Weight Loss Help!!!!!//Anyone tried Herbalife//PCOS

I tried it for a little bit and lost weight right away. I'm not sure if it was mostly water weight or not. I found it to be more expensive for me and unrealistic to do shakes two times a day because that's not what I would normally eat. Love the shakes though and they were really filling for me. I would consider doing it again.

I can't speak for Herbalife, but have you considered trying some more drastic change in your diet? Specifically, have you considered checking out the Paleo or Primal diet? They're focused on whole foods and lower in carbs than the usual "everything in moderation diet," but a lot of people who haven't been able to lose weight (myself included) have had good results with it. It might be worth looking into.

In the meantime, for clothes, check out Lane Bryant or Fashion Bug. They are both designed for "larger" clothing sizes (FB does everything from petite on up, LB starts at size 14 and goes up). I've had good experience getting stuff from both places. Aside from that, always remember that most of the designer stuff is generally made for "rails." I know for me, even at my goal weight, I'll likely have issues getting clothes from the usual department stores, due to how I'm built.

I tried it for a little bit and lost weight right away. I'm not sure if it was mostly water weight or not. I found it to be more expensive for me and unrealistic to do shakes two times a day because that's not what I would normally eat. Love the shakes though and they were really filling for me. I would consider doing it again.

I think this is important to consider. I do not think that any diet changes can be effective in the long term if you are not able to make those diet changes into LIFESTYLE changes. Two shakes a day? Can you picture that being your LIFESTYLE for the next 65 years? If not, you will need to find another way to make changes to your weight.

It does not sound like you've seen a reproductive endocrinologist, based on your fertility concerns. I would recommend seeing one before you get too far down the path of "OMG what will come of my life?!" Because there is a lot of hope. I have known quite a few people who had children without issue, even when they were slightly overweight. One even by accident because she didn't realize that Metformin (a common drug for pre-diabetic/PCOS/Type II Diabetes patients to control insulin resistance) would be so impactful on her fertility. Oops... I also know several who have had minor medical help to conceive (Clomid, an oral medication) - one who has a set of twins who are ~6 months old now. Remember, up to 10% of the population suffers from PCOS, many who don't know it until they're trying to conceive, which is a bad time to learn about it.

I would definitely keep up with the hormonal birth control, because the more you stay "balanced" the more likely it is that you will not suffer the various unpleasant consequences of PCOS (male pattern hair growth on your face/body! more cysts around your ovaries! etc.) The earlier you know what is going on with your body, the better off you will be. I have lost 21lbs because in the next 2 years, we will likely try to conceive. It is commonly said that with PCOS, even a 10% reduction in weight can change your fertility - which is probably what you experienced when you became more active. You're younger than I am when I was diagnosed, so have faith that you're going to be able to change your future by acting now! You have lots of time to fix your body and fight it into being under your control, rather than under the control of PCOS.

PCOS typically comes with a lot of other issues or is commonly present with other issues too - Thyroid, Cholesterol, Insulin Resistance, etc. so I would definitely be talking to your primary care doctor about the over all impact of an ENDOCRINE disorder on your life. Please don't think that PCOS only matters between 20-40 when you are trying to have kids, it takes a toll on your entire body. If you aren't treated for your entire life, you aren't being well cared for. Your OB/GYN should be taking care of your ovaries, but you will need to be comfortable with the understanding of all of your other providers - your endocrinologist (reproductive endocrinologist or not) and the doctor who treats you for broncitis or whatever else... they all need to be on board with your diagnosis and watch out for you so you aren't allowed to get worse.

Its pretty important that you consider insulin resistance a given, not a possibility, so take care of your liver - minimize drinking and sugar consumption, because your liver is working overtime to keep you balanced.

I just do the herbalife healthy meal (number 1) - I just do one shake some mornings, couple times a week maybe, I do it with milk and lately have been throwing a half banana in. and, I just bought the power off of ebay, and I just make sure its a fresh date. I just do that when I don't know what to do for breakfast, or in a hurry.

Yea I totally get you. It does get me depressed alot of the time....i've been with my boyfriend for about 4 1/2 years, he's almost 25 and i'm almost 22. I worry about what if I can't give him kids and what will happen to our relationship. I know people always say it's still possible to get pregnant with PCOS and people who lose a massive amount of weight get pregnant quickly but what if i'm one of those women who just CAN'T? It really is a terrible feeling...Congrats on your success so far

Hon, if a man considers leaving you solely because you are physically incapable of having kids, he's got bigger issues, and having kids won't change that (and in fact, may make things worse). If he truely loves you, then he'll understand, and if you both really want kids, you'll consider other options that are available, such as adoption. A relationship is about the two of you, first and foremost.

Also, as others have mentioned, don't worry about it until it comes up. You're at a huge advantage for knowing that you have PCOS before you've tried to conceive. Use the time you have from now until you're ready to start trying to get your own health in order, and cross the fertility bridge when you get there, not before. Worrying about it now will only hinder you (worry causes stress; stress releases cortisol; chronic exposure to cortisol makes it harder to lose weight).

I feel like some shake type thing would just be better for my lifestyle. As far as preparing meals or trying some frozen food, honestly i'm picky and I just know I wouldn't be able to do it. I've never tried any of those stores, I usually end up getting my clothes from Macys which can definatly add up but hey that's what I work for right?

At the risk of sounding offensive, but it sounds to me like you're trying to take the easy way out. You're setting yourself up for failure by saying things like "I just know I won't be able to do it." Instead of saying "I can't do this," say "I can make this one little change" -- then do it! Cut out sodas, for example. Then start making a healthy breakfast a couple of times a week. Then make another small change, then another, and another. Before you know it, you'll have overhauled your eating habits!

You work to get the money you spend at Macy's, because you want the clothes that Macy's has, right? I assume you work hard for that money? Why do you think you should work any less hard for the body that you want (and really, once you find what works for you and is sustainable, it really won't be, or at least seem, like that much work)?

Let's play out the Herbalife thing for a moment. You buy into the Herbalife stuff, hook, line, and sinker. You use it for 2 meals and a snack (or whatever they recommend), and you reach your goal weight. What happens when you get to the weight you want to get to? You'll probably stop drinking the shakes, because, hey, you're at your goal weight! You don't need this "diet stuff" anymore, and you can get back to "real" food!

But, you never made an effort to make meaningful changes to your eating and exercise habits. So you go back to eating the same stuff that got you to your higher weight to begin with. Inevitably, the weight starts creeping back on. Maybe by the time you've realized it, you've also gained a few pounds on top of what you used to be. Now what? Do you go back on the shakes and repeat the process again, only to return, yet again, after getting to your goal weight?

Einstein once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results." And that's exactly what people do when they go on these "diets", only to go off of them and regain what they lost, instead of making meaningful changes that they can stick with for life.

Michael Pollan has a great basic "one-liner" for eating healthy - Eat food, not too much, mostly plants. Let's break that down:

"Eat food." - Real food. Or as Mark Sisson likes to say, "plants and animals." Twinkies are not real food. Soda is not real food. Chicken breast is real food. A salad is real food. Steak is real food. Carrots are real food.

"Not too much." - Eating enough to prompt your body to store the excess as fat is what got you to your weight in the first place. If you don't reign in how much you eat, then you won't get anywhere, or you'll end up back where you started. On the plus side, when you follow step one, step 2 comes a lot easier.

"Mostly plants." - Plants (IE - leafy greens, carrots, squash, strawberries, etc) provide us with dozens of vitamins and minerals that we can't really get from anywhere else. While non-veg*n diets will contain meat as the bulk of one's calories, the bulk of the "bulk" (IE - what makes you feel full) in any wholesome diet will come from plants. You can eat a lot of plants without packing on a lot of calories (for example, an entire pint of strawberries is only about 100 calories).

Even if your life is so crazy that you can't ever cook your meals at home, following guidelines such as the above with go a very long way in making your food choices healthier.

As for your mindset, one thing that might help is to write down all the reasons that make you think you can't do things like make healthier choices when eating out, or why you can't cook at home, or whatever other things that are making you think you can't lose weight without resorting to something like Herbalife. That will give you a tangible list of reasons why, instead of just having a nebulous "I can't do this."

Then, start doing something about those reasons.

You have PCOS? If you aren't already being treated for it, then go see a doctor. Get a referral to a reproductive endo. Get the treatment necessary to keep yourself healthy.

You don't have time to cook at home? I bet you do, or you can carve out the time. Figure out what you are spending your time doing. If you truely don't have time, invest in a crock pot. Let it do the cooking for you, then all you have to do is reheat and eat. Pick up a "5 minute recipes" type of cookbook, or three, and learn how to make quick meals.

You don't know what to cook? Pick up some cookbooks. If either of you like to grill, I highly recommend "Grill This, Not That." It's got fantastic recipes and information on how to grill healthier.

Do you see what I'm doing here? By making a list, you've turned your "I can't do this," into actionable items, which you can then tackle one by one, turning your "I can't" into "I can," and taking steps to make you healthier along the way (without the daunting idea of diving head first into the deep end).

A good friend of mine tried Herbalife and lost about 10 lbs. on it but had to stop because she felt too deprived. You basically have to eat their products for two meals/day and have only one 'normal' food meal... She said that while it works for some people, it is definitely not for everyone. Personally, I never tried it myself.

I also have PCOS and I am also insulin resistant. I started drinking idealshape meal replacement shakes almost 3 weeks ago and have lost 9lbs! this is huge for me because nothing else has worked. I have my calories set at 1350 a day and this seems to work well for me. Shakes taste great and they work! may want to check them out. I have tried so hard in the past without any luck because PCOS makes is sooo hard to lose the weight. I finally have hope that this will actually work!
Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you

I have pcos. Low calorie diets weren't working for me... Just wasn't losing. I cut out all sugar, processed foods and grains and now I'm down over 40 pounds in 5 months. You just have to find what works for you. It does seem like lower carb diets work will for most with pcos.

I sell...well sold HerbaLife products about a year ago. I don't use the products anymore because it is like any other fad diet if you are using it as a weight loss tool. You drop a few lbs in the beginning, sure, but that's mainly water weight. It's pretty unrealistic to think you can continue drinking meal shakes 2x a day for the rest of your life. When it comes down to it, it's all about lifestyle changes that you can continue. Most people that do the shake diet, tend to gain that weight back when they start eating normal meals again because they have not been properly taught how to eat healthy (types of food and portions). Sure maybe replaceing 1 meal a day can be sustained, but 2 meals is really pushing it.

That's the main reason I didn't stick with the product. That and it's pretty expensive. And when you break down the calories, it's rediculous, I've found TONS of other products to use as supplements and replacements. I really like Gold Standard that I get from bodybuilding.com. And for the price..you get WAY more.

I dont have pcos.. i just got a client who does tho.. however i have been doing herbalife since march i guess.. i have lost 30 pounds of fat and put on idk how many pounds of muscle.. which for me is insane bc i have RA its an autoimmune disease and i was always lethargic and tired... yeah you can lose weight by eating healthy meals all the time, but honestly when i first started my journey i didnt have that kind of self control.. i started herbalife to lose about 15 pounds and i ended up falling in love with the products.. all the ones i have taken so far.. its all natural and organic, its like eating clean food. I have decreased my pain and swelling in my joints and have SO MUCH more energy.. its CRAZY.. i wish you I could tell you guys how great this product is and you guys believe me. I have now switch to a clean diet free of gmo's and processed food, flour, or sugar. I am working toward my abs. I wouldnt be here if i hadnt started using herbalife. I will be on it my whole life.. it has done more for my well-being that any medicine i have EVER taken.. why would i ever want to stop. I could possibly keep this momentum on a strictly clean diet without herbalife but the energy i have bc of the teas idk if i could get on my own. i could try but i shudder to think of the cost. I know its not for everyone and like anything it has to become a lifestyle change and not just a diet.. and at this point i get 50% off so its cheaper for me but srsly the marketing plan makes it so anyone can get to that point with a little determination. I'm a little gung ho lol, but i just hate to see ppl bad mouthing it bc its not a diet. with the right wellness coach who knows what they are doing bc there are some who dont.. you can change your life.

It didn't work for me but maybe cause I was on anti-depressants that made me gain a lot of weight I was a 120 and had ballooned up to 152 lbs. I managed to lose 10 pounds so far. A lot of dieting and workingout.

It is really good. But the most important product to drink is the tea not the milk shake the milk shake only fills u but the tea actually speeds up your metabolism specially if u drink it hot. Drink it for breakfast and dinner all the food you will need is lunch u won't even be that hungry..