about but seriously i need to lose this weight and i'm scared to death of the surgery.

I got on the scale today 6 times with 6 different results just to see what would happen. i usually only weigh in once a week. but after seeing that i question the validity of my scale.

i have quit fast food (thanks to stevemcknight's july 4th challenge) and am cooking at home. but i feel like i need help i feel like i am stuck.

i don't want to feel helpless but i'm starting to feel it get there. feel free to tear my diary exercise profile whatever apart i'm open to all suggestions and help and positive thoughts. AND constructive criticism.

yanicka

I have PCOS but I am part of the lucky 30% that are not over weight. I am at this since november and lost 14 pounds. So my weight loss is very slow. I am starting low carbs because there is many indication that we are carbs intollerent. It might be a good idea to look into it.

Good luck

Kelly_Wilson1990

Welcome. It is hard to lose weight when you have PCOS. My daughter has it too. Do you want the surgery? Or are you just trying to do it without it?

Bellyroll

I wish you the best of luck.

2youngatheart

I would definitely watch it on the carbs. Even though you are under....it is probably too many for your body to process efficiently. I found that when I cut back on the carbs, especially those with sugar (and I am not talking about fresh fruit) processed foods, I do better...Good Luck!

ninyagwa

Looky what I found www.pcosupport.org/ this site looks like it's really informative & there's a book suggestion on their for diet changes!

I hope that helps, 'cause I heart your face!

hozik

I have PCOS, too and I lose weight much more slowly than my friends even though I eat healthier and exercise more. Doesn't seem fair, but that's how it goes. Eating more protein and decreasing grains has helped me, too. You can lose weight with PCOS, but it's more of a struggle than for those that don't have it. Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou:

LolasEpicJourney

I would avoid that sugery unless you absolutely have to. Have they tried metformin? My neighbour went on that and that helped her lose weight and now she is PCOS free to my understanding. I have not been tested but worry I may also have PCOS. I am doing my best to lose and also trying to conceive - if I am unable by november I will then do testing and see where I am at.

See what other options there are before gastricbipass. It is such a risky procedure. If there is absolutely any other way of losing weight you are better off going down that road first. Like I said - ask about metformin - it may be the key you need.

AngelaAbbott391

Well, the thing about your scale getting 6 different weights is completely normal. The average person's weight shifts approximately 5-10 pounds a day, but it could be your scale, too. If you want to spend the money on a new one, it's up to you.

Here are a few tips.... Drink the suggested 8 cups of water a day, and don't drink ANY soft drinks. I am on a water and unsweetened tea only diet. The average American eats WAY more than they should. Eat 3 small meals a day with absolutely no snacking. If you must snack, eat celery or carrots, thing like that. Celery is good because it takes more calories to digest than it has in it. It takes a surprisingly small amount of food to keep the human body running. 3 meals the size of your fist is all you really need in a day. We tend to consume much more than that, so if you try to do it right away with easing into it, than you're probably going to be extremely hungry. So when you feel really hungry in between meals, drink water/tea, or eat celery, fruits, and vegetables.

Hope this helps

hanharr

i have pcos too! i'm lucky in that i've never been too overweight but i'm definitely carrying too much weight for my 5'2'' frame and i know how hard it is to lose weight. i had to go off of all my medications that were regulating my disorder so i could get surgery to remove my gallbladder and since then i've gained back all the weight i'd started to lose. were you put on metformin at any point? i've considered going back on it because i lost 20 pounds on it, but the reason i lost those 20 pounds is because it completely destroyed my appetite if you haven't been on metformin before, maybe give it a try! it's hard, because the digestive side effects are so awful, but i've heard it helps a lot of women with pcos.

the main problem with pcos that i've noticed from research i've done and what my doctors have said is that our hormonal imbalances are a contributor to why we can't lose the weight, particularly around our stomach. BUT correcting our hormonal imbalances involves either a cocktail of medicine or losing the weight and getting in shape so it's kind of like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. that being said, i've seen a lot of women with pcos cite strength training as extremely helpful when it comes to regulating their hormones with exercise so they can go off of birth control and start to gain control of their weight.

also, seconding cutting out some carbs. if you're like me and really love food that's high in carbohydrates just eliminate as many refined carbs as you can. i'm lucky, i've always hated stuff like white bread your calorie intake looks pretty high -- is it what myfitnesspal set for you? i'm curious because the highest adult women should have is ~1800. lastly, definitely lower your sodium intake as much as possible. my biggest hurdle besides my weight is my hypertension and it's gotten in the way of my losing weight+getting into a good exercise routine a LOT in the past. in all honesty, looking through both your food and exercise diaries, i think what's hindering your weight loss is the food you're eating! you've got a lot of healthy stuff going on but then you also have refined carbs and high-sodium foods which are two things that will really mess with your pcos.

gastric bypass isn't really a good solution in my mind because when you lose weight after getting the surgery you lose a lot of muscle, too. but if you go for it, good luck and have a safe procedure!

editing because i see a new comment i want to address, sorry!

My neighbour went on that and that helped her lose weight and now she is PCOS free to my understanding.

for the record, PCOS is an endocrine disorder that you can't be "free" from; it's a lifelong disorder that you cannot cure, but simply treat!

TourThePast

past few weeks i've been pushing myself, trying hitting the gym getting those big burns in and still nothing. no movement.

I'm sorry to tell you this, but the cheeseburgers and cupcakes and doughnuts you've been eating are totally undoing everything you're doing in the gym.

While it feels like hard work, exercise burns relatively few calories compared to the huge amount of calories in that sort of food. It's not that exercise isn't worthwhile because it burns so little, it's that there are ridiculous amounts of calories in some foods. So much so that they should be an occasional treat, not forming a basic part of the diet.

You don't want to hear this, but the bottom line is that you're going to have to find a way to stop eating that stuff on a regular basis.

findingfit23

I only went through a week of your journal, but I think your calories are kinda high. What do you have your goal set at? And are you using a HRM or the MFP input for exercise calories? If you are going to eat them back, you want to make sure its accurate.

Best of luck to you! Never give up, you can do it!!

jjclem07

I have PCOS: I got it all baby!!! I got the acne, hair growth, infertility, overweight (weight is considered obese) and type 2 diabetes!! Wanna know what?? I am carb sensitive. My body hates carbs. Turns it to sugar quick!! People can fall into certain diet categories of Carb or Calorie sensitive. I burn the calories, but my body doesn't handle carbs as it should and that was where my weight was coming from. Might want to start eating a lot less carbs. I try to keep mine to 100 a day (prefer 70-90). It has also lowered my fasting glucose by 10 pts. Since I have gone lo-carb I have lost 22 lbs in 5 weeks. I only enter in my weight once a week on Wednesday but I check today for ****s and giggles and I am already down another 4 lbs since Wednesday. Feel free to check out my food diary, I don't ever starve during the day. I have started eating more vegetarian meals, but I do still include can tuna and chicken in my diet for the extra protein.

But, as always before you start anything I would run it by your doctor first. Just make sure the doctor is knowledgeable about PCOS. I am here to help you!!

Countrymade

I am not an expert on PCOS but I do know from looking at your food diary you need to make some changes and learn to make healthier choices. I would advice talking to a registered dietician if possible. If not there is a lot of information on healthy eating with PCOS on the internet. I really would like to see you succeed. The important thing is that you took the first step by coming on here and asking for help. I wish you the best of luck with your journey.
Here is one webstie that I hope with help you.


http://www.pcosdiet.typepad.com/

nerdyandilikeit

Looky what I found www.pcosupport.org/ this site looks like it's really informative & there's a book suggestion on their for diet changes!

I hope that helps, 'cause I heart your face!

i hope it helps, too, because i also heart your face!

epj78

I don't suffer from PCOS, but do know someone who does. Like everyone has mentioned, she is carb sensitive - not fruit, etc so much, but from processed foods.

Looking through your diary, you are pretty dependent on processed foods (like a lot of us - they are so easy and tasty). So, the first change I would make is start shopping the outer circle of the store and stay away from the aisles. Replace those cookie and cupcake snacks with fresh fruit and 1 oz servings of nuts. Unfortunately, losing weight (for anyone, but especially PCOS from what I've heard, is 90% what you eat and 10% exercise).

The second thing I'd do is take a look at your calorie goals - they do seem a bit high. Have MFP recalculate them for you just to make sure you goal calories aren't too high. My quick math thinks you should be somewhere around 2,100 calories before exercise to lose 2 pounds per week.

The third thing I'd suggest is to buy yourself a copy of Clean Eating or get it from the library. Just to read through the concepts - I really think you'll find it helpful. I like the cookbooks too, but you can totally do the Clean Eating lifestyle without the cookbooks.

Good luck! I heart your face too and hope this helps!

KickassYas

i posted this post, got totally scared and ran for a whole day. A WHOLE DAY! i didn't log yesterday i avoided the site and didn't check until right now. I've read every post and cannot believe i didn't get blasted in any way. Thank you so much for your support and information and most of all your encouragement.

1. i've had MFP recalc my cals and it still comes up at 2220 which is super high. i'm changing this to lose 2lbs a week instead of 1. this will bring the cals down.

2. no more processed foods! i know the downside of this. i need to learn to cook clean and eat clean. sooo the book recommendations and website recommendations have been noted. I've got a lot more reading to do!

3. Metformin and my PCOS. ever since I moved back to cali (about 2 years ago) I've been meds free and haven't seen an endo doc. I have no idea why. I need to though. I can't keep living like this. I was on metformin once before for about 6 months. I took to the pill with no problem but wasn't attempting to lose weight. when i lost insurance i stopped taking all of my meds. It's time to take control and get back in touch with my doctors (or find more appropriate doctors to my situation) and get the right meds to help me through this.

4. sometimes i think i'm doing better with my decisions until i realize they aren't enough. I have to push further. PCOS frustrates the hell out of me and instead of facing it, i hid from it. its not something i normally do. but this time i did. not sure why. BUT NO MORE!>

Thank you all so much. seriously for your input your thoughts and your support. i'm going to do this without freakin surgery if it kills me.

gailosborne

You've made some great decisions and they will really help:-) I have it and it can be miserable. One of the major problems is insulin resistance so keep sugar and refined carbs low.

I lost 100lbs and have kept it off for about 18 months, I eat really clean and regularly.

My endicrinologist told me that I might find it impossible to lose weight too but I didn't. I know its a spectrum - I have never suffered with excess hair for example, but I am infirtile and carry weight around my middle. Since weight loss my symptoms have improved and I have normal periods for the first time ever.

There is a great book by collette harris called 'The PCOS Diet' its quite old now but very helpful and I am rereading it.

I'd also like to say that there is no shame in surgery either, if you get to a point where you feel its your only option. :-)

You can take control and do it. Honestly you can x

clair3jane

Hi there,

I had a look at your diet diary and I hate to say this, but you need to some more reading about food. It's not just about calories. Your diet seems to be mostly made up of things like cheeseburgers, chips and milkshakes. While you're dieting you can have these things, but in your case these indulgences need to be reduced by about 95%.

You need to be eating vegetables, fruits, lean meats and nuts all day, every day. It's no wonder you're feeling rotten and not losing weight! Your doctor will be able to help you figure out what your diet should look like, but it's nothing like what you've been eating.

clair3jane

Sorry didn't mean to sound harsh.

It's just that when you are making good food choices, you feel so much better and you can eat more food.

You need to eat a LOT of raw, fresh vegetables. Tuna, fruit, eggs. These foods will keep you full for a long time, and they'll benefit your body in so many other ways. Your skin will become refreshed, your nails healthy, your eyes bright... and of course when you feel good, your whole life will be so much more manageable.

I emplore you, if you can't see a dietitian then just spend an hour with google.com and get all this figured out because your diet diary reveals a very worrying diet.

Thanks and all the best.