PCOS with progress

teaspoon43

I'm 28 and started using MFP regularly in January. I have since lost 18 pounds (woot woot) but my PCOS is constantly a thorn in my side.

A little back ground is that I've had it for quite some time but for the past 7 or 8 years I've had only 1 period per year if I was lucky. Now that I'm losing weight, I'm by no means normal but I'm bleeding a lot now and have severe cramps. Has anyone else experienced this during their journey? I keep reading that if you lose a certain percentage of weight that it gets your hormones functioning better so I was expecting some change but this is crazy!

omma_to_3

Weight loss has never helped my PCOS symptoms. The only thing that did? Getting older. Once I hit 35, my body started functioning much more normally. For many people though, weight loss does help. I also take Metformin, which enables me to lose weight (if I do the work, not on it's own of course). I've been taking that for YEARS. Probably more than 12 years.

bcattoes

Check out the groups section. I'm sure there are some PCOS groups that might help.

annagoodner

Birth control helped regulate me and deal with some of the other symptoms, like excess hair. Losing weight takes more effort, but it can definitely still happen- which obviously you're doing! I took Metformin for a little bit a few years back, but it totally messed up my stomach so I stopped. I do think that the more I work out and the more I'm eating healthy, the better my body functions, including everything with PCOS.

ajlandon

I was diagnosed in grade school, and am now in my late 20s. I've managed to lose 35 lb (25 lb since joining MFP in September). It is definitely slow, and I tend to alternate between losing weight and size (so I might drop a bunch of weight, then not lose for a month but still see my waistline go down).

I didn't get the heavy/painful periods under control until I went on Yasmin (I'm about the only person I know offline who can tolerate that one, though - haha). I didn't get the insulin resistance under control until I lost weight and started combining cardio and weight lifting (before I only did cardio, YMMV, obviously). From what I could gather at doctor appointments over the years, the exercise helps get the metabolic problems under control, which makes it easier to lose weight because your BMR isn't so far below the average woman's anymore. I don't eat low carb, but I do watch sugar (and general high glycemic index/load food) intake.

I also had to stop Metformin because the side effects were horrible (OTOH, I know people who tolerate it just fine).

So, yeah, it was slow for me, too, and still is, but it can get better.

teaspoon43

Thanks everyone... totally thought I posted this in a different area then this one LOL but thanks for the responses and reading hahaha - good luck to you all!