PCOS girls

sunmaid1985

to all the PCOSers out there...if you're succeeding at weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, please share with me your tips and tricks that have helped you along the way. thanks!
also, please add me...I'm always looking for new friends to support and have support me

sallyann123

I have been having a very difficult time but for the past few weeks I decided to go completely into healthy mode. I have completely cut out all grains other than quinoa. not even any brown anything! I basically have been eating fruits, veggies and lean protein. no dairy. (for its inflammatory side effects) I try to drink lots of water and eat small amounts often, I also try to keep Glycemic Index numbers in my head while deciding which fruits to eat etc. I went down five lbs within a week but part of my PCOS issues (i think!) is that I fluctuate rapidly. I stopped going on the scale and looking at my face-where it shows the fastest and I am definately going down the right path. before this i thought there was no hope! i cld go for months literally and barely lose a thing. I lost 8 lbs in three months and gave up because i wasnt seeing any progress. I hope to start exercising but im a student and its finals time so not until after...oh i also take 1500 mg ER metformin. which btw didnt do a thing for me until i switched to extended release (ER) and now i feel like my periods may be getting more on track! just a small NSV when i had ONE bight of bread yesterday I felt so sick! my body has gotten to the pt now it knows the difference while before i was eating so much crap my body didnt even feel bad!

sarahz5

I am going to write a drastically different post than I would have written about three months ago.

In the past, what worked for me to lose weight and get in shape was focusing on low glycemic index foods and avoid dairy. I am certain that doing this makes it more likely for PCOSers to lose weight.

HOWEVER. This time around, I really haven't had the motivation to do that, and I've really been focusing on calories in, calories out. And I try to put a lot of calories out so I can take in what I want. So it's not a ton, but for a mom working a sedentary job, I figure burning 2000 calories a week is pretty decent. I run and lift and do random other cardio here and there. I think exercise is fabulous for PCOSers.

I try to hit a good protein total, which means I end up eating fewer carbs than I might otherwise, but I'm definitely looking at upping the protein rather than managing specific carbs.

And it's working. I've lost almost a pound a week since August, though not consistently - I've had long plateaus here and there with sudden drops. That's life.

I guess I may be lucky because other PCOSers do seem to need to go low glycemic index. But it might be worth a try to just get a decent amount of exercise and eat at a nice but sensible deficit. I set my calories at around 80% of my sedentary TDEE and then eat back all my exercise calories. I also have a day once a week or so when I just have whatever I want and forget about tracking. AND if I go over I don't sweat it.

I think for me, being able to do this as "normally" as possible has been important this time around. Plus I really love dairy and white potatoes.

I agree that PCOS makes fluctuations even more extreme than they are for the general population. For that reason, I weigh myself daily and have conditioned myself to just know that if I see my weight go up four pounds, it doesn't mean I've truly *gained* anything. My concern with weekly weighing is that if I hit the wrong day, my weight could look like it's way up even though it's not, and that would be depressing and demotivating, and I wouldn't be able to wait until the next week to find out what is really up. I feel like for me it needs to be either daily or monthly, and I really like the constant feedback of daily. I just generally track a new low weight when it seems I've hit it for real a few days in a week.

Good luck!

tyraskanks_

Also, do any of you guys get discouraged looking at yourself? I tend to bloat a lot. It looks like I gain ten lbs, lose ten lbs, some days I have a double chin and some days my face looks nice and skinny. It's really discouraging.

I've lost about 20 lbs on a lower calorie diet... but I've upped my calories because I'm trying to do it the healthy way. But... that doesn't seem to help as much.

But that's the way I'm going to do it whether I like it or not.

I know eating a lot of fiber has really helped me on bloating.

I don't know what works for me. I really don't. It sucks. I also have my gallbladder out so a lot of fatty foods upset my stomach as does bread. I'm thinking of trying paleo but I don't find that to be very sustainable for me since I love carbs... but I might have to make sacrifices...

hrls83

I just recently lowered my carbs drastically from 150+ down to 30. I dont work outside my home and have not quite gotten in a regular exercise routine so I limit my calories to 1200 a day. it is still a work in progress for me but I already feel better after just 4 days. I just told my husband that even though the # on the scale is the same and my inches the same i actually feel slimmer. It might be all the water ive been drinking lately instead of all the diet soda, or it might be the cut down on carbs.... who knows.

I try to focus on eating mostly whole foods and cut out all fast foods and heavily processed foods too! the drs tried putting me on metformin but I cant take how sick it makes me...

soonpass

I dont have time to write a long post but I wanted to thank ou for posting! Also I will be adding you other ladies that posted since we suffer from the same thing. Besides the last week ( I was out of town and now I am PMSing) I have been maintaing a diet low in processed foods, trying to limit wheat/gluten and up my veggies. Most importantly staying under my cal count is what has truly worked. I work out 6 days a week. 2 of those days for 2 hrs. I've lost a total of 25lbs, 16 of which I lost back in March and a whopping 9 just since beg of November using my decent cal/6 day workout plan. I would love to see your logs, receive your praises and positive critism where applicable!

soonpass

Also, do any of you guys get discouraged looking at yourself? I tend to bloat a lot. It looks like I gain ten lbs, lose ten lbs, some days I have a double chin and some days my face looks nice and skinny. It's really discouraging.

I understand your pain :-( I have 2 babies and that doesn't help the situation. I am getting a tummy tuck though after I lose my weight.... that is the only thing helping me stay positive!

soonpass

I try to focus on eating mostly whole foods and cut out all fast foods and heavily processed foods too! the drs tried putting me on metformin but I cant take how sick it makes me...

Met makes me so sick too :-(. But PCOS symptoms subside with weightloss anyway so we should be fine in the long run

hrls83

Met makes me so sick too :-(. But PCOS symptoms subside with weightloss anyway so we should be fine in the long run

I am not diabetic but I check my sugars a few times a week and they seem to have become more stable and steady since low carbing. I dont want to become a diabetic, it runs in both sides of my family though so I really have to watch out! I am determined to kick PCOS in the *kitten*!!!

tyraskanks_

Met makes me so sick too :-(. But PCOS symptoms subside with weightloss anyway so we should be fine in the long run

I am not diabetic but I check my sugars a few times a week and they seem to have become more stable and steady since low carbing. I dont want to become a diabetic, it runs in both sides of my family though so I really have to watch out! I am determined to kick PCOS in the *kitten*!!!

My goal in life is to not become a diabetic! Ugh. I gained a lot of weight my freshman year of college, too. I went from 180 two years ago (senior in high school) to 242 at my heaviest. It sucks because I didn't eat THAT unhealthy. I think it was all the processed foods at the college.

Kitship

I have PCOS. I have lost about 50 lbs since January just counting calories and going to the gym 2 or 3 times a week. I haven't really been paying much attention to carbs and sugar but I'm going to start since the weight loss has slowed down a LOT.

jstout365

I started this round of weight loss different in that I started with the gym as a way to get back into a shape other than "round" as I would say. Before I would always cut calories, but once I got lax on it, the weight would be back on within a few months. So I'm taking it slow and it seems to be good for me. I am currently in the gym 5-6 days a week and trying to come in at about 1500 cal/day with a 500 cal/day deficit. I tried the 1200 route a few times, but felt like my blood sugars were getting too low so I think 1500+ is best for me. I do some lifting (it is a cardio style lifting class) twice a week, and 3 days of cardio (running and the spinning bike), and then just added a day of yoga. In January I am switching to a 6 day a week lifting program in the hopes of firming up and burning off the last of the stubborn stomach fat while gaining strength and power. I am also paying attention to my macro breakdown and strive for a 20/30/50 - 25/35/40 fat/protein/carb ratio and eating 5 times a day (once every 3 hours or so).

hrls83

My goal in life is to not become a diabetic! Ugh. I gained a lot of weight my freshman year of college, too. I went from 180 two years ago (senior in high school) to 242 at my heaviest. It sucks because I didn't eat THAT unhealthy. I think it was all the processed foods at the college.

me too! Last year I went down from 230 to 165 (not really in a healthy way though I was going through a divorce and pretty much stopped eating) once my life stabled out I gained 30lbs back and now im kinckig myself fot it! all my medical results last summer were PERFECT. ugh.

sallyann123

metformin made me so sick and i was scared to take it on days that i knew i didnt have time to spend in the bathroom or in a situation i couldnt run to one nearby...wen i told my doc about this she immediately said I should try the Extended release (ER) and another perk is i can take all three at once at dinner time and i have not had ANY stomach issues! try it!!

Apix

I have recently discovered I have PCOS and trying to figure out how to deal with it. I have lost 25 lbs in the last year, so slowly it frustrated me to no end. Now that I know a little bit more about PCOS it seems I'm pretty fortunate to have lost this much. I am trying to configure my diet as I have tried everything from low carb to no dairy, meat and veggies only and have seen the same results for most diets. I am going to the Dr. later this month for help, what should I be asking about Metformin? What does it do and has anyone NOT been made sick from it?

tyraskanks_

I think I'm one of the lucky ones that take Metformin and don't get sick.

hrls83

you are pretty much guaranteed to get sick from it, most people I know have. from what they say is after a week or so your suppose to get use to it and not get sick but i give up taking it after a few days. I have been on the regular and the extended release and they both killed me so i decided to go the natural route. lower my carbs, and take cinnamon. so far its working for me when it comes to my blood sugars.

as for infertility and cycles. mine are incredibly normal but im still unable to get preggo.... we just dont have the $$ right now to dig deeper into it to find out more

Celeigh12

I have it. I don't do low carb, but I try to be smart about avoiding most empty carbs (I eat some to keep my sanity, but not a lot!). I'm eating 1700 calories a day and lost about 120 pounds with just walking as exercise. I added Jillian Michaels Body Revolution about 2 months ago. My weight loss has slowed, but I'm so much better off than I was, that I'm trying to take the slow down in stride!

Good luck to you! :flowerforyou:

kfender516

There is a new metformin medication called Glumetza that eliminates most of the stomach issues as well. Saved my life.

kfender516

Apix, Metformin basically makes you need to be near a bathroom at all times.....until Glumetza. Its a new type of Glucophage (metformin) that doesnt have all the horrid side effects. It increased my blood pressure at the start of taking it a bit, and my hands were swelling, but it all got better......I now have a life again bc of it!!! Ask the Dr. about it.

misalillstead

Yup Yup... I have PCOS too and I've lost a total of about 30 lbs this year. I pay attention to calories in/out and my protein intake. I workout usually 5 days a week (cardio/weights). I've not been able to workout much in the last 2 weeks because I've had a terrible cold! It won't go away! I also started taking Metformin, on day 3 now. I notice a slight stomach ache, but no other signs of sickness from it.
Anyone may feel free to add me! Good Luck Everyone!

honu18

I just got diagnosed about two months ago. I had lost a bunch of weight just calorie counting and being active last year, and then all of a sudden, I was craving sugar like a fiend (literally ALL i would eat were sweet foods), yet still counting calories/being active, and I was gaining weight on net 1,200 or so (eating like 1,600 a day--which I was easily maintaining on before). It was so frustrating to gain ALL of that weight back and I was beating myself up because I lacked self control with sugar and I just was so upset because I knew I had created a healthy lifestyle that I could have maintained otherwise.

After months upon months of doctors visits and tests, and no one telling me anything except to 'eat less and exercise more', I got a PCOS diagnosis based on my history of irregular periods throughout my life (and the fact I hadn't had one in 5 months and that was the time I gained all my weight) and my blood sugar levels, which put me almost in the pre-diabetic range, something that didn't make sense to me after I lived the healthiest year of my life.

My doctor put me on metformin and Yaz and told me to follow a lower carb/low glycemic diet. I've been lucky and yes, I felt a little nauseous and sick on both of the medications for the first week or two, but now, I don't feel anything from them. I also went a bit crazy on the low carb madness, trying to eat like 70 g of carbs down from my usual like 200+ (I was never a big meat eater, didn't like to eat high fat foods on a low cal diet from before, and I LOVE fruit and have gummy vitamins in the morning which was like all of my allowance haha). It was a disaster. Not only did I feel sick and low energy (I tried it for a few weeks), I couldn't complete workouts, I was super crazy about restricting food and depressed/mood swingey and so much more. I also binged out on cookie dough once or twice during those times. I know it may not be the best for the sugar levels, but I now gravitate anywhere between 100-150 g of carbs a day, but they are usually paired with a protein or are very high fiber/low to no sugar, etc. I am a sweets fiend and this was super hard for me to adjust to, but I've found ways to make it something I can maintain. I eat protein bars (yes, with artificial sweeteners), have diet hot chocolate, and either a no sugar added pudding or small serving of dark chocolate when I need something sweet (at least once a day for me). There's no way I could do it otherwise. I have one serving of fruit a day. I don't eat bread, pasta, potatoes, sweetened yogurt, bananas, sugary cereal, etc, but I found these really great low carb/high fiber/protein wraps that I use a lot. I think you'll find a ton of PCOSers do really low carb, but I know myself and know that I can't maintain that forever. Find what works for you.

I've continued exercising (6x a week of 40 mins interval cardio) with 3x week of strength/conditioning, and have been eating probably between 1300-1400 and I've lost 7 pounds in about 2 months. It could be the metformin, I don't know, but I haven't been able to lose this kind of substantial amount of weight in months and I haven't weighed this little since March. I can finally fit back into some of my old jeans that I was wearing at this time last year. It feels great.

Best of luck and feel free to friend me!

sallyann123

so what pace to ppl say is normal for PCOSers to lose? how about 1 lb in TWO weeks?!?! seriously!!! i feel like giving up. which happens everytime. my doc who clearly has no bedside manner said i clearly wasnt trying hard enough. 1200cal a day, whole same...wat else?

BBeccaJean

First, realize that the calories projected on the website will be too high for you to lose weight. Women with PCOS have a BMR that can be as much as 600 calories less than "average women". Quality and type of food is also very important for us! Like others have said, using glycemic index or low carb is good. Also, I take Metformin (500 mg 2x a day), which as been a lifesaver. I'm pregnant right now, so I haven't been following anything very well, but I need to get back on it! I hope this helps!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18678372

Suewags

I have PCOS and have always struggled with weight. At my highest I was 265 and would always look like I was seven months pregnant. I would go for years without a period. I had to take fertility medicine to get pregnant (and on top of that I developed blood clots while pregnant). Diabetes runs in the family and I had gestational diabetes with both kids. Right now I'm bordering on diabetes if I don't eat right. So I'm really working on trying to stop this PCOS!

I have found that I need to completely stay away from refined carbs, especially wheat products. I just feel very bloated and it adds the pounds on like crazy. I can do whole-wheat items but I keep those restricted to one or two servings a day. I try to stay at 1400 calories, most of which is protein and vegetables. I do add fruits in but try to stay away from those that have lots of sugar and low fiber. I've also noticed that I have to do interval training or some sort of heavy sweat-inducing exercise to lose the weight. Walking the treadmill for an hour doesn't do it, but walking several minutes then running a minute for 30-40 minutes does it.

I have ALWAYS yo-yoed in weight! During Thanksgiving week I gained 5 pounds and then the next week I lost 4.5 pounds and now this week have lost another 4 pounds. So it goes on super easily (which is so very discouraging!), but if I work at it it can come off quickly at times too. I always thought the swings in weight were just me, but it looks like it might be a symptom of PCOS.

Yanicka1

I want to offer another perspective. I am 4'11", lift heavy 4 times a week. I never eat lower than 1500 calories a day, often higher. I do not do low carbs because for me it is not sustainable and make life not worth living lol. I try to eat between 75 - 100 g of protein a day. My weight loss is not dramatic.....it is quite slow but since it is sustainable and I have been doing this for 2 years. It is true that with PCOS we may have a lower metabolism but the last thing you need to do is eat even lower amount of calories !!!!! Metabolism is a precious thing, adding muscle mass really help.

bonita071

bump

Celeigh12

First, realize that the calories projected on the website will be too high for you to lose weight. Women with PCOS have a BMR that can be as much as 600 calories less than "average women". Quality and type of food is also very important for us! Like others have said, using glycemic index or low carb is good. Also, I take Metformin (500 mg 2x a day), which as been a lifesaver. I'm pregnant right now, so I haven't been following anything very well, but I need to get back on it! I hope this helps!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18678372

This isn't universally true. I had my RMR tested a few weeks ago and it was 1810. So MFPs calorie recommendation tends to be too low for me.

abates14830

I have PCOS and I've lost 65 pounds since May. I just stay under my calories and fit in walking or some kind of exercise when I can. I don't pay attention to the other numbers but I try to keep the sodium intake low. I'm also on metformin, that may be helping some. I was on it for a while before joining as well.

sarahbrown1015

I am struggling to find the right balance of carbs/protein for me. I work out hard and regularly, but I find that every few weeks when the scale stops moving, my emotions take over, and I start indulging in sugary, fatty, processed foods which ultimately, makes me feel worse. I'm trying to pull myself out of a cycle right now because I know persevering is the only answer. It is how I have been able to lose 50lb's. But that has taken me 2 1/2 years and I still have about 80 lbs to lose. I just started Metformin and I can't tell if it's helping because the last couple of weeks have been a free for all. Does anyone do anything to deal with the emotional side of PCOS? Pregnancy is not my goal, so it seems a little whiny to ask that, but sometimes it makes me feel crazy!

senami632

I've been doing the cambridge diet (you can do an internet search on it if you haven't heard about it before) for three months now and I've lost 42 pounds. I started off with the low calorie step and then, I've gradually moved to a higher calorie step so I don't put the weight back on. I also exercise (running or skipping) 6 days a week. Nothing else has worked for me so I'm so happy to have found this. It can be quite frustrating working so hard to lose weight and not seeing any results. But as soon as you find what suits you, go for it! Good luck, hun xx