Anone with PCOS???

I was diagnosed around 5 years ago. I have gone through periods where I have packed on as much as 30 lbs in an 8 month time frame and that was while restricting calories and exercising. I am learning more about carbs and the lifestyle that will benefit me. I ha been on bc pills for years except when I had both of my kids and it has helped but with some high blood pressure issues since having my 2nd child last year my gyno doesn't want me on them. So far this sit has helped a ton with me monitoring calorie intake and exercise. I have lost 20lbs since July 25th.

But Bearbo my problem is despite of trying everything, low calories/high calories, exercising for 5days a week for 45 mins i am loosing nothing

now thinking seriously to avoid carbs.but am afraid everything has carbs to some level either bread or some cereals

Going low carb pretty much by default means dropping out (the vast majority of) bread and cereals (especially if you have to go really low), but that's not entirely a bad thing. You can get plenty of carbs (and more micronutrients) from fruits and vegetables. It also pretty much forces you toward whole foods, which (even the higher carb items) will be better at not hugely spiking your blood sugar (and therefore insulin) levels than the heavily processed, more refined stuff.

As for the Glucophage side effects - they can be gnarly for a while, but they generally calm down after a month or two, and you're usually supposed to ramp up to your final dosage over the course of a couple of weeks to help your body adjust. You can't/shouldn't go straight to 2000mg or whatever your dosage is.

Nope, I have decided to go about it naturally. Granted, I knew I had some time before thinking about having children...so it wasn't a super urgent feeling for me to get back on track to have kids immediately. I knew I was thinking more long term and would work to repair the issues naturally within myself. It's something that should be discussed with your doctor for sure, but it has worked really well for me and a few others I have talked to.

Your weight is fine - I am not sure losing 15lbs will help all that much. Are you showing a lot of symptoms besides irregular periods? Thinning hair on your head, excessive body hair, acanthosis nigricans (darkening of the skin in certain areas)? Is your doctor a gynecologist? Primary care? You really should consult a specialist.

I have had PCOS since I was a kid. Periods were always a mess. No one could help me til I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist and she was a godsend. She knew exactly what was wrong with me and didn't just tell me to "lose weight and everything will even out". I was on metformin for a few years - high doses - 2500mg/day. It wreaked havoc on my digestive system for about 6 months. But I learned how to eat the right way for my body. PCOS causes insulin resistance - a sort of precursor to diabetes. Your body doesn't process sugar properly. I found that cutting out refined and "white" carbs (bread, rice, past, potatoes, flour, sugar) I lost a ton of weight and more importantly felt enormously better. More energy, less sluggish - just better. I was about 260 lbs and dropped to 200 without counting any calories - just cutting out carbs. I ate a ton of lean protein and vegetables. Then I hit the wall and started counting calories and working out. I dropped to about 180 and promptly got pregnant with my son. With no fertility drugs, no in vitro - the old fashioned way - the new way of eating and the medicine kicked me back into gear. That was 9 years ago. After the boy was born I was able to get off metformin. I have been fine ever since. I still get checked every year and it's very easy for the weight to creap back on if i start grazing on carbs again. This isn't a fad diet thing - your body doesn't process carbs like everyone else's so cutting them back or out isn't a bad thing. Moderation helps but I personally do best when I am off them completely. Again everyone is different.

If you need help or support I am here and would be happy to help.

Good luck.

most women are not build petite with small frames. Maybe if you very small framed then yeah i could see 123... but for most of us women who fill out your weight is perfect!!!! I would love to be your weight hahaha

I have PCOS and have lost a lil over 180 pounds (started at 380 pounds am now 197 pounds). I find the combination of exercise and diet (moderate carbs) works best for me

I HAD PCOS in April of 2012. Over the last 16 months I lost 101 pounds with a low carb diet. Low carb / high protein is the only diet that will work with PCOS.

Hi, I have PCOS, though my symptoms have greatly improved since I've lost 100 lbs. I also found that a low carb diet was important for me, as I'm also insulin resistant. I tried, but never could tolerate metformin, and though I took birth control pills to regulate my cycles at one point, I don't anymore. So at this point, I'm totally drug free...just keeping everything in check with a proper diet and lots of exercise.

I eat a bit more carbs now, as my insulin sensitivity has greatly improved due to the weight loss and exercise--so now, I eat anywhere from 75-150g carbs/day....whereas when I began dieting, I kept it to 50g or less/day.

I can't recall if you said you're exercising regularly, but I found that to be really really important. I feel like I have to exercise a bit more, or harder, than a woman without PCOS...but that's ok, so long as I'm doing something I enjoy. I lift weights and train with kettlebells, and I walk everywhere. No steady state cardio, as I haven't found it interesting or particularly helpful or important for me.

Jumping in here amongst fellow "soul cysters." (there's a great website soulcysters.com with tons of support and info). I've always been heavy but the whole PCOS thing jumped in about ten years ago. Did Metformin for a while, didn't lose a pound, did birth control pills and spironalactone, but since the excess facial hair growth gets zapped by lasers a few times a year and my testosterone level has been normal for a while, I stopped both meds.

I started doing MFP in January and lost an average of 6 lbs/month which was great, then in June I hit a plateau. I've played with numbers, percentages, the whole bit and even gained five lbs in August. i stayed off the scale for five weeks until yesterday and lost 5.6 lbs in those 5 weeks, putting me less than a pound below my last lowest recorded weight. ( I don't record the gains, no need to punish myself, I know they're there). Two people who run a group here have encouraged me to change the carbs to 120, which I'm finding extremely hard, although I've definitely made a dent in the numbers. I find it hard to do low carb without undereating the daily calories. It's definitely a work in progress, one that needs constant tweaking. Not sure why I suddenly stopped losing in June, it's frustrating because I should have been in Onederland by now, I haven't seen that number in many years.

Friends welcome :flowerforyou:

Your weight is fine - I am not sure losing 15lbs will help all that much. Are you showing a lot of symptoms besides irregular periods? Thinning hair on your head, excessive body hair, acanthosis nigricans (darkening of the skin in certain areas)? Is your doctor a gynecologist? Primary care? You really should consult a specialist.

I have had PCOS since I was a kid. Periods were always a mess. No one could help me til I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist and she was a godsend. She knew exactly what was wrong with me and didn't just tell me to "lose weight and everything will even out". I was on metformin for a few years - high doses - 2500mg/day. It wreaked havoc on my digestive system for about 6 months. But I learned how to eat the right way for my body. PCOS causes insulin resistance - a sort of precursor to diabetes. Your body doesn't process sugar properly. I found that cutting out refined and "white" carbs (bread, rice, past, potatoes, flour, sugar) I lost a ton of weight and more importantly felt enormously better. More energy, less sluggish - just better. I was about 260 lbs and dropped to 200 without counting any calories - just cutting out carbs. I ate a ton of lean protein and vegetables. Then I hit the wall and started counting calories and working out. I dropped to about 180 and promptly got pregnant with my son. With no fertility drugs, no in vitro - the old fashioned way - the new way of eating and the medicine kicked me back into gear. That was 9 years ago. After the boy was born I was able to get off metformin. I have been fine ever since. I still get checked every year and it's very easy for the weight to creap back on if i start grazing on carbs again. This isn't a fad diet thing - your body doesn't process carbs like everyone else's so cutting them back or out isn't a bad thing. Moderation helps but I personally do best when I am off them completely. Again everyone is different.

If you need help or support I am here and would be happy to help.

Good luck.

This!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I was on metformin and had IBS. I just recently started back when I went to an OBGYN (rather than just an endocrinologist). I have consistently been on spironolactone as well.

I am finally getting off of my plateau because I am being more careful with my carbs this time around. When I started the metformin again, I slowly built it up (per the OBGYN, who by the way, also has PCOS). I try to stick to fruit and veggie type carbs, but yes, it is hard.

She also recommended, and I struggle with this, is at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. It pushes the insulin through your body since you've got your blood moving. (Makes since, now doesn't it? I was like, "Oh, yep!")

PCOS is something I have always had and will always have. Many of the symptoms (acne, facial/body hair, absent/irregular periods, infertility) will be reduced/go away with continued medication, diet and exercise.

On the OTHER hand, i know of some who once they were able to conceive, periods, etc. came back just fine. Their bodies must have reset themselves???

Everyone is different.

Keep trying and don't give up.

And for goodness sake, if you want a cookie or need to be lazy, its okay! Just don't do it all the time!

Good luck and you have great support group here on MFP that can share their personal stories.