PCOS Syndrome Ladies Please Help ~ Not Ready to Give up!!!

HugznKiki

Hi Pals!!

I have been married for almost 2 years, but throughout my 7 year relationship with my husband I have gained 40 lbs. I have been able to successfully lose 15 lbs on my own however it feels as though I have to work 3 times as hard as many other people to lose the weight. Its weird because I've never had horrible eating habits and I'm a pretty active person but over the course of time I still gained this weight.

Now that I have been trying to be conscious of my body and eating I am still having the same issue. Not being able to lose weight!! Recently, me and my husband have talked about family planning so, we went to my OB to see what in the world is going on with my body. Well after a very long talk, extensive paperwork and bloodwork, it looks as though I may have PCOS. All my symptoms are in accordance with this, per my OB. This is very discouraging as I have always wanted to be a mother and experience pregnancy. I just don't understand whats going on, or what tools have been used to fix this. I have a follow up visit with my OB in 2 weeks for a full physical, after all my bloodwork comes back, but I'm looking for things to do, to progress in the right direction in the mean time.

I am looking for anyone who understands this, been through it.....can you beat it, is extremely difficult to concieve?? My doctor, and all the reading says that it is helpful to lose weight, to heighten my chances at becoming pregnate...but I'll be damned if I'm not burning well over 2K calories a week and working my @$$ off...to obtain very slow, and sometimes no results!!

HELP!!! ladies that have been through this...how did you get through it...this is really weighing on me emotionally....and I'm just trying to stay in prayer and mediation. I am definately not giving up on myself and I am continuing to push through..but any helpful advise is appreciated!!

Kiki

ladyfox1979

Hi Kiki

My best friend Amanda was diagnosed with PCOS for the last 5 years and I can tell you I sympathize with you. It is not an easy road especially when it comes to weight issues

She and her husband have tried 3 invitro fertilizations all which failed because of her condition and weight. What finally helped her was to drastically reduce her carbs almost to the point of total elimination.If you still want to eat carbs try reducing you daily intake to about 35% of your diet and eat alot of protein and exercised at least 5 x a week. She dropped 25 lbs and behold she got pregnant naturally last year. They had my beautiful God duaghter Amaya 7 weeks ago.

I highly recommend see a dietician, they might me able to give you a better approach to weight loss specifically designed to you.

wonton30

Hi!

I've been diagnosed with PCOS several years ago. I lost 90 lbs and gained 15 lbs of muscle. What helped me the most is weight lifting and following a clean diet. I avoided bread and sweets. I'm not gonna lie, it's super tough and I had to put my blood, sweat and tears into losing weight but it's all worth it. I'm still struggling to lose the last 30 lbs, but my PCOS symptoms have improved a lot.

Jennisin1

I have PCOS which lead to infertility. I started a weight loss program (lower carb, cardio, strength training) and lost 30 lbs in 2010 and BAM... I got pregnant after 4 years with only one previous failed pregnancy. I quickly followed with baby number 2...15 months later. I am successfully exclusively breastfeeding which is made more difficult with PCOS by taking a ton of suppliments.

I am 45 days into being committed to this and down 14lbs. It can be done and from my personal experience, losing weight can be a big factor in fertility with PCOS.

HugznKiki

Ladies thank you sooo much for all of you advise...I thought I was already in beast mode and working it out...but this new information is life-changing...I will definately look into speaking with a dietician as well!!! I have already lowered my carbs and, I have already been watching my sugar intake but I will find out if it is still too high for the purposes of PCOS....Again thank you!!

Kiki

Jeaninedj

A lot of people say following a low-gi diet works well for PCOS. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and losing weight feels like an uphill battle but you can do it!

cathid327

I was diagnosed with PCOS five years ago. Prior to trying to conceive I was able to lose about 30Ibs following a very low carb diet and a moderate exercise program. We tried for about 6months before I started taking Metformin and Clomid. I had some other issues with fibroids so, I did have surgery to remove them but after that it only took about 2 months for me to conceive my son. (Prior to my initial weight loss and taking fertility drugs we had tried for years with no luck so I am quiet sure dropping some weight helped.)

I gained about 60Ibs during my first pregnancy and was able to drop about half the weight after having my son before I got pregnant with my daughter 2yrs later, which happened completely naturally without any fertility treatments! I tried very hard to have a healthy diet during my second pregnancy and I did not gain as much weight but I am still about 30Ibs over my pre-baby weight.

I will say it has been A LOT harder now to lose anything after my babies. I don't know if it's just because I am older or what... but it just seems to be something that goes along with PCOS. I now am working out about 6 days a week doing cardio and strength training and I am losing... slowly. You seem like your headed in the right direction... be patient with your self it will happen.

HugznKiki

A lot of people say following a low-gi diet works well for PCOS. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and losing weight feels like an uphill battle but you can do it!

What is a low gi diet???

ariant23

A lot of people say following a low-gi diet works well for PCOS. I was diagnosed 2 years ago and losing weight feels like an uphill battle but you can do it!

What is a low gi diet???

GI == Glycemic index --> blood sugar impact over time. Lower scores help keep steadier blood sugar levels. South Beach Diet talks about this. My old OB (we moved )-: put her PCOS patients on a similar diet. the book is worth the read to find out about carbs and blood sugar impact. My no-name personal diet takes cues from SBD to stay fuller longer, and not have spikes.

omma_to_3

Low glycemic diet. I've tried it and it didn't do much for me and I find it hard to follow a restrictive diet (it's not bad, but you have to limit your carbs and balance them with protein).

I was diagnosed with PCOS over 20 years ago when I was 17. I have been through ALL the fertility treatments, up to and including IVF. We were not successful, but MOST women with PCOS are able to conceive with fertility treatments so there's definitely hope!

You stated you wanted to have children AND be pregnant. If you get to the point where having children is more important than being pregnant, you can look into adoption. We have three amazing children through adoption and if you told me you could cure my infertility right now, I'd say no thank you. If we have another child, they will also be adopted.

humblemonkey

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 17. Originally I was slightly overweight (maybe between 5-10 lbs). I didnt have a significant weight problem until about 3 years ago (Im 24) when I gained about 45 pounds over a year and a half. I was at 158 when I joined MFP. I worked my TAIL OFF to lose weight and I lost 15 pounds. I couldnt lose anymore. I stopped eating a good amount of carbs and gluten and I lost the weight instantly. Having PCOS, your body does not handle carbs well. I am NOT a supporter of Atkins or South beach bc they are unrealistic. You cant have no carbs. at some point you will eat carbs and gain weight faster because your body isnt used to them.
BUT Cutting them down will significantly improve not only your weight BUT your other PCOS symptoms. I try to attribute most of my carbs to complex carbs; whole grains...something. The past few days have been horrible because I have been in the hospital with my boyfriend so food has been whatever. In fact, I stopped exercising a lot and eating well between June and January and immediately packed on 30 pounds. You have to understand that with PCOS any diet changes you make are going to be life-long. PCOS doesnt go away. You are always going to struggle more than the average person with your weight. Theres no miracle drug or diet. Moderation and cardio.

Hope this helped. Feel free to add me...best of luck to you! stay strong! you can do this! and youll just be that much tougher than the average person!

mgmlap

I have lost 40 pounds while being insulin resistant, hypothyroid, adrenal fatigue and having PCOS. It is possible. I am on metformin..and aromour thyroid. i do believe these have helped with the weight loss.

I lost my last 10 pounds..and 3% body fat by doing a Paleo diet of 30 days...now I am maintaining..between 135-138..which isnt bad. i have started lifting heavy weights...to try and drop the body fat to 25%...

I was unable to conceive..didnt try once i lost weight..but have 2 beautiful daughters..12 and 16

angie_sample

I also have PCOS.. Weight loss is hard u almost need to eat like a diabetic. Many people believe PCOS is the result of an insulin resistance. In fact many people take Metformin (glucophage) for PCOS which is a diabetic medication. There are also some women who go completely gluten free and have good luck with that. For me personally i work out and eat healthy and my weight does come off. Before i started my healthy lifestyle my menstrual cycles had completely stopped, i didnt have one for 8 months. Now i get my cycles every month and i always have a 28 day cycle. I do not have any children but my husband and i plan on starting to try soon and i am very hopefully that we will be able to conceive without fertility treatment or at least conceive before having to consider IVF.

As far as your fertility there is a great website: www.fertilityfriend.com it can teach you about natural family planning. There are ways to track your cycle and it will help you determine when you are ovulating. Your temp actually rises a bit after ovulation. This will help u. ALso i suggest you purchase a book called: Taking control of your fertility by Toni Weshler it is amazing and so helpful. Good Luck!

carolann_22

Metformin and low carb (under 50g net - net = total carbs -fiber) have been the biggest help for me. Together they allowed me to lose 12 pounds and get pregnant, and then lose all the weight on my ticker since pregancy.

HugznKiki

thanks so much!! that helps!!

yesthistime

PCOS support groups on MFP:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3070-p-c-o-sis
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3089-power-cysters
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4339-pcosers-unite

jamanning28

I was diagnosed PCOS about 7 years ago and I was told I would never be able to conceive because of it. Through hard work, I lost 60 pounds and my PCOS cleared itself up. Now, I have a beautiful 20 month old son and have gained the 60 pounds since I became pregnant. I also gained back my PCOS according to my OB. So, I am working hard to lose the weight since it affects my body so much.

kyt1206

PCOS - polycystic ovarian syndrome - in plain terms, there's little hard bumps on your ovaries. Naturally, your eggs come out of your ovaries but if you cover it in little bumps (possibly originating of previously unreleased eggs), it is harder for the egg to pop out, which could effect your fertility chances. Thus, losing weight - which means lessening the fat tissue around your ovaries, the 'load' that ends up on your pelvis when you sit, would help. In other words, if your body stops pushing on your ovaries, then your eggs can push out of them. This is what I got from all the research papers I read about it when I got diagnosed. I'm a biomed scientist.

So these stuffed up ovaries of mine likes to work against me in that they produce more androgens. WTF does that mean?

In simple terms - Androgens make Estrogens - Estrogens help your uterine lining get thicker, collect more fat, in preparation for pregnancy.

So if you make *more* androgens, there's a higher chance your body is making *more* estrogens than what should be normal for you, thus causing you put on more fat than normal - all the time.

We can help reduce fat by reducing the amount of things that create fat. So the typical pharmaceutical treatment for PCOS is metformin. It is a diabetic drug and helps your cells increase intake and utilization of sugar so it doesn't get stored as fat. For me, that didn't work long term- altho I expected it to. It took me a while to realize that I wasn't noticing the slowing progress I was making and then a complete reversal of what it should be doing. I worked with my doctor and found a better drug and went off metformin. I'm losing weight now and my mood and stability is better. For me, it took some monitoring of my daily habits and looking back long term to realize what I was doing wasn't a long term solution. Hopefully this one sticks with me, but the take away here is this: Your body IS working against you, with that understanding, consult your doctor and/or dietician and change accordingly. Plain exercise sometimes just won't work.

DomesticPirate

PCOS runs in my family. We had trouble conceiving baby #2 because I was 40 pounds overweight and couldn't get the scale to budge. I recently had baby #3 and had an ultrasound the other day due to abdominal pain; results are over 15 fibroids on each ovary. Again, I couldn't get the scale to budge once I'd lost the easy baby weight UNTIL I started eliminating refined carbs, sugars, and starches. Now I'm loosing 1.5-3 pounds a week, without exercising, by getting a majority of my calories from meats, eggs, and vegetables, supplementing with healthy fats (seeds, nuts, full fat dairy) and fruits. I'd also recommend finding a natural nutritional therapist, as PCOS can be linked to adrenal issues which can be corrected with a proper diet.

RillSoji

I struggled with PCOS for 5 years before I think I've finally got a handle on what works for me. Lots of research and experimenting but I found that these things are key to controlling it.

Working off the knowledge that PCOS is essentially a hormone imbalance my goal was to do everything in my own power to naturally re-balance my hormones. It's important that you work towards harmony with ALL your hormones. Not just the ones we PCOSers have a tendency to focus on (estrogen/progesterone/testosterone).

Diet - What you eat will have a huge effect on your body's hormone production. When I try to encourage some particular hormone production I do everything I can food-wise first before turning to medicine. I strive for a plant-base, whole foods diet with plenty of natural fats and a controlled amount of carbs. I MADE time to cook at home so I cut down on highly processed foods and on eating out. I also cut out most dairy because unless you're getting it raw from a cow that is not pregnant, it's giving you more hormones and/or stimulating other hormones that you don't want stimulated atm. (You're welcome to use recipes from my blog: RillsMenu.com)

Exercise - When you exercise you stimulate the production of and balancing of most of your body's hormones. Some hormones cannot be stimulated (other than with drugs) without exercise. Get some kind of exercise every day. Doesn't matter what, as long as you sweat and get your heart rate up. I take long, vigorous walks, dabble in aerobics (I'm not that coordinated lol), and do some training with a stability ball and weights.

Late/No Periods
No birth control pills. At first I was on them to regulate my period but I'm off them now and have fairly regular cycles by my own efforts. Hormones cannot balance out correctly when I'm forcing high levels of estrogen into my system. I drink a combo herbal tea a week before my period should begin to encourage the right hormones for that part of my cycle. If I'm a couple weeks late on my period I'll use progesterone cream for 10 days then stop.

Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and it's main job is to stabilize your blood sugar. Avoid things that 'rock the boat' and mess with your blood sugar. You can have stuff. Just keep it under control with a low carb or low glycemic index diet. Additionally, I've found the best thing to help has been Raw/Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (the stuff with "the Mother" in it). I take 1 Tbl with 1 Tbl of water in a shot glass then wash it down with a glass of water. Some people take metformin but that stuff actually made me gain weight. It may or may not work for you. The ACV has more beneficial effects too like appetite suppressant and reducing stomach acids (if you have trouble with heartburn/acid reflux).


Sun & Fun
Stress and low vitamin D levels also affect your hormones. Laughter and good times stimulate the kind of hormones that lower the stress hormones. Also things like yoga, meditation....generally relaxing things. Vitamin D supplements are all well and good but getting it directly from the source is best. I do 15 minutes (direct sunlight, no sunscreen, no sunglasses, no hat, sleeves/pants rolled up) on my porch in the morning, 15 minutes during lunch and 30 minutes when I go on a walk with my hubby in the evenings.


*hugs* and good luck! Just remember, it's hard to make an overnight change! Take it one step at a time and you'll be working toward your goals in no time. That's what it took for me. ^_^

oatsofthesea

i know it can be very upsetting to receive a diagnosis like that, but PCOS does not necessarily have to mean you will have a hard time conceiving!

my sister was diagnosed with PCOS back in 2007 and her doctor told her it was likely she wouldn't be able to conceive. later that year, she spent two and a half months in peru and lost 20 lbs without even trying just because she was so active. a few months after she came back to the US, she got pregnant on accident the first time she EVER had unprotected sex. her pregnancy was perfectly healthy and she had a very smooth, natural birth.

HugznKiki

Again! thank you all for the support and information...I'm feeling much better, the more that I am learning!! You ladies are amazing!!!

Moviedust

I was diagnosed with PCOS in September of 2010, and it was because we were having difficulty concieving (okay it was really only a few months, but I was freaked out and thought something was wrong, and boy was I right)! At that point they put me on metformin 3 times a day and I've tried to follow a low glycemic index diet mostly. So far I've lost about 27lbs (not that it all dropped off at once, but about 5 lbs a month) and last month I did get pregnant (however I had a miscarriage, you have a higher risk with PCOS but apparently the "normal" population also has a 15-30% risk which is fairly high anways. Hopefully it will happen again. I have known people with PCOS though that don't have cysts or anything. You might want to check out Cysters Unite on FB they have lots of good information and as people said fertilityfriend is also a good website if you want to track your temperatures, it helped me. Also get some cheap ovulation predictor kits off of ebay (they don't work for all people with PCOS but they did for me) and you could try those. Feel free to add me as well, I had the same frustrations before the put me on the metformin, I was exercising and eating well and I was still not losing, it was SUPER frustrating, but stick with it and explore your options to see what you can do.

polegirl23

I have PCOS and have been successful at losing weight by following a clean diet and exercising. I have just started my firt round of IVF to try and get pregnant as my husband and I have fertility issues on both sides, keeping my fingers crossed that this will work for us. the PCOS symptom that effects me the most at the moment is acne, I can't seem to shake it whatever I try. I hate PCOS !!

shannasaurus_rex

Great post, Rill! I like your approach. I have been doing many of the same things to manage my PCOS - though the progesterone cream is something I have yet to look into. I am a whole-hearted believer in the Apple Cider Vinegar; that stuff is amazing! Keep it up, and good luck!

RillSoji

I have PCOS and have been successful at losing weight by following a clean diet and exercising. I have just started my firt round of IVF to try and get pregnant as my husband and I have fertility issues on both sides, keeping my fingers crossed that this will work for us. the PCOS symptom that effects me the most at the moment is acne, I can't seem to shake it whatever I try. I hate PCOS !!

I recommend you try the no/little dairy thing. I had terrible acne until 2 years ago when I switched from drinking milk to drinking almond milk. It took about a month but now I rarely have a blemish. I still use sour cream, yogurt, a little heavy cream now and then and definitely use cheese. But cut out drinking milk and see how it goes for you. Doesn't work for everyone but hey, worth a shot I think!


Also @ shannan1980
Thank you! ACV rocks!
If you look into progesterone creams make sure you get the high dosage kind. A lot of 'medical creams' are mostly cream with only 1-2% of the medicine you actually need. You want something that will give you 15-24mg/day (half in the morning, half at night). They're a little expensive...another reason why I don't use it unless I have to in order to start my cycle. But you might ask your doctor if there's a prescription you can get that's covered by insurance.

sassytwo

Just jumping in to give you a bit of encouragement. First off, you are awesome for taking such a proactive approach in dealing with PCOS! Hang in there! Sounds like there are some awesome ladies on these boards who are dealing with it as well. I have polycystic ovaries and know what it it like to deal with the diagnosis, crazy hormones, etc. I now have two beautiful kiddos. Yeah, it was a long frustrating road to get them. Just focus on your end goals! Good luck!

agentscully514

I was diagnosed 9 years ago. my treatment is exercise, low carb diet, and metformin. After just one month on metformin my periods were normal. I never tried to have kids so I don't know about fertility. I treat my PCOS for the sake of my future health.

Diary_Queen

Can't wait to follow this thread. Waiting on bloodwork results with a high probability of hypothyroidism, but the dr also mentioned PCOS and said if bloodwork tends that direction then we'll do an ultrasound. I've seen a bunch of ladies here losing a good amount of weight, but it just takes time... stressing on it doesn't seem to help either. Keep your chin up dear!

izzydino

I too have pcos... but I am slightly different some women have no fertility and i have too much... 2 periods a month. weightless is possible and pregnancy is possible but with lots of hard work. It took my sister in law 2 years to conceive...


good luck my friend!

DisneySkaGirl

Late/No Periods
No birth control pills. At first I was on them to regulate my period but I'm off them now and have fairly regular cycles by my own efforts. Hormones cannot balance out correctly when I'm forcing high levels of estrogen into my system. I drink a combo herbal tea a week before my period should begin to encourage the right hormones for that part of my cycle. If I'm a couple weeks late on my period I'll use progesterone cream for 10 days then stop.

I wasn't diagnosed with PCOS, but was told 2 years ago after they did an intravaginal ultrasound (just as unpleasant as it sounds), that I did show some scarring which suggests a history of come cysts. They looked into it becasue I had two periods last year that wouldn't end without medication, and I wanted to know why. Their solution was to put me on birth control, which I was on for a year and half until deciding that this last pack was the end for me. I couldn't lose weight even with strict calorie counting and tons of exercise, and was majorly depressed.

My question for you is, what tea are you drinking that is regulating your periods? And where do you get it? I have been researching methods of getting your body back on track after stopping synthetic hormones, and there's a lot of info to sort through. I had highly irregular periods before the pill, and since I hope to conceive in about a year and a half from now, I'd like to get things under control. Thanks!