Anyone have pcos and have lost a great amount of weight?

Depends on how you quantify great. I have PCOS. 52# in the last year (40 since September).

I try to keep my carbs around 100 and make up the rest in protein and fat. For cardio, i do the elliptical and I lift weights or do bodyweight exercises when I can't make it to the gym. I do not go every day.

Medicine wise, i'm on birth control and Metformin XR.

I originally went by MFP which gave me the standard 1200. In January I plateaued, I recalculated, ate at maintenance (1800-1900) and then lowered down to 1550 plus some exercise calories.

It's working for me. Its a lot slower than 1200 was but I want sustainability and to keep what muscle I have.

ETA a group link you might be interested in
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3070-p-c-o-sis

I was just diagnosed with pcos and prediabetic so also curious....

yes its possible to lose alot weight with PCOS!
Metformin helped me alot too!

I lost 40 lbs from March to August of last year. Then I went through a bout of Depression and gained some back. I'm currently back at 26 lbs lost. I lost 16.5 lbs last month. I eat the calories MFP tells me to, but I use a Polar FT4F heart rate monitor to accurately calculate my calories burned. MFP usually over estimates calories burned significantly, so I highly suggest you look on Amazon and get a HRM. I paid around $65 for mine. (Make sure the one you get comes with a chest strap and isn't just a watch.) I took 50mg of met a day for three months, but all it did was make me sick. I don't have issues getting my period, I just have issues with it being irregular, so I don't feel like I NEED the met. I take a prenatal multi-vitamin each day, but that's it. As for working out, I do strength training/weight lifting, Just Dance 3 Sweat Mode on my Wii, and the elliptical. I also work in retail, so I'm on my feet for several hours a few days a week. Hope this helps! :-)

I have PCOS and have just started my journey (here on MFP, I've started numerous weight loss journeys in my time!). I'm pleased to see that losing weight with PCOS can be done! I'm not on any medication, just plain old diet and exercise. I'm determined that this time the weight is coming off and staying off!

Thanks everyone for the inspiration! x

I've lost 70lbs in the past year with PCOS... without medication! I've gone from a size 22/24 to a size 12/14. Starting at 252lbs and down to 182lbs. PCOS is NOT an excuse! I average around 1600 cals/day and exercise 2-3 times per week. My carbs are set at 40% on MFP... protein 30% and fat 30%. I'll be doing before and after pictures on my MFP blog for my 1 year MFP anniversary on May 1st!

Those of us on Metformin are taking it because we have to. Without it, we would gain more weight and very likely end up diabetic. "Without medication!" makes it sound like we're taking diet pills. Metformin is not a diet pill. It helps our bodies process insulin and glucose and is necessary even while eating low-carb/low-sugar foods. Even with the medication and diet, it is still very easy to gain weight or get stuck at a certain weight. That's why so many women with PCOS get frustrated.

I recommend anyone with PCOS have their hormones and insulin checked. Saying, "PCOS is NOT an excuse!" can make women with PCOS feel like they should be losing as much as everyone else, when it's very likely they can't. With insulin resistance, it is not uncommon to lose very, very slowly, sometimes a half-pound per week, even if you are over 300 pounds. It's frustrating when other 300-pound women lose 2-3 pounds per week and you go several weeks without dropping a pound, even if you're on medication and doing everything "right".

You may not have insulin resistance - not everyone with PCOS does - and I'm very happy you've lost so much. But please don't make other women with PCOS feel bad for having a very legitimate, very real "excuse" for not losing as quickly as others. If anything, they need more education about what PCOS is, what it does, and what they need to ask their doctors. As I stated above, some doctors treat PCOS as one issue (throw birth control pills at them) when it's actually comprised of many issues, and this can lead to years of misery. In my case, BCP made me gain even MORE weight, since it exacerbates the insulin resistance. Everyone with PCOS should demand bloodwork instead of just hearing, "Oh, you're heavy and have acne and miss your periods? Here are some birth control pills. Try to lose some weight. Bye!"

I hv diagnosed with PCOs almost one month.i had gained alot of weight from last one yr.drs hv said me to lose almost 17 kg.from last 14 days i m following MFP and doing cardio daily for 30 mins.and lost 3 kg in these 14 days.hoping for the best..i hv also heard that taking apple cider vinegar 3 times a day also help in reducing weight with PCOs

I have lost almost 50 pounds. I take metformin and bcp. I follow a high protein--low carb diet. My carbs are mostly limited to brown rice, whole grains and fruit. I eat very little processed food. I do resistance training four days a week and cardio 6 days a week.

It is possible to lose weight with PCOS but it can be a slow process and there will be times where you do everything right and the scale doesn't move. You just have to know that the changes you're making will benefit your health.

I've gone from being insulin resistant--pre-diabetic to having fantastic labs this year.

If you want more information, I found Jillian Michael's Master Your Metabolism book very informative. I do not follow her diet per se but that book really does a good job of identifying and explaining how chemicals commonly found in food affect our endocrine system.

Say 100! So what if some of that was a baby!

"Those of us on Metformin are taking it because we have to. Without it, we would gain more weight and very likely end up diabetic."

First of all, congrats on your progress! You should be proud!

Second... If your insulin-resistance is enough that it "requires" Metformin, then you, my friend are not pre-diabetic... you ARE a diabetic with PCOS. And, you should probably be seeing an Endocrinologist.

I fully understand the insulin resistance that goes along with PCOS. My fasting glucose just a couple weeks ago was 103. I have never used PCOS as an excuse, nor will I ever. I'm proud to say I've lost my 70lbs without ANY type of medication, not just Metformin. I've lost weight because I've worked my butt off and paid attention to everything I put in my mouth.

I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree. I think it's quite trashy to argue on a forum that's supposed to be used for support. I'm just calling it like I see it... an excuse.

I have it too and I'm down 72 lbs since July 2012. I'm hoping to hit 100 lbs by July. I'm not on any medication for PCOS. I workout 6 days a week (3 days strength and 3 days running). I eat very low carb and follow the Atkins diet and stay at 1200 calories a day.

Thank you for this thread!

I am still trying to lose, but have really struggled for two years with weight coming on and off and then on again. I'm about half way to my goal, but frankly my goal is on the generous side. After some other health problems, my OB/GYN is now suspecting I have PCOS and has referred me to an endocrinologist. I will be seeing the endo in the next couple weeks. I really didn't know much about PCOS but have been doing a lot of research the last few weeks and it was getting a little depressing in the weight management category.... I'm glad to see many of you succeeding!

I've lost 70lbs in the past year with PCOS... without medication! I've gone from a size 22/24 to a size 12/14. Starting at 252lbs and down to 182lbs. PCOS is NOT an excuse! I average around 1600 cals/day and exercise 2-3 times per week. My carbs are set at 40% on MFP... protein 30% and fat 30%. I'll be doing before and after pictures on my MFP blog for my 1 year MFP anniversary on May 1st!

Those of us on Metformin are taking it because we have to. Without it, we would gain more weight and very likely end up diabetic. "Without medication!" makes it sound like we're taking diet pills. Metformin is not a diet pill. It helps our bodies process insulin and glucose and is necessary even while eating low-carb/low-sugar foods. Even with the medication and diet, it is still very easy to gain weight or get stuck at a certain weight. That's why so many women with PCOS get frustrated.

I recommend anyone with PCOS have their hormones and insulin checked. Saying, "PCOS is NOT an excuse!" can make women with PCOS feel like they should be losing as much as everyone else, when it's very likely they can't. With insulin resistance, it is not uncommon to lose very, very slowly, sometimes a half-pound per week, even if you are over 300 pounds. It's frustrating when other 300-pound women lose 2-3 pounds per week and you go several weeks without dropping a pound, even if you're on medication and doing everything "right".

You may not have insulin resistance - not everyone with PCOS does - and I'm very happy you've lost so much. But please don't make other women with PCOS feel bad for having a very legitimate, very real "excuse" for not losing as quickly as others. If anything, they need more education about what PCOS is, what it does, and what they need to ask their doctors. As I stated above, some doctors treat PCOS as one issue (throw birth control pills at them) when it's actually comprised of many issues, and this can lead to years of misery. In my case, BCP made me gain even MORE weight, since it exacerbates the insulin resistance. Everyone with PCOS should demand bloodwork instead of just hearing, "Oh, you're heavy and have acne and miss your periods? Here are some birth control pills. Try to lose some weight. Bye!"

I second that!!

I have lost nearly 51kgs (112lbs) , and being on Metformin really helped me

It took me 7months to lose my 40 pounds that to me is a slow loss =(

40lb is awesome, no matter how long it took, it's not a race! You should still be proud!