PCOS STORY
bohrsy88
Posts: 56 Member
Hey all.. so I am writing an article about my weight loss journey with PCOS and hope to get it published in a womens mag down the line when I get to goal.. I am not far off and already feel so much better so I have written a draft copy. So far I have lost 35lbs and my aim is to lose another 14. I hope that my story brings a little bit of hope to those starting out.. much love xx
‘The consequences of PCOS and extra weight are an increased risk for infertility, type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and even cancer, but having PCOS makes it twice as hard to lose weight’. A version of this statement exists in most literature about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Now when I read this for the first time it scared the hell out of me. In one sentence not only are you being told that you are at a higher risk of contracting life threatening illnesses but also that there’s not much you can do about it. Well I am here to tell all those women with PCOS (approximately % of the population) that losing weight IS possible, and it isn’t rocket science.
When I was diagnosed at the age of 20 I felt a mixture of emotions. I was relieved that I finally had a name for all these symptoms and feelings I had but I was also terrified of the associated health risks that it brought with it. For years doctors had told me "oh its in your head", "your depressed", “it’s just PMS’. A diagnosis proved that I was not crazy and that was brilliant. But as I began to read articles on the syndrome I instantly felt defeated before I had even begun. Of course it is important that we know the facts around the condition but whether it be the specialists I visited or the books I read I came away with a pretty negative message- losing weight, having a baby and feeling normal is going to be extremely difficult. One specialist even told me that the only way I would lose weight would be to ‘not eat very much’. A million thoughts were swirling in my head as I read about insulin resistance and hormone irregularities. It’s difficult for anyone to lose weight but it will always be harder for me. And the stakes are so high. And the older I get, the harder it will become. I was overwhelmed, but I knew I had to give it my best shot.
I had already tried every diet and fitness program under the sun- Weight Watchers, Diet Chef, Atkins, Slim Fast calorie counting and a personal trainer. I lost weight but not enough and I soon gained it back plus a few extra pounds. Once diagnosed I tried the low GI diet that is recommended for those with PCOS. Again, I lost some weight but before I knew it, it was back on. I felt like a failure and the list of health risks loomed over me like a dark cloud. It was too painful to deal with so I began to ignore the problem and convinced myself I was happy as I was. I ate what I wanted and told myself life was too short, why not enjoy it. I ended up at my heaviest yet. My mum had not seen me in a while and when we met up she told me that I really needed to lose some weight. I knew it was true and burst in to tears in the middle of a café. I had been running away from the issue but I knew that I wasn’t happy. I had to make a change and I did it with three easy steps.
Step one- I decided to think of PCOS as my friend and not my enemy. It would help me keep on track and encourage me to eat healthier than all my naturally skinny friends. Whenever I felt like junk food PCOS would remind me how important it was that I got to a healthy weight. We would work together and not against each other. It was no longer my excuse for being overweight, it was my reason for losing it.
Step two- I knocked ‘diets’ on the head. Complicated short term plans were not working and only stressing me out further- the key was to make this a lifestyle. It makes sense that anything processed is probably not easy for anyone’s body to metabolise, let alone someone with PCOS, so anything from a packet was out. I stocked up on vegetables, grains and protein and kept an eye on portions by using My Fitness Pal. I also introduced jogging in to my routine and made sure I raised my heart rate for at least half an hour most days.
Step three- I was consistent. You will only to get to where you want to be if you stick at it. Yes, there will be weeks when you plateau and it’s tough to keep focused. There will be times when you slip and you want to pack it in. The key is to get right back on the horse and carry on. I would sometimes gain half a stone after a holiday or tough couple of weeks at work, but I had to remember I was in this for the long haul and to have patience with myself. If it was easy we would all be slim. It’s not easy. The fact is it takes discipline, sacrifice and a lot of ups and downs.
There really is no secret to losing weight, you just need to work hard at it. It’s like a marriage- you can’t cheat on it and expect it to work. By eating healthy, natural foods, monitoring portions and getting active you will see the number on the scales go down. It might take more determination and time for some of us but that will make the end result even sweeter, trust me! To all women with this syndrome who are struggling with their weight I want to tell them that if I can do it then so can they.
‘The consequences of PCOS and extra weight are an increased risk for infertility, type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and even cancer, but having PCOS makes it twice as hard to lose weight’. A version of this statement exists in most literature about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Now when I read this for the first time it scared the hell out of me. In one sentence not only are you being told that you are at a higher risk of contracting life threatening illnesses but also that there’s not much you can do about it. Well I am here to tell all those women with PCOS (approximately % of the population) that losing weight IS possible, and it isn’t rocket science.
When I was diagnosed at the age of 20 I felt a mixture of emotions. I was relieved that I finally had a name for all these symptoms and feelings I had but I was also terrified of the associated health risks that it brought with it. For years doctors had told me "oh its in your head", "your depressed", “it’s just PMS’. A diagnosis proved that I was not crazy and that was brilliant. But as I began to read articles on the syndrome I instantly felt defeated before I had even begun. Of course it is important that we know the facts around the condition but whether it be the specialists I visited or the books I read I came away with a pretty negative message- losing weight, having a baby and feeling normal is going to be extremely difficult. One specialist even told me that the only way I would lose weight would be to ‘not eat very much’. A million thoughts were swirling in my head as I read about insulin resistance and hormone irregularities. It’s difficult for anyone to lose weight but it will always be harder for me. And the stakes are so high. And the older I get, the harder it will become. I was overwhelmed, but I knew I had to give it my best shot.
I had already tried every diet and fitness program under the sun- Weight Watchers, Diet Chef, Atkins, Slim Fast calorie counting and a personal trainer. I lost weight but not enough and I soon gained it back plus a few extra pounds. Once diagnosed I tried the low GI diet that is recommended for those with PCOS. Again, I lost some weight but before I knew it, it was back on. I felt like a failure and the list of health risks loomed over me like a dark cloud. It was too painful to deal with so I began to ignore the problem and convinced myself I was happy as I was. I ate what I wanted and told myself life was too short, why not enjoy it. I ended up at my heaviest yet. My mum had not seen me in a while and when we met up she told me that I really needed to lose some weight. I knew it was true and burst in to tears in the middle of a café. I had been running away from the issue but I knew that I wasn’t happy. I had to make a change and I did it with three easy steps.
Step one- I decided to think of PCOS as my friend and not my enemy. It would help me keep on track and encourage me to eat healthier than all my naturally skinny friends. Whenever I felt like junk food PCOS would remind me how important it was that I got to a healthy weight. We would work together and not against each other. It was no longer my excuse for being overweight, it was my reason for losing it.
Step two- I knocked ‘diets’ on the head. Complicated short term plans were not working and only stressing me out further- the key was to make this a lifestyle. It makes sense that anything processed is probably not easy for anyone’s body to metabolise, let alone someone with PCOS, so anything from a packet was out. I stocked up on vegetables, grains and protein and kept an eye on portions by using My Fitness Pal. I also introduced jogging in to my routine and made sure I raised my heart rate for at least half an hour most days.
Step three- I was consistent. You will only to get to where you want to be if you stick at it. Yes, there will be weeks when you plateau and it’s tough to keep focused. There will be times when you slip and you want to pack it in. The key is to get right back on the horse and carry on. I would sometimes gain half a stone after a holiday or tough couple of weeks at work, but I had to remember I was in this for the long haul and to have patience with myself. If it was easy we would all be slim. It’s not easy. The fact is it takes discipline, sacrifice and a lot of ups and downs.
There really is no secret to losing weight, you just need to work hard at it. It’s like a marriage- you can’t cheat on it and expect it to work. By eating healthy, natural foods, monitoring portions and getting active you will see the number on the scales go down. It might take more determination and time for some of us but that will make the end result even sweeter, trust me! To all women with this syndrome who are struggling with their weight I want to tell them that if I can do it then so can they.
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Replies
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brilliant!! Thanks for sharing!0
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Your journey is an amazing one... I struggle with PCOS as well... and it is something we can live with while making healthy lifestyle adjustments using MFP to our advantage. Thank you for sharing your struggles and successes.0
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This is amazing. I also have PCOS but yet no doctor has been able to do anything for me. They have given me no information on it. Just told me I had it. The most recent visit told me that that is why I am having trouble losing weight, but once again, still no explanation or discussion on where to go from here. Your article was eye-opening for me and gave me a lot of encouragement. Thanks so much for sharing and good luck on getting it published! It will help a lot of women!
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Well written.
I also have PCOS and have struggled with my weight for many many many years. It's only just now that I'm finally doing something about it.
Like you said yes it's hard but is also do-able. I just have to have faith in myself and possibly a few friends who do as well. It's not going to be an easy path but the good gastro out weigh the bad big time.0 -
thanks for sharing0
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Fellow pcos'er here! Thank you for the advice! I have never once thought about making PCOS my friend, but you're right! I will use it as my tool to get to my goal!
Also any fellow pcos'er want to be friends please add me, We can get to our goals together! 0 -
This was a lovely read. I have PCOS too and a lot of what you said is also true for me. I've lost over 50lbs now and most of my symptoms have really improved a lot.
The only part i would perhaps disagree with slightly is the "cheating" thing. I eat as well and as healthy/clean as I can all through the week and on the weekend my partner and i often have what some people would describe as a "cheat" meal. This hasn't done my condition or my weight loss any harm whatsoever. I do understand though that it's different for everyone.
Well done on your weight loss and good luck with the rest of it. I know exactly how hard and how frustrating it is trying to lose weight with PCOS. I fully believe you will meet your goals and even exceed them.
Jx0 -
thanks for all the nice comments guys...JOANNIE- Sorry if it came across that i didnt believe in any cheating..we are all human. I just meant cheating as in always being bad with food and hoping you lose weight. As I said nearer the end, we all slip up and have bad days with food.. and it doesnt harm us as long as we get back on the horse! I think we need that to keep sain!
Lots of luck to you all and well done to those of you that have lost weight so far..
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Also I founded a PCOS group if any of you want to join please feel free xx
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/8877-pcos-ladies0 -
thanks for all the nice comments guys...JOANNIE- Sorry if it came across that i didnt believe in any cheating..we are all human. I just meant cheating as in always being bad with food and hoping you lose weight. As I said nearer the end, we all slip up and have bad days with food.. and it doesnt harm us as long as we get back on the horse! I think we need that to keep sain!
Lots of luck to you all and well done to those of you that have lost weight so far..
:drinker:
(water of course! lol)0 -
water?0
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It was too painful to deal with so I began to ignore the problem and convinced myself I was happy as I was. I ate what I wanted and told myself life was too short, why not enjoy it.
I also have PCOS and the sentence I quoted was really how I felt after a while. I feel better to know that others have felt the same way and have gotten past that feeling. It gives me hope that I can also.0 -
ewestca I am happy it helped and it really can be overcome! Just take each day at a time and the end goal will become possible. 0
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