I have lost 72 pounds so far and been working on it since May 2011. Also have PCOS. It is possible to lose the weight, just a bit frustrating at times.

Greetings!

Losing weight with PCOS is hard, but challenges exist so we can defeat them and prove our strength to ourselves. Right?? RIGHT!

It's taken me just under a year to lose 40 lbs. This is what worked for me:

Eliminate most if not all processed foods (chips, candy, baked goods bought at stores or off the shelf)
Eliminate soda (not a big one for me, I never drank it)
Reduce carbohydrate intake to ~ 100g / day. Get those carbs from fruit, whole grains, and vegetables
Try to reduce the amount of "white" strarches: rice, breads, pasta, etc.

The diet was hard at first. I struggle with eating when I am bored or stressed. I found keeping healthy snacks (fruits and veggies) around helped with that. Also, increase water intake! Slices of lemons and lime help keep water "exciting".

If you find yourself really craving to eat something or you are at a bday party or something, have a small serving and then tell someone "I am trying to watch what I eat and I just ate a piece of ____, can you help me be accountable so I don't eat any more". This takes confidence, but I never once got negative feedback and it worked!

Once you get the eating thing down, then move on to exercise. (took me almost a month to get the eating down and to stop the sugar cravings...which were intense!)

For exercise, if you are carrying a lot of extra weight like me...I found movements that are easy on the joints to be best. That way, you don't hurt yourself and you don't experience muscle fatigue/soreness for days after the work out. Some suggestions are:

walking on treadmill
swimming
stationary bike
jogging on treadmill
rowing machine

I try to do these cardio exercises 3-4x/wk

I also like to get some strength training in. In my opinion, your body is the best tool for weight training. Look up: lunges, squats, and push ups (on knees). I try to do strength training 2-3x/wk

I like to take one day for just stretching and easy gentle yoga moves.
I like to take 1 day a week as a rest day.

Following this plan I lost 40 lbs in a year. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but my periods returned to normal and I feel a lot better about my self and body...plus lots of people have started to notice!

GOOD LUCK! (add me as friend if you'd like)

Sara