late introduction!!

hanharr

hi, i've been on the site for about a month at a friend's recommendation but i'm just now introducing myself! my name is hannah, i'm 21 and i have PCOS. i have bounced around between 150 and 180 for the past four years since my diagnosis and when i joined the site and resolved to get healthy and stop overeating i had hit 190. my ideal weight for my height (5'2'') is ~120-125, but i'm really just looking to get down to 140 and get healthy. my other biggest goal besides my weight is to be able to be off of my medications for PCOS, though right now i'm only having to take birth control + a beta-blocker for my hypertension. when i first joined the site i was living with my family, and since then i have moved out and i can honestly say, for those of you who struggle with eating healthy in a family that eats nothing but junk, moving out and living on my own and most importantly buying my OWN groceries has made a huge difference. without the constant stress i'm also a lot happier and i don't eat emotionally (that was a huge problem near the end of my time living with my family) so i'm well on my way to my goal, even if i've only lost 4lbs so far (which is on track, since i've only been truly watching my food choices + exercising for the past two weeks!).

anyway, i'm mostly making an introduction because i saw a few other girls with PCOS on here, and i have questions for you! what do you try to limit your carbs to? i've been good about cutting almost all refined carbs out but the idea of limiting to something like 100g or less seems a little daunting. i average about 140-150g per day and MFP gives me a starting limit (without exercise) of 164g. but, MFP doesn't know i have PCOS, so. also, how many of you are on metformin or have been on it in the past? i stopped taking mine because i saw an internal medicine doctor who told me that studies show diet+exercise has a far greater effect on weight loss than metformin in women with PCOS and the main use for metformin in women with PCOS is for stimulating fertility. i was happy to stop it because although i lost ~20lbs on it, i also had horrible stomachaches after every meal and zero appetite along with a few taste aversions that have lasted to this day. i've considered going back on it but i haven't been able to hear much from women who AREN'T on it, and i'd rather be able to eat without horrible stomach cramps to be honest. when i first had all my bloodwork done, my blood sugar was normal ("perfect", even, according to my doctor) and had no problems with my insulin levels, so i'm wary to take metformin again when all it's going to do is target those things in the first place.

thank you for any advice!

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Hi I was diagnosed with PCOS last 2009 and sadly that also made me become a full blown type 2 diabetic because of the insulin resistance and made my blood sugar level soar. But unlike in most women, in my case I never had a regular period, not even once in my lifetime. I only have it maximum of thrice per year and the culprit is the high testosterone levels and also I don't have progesterone which makes an egg mature. Aside from metformin, I was also advised to take a progesterone pill for 3 months saying that I should be able to produce my own progesterone but still won't work which is why I stop it. Anyway with your question on the carb limit, I think it has something to do with prevention of diabetes because usually one factor of having a PCOS is the resistance to insulin which can lead to type 2 diabetes. As a diabetic myself, I eat whole grains instead of refined ones because of its high starch content that will contribute to the increase in blood sugar levels. Its not limiting carbs, its just have to eat in moderation. I still use metformin but now increased its dosage from once to twice a day.