*****PCOS*****

MichelleB1128

Alright women!!! I do have PCOS, and was wondering if there were anyone on here that had it also.. I am struggling to lose weight at the rate I want. My boyfriend and I have been doing this for about a month-month and a half now and he is dropping pounds like crazy while I'm eating healthier than he is and exercising JUST as much as he is.. I know my PCOS is probably a factor in losing the weight... Are there any other women out there who were at least 250+ with PCOS that have been successful with losing weight?? If so please share your story!!! I have been feeling so discouraged lately Though I have lost 21 lbs so far (started at 273 and now 252) I haven't been losing the past couple weeks just maintaining or going up a pound and down a pound. As if PCOS isn't stressful enough with all the terrible and embarassing side effects =(

LolasEpicJourney

For starters - congrats on the weight loss you have accomplished. Losing weight with PCOS can be near impossible - so you are doing great. Men can lose weight far easier than women - so try not to keep up with your boyfriend - its not being fair on yourself.

I have never been diagnosed PCOS but its a fear in the back of my mind constantly. I do have some symptoms that go with it however. I have been trying to conceive for about 6 months - and if I get no where by one year I am going to look into fertility testing which I suppose will answer that for me - in the mean time - shedding as much weight as I can!!!

My neighbour however has PCOS and spoke with me about it. She was I think 330 at her heighst weight. Her doctor put her on metformin which helped drop quite a bit and got the ball rolling. I believe she told me she got down to about 180lbs at one point. She exercises regularly and eat REALLY healthy.

My suggestionn for you - keep doing what you are doing. I am a big girl too and it has been difficult at times. At about 20lbs I seemed to be stuck for quite a while. And I have a bad week here or there where I cant seem to budge - but eventually it kicks back into gear! Dont lose hope. Have you tried taking measurements of yourself? How about try on some clothes that used to be tight? Compair some old pictures to how you look today. Your scale accomplishments might not seem huge but i bet you find differences in those things that give you enough UMPH to keep going. It gets hard when you see no differences - but you can and will lose more weight.

abellante_0205

I dont have PCOS, but my weight loss journey has been VERY slow like yours, and its okay! I have been on my journey for a little over 2 years (February 8th, 2012 will be 3 years for me). I started MFP in March of this year, thanks to a great friend of mine who thought this site may help me get my weight back on track -- I was complaining that I wasn't losing any weight/losing weight faster. I have lost 7.1 lbs since I started on this site. I have lost 31.1 lbs since February 8th, 2009, so I understand your pain. I am trying to lose another 12.2 lbs before my 3rd weight loss anniversary so that I can just go into maintenance mode -- I don't know what I will do for that yet.

Do not give up! If you are concerned, I would talk to a doctor and maybe she/he can refer you to a nutritionist or something to help you jumpstart your weight loss again. Also... are you taking measurements? Maybe you are losing inches and not realizing it. I wish I had done measurements, but I know I have lost a lot of inches because I went from a size 12 shorts/pants to a size 4 shorts/size 6 pants (I fit in size 4 pants also but they aren't very comfortable yet -- I will be retrying them on sometime this week probably to see how it is now.)

achampionsheart

i have it too dear....i have gone from 232 to 209.5....add me if you want and i will encourage you....i normally dont lose but a pound to a pound and a half a week....i dont stress out anymore if i dont lose alot.....as long as youre losing that's what counts.....you cant let a condition define who you are or what you do......keep doing what youre doing because youre being successful, you just have to keep doing it......good luck, and again add me!!!!:)

LeonaB17

me me me me me

mialsya

I am in the same boat as you, and there are a lot of us on here paddling along with us. It can be very discouraging trying to lose weight. I was 293 at my known highest, started at 286.8 and am floating at the high 260s/low 270s right now. I started out dropping pounds fast - too fast - and my body revolted and now I am yo-yoing daily. Just think of it as a lifestyle change and not trying to lose weight. The weight will drop as a side effect.

Are you currently on any medication for your PCOS?

ashleyconstantine

I have PCOS too! Nice to know I'm not the only one strugling with this whole weight loss issue!! I've lost 5 pound so far! Congrats on the 21 pounds lost!

LaurenRose19

I also have PCOS and I'm having a really hard time keeping on track. Is anyone else on Metformin to help the weight loss? Do you guys have any tips?

TiffyCooper

Hi ladies!

I myself was diagnosed with pcos almost 4 years ago. Before I was diagnosed I tipped the scales at 246 lbs. After I was put on birth control I dropped to 220, and maintained that for quite a while. I did lose weight some here and there, but it wasn't the healthy way.

Before I started actually working out, I began to supplement my diet by using cinnamon vitamins. PCOS makes us naturally insulin resistant, and that is what makes it hard for us to lose weight. Our bodies cannot process sugar right, even when we are eating healthy, so it ends up storing it as fat. If we exercise we turn that fat to muscle, but then begin to plateau, and it creates the frustration of feeling like we aren't making progress.

Cinnamon is a completely natural way to supplement your diet without taking metformin (glucophage), which REALLY killed my energy when I took it. Cinnamon helps your body absorb more of the insulin that your pancreas produces, thereby boosting your metabolism so that you build more muscle without storing the extra fat from sugar. I will warn you, though... It is common to have spells of gas when taking cinnamon pills, so make sure you eat a breakfast that will not repulse you when mixed with cinnamon burps. :-)

You can get a large bottle of cinnamon pills from Wal-Mart or Walgreens for about $12. Add me if you ladies would like the support of another PCOS struggler, and we can all help each other along!

countrydarling1

I do have PCOS! was diagnosed about 6 yrs ago, had a little girl before i was diagnosed. havent lost weigh yet bc i just started. dont get discuraged. I was on orthotricyclen & took it religiously & was told if i ever wanted to get prego it would be next to impossible, well last year i was fixing to start my pET GROOMING INTERNship & found out i was pregnant. IN shock 1) bc i was on birth control that i took everyday, at the same time & wasnt on any antibiotics! 2) I HAD pCOS 3) I AM 170 OVER WEIGHT. sO Pregnancy is a possiblity! I still dont have a cycle after 16 months since my son was born. But i did have a sort of 1after i became more active & exercising that made my hormones flood my body & made me so incredable ill tempered that i didnt try to control my emotions & over ate everything i just got out of the habit of. So i gained 3 lbs after i had lost 1 lb the previouse week. It will be a challenge for ourselves to over come! IT might take alittle longer that some but we can do it! KEEP YOUR HEAD UP! Men can loose weight so much faster than we can, Dont pay any attention to that. I have a 170 to loose. U have already lost alot of weight & doin a really good job!

countrydarling1

I had a bad reaction from Metformin. It made me feel like i was shrunk n a little bitty box or deeply depressed. more low than i had ever felt n my life. I cant even explain the feeling n words!

sauerkrautpolka

I have PCOS and am currently 253lbs (but have gone from 271 in the past few weeks). I seem to be losing at a steady pace now, but I am afraid that will come to a halt soon. I've been taking Metformin (only 500mg) for the past few years and it doesn't seem to have much impact on my weight loss.. I wish it did. This isn't the first time I've tried to lose weight over the years. It's always a challenge. I seem to lose the first 30lbs or so with no problem, then I stall for a real long time and give up. I plan to not get discouraged this time, though and stick it out.

MichelleB1128

Yeah about 4 years ago I was on OrthoTriCyclen (also when I was diagnosed with PCOS) and about 2 and a half years ago I have been off of the BC. The only thing I take right now are cinnimon/chromium pills because I read on some forums that it can help curb appetite and some other good stuff lol. Thank you everyone for the encouraging words!!

MichelleB1128

Oh and also to add, I have not done any measurements, Just have been calorie counting, exercising, eating healthy, and weekly weigh ins.

mamalissa

bumping -to read later!

btw, yes, i have pcos, too. slow weight loss so far... thinking of upping my pounds lost per week.

peace, melissa

MichelleB1128

Is there anyone else on Metformin? Any good/bad side effects you have gone through? So far I have only heard one bad thing about it.

sonybalony

Hi,


My dr just increased my dose of metformin, it wasn't very effective at the lower level, and I am looking forward to the scale sliding down.. Down... Down! :-)

Good luck!

lawdhelpme2

I have PCOS, I reduced my carb percentage and that seems to work better. I've lost 29 pounds and I started in Feb. its slow but its coming off especially the inches. Try to reduce your carbs just a llittle and watch your sodium and see doesn't that turn in the right direction.

dkfinley

I too have PCOS--was diagnosed 6 years ago. I took glucophage for a little while (1500mg) but didn't notice much weight loss then. I have lost and gained the same 80lbs over the last 7 or 8 years. I am finally here to lose it once and for all.

I plan to go back to my dr. and ask to be put on glugophage again and hope to get my eating in check. Sugar and carbs really aren't the friends of those with PCOS. It just makes everything so much harder and as I get older (40 this summer) it gets harder and harder. But it is possible.

brneydgrlie

Alright women!!! I do have PCOS, and was wondering if there were anyone on here that had it also.. I am struggling to lose weight at the rate I want. My boyfriend and I have been doing this for about a month-month and a half now and he is dropping pounds like crazy while I'm eating healthier than he is and exercising JUST as much as he is.. I know my PCOS is probably a factor in losing the weight... Are there any other women out there who were at least 250+ with PCOS that have been successful with losing weight?? If so please share your story!!! I have been feeling so discouraged lately Though I have lost 21 lbs so far (started at 273 and now 252) I haven't been losing the past couple weeks just maintaining or going up a pound and down a pound. As if PCOS isn't stressful enough with all the terrible and embarassing side effects =(

I have PCOS also. Under pretty good control, without medications. However, I do lose weight slowly. Sometimes it takes two weeks for the scale to move even a little. Here are some things I have found that might help you:

1) Make sure you are taking a good multivitamin.
2) Have your doctor check your vitamin D levels. About 80% of women with PCOS are deficient.
3) Take an omega-3, like fish oil. Good fats can actually help in leveling out hormones. Also eat good fats like olive oil, nuts, and avacado.
4) Watch your carbs. PCOSers are insulin resistant, and very often diabetic or borderline diabetic. Keeping blood sugar down also helps normalize hormones. It also prevents bingeing or crashing from sugar highs or lows.
5) Eat more vegetables and fish. These are shown to lower leptin levels in the body. Lower leptin means increased insulin sensitivity - which we want.
6) Exercise is CRUCIAL. Even if you don't lose weight, do it anyway. Exercise is great for your heart, and PCOSers have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke (especially when PCOS is uncontrolled).

ChunTingO

I have PCOS and been a yo-yo forever. going to the doctor and specialist got new meds and testing them out. But im now going to try the HCG diet suggested by my Doc to drop the weight and get some body fat % down to kick start my system. I Hope the best for you cause as of now i need to work out and try my best because even with a low card diet i still gained

Mystic_Potato

Alright women!!! I do have PCOS, and was wondering if there were anyone on here that had it also.. I am struggling to lose weight at the rate I want. My boyfriend and I have been doing this for about a month-month and a half now and he is dropping pounds like crazy while I'm eating healthier than he is and exercising JUST as much as he is.. I know my PCOS is probably a factor in losing the weight... Are there any other women out there who were at least 250+ with PCOS that have been successful with losing weight?? If so please share your story!!! I have been feeling so discouraged lately Though I have lost 21 lbs so far (started at 273 and now 252) I haven't been losing the past couple weeks just maintaining or going up a pound and down a pound. As if PCOS isn't stressful enough with all the terrible and embarrassing side effects =(

I have PCOS also. Under pretty good control, without medications. However, I do lose weight slowly. Sometimes it takes two weeks for the scale to move even a little. Here are some things I have found that might help you:

1) Make sure you are taking a good multivitamin.
2) Have your doctor check your vitamin D levels. About 80% of women with PCOS are deficient.
3) Take an omega-3, like fish oil. Good fats can actually help in leveling out hormones. Also eat good fats like olive oil, nuts, and avacado.
4) Watch your carbs. PCOSers are insulin resistant, and very often diabetic or borderline diabetic. Keeping blood sugar down also helps normalize hormones. It also prevents bingeing or crashing from sugar highs or lows.
5) Eat more vegetables and fish. These are shown to lower leptin levels in the body. Lower leptin means increased insulin sensitivity - which we want.
6) Exercise is CRUCIAL. Even if you don't lose weight, do it anyway. Exercise is great for your heart, and PCOSers have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke (especially when PCOS is uncontrolled).

Brneygrlie -- this is perfectly said!

I also have a diagnosis of PCOS, I did not quite get to 230 -- 220 maybe. I seem to do the best when I stick to a low GI diet - like what a diabetic would use. Eating slowly digestible carbs and fewer of them, more vegetables and lean meats. Also, for some reason Yoga seems to make the biggest difference in shaping my body and kicking my metabolism up (maybe this is just me). I did try metformin when I was trying for my first child. I did not have any side effect (it did help me in the process of getting pregnant). My husband takes it for mild/pre diabetes. He has an issue with smelly bowel movements. Some people get stomach upsets and cramps. Most people I know find it pretty helpful.

GREAT job on your weight loss so far!

lauriemeridith83

I have PCOS also. I'm at 328 pounds from 342 pounds in 6 days. This has been the one and ONLY time I have been able to drop that kind of weight. I'm personally doing the Dukan Diet, but I know it isn't for everyone. You can friend me and we can chat about it if you want.

Other than that, my tips are to stay away from as many carbs as you can. Even the "healthy" ones. They are not friendly to those of us with pcos. Drink LOTS of water. Cut out the salt. Maybe cut back on dairy (it stagnates some people's weight loss). And talk to your doctor about metformin.

brneydgrlie

I believe it that yoga would work well for you, Suzanne. When I was doing pilates (a long while back), I had great results too!

CeejayGee

I fell into your weight cateogry. I've been doing this since December and have lost 45 pounds thus far. I have PCOS too. My doctor put me on metformin to help regulate my periods, and the benefit is that it also helps with insulin resistance. My losses are still slow and some weeks I have none, despite being diligent with food and exercising. But, I am slowly losing and improving my life too.

Good luck. Hang in there!!!

CeejayGee

P.S. - i had absolutely no side effects from metformin at all.

KatyRing

Hi!

Yes I struggle with the beast known as PCOS. I have for about 7 years. My husband and I started TTCing about 2 years ago and I relized how much my weight was effecting our ability to concieve. I was on BC for a number of year and never ever again will I go on it. I think part of beating PCOS is to figure out your body's own rythms..and see what really goes on when its not being medicated. My highest weight was 300lbs back in february. I'm now down to 248. Losing weight with PCOS is really hard. You really have to find the right balance of nutrients that will make your body lose. I have to cut my carbs way down to lose. under 100 a day. I also excersize almost everyday and the days I dont I eat less. I am on metformin too and it has helped a lot. My cycles have started showing up on their own which is great!

A great webiste for PCOS is

www.soulcysters.net

Its fabulous!

cobarlo14

I also have PCOS and I'm having a really hard time keeping on track. Is anyone else on Metformin to help the weight loss? Do you guys have any tips?

I have PCOS and Insulin resitance... read my profile it will explain alot..
ANYONE can request me to add!!!
We can do this!!!

cccathyyy

Oh the joys of PCOS... sarcasm.... Yes, I have it too. Only a few people know that I have it. I mean, who really wants to know about the yucky side effects (hair growth included). My doctor put me on Metformin a couple of years ago to help with my menstrual cycle, and it has helped incredibly (28-35 day cycle!) I used to go 6 months without having my TOM visit. I think the longest was 8 months. When I started taking Metformin I wasn't trying to lose weight, so I dont know how much of an effect it really had, because I only started trying after I was already on it. My highest weight was 350 pounds when I started my weight loss journey. I am now down to 262 pounds. Everyone has their plateaus and points where they start to slack off... but remember, tomorrow is always a new day! You can do this! Great job on your weight loss so far, I wish you lots of success and great health!

ladygloria

So many people have this extra struggle, but know that anything is possible! Here is another PCOS thread to connect with cysters. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/265449-pcos-soul-cysters-unite

Calidaho

Diagnosed with it about 4 years ago although some doctors had always suspected it and other doctors think it is just my weight. I am going with the highly qualified research and teaching UCLA doctor's diagnosis. She also diagnosed me with Hypothyroidism--mine is caused by my pituitary not stimulating the thyroid. Apparently there are different versions of thyroid diseases.

Anywho, I started out over 300 lbs when I was diagnosed 4 years ago--took metformin and Byetta (my insulin resistance was more like diabetes there for a while) and lost over 80lbs in a little under a year. Gained about 20lbs while trying to get pregnant, then found uterine cancer during all the fertility testing. The treatment for my thankfully early onset cancer was Megace, which causes major weight gain. Seriously, they give this to anorexics and kemo patients to make them eat.

I was back up just under 300 (I am 6' tall) when I started MFP in February and I have lost 57 lbs so far. Some weeks I lose 3-4 lbs and other weeks I lose 1 and sometimes nothing. I credit my amazing nutritionist and physician for helping me. And MFP.

The main side effects from Metformin for me were, well, digestive. I started taking iron (I am very anemic from PCOS related issues until I get a permanent, surgical solution) and it kind of balances things out. Iron often causes constipation. I take a tablespoon of fiber powder with my breakfast shake and it seems to keep things running normally