Weight Loss with PCOS help?

LaGordita87

This may be a little long, but for those of you who read through it all i would like any help/advice you can give.

I 1st started trying to lose weight in Oct. 2009(my youngest was 3mo. old) started at 230lbs. i was told years before i had PCOS but never really worried about it, my mom and aunt had both had it and eventually had hysterectomies when i was younger because they had such bad cysts.

Ok so when i started trying to lose weight i was doing fine, i lost 11lbs. the 1st month and averaged a good 3-4lbs. a month after that for about 7mo. then we moved to Mexico(my husbands from there) by this time i had lost about 35lbs. i stopped tracking(we had no internet) and working out (to freaking hot to exercise when i had no A/C there, we walked and stuff but not any workouts like i did before we left) we were there until April 2010 i lost a couple pounds so at least i didn't gain anything when we got back we had to stay with family until we could sign a lease to our own place(about 2mo.) and i hated it and they were big junk food people so i had a hard time resisting(stupid me) then i had gallbladder surgery which didn't go to well, i ended up with problems after i left the hospital(bile was leaking somewhere inside me) so i had to stay in the hospital for a week. I took it easy for a while after getting home but then went back to losing weight i lost another 7lbs. over the holidays. January 2012 i started birth control at the advice of my doctor and insistence of nosy family who insist i will get pregnant if not on it(i have been fine for 8yrs. without it, and we want a 3rd child anyways so a surprise would have been a happy accident anyways) to try to get my hormones under control i took it from January- March and didn't change anything i was doing but i gained 12lbs. so i stopped taking it, then i ended up gaining another 4lbs. while trying to get everything back on track, i was still eating and exercising the same as i always had, and my period is just starting to get back to normal from stopping the birth control.

Last month I started taking a herbal supplement to help with my hormones, my doctor won't prescribe meds unless i am trying to get pregnant plus i would rather do it naturally, it seems to be working pretty well i don't feel the need to snack as much and i did before and my period wasn't as painful or heavy as usual and i don't feel as tired as i used to(all positives YAY!) but now i have only lost a total of 30lbs. since Oct. 2009(was 42lbs. before the B/C) and it makes me so mad because i was all the way down to 188 and now i am back at 200 and even though i have been doing pretty good since getting off the B/C i can't seem to lose the weight like i was before i started taking it. I am wondering if my body is still having issues getting back to normal from the abrupt stop of B/C or what.

Does anyone else have experience with this? My doctor told me the B/C would help me lose weight but it did the opposite. I was telling my mom and aunt and they both said they gained anytime they took B/C also but they were never actually trying to lose weight before or after taking it.

mel7261

I don't have the answer but I do have very similiar problems. I can't seem to figure it out. I know PCOS can be different for everyone so it's hard to say what exactly will help. I have went to a few different doctors and they are all against meds unless i am ttc. It's interesting that you had your gullbladder out. I have been having so much trouble with mine but I don't want to get it out. I have heard horror stories about gaining weight after having it removed and it's already so damn hard.

Lalaj100

I have PCOS and hypothyroid which makes it sooooooo very hard for me to lose weight. I have tried many different things but it seems the only things that work are a combination of calorie counting, low carb, low glycemic. Everyone is different but I know if I stick with those 3 things I can lose weight. I did alot of research and now I'm just trying to incorporate it all. I also found out that for people with insulin resistance issues (some PCOSers have that issue) like me, combining cardio and weight training helps even more. Hope this info helps you or atleast gets you going in the right direction.......

CupcakeKendra

Ok, girl we are waaaaay tooooo much alike! I have never met or heard of anyone having the same problems as me especially with the gallbladder! I got mine removed when I was 17 (7 years ago) I had problems and the ER was trying to state that it was just gas. I almost died (slipping into a coma) until the doctor got on the phone. They ran tests but never really knew what happened. But they said bile leaked out somehow. I was in the hospital for a week too!

Anywho, back on the PCOS. I just saw my gyno on 5/31. Im not TTC so B/C is an option for me. She basically wouldnt give me any type, as she said it is SUPER hard to lose weight with PCOS and B/C. So she started me on Mirena as I am not TTC. So far it's only been a week but I feel great. My acne is pretty much gone and I havent gain anything...but it has only been a week.

I hope this information helps!

kjleijen

I also have pcos which was not actually picked up until I went off bc and didn't get a period and gained 10kgs. I was then put back on bc and was told it would regulate me and help prevent the cysts from turning cancerous.

Although I didn't put on weight after I went back on it (I had initially put on 10kgs when first on it as a teenager) I am now struggling to get any weight loss.

I was told I have high insulin resistance and a low GI diet would be best for me. Was also told that to lose 3kgs for an average dieter is only a 1kg loss with someone who has pcos as it is extra difficult.

The battle still continues, don't give up success will follow your persistence!

xo

kazzsjourney

I have PCOS and have lost over 180 pounds. I did it all naturally, what I found worked best for me was to restrict grainy carbs at dinner time and to cycle my calories. It took me a long time to lose the weight but this did work. I also work out 4 times per week doing a mix of cardio/strength and flexibility work

kjleijen

That's awesome kazz. You are an inspiration.

Just wondered what do you mean by cycle calories? Sorry I'm a little new to this.

yarwell

"cycling calories" is using a different target on different days or weeks, rather than adhering to the same daily calories week in week out.

nitrogirl332

Ok girls, here is what I've been doing. Birth control is mandatory for me, without it I don't have any periods at all, but horrible symptoms. I lose hair, get awful acne, horrible cyst pain, etc. They put me on a b/c pill with a higher dose of estrogen to counteract the excess testosterone in my system that all us PCOS girls get. I'm also on metformin once a day. Without that I get so tired and lethargic and literally sick for an entire week around and during my period. All I can do is sleep, working gets to be a chore. I have found that the metformin does tend to help with weight loss, although not drastically. Just helps with the insulin resistance so all your weight loss efforts don't come to a complete standstill. It's very upsetting to me that most of your doctors aren't willing to help you with meds...if it wasn't for them I'd be a complete mess. As long as I'm focusing on losing weight, doing the right things, I can usually lose weight. Without the meds I kind of hit into a roller coaster of hormones that make eating just uncontrollable...does this help at all?

kd7510

I also have PCOS-Insulin Resistance with the hypothyroid issues. Ever since my 11 year old was born, I have been battling the 200's. I am now at my heaviest ever! It has been very difficult to lose weight. I am on Metformin along with Synthroid. My struggles are with starting to exercise and eat right. I have seen some article about the Low GI foods. How has that worked for you? My doctor advised me to start by having a salad everyday and upping my vegetable comsumption...best of luck to you. I am new to MFP so I look forward to finding people in similar situations to me.