Tips for PCOS

broadwaybound93

I was diagnosed with PCOS February of '11 and am finally fed up with how it makes me feel so I'm back on my meds and starting to diet again. However, my doctors told me the reason I may have struggled with losing weight before was because of my PCOS. So my question is to people on here who are having success and also have PCOS what are some things you're adding or taking away from your diet? What are some exercises your using? I carry most of my weight in my trunk and am pear shaped because of my hips, butt, and big "low-hanging" belly. I'm planning so far to wean myself from soda because it's probably one of the leading causes of my belly fat as well as lessening on the carbs and when I do eat carbs they'll be healthy once I get the hang of keeping up with calories and eating in moderation overall. Someone else on here has told me that high protein low carb has helped her. Anymore tips? It's very much appreciated! I'm tired of being the only 19 year old I know that's over 300 lbs (

fleur_de_lis19

High protein is key! I also have PCOS and im still able to kick that weights *kitten*. Slowly, but you have to be patient and focus on the fact that your living a healthier life style and stay off that stupid scale. Its the devil. I know people with PCOS preach the low carb thing, but i really try to focus more on high protein, well balanced meals. There is also plenty of support groups here to help if you need it

_Elemenopee_

I started walking, joined the gym but hardly go. When I do it's treadmill, Zumba, kickboxing or machines. Less "white" foods, enriched breads, pasta, sugar, potatoes and the like. I still eat them but not every day. Less sugar which is really hard for me since I have a huge sweet tooth and MUCH MUCH more water. I'm actually getting my cycle every 35-45 days now when for my whole life it was a surprise with 1 or 2 a year and twice I went 2 years without one. Losing weight and getting into a healthier mind set has helped my body almost become "normal"..almost.

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

geminitwin1979

Hey ...I try and watch my carbs as much as possible and definately cut out soda or if too hard go for the sugar free versions ! Other than that i just watched my intake and portion sizes and the weight started coming off ! Obviously once weight reduces you will see symptons ease ..

As for exercise i started with zumba and then gillians 30 day shred and its worked for me ! you can't spot reduce where it comes off i am afraid which sucks lol !!

Good luck u can do it !!!

readingfrenzy21

Hello fellow cyster. I try to eat lowER carb. No potatoes and nothing white, but I like toast, so I eat weight watchers whole wheat bread. I eat as many fresh veggies as I can afford and try to get in a lot of protein. Since I hate going to the gym I exercise using my Wii. I have gold's gym dance workout, exerbeat, and zumba 2. Try to find an exercise that you like and will stick with. I also take metformin because without it I would not lose any weight or lose very slowly. MFP friends really help to motivate you as well! It looks like you have a good starting plan, though

PrincessNikkiBoo

bump

_MissTerious_

Its been a struggle for me as well. Did metformin for a while, but I want to focus less on medication and more on a healthier lifestyle. So yes, I joined a gym (Zumba baby), eating healthier, drinking more water....Keep in mind that it does take time.

broadwaybound93

Thanks for all the quick responses everyone! lol. I'm making a note in my Word Document of all of them. My roomie and I have a Wii in our dorm room so maybe I'll invest in some of those games. Also, I see a lot of people talking about Gillian's 30-day Shred where can I find it? Like, do they sell it at Wal-Mart?

Also, I had told my mom not to buy any snacks for me to take back to school with me but she did - a lot of the fad snacks like 100 calorie packs of cookies (when I don't even like sweets) and snack bags of popcorn and jell-o and a pack of turkey and special k breakfast bars. Any of those I should chuck when I get to school or give away to girls on my floor? >___> And God knows what my roomie is bringing with her since she's the food Queen and was one of the people that said "I'll diet with you" second semester and then would sit in our room all day on her computer and eating from her snack horde rather than go with me to the cafeteria for a real meal that we have a meal plan for anyway. I was guilty of it myself when I didn't want to go and sit and eat by myself since all of my friends I've made actually live near town and go home for dinner or eat at a time when I'm still in class. The only time I have free to eat is when the cafeteria is full of athletes getting in from late practices.

So any tips on how I can motivate her? She's got PCOS too but she's built way different from me - she's more masculine and a lot taller than me but she's also told me she's noticing the number on the scale creeping up after our first year of college together. I think maybe telling her about this site and having someone physically there living with me that's doing it too (as well as me there with her) might help us both to stay on track.

plutosmile

I found I have PCOS when I was trying to get pregnant. I've always been overweight, but didn't start having abnormal periods until I got married. When I got divorced, the weight expanded and the PCOS symptoms got worse. I had to get on birth control because my periods would last for months at a time, or I wouldn't have periods at all. The doctors also gave me Metformin which helps.

I have cut out sodas completely. If I do have a soda craving, I will drink 1 caffeine free diet soda. No more than 1 per week. I cut out pastas, breads (occassionally I will have 100 calories multi-grain bread rounds), potatoes, etc. If I want pasta, I will make spaghetti squash. It looks just like pasta, but is actually healthy for you. Eating out is something I don't do very often anymore either. Lots and lots of leafy green veggies is a staple in my diet. I exercise as often as I can switching between cardio and weights. I keep 5 pound weights next to the tv, so when I'm watching, I can continue to work out.

So far, I've dropped 25 pounds. I feel a lot better. Have the mind set that it's not a diet. It's a life change. If you do, you will reach your goals.

bethfartman

I was diagnosed with PCOS (along with severe endometriosis, but that’s a whole other beast) in my late teens. At that time I was at a very healthy weight, but over the last several years I packed on the pounds. A couple years ago after a surgery to remove one of my ovaries that was badly destroyed from the constant cysts, my doctor put me on Metformin. I was on it for about a year without any diet change and stayed at a consistent weight, which was good since before I was just gaining. Since April I’ve been reducing my caloric intake and have had great success with losing weight. I have reduced my sugar intake, but as you can see if you look at my food diary, I still eat some sugars and carbs- normally a sweet or two throughout the day. I cut out soda which I think made a big deal- there’s so much sugar in there and it was relatively easy for me to leave behind. If I want something bubbly, I will put a splash of reduced or no sugar juice in some carbonated water.
You can follow some sort of strict low gi diet, but I think the first step is just to reduce your calories. When you’re watching your calories and really stick to it, you’ll make a choice to eat a larger portion protein rather than a tiny portion of something sugary. In turn, you will naturally reduce your sugar intake. In my opinion, at least at first, there is no reason to stick to any specific diet- just eat healthily.
The most helpful thing I do is exercise. Cardio is key to burn excess glucose in your bloodstream, as excess glucose is a big contributor to PCOS and weight gain. My doctor told me that you have to do cardio for at least an hour to burn that glucose (before I was doing ½ an hour to 45 minutes or so), so that’s what I do. Every day. It’s made a huge difference in the severity of my symptoms too, I’m typically always in pain and I noticed a month or so ago that I’ve been going days without using heat packs and vicodin- which was a daily necessity for me before. My doctor even asked me during my last routine visit in a worried way why I hadn’t refilled my vicodin prescription in a while. It was awesome.
Good luck!

bethfartman

Oh, and about your friend/roomie- I think the best thing you can do is focus on yourself and when she sees your success she will want to join in. Or not. Everyone has their own internal motivations and 'aha moments,' you can't really influence that. She may even resent you if you try to push it. My friend, who is not anywhere as overweight as I am but still has her own struggles to stay where she wants to be, is so thrilled with my results she has been working out with me tons and has been eating much healthier and asking my advice on diet and I never mentioned anything to her. You can always just do active things together, but diet is touchy.

broadwaybound93

Thanks so much - it's crazy just how many other women have PCOS. I wonder what the numbers/statistics are?

bethfartman

It's very common, most women will get a non-funcional cyst every now and then, but when your ovaries become polycystic you have a problem. Unfortunately it can be caused by being insulin resistant (although that is not always the case.) And then comes the whole 'chicken and the egg' scenario- do you have PCOS because you’re insulin resistant and are you insulin resistant because you’re overweight? Or are you overweight because you’re insulin resistant? It’s hard to tell and there are many opinions out there, but there is no question losing weight can help a lot and many women who have PCOS are overweight.

Melroxsox

There are a bunch of PCOS support groups, go check em' out! You'll find all sorts of women with similar issues and TONS of support for all of your questions! Good luck on your journey, Im right there with ya! I've had my best success doing Atkins DANDR(if interested reading the book is a must) and working out both strength training and cardio at least 5 times a week. Add me if you'd like, Im here everday if you ever need anything!:flowerforyou:

MonicaT1972

The formula that works for my body is eating clean, no processed pre-packaged foods. Carbs only from whole grains and fruits and vegetables. And lastly exercise and lots of it. I have to put in a minimum of 2 hrs a day to keep on the losing side of things.

It's not an easy road but it can be done if you want it badly enough!!! Good luck!!!

jella74

Cutting sugar without weaning helps a lot more than weaning off. I lost 22 pounds so far since Feb 23, I cut my calorie intake to 1200cals, no sugar, NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. AND I STARTED RUNNING!!!!

Yes it was and is very hard but if you want it bad enough the sugary stuff will not matter. And treating yourself to ONE sugary food at a certain point like every week or every month can and should be allowed. When I did that I realized I didn't like the taste!

Do lots of cardio workouts, and please drink your water, add lemon or orange to the water if you need to, BUT lemon helps much more.

riccoismydog

I'm one of those skinny PCOSers. But I still put on weight in my middle I didn't even know I had PCOS until I went to the fertility docs.

The sad thing is....I eat super clean, low carb, work out minimum three times a week. Only organic. Hormone free meat and milk products.

And I still have acne and a tummy.

The worst part is, it will never go away. It is a metabolic syndrome. You can reduce your symptoms, but they will always be there.

The only tips I have is.....
low carb
eat only the lowest glycemic carbs you can find
keep the sugar below 40g a day including fruit
watch the added hormones from meat and dairy
and eat clean and organic, those pesticides wreck havoc on your endocrine system.
loads of healthy fats for your cardiovascular system.

And don't give up hope. You can be fit and healthy with PCOS. In fact you should make it a goal. PCOS gives us a higher rate of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Good luck on your weight loss goals. It can be done! Now if only I could have children

miranda_mom

I have PCOS too! I think it's great that they seem to be diagnosing earlier now. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 33 and was into my second round of fertility problems. That was almost 33 years of battling weight issues and trying my hardest to exercise and diet - and still losing nothing. And gaining sometimes. I am on Metformin now and it has helped me. Logging on MFP is so great - it helps so much. Try to hook up with some other PCOS ladies - a lot (but not all) of my friends have it. It can make it easier when you see posts where people are like "I've lost 100 lbs. in two months!" or whatever. You start to think Why can't I do it too? We have a group called PCOS Ladies Support Group. We do monthly challenges to just lose 5-7 lbs. a month. I made it in June but not July... That's okay, everyone is really great.

melbot24

1) Cardio
2) Organic high protein, low-carb diet
3) Inositol supplements
4) Reduce alcohol intake

Oh and there's some great information here, (even if you're not trying to get pregnant) http://natural-fertility-info.com/progesterone-fertility-guide/#pcos

itsuki

Thanks so much - it's crazy just how many other women have PCOS. I wonder what the numbers/statistics are?

My doc said between 10 and 20% of women have it to some extent.

staceyanne1

I got diagnosed when I was 18 , I had my daughter when I was 17 and just kept bleeding until I turned 18. They just sat me down , told me , gave me a leaflet and I left .
I , like so many , never struggled with my weight until I turned in my 20,s . I think I felt sorry for myself, ate myself to near 340lbs .
I managed to get down to 210lbs , and now I'm stuck.
So I'm taking what everyones said on this post to try help myself.
Sorry for jumping in :-)

broadwaybound93

No, it's cool that's why I made it, for everyone to come together and if anyone else had questions to take from it. lol. I've struggled with my weight all my life - my doctor even signed a permission note when I was 10 for me to do weight watchers with my mom. It's been a gradual thing but mostly within the last few years is when I really got big-big. I'm a stress eater so senior year of high school and my freshman year of college (this past year) really packed a punch. @__@ Going into it with a positive attitude now though - and congratulations on getting from 340 to 210 that in itself is a feat you should be proud of!

happyfeetrebel1

My roomie and I have a Wii in our dorm room so maybe I'll invest in some of those games. Also, I see a lot of people talking about Gillian's 30-day Shred where can I find it? Like, do they sell it at Wal-Mart?

I got mine on Amazon, but both Walmart and Target sell it for around $9

staceyanne1

No, it's cool that's why I made it, for everyone to come together and if anyone else had questions to take from it. lol. I've struggled with my weight all my life - my doctor even signed a permission note when I was 10 for me to do weight watchers with my mom. It's been a gradual thing but mostly within the last few years is when I really got big-big. I'm a stress eater so senior year of high school and my freshman year of college (this past year) really packed a punch. @__@ Going into it with a positive attitude now though - and congratulations on getting from 340 to 210 that in itself is a feat you should be proud of!

Thanks , I don't feel like I accomplished much tho . That's the pity in me coming thro I think lol . I'm an everything eater . I eat when I'm bored , stressed , happy , sad , social . My OH doesn't understand why I eat , and TBH I don't know why I do .
I just eat all the time . :-( even if I eat a full meal , straight after I'll eat .
I think PCOS is something I personally have hidden behind . If people ask me why I'm fat , I say "oh I have PCOS its hard to lose weight blah blah " I use it as a cover for my lazy *kitten* .

Palmonds

I've PCOS too and would urge anyone trying to lose weight to check out the insulin resistance diet. There's a big thread about the book over on the soul cysters website. It's an incredibly easy way of losing weight and keeping it off when you have PCOS. It's practically effortless once you get going and no foods are banned, which really helps!

tennisninja

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 4 yrs ago. I gained about 50 or 60 lbs in 3 yrs. I was prescribed Metformin and it kind of worked but all it really did was make me feel sick to my stomach always to the point where I thought I couldn't hold food in so it was pointless to eat. It made me feel like a zombie. I stopped taking it and instantly felt better but of course gained the little bit of weight I had lost back. After college I started playing tennis consistently. I now play about 5 or 6 times a week for an hour and a half or two hours at a time. Even with that huge amount of exercise I still couldn't drop the weight. I went to a dietitian and he prescribed me Phentermine. Yes I realize it's bad and has unsafe side effects but what doesn't?? In the first month I dropped 15 lbs and the weight loss has slowed down since then but it's still been a consistent loss. I really think it helped kick start my metabolism and it helps curb my appetite (or it's all in my head which is all good to me lol). I went off of it for 3 months or so because of a loss of job and when I went back I expected my weight to have gone back up but I had actually lost a pound! hahaha I didn't really eat that bad or too much before but I decided to start counting calories so that maybe it will speed up my weight loss and I'm doing Zumba on the days I don't play tennis. I know it won't be instant gratification but I've been working hard and I'm really hoping it will pay off as long as I stick with it and don't get frustrated. I've never been a small girl and PCOS runs in my family (grandma, mom and sister) even though none of us knew. If anyone has any suggestions for better or more weight loss PLEASE let me know!

Music4Hym777

Thanks for all the info. I tend to go higher carb with a completely vegan diet

PunkyRachel

I switched to a diabetic diet. I try to eat low/med on the GI(glucose index), I eat more veggies now than I ever have! I struggle with cutting out the carbs, I'm a pastaholic! I take cinnamon pills, mega-red, multivitamin, and a packet of emergen-C daily.

astina2727

I found out I had PCOS when i was 15 i hadn't gotten a period. i was placed on metformin and i hated it still do but i am going to start taking it again I am currently at my highest weight ever and its really time for a change. All my weight is primarily in my tummy i have no hips and i odd shaped haha. I am so glad to see other ppl with PCOS (well not glad you have it but you know what i mean (:) I have never met other ppl with it. I unfortunately have skin discoloration, does anyone else struggle with this? its mainly on my neck and i hate it. Its like that dirty look you know. if anyone else has that is there a medicine out there to help with it..i have never really talked to my doc about that. I am 23 i wanted to have a family early i haven't been able to conceive and I am hoping that can change.

amberlongsine

Low glycemic index diet!!!! And if your body requires it, go gluten free too!

mihacadu

I got diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16. I have had one natural period in my life (I'm 22). I find weight loss IMPOSSIBLE!!!!! The only time I lost weight was when I practically lived on broccoli. I'm hoping maybe even cutting back on white carbs may help lose a few pounds. I'm also doing some jogging at least 3 times a week- it physically pains me to do so but such is life!!