PCOS - Have you ever said "I would never get that big!"?

Connie_Cupcake

Well, I am there.. Absolutely depressed, but I have a medical condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and one symptom is gaining weight and not being able to lose it. I am on medication now, but I just want to be happy with my body.

The cysts go away when they feel like it and there is a correlation with losing weight, so here I am! Also, planning a wedding for 2013 sometime!

Any ladies with PCOS out there or anyone needing encouragement, because I think we could all use a friend during the journey!

Barrett18

I have actually been diagnosed with PCOS also. My body actually makes me physically sick with the medication, so I am really in need of losing weight to control this little monster.

Feel free to add me. I haven't done much with my profile, but I know the struggles of fighting for your life with this syndrome.

minime2b

I do not have it but my oldest daughter does. It's not a huge struggle for her to lose weight if she sticks to counting calories and carbs. Her problem was getting and staying pregnant. But she just had baby nuber 2!!!..Do they have you on metformin? that has always helped her to lose weight. Also, try chromium picolinate and alpha lipoic acid supplements. For PCOS sufferers though, surgar and carbs mean a lot. Good luck. Feel free to add me is you wish

mommy062706

Welcome! I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2004. I totally understand! This website is awesome and has helped a lot! Most people would say 8 lbs in a little over a month is not a lot but with PCOS it is FANTASTIC and I couldn't have done it without MFP! Feel free to add me as a friend and we can motivate each other!

pitbulllover

I have PCOS too. And a slow thyroid.

I felt completely HOPELESS about a month and a half ago. Had tried weight watchers, nutrisystem, followed everything according to plan, and weight either didn't come off or it stopped after the first week (and I'd stay on it for months at a time).

I started seeing a naturopath/clinical nutritionist. I am NOT advocating that you should do the same as me without talking to your doctor first, but this is what I'm doing...

Taking huge amounts of supplements. One for insulin resistance (contains cinnamon, b vitamins, biotin, chromium, a couple other things I can't remember). One for thyroid support (which you probably don't need). One for hormone imbalance (saw palmetto, it's supposed to lower testosterone). And then omega 3's and vitamin D3. I am taking huge quantities of these... I end up taking about 20 pills a day.

He also has me on a very restrictive diet temporarily, because he believes I have allergies/food sensitivities. Things will get added back to my diet one at a time to see how my body reacts to it.

And of course I'm supposed to be exercising and eating right.

Results? Down 20 pounds after 1 month (16 since I started using MFP again). Of course I have a lot to lose, I want to lose 100 but really I probably should lose 150 total. But 20 pounds is a huge deal for me, as I had been busting my *kitten* trying everything else and it wasn't work.

And I'm not saying to run to GNC and pick up overdoses of vitamins, but if your body isn't responding correctly to diet and exercise, maybe you should try finding a local nutritionist that can help you out.

samanthar83

I had someone very close to me with PCOS. She had surgery and got the lapband. She lost 60 pounds and was able to get pregnant! She is now doing very well, on a strict diet and has kept most of the weight off even after having a baby.

hpencil28

yes i did say that when i was little. but i weigh 188.6 right now.

Susan77

I was diagnosed with PCOS 2 years ago. I struggle with weight issues among female issues. I take 1 day at a time but its such a struggle the older i get...

Celeigh12

It's not impossible to lose with PCOS! I'm doing it and you can too...

JessicaV623

You're not alone! I dont have cycsts on my ovaries but have all the other symptoms of this disease. I also have a huge problem losing weight.
My doctor had me on Metformin but after 4 months, I didnt see any loss. The side effects were too much for me and I could hardly live my life normally so I decided to go off Met and Im currently seeking out a naturopath/accupuncturist to help.
Since Ive been *serious* about MFP, I've lost about 7lbs in a month or so. Not great but Im happy Im not gaining anymore. Wanting to lose about 130lbs means this will be no easy fight but I firmly believe that once I lose more weight, a lot of my symptoms will take care of themselves.

Stick with it! Its going to take awhile and it wont be easy but know that at least you're doing something! Good luck!

thedurttybride

I recently had a conversation with my OB about PCOS and she thinks I might have it as well. Her biggest recommendation was a Paleo diet and trying to limit processed foods and gluten. It really is crazy how much diet affects our health (both physical and mental). I know how you feel about gaining weight and not being able to lose it. After I had my baby I lost almost all the baby weight and then quickly gained it back. I felt so down and hated my "new" body. The only thing that has made me feel better is being really careful about what I eat and getting exercise of some type everyday!

I think having support on here would be great too! Hang in there - you'll get through this and be a beautiful bride!

sherronh

hello all,

I have PCOS and have successfully lost over 34lbs. My personal diet has just been eatting as clean as possible it comes out to be a low fat, high protein (very high actually), and I do get about 50% Carbs in daily (mainly Bran cereal that I have a few times a day).

To target belly fat I really have been eatting 1200-1400 calories a day (I'm 5'1). I also do cardio everyday I run on the treadmill, powerwalk, or go on the elliptical with a high resistance.

With PCOS it is most certainly possible to lose fat and belly fat, you just have to put work into it. Thats why I am a STRONG believer in Cardio. My legs are so solid now and my tummy has significanly reduced!

I honestly think its a mental thing and PCOS is often used as a crutch for people not to lose weight, or to give minimal effort and say they tried. In January I put all my excuses away and told myself if i really wanted to get healthy their is no more excuses. It has REALLY worked for me and I am in a much more postive place than I was (I also suffer from depression, but take no meds)

Please dont be discouraged and feel free to add me (:

sophie_wr

Same here... and need some friends too !

Just wanted to say that sports is always very good, enen if you dont loose weight, body shape can improve a lot !

Good luck.

iheartralphie

Thank you for posting on this.... I was just diagnosed 2 weeks ago with PCOS, and I don't know where to begin... I have a follow up appointment and ultrasound this week to get more details. I have been on birth control pills since HS, up until aa year ago and I think that masked it. In the past year, dispite eating relatively healthy and being active, I gained 12 lbs. I just got back on the pill to help regulate things and help with painful cramps, but I am terrified that I am going to end up huge and unable to have kids :frown: No one has even spoken to me about any medication options besides the birth control pills and they advised I "eat healthier and exercise" to control my weight.... um.... thats what IHAVE BEEN DOING!!!! Idiots.... ANY ADVICE??

ThorneDust

Yup, I'm a PCOS sufferer too. I am taking the cinnamon/chromium capsules and they seem to be doing really good so far!

Babs540

I'm PCOS and I have Hashimoto's hypothyroidism... basically I have no thyroid. I've had problems with my thyroid since 95' at a very young age and diagnosed with PCOS in 2002. I have in the past been able to maintain my weight and lose significantly with super strict dieting and a good workout routine including strength training. But over the last 4 years it's been a struggle after my second child and lots of stress. Not to mention I have arthritis in my knees and back along with degenerative L4, L5 disks, and now a ripped rotator cuff in my shoulder. It's a struggle when you gotta fight uphill, doing the thing you don't want to do to achieve a healthier body, but it's all well worth it when we achieve our goals.

Gwenefar2001

Yes, I have PCOS. TTC was difficult for me, and was able to do it once I lost some weight. Now I'm back to needing to lose weight again, as the PCOS symptoms have reared their ugly head in full force again, now that my son is 3. I take tons of supplements and have started getting more restrictive with my diet, and have started working out again. Lucky me, I love working out. Unfortunately though, I get exhausted too soon.
My parents are overweight. My mother doesn't have PCOS, but I always said, "I would never allow myself to get as big." And here I am, almost able to wear her clothes. I feel ashamed of myself quite a bit.
Looking for support and to provide support to anyone who needs it.

pitbulllover

Yup, I'm a PCOS sufferer too. I am taking the cinnamon/chromium capsules and they seem to be doing really good so far!

They're AMAZING! I've never in my life before had to remind myself to eat, but now it's like I never get hungry. Just proves how much insulin resistance really affects us.

Bonniebigbutt

Yep, I said the very same thing but with PCOS its like your body doesn't belong to you. You can't quit though, the weight will only drag you down more. Try the chaste fruit berry supplements for hormone balance it helped me just be careful, its also for fertility. Add me if you like. Remember you don't truly fail at something until you quit. Good luck.

Babs540

No one has even spoken to me about any medication options besides the birth control pills and they advised I "eat healthier and exercise" to control my weight.... um.... thats what IHAVE BEEN DOING!!!! Idiots.... ANY ADVICE??

Ask your Doc about Metaformin. It's very helpful in controlling PCOS. also, i lost 12 lbs on that before my wedding.
It's not a great prescription for everyone, but it's helpful for some.

JTHRONES

My heighest weight ever was 225 lbs and I felt so sluggish and miserable. I always said I would never get to 250 lbs, imagine my hurt when I saw the scale roll to 253 lbs in my 9th month of pregnancy! I went home from the hospital at 248 lbs, I expected to lose so much more! By the time my daughter was 2 weeks old, I was down to 200 because it took me awhile to get my appetite back after the Cesarean. Now I'm at 208 and hoping to get back down to 190 or 180 if I'm pushin it! Anyone feel free to add me!

fcbryant75

I have been struggling with PCOS for several years. Despite an initial weight loss on Metformin (mostly due to nasty side effects), I was never able to successfully lose more than a couple of pounds at a time on a traditional calorie counting diet. Also, the side effects of the Metformin kept getting worse and worse but I was afraid of what would happen if I stopped taking it so I continued on. In January, I started what is basically a Paleo diet (no grains, no sugar, no processed foods, but I have "cheat" meals sometimes) and it has worked wonders for me! I've lost 42 pounds in about 3 1/2 months, I feel better than I have in years, and the nasty side effects of the Metformin have all but disappeared! As an added bonus, my TOM has been much more manageable and way less painful. The immediate benefits I've experienced have been really motivating and have made the transition a lot easier. My doctor thinks I should be able to conceive normally now. From my experience and that of other women with PCOS I have talked to, limiting carbs one way or another really helps with PCOS, especially if the "traditional" way isn't working.

JTHRONES

No one has even spoken to me about any medication options besides the birth control pills and they advised I "eat healthier and exercise" to control my weight.... um.... thats what IHAVE BEEN DOING!!!! Idiots.... ANY ADVICE??

Ask your Doc about Metaformin. It's very helpful in controlling PCOS. also, i lost 12 lbs on that before my wedding.
It's not a great prescription for everyone, but it's helpful for some.

Good point about it not being for everyone. I've been Type 2 diabetic since I was 15 and it worked great for me for 3 years and then I started getting really sick on it.

Ronngie

For those of you with PCOS that have lost weight, do any of your symptoms improve or disappear? If so which ones?

celebrity328

I dont have the diagnosis of PCOS since my periods are "normal" but I can say I have every symptom

To be honest PCOS is very misunderstood by the medical community, my doctor touched on it and suggested that since my periods were "normal" that thats not what I have. Well I did about 20 hours of research and I came up with a different opinion!

My OB was not helpful at all, she suggested try a low carb diet see how it works call me in 3 months... I was fed up with this crap and decided to do my own research since no doctors (yes many) has been able to give me any answers for the last 7 years why I gain weight!
Why do i work out 5 days a week and not lose weight?
Why are the other women Im working out with down 25 pounds and I havent lost crap?
Im counting calories and I am not losing weight!

The list of questions was getting longer and longer... and no one had any answers for me!
- Id like to say that my exp with professionals, doctors, trainers, and the like has been horrible. I have been told to my face that I am a liar about my food intake and that I have to be not documenty ALL of my food. This was not true, I was doing exactly what the doctors/professionals told me to do and NOTHING HAPPEN!

Fast forward about 2 months ago. I read that Insulin resistance is a huge part of PCOS and they almost always go together. It was like a ligh bulb went off in my head. I started by "cutting" my carb intake to > 40g a day since I had no real idea what exactly I was doing. After about a a month I realized I was feeling "a tad better" I dropped the number to >30g a day and "felt even more better" Currently I am at >20 g of carbs a day and feeling FANTASTIC. My depression is gone, my mood swings are gone, and Im not feeling like general crap every moment of my waking day. I also found out that eating anything with sugar spikes my insulin out of control (causing sugar crashes, mood swings, and depression!) Yes, even an simple apple > Fruit < can spike my insulin out of control

I am not saying "low carb" is right for you or not. The symptoms of PCOS is so vastly different from person to person that its almost impossible to give a "formula" that works for everyone. I want to just offer encouragement to those who feel or felt the same way I do. You know who you are, you arent the ones sneaking food or eating cakes. The ones who are "doing it right" and right isnt working for you. I encourage you to continue and not give up there is hope im down 25 pounds now and am alot more learned

iheartralphie

Thank you
Its a shame it took this many years for someone to figure out what was going on. When I was 16 I told my dr I had not yet had regular periods every month, and I started when I was 12. They put me on bc and said that would fix the issue. Now I wonder if this was the problem all along. Even this time around I had to "suggest" the dr test me for it based on what I have heard about the symptoms and what I have been experiencing. And I was left a MESSAGE on my VM that my blood tests confirmed it and they mailed me a pamphelet which told me nothing but try to lose weight and take bc pills. I feel like they should have said "yor results are in call and we will discuss" instead of "your results came back and confirmed you have PCOS, we are mailing tou a pamphelet". Not happy about the way this is being handled. I guess I will be asking a lot of questions at my follow up appt.

No one has even spoken to me about any medication options besides the birth control pills and they advised I "eat healthier and exercise" to control my weight.... um.... thats what IHAVE BEEN DOING!!!! Idiots.... ANY ADVICE??

Ask your Doc about Metaformin. It's very helpful in controlling PCOS. also, i lost 12 lbs on that before my wedding.
It's not a great prescription for everyone, but it's helpful for some.

miranda_mom

Hi everyone, we have a group on MFP! It's called PCOSers unite! I am still too much of a newbie to figure out how to post the link but you can go to groups and search. Everyone in the group has been wonderful for discussing PCOS issues.

iheartralphie

Are you counting carbs from fruits/veggies in that? I'm just starting the lower carb thing and I cut out pasta, bread, rice etc but I am still seeing carbs from fruits and veggies adding up....

I dont have the diagnosis of PCOS since my periods are "normal" but I can say I have every symptom

To be honest PCOS is very misunderstood by the medical community, my doctor touched on it and suggested that since my periods were "normal" that thats not what I have. Well I did about 20 hours of research and I came up with a different opinion!

My OB was not helpful at all, she suggested try a low carb diet see how it works call me in 3 months... I was fed up with this crap and decided to do my own research since no doctors (yes many) has been able to give me any answers for the last 7 years why I gain weight!
Why do i work out 5 days a week and not lose weight?
Why are the other women Im working out with down 25 pounds and I havent lost crap?
Im counting calories and I am not losing weight!

The list of questions was getting longer and longer... and no one had any answers for me!
- Id like to say that my exp with professionals, doctors, trainers, and the like has been horrible. I have been told to my face that I am a liar about my food intake and that I have to be not documenty ALL of my food. This was not true, I was doing exactly what the doctors/professionals told me to do and NOTHING HAPPEN!

Fast forward about 2 months ago. I read that Insulin resistance is a huge part of PCOS and they almost always go together. It was like a ligh bulb went off in my head. I started by "cutting" my carb intake to > 40g a day since I had no real idea what exactly I was doing. After about a a month I realized I was feeling "a tad better" I dropped the number to >30g a day and "felt even more better" Currently I am at >20 g of carbs a day and feeling FANTASTIC. My depression is gone, my mood swings are gone, and Im not feeling like general crap every moment of my waking day. I also found out that eating anything with sugar spikes my insulin out of control (causing sugar crashes, mood swings, and depression!) Yes, even an simple apple > Fruit < can spike my insulin out of control

I am not saying "low carb" is right for you or not. The symptoms of PCOS is so vastly different from person to person that its almost impossible to give a "formula" that works for everyone. I want to just offer encouragement to those who feel or felt the same way I do. You know who you are, you arent the ones sneaking food or eating cakes. The ones who are "doing it right" and right isnt working for you. I encourage you to continue and not give up there is hope im down 25 pounds now and am alot more learned

Lweber0723

My doctor will not give me any medications for PCOS to help with my weight loss, which is soooo frustrating! I can't even look at myself in the mirror without being disgusted- and then my husband tries to tell me I look beautiful and I look at him and say are you crazy!!! I just want to to feel beautiful- like he sees me! I have taken chromium- but wondering how many mgs I should be taking each day- and do the cinnamon ones work better then just plain chromium?

cookierinthia

Has anyone heard of Clear Passage? They may be able to help with PCOS; www.clearpassage.com. Also, get Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter D'Adamo. You can get it from Amazon for little to nothing. My heart goes out to you sufferers. I didn't have that medical condition, but I had my share of female reproductive issues and had a LAVH last June and emergency surgery last December. Feel free to add me for encouragement.

pitbulllover

I'm on a low carb diet too, but not quite as low as celebrity. My nutritionist has me limited to 1 piece of fruit a day (no bananas), and 1 cup of brown rice a day (split up into 2 meals, 1/2 cup each time). But I'm also allowed beans and legumes and raw nuts (within reason, although he hasn't set an exact limit).

I'm also not allowed dairy, sugar, fake sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and no starches/grains except the brown rice (or I can substitute quinao).

It's touch because I've always been vegetarian lol... not a lot left for me to eat. I've been toying with the idea of trying to eat meat again but I'm not sure if I can bring myself to do it.

Are you counting carbs from fruits/veggies in that? I'm just starting the lower carb thing and I cut out pasta, bread, rice etc but I am still seeing carbs from fruits and veggies adding up....

I dont have the diagnosis of PCOS since my periods are "normal" but I can say I have every symptom

To be honest PCOS is very misunderstood by the medical community, my doctor touched on it and suggested that since my periods were "normal" that thats not what I have. Well I did about 20 hours of research and I came up with a different opinion!

My OB was not helpful at all, she suggested try a low carb diet see how it works call me in 3 months... I was fed up with this crap and decided to do my own research since no doctors (yes many) has been able to give me any answers for the last 7 years why I gain weight!
Why do i work out 5 days a week and not lose weight?
Why are the other women Im working out with down 25 pounds and I havent lost crap?
Im counting calories and I am not losing weight!

The list of questions was getting longer and longer... and no one had any answers for me!
- Id like to say that my exp with professionals, doctors, trainers, and the like has been horrible. I have been told to my face that I am a liar about my food intake and that I have to be not documenty ALL of my food. This was not true, I was doing exactly what the doctors/professionals told me to do and NOTHING HAPPEN!

Fast forward about 2 months ago. I read that Insulin resistance is a huge part of PCOS and they almost always go together. It was like a ligh bulb went off in my head. I started by "cutting" my carb intake to > 40g a day since I had no real idea what exactly I was doing. After about a a month I realized I was feeling "a tad better" I dropped the number to >30g a day and "felt even more better" Currently I am at >20 g of carbs a day and feeling FANTASTIC. My depression is gone, my mood swings are gone, and Im not feeling like general crap every moment of my waking day. I also found out that eating anything with sugar spikes my insulin out of control (causing sugar crashes, mood swings, and depression!) Yes, even an simple apple > Fruit < can spike my insulin out of control

I am not saying "low carb" is right for you or not. The symptoms of PCOS is so vastly different from person to person that its almost impossible to give a "formula" that works for everyone. I want to just offer encouragement to those who feel or felt the same way I do. You know who you are, you arent the ones sneaking food or eating cakes. The ones who are "doing it right" and right isnt working for you. I encourage you to continue and not give up there is hope im down 25 pounds now and am alot more learned