Any PCOS sufferers that have lost weight without meds

I was diagnosed with PCOS a few years ago. I have only been on here for a little over a month so I am by no means a success story but I've lost 14 pounds so far. Metformin made me sick as well. I think every person is different obviously but I have really tried to cut down how much sugar I intake and I think that helps. Lots of chicken and veggies! Good luck! Feel free to add me if you need some encouragement

I have lost 40lb since Jan 13 with nothing but logging cals and walking to work 3x week (30 mins mod pace).

I eat between 1200 - 2000 cals a day.

I went from 228lb to 187lb and im 5'3. Want to get to 126lb so have a long way to go but I hope it helps

Would be more but I love my food

I had originally lost 40kg with no medication (put some back on when I started eating bad again) It's doable.

I am fighting this now, my OB said, losing weight will help me a lot, I am looking forward to seeing the result...

Sbatz, tnx for sharing that. I am also trying to lose without any meds. I am diabetic I guess, since my last fbs was already 10.1. And I am PCOS also, that is the reason why I am also afraid of getting pregnant because of my condition. But now, I am more confident that I can certainly do this. I am watching closely on my cal count, protein and sugar intake. Glad to say, I have not exceeded so far for my daily required sugar. I will be checking our my sugar and visit my OB again for the next two weeks and see how my diet really affected everything.

Wish me luck guys

I haven't had any luck without Metformin. It makes me feel sick as well, but when I stopped taking it, it didn't matter how diligent I was about tracking calories and cutting sugar/fat; the scale did not budge one bit for me, and I started gaining towards the end of my "no meds" attempt. I'm back on the Meformin, but cut my dose in half. I'm not getting as sick as I used to, so we'll see if it helps. Good luck!
I'm just glad I even had a diagnosis. I was diagnosed a year ago, but struggled to find a doctor who would take me seriously for the entire year before that, leading to a 100 lb weight gain in total. I also had a cystectomy in February, but that didn't seem to help much.

Yes.

I was diagnosed with PCOS and Insulin Resistance about 16 years ago (was TTC, eventually had IVF baby).

I've never taken drugs for it, even though the Endocrinologist wanted to put me on Metformin. Do you know all the side effects from that stuff?? OMG. I do have a Mirena IUD - on my third one, best thing I ever did for my cycles.

Solution is a low carb diet and walking. 75-100g carbs a day, and they are from green vegetables and berries. Cut right back on your grains and starch vegetables. PCOS loves low carb, you will be surprised at the difference. Takes about half a week to adjust to lower carb lifestyle but after that, you'll be fine.

My macros are set to Protein 40% Fat 40% and Carb 20%. If once a week I blow it, then so be it - back on lower carb the next day.

Best wishes.

SkimFlatWhite, I know exactly what you mean about the side effects... I argue with my Dr at EVERY visit including today's about me not taking that crap. May I add you as a friend?

I would have one of your DR's do a Metobolic Resting Rate (MRM) on you. its a breathing test that shows how many calories you burn by breathing and being alive. Then once we had that number we set my calorie intake. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories each week to lose one pound.

I'm off Metformin now. They gave it to me to see if it would help me lose weight and the thinking was that I may have been experiencing insulin resistance, because I'm very apple shaped which is indicative of an insulin insensitivity issue.

My actual MRM is significantly lower then what a "normal" person would see. But I'm one of those people who gained weight on weight watchers even though I could follow it to the letter. The calorie count is just to high for me to lose weight. I now lose about 1-2 pounds a week or so but with all my med issues I'm doing good and have lost 45ish pounds. I at least know what does work now and how to manage it which for me is a real numbers game of calories and excercise. Good luck to you and keep working on it regardless of your issues => you can lose weight. I think out of all the sites I have used and MFP has worked very well for me and lots of support!

From what I've gathered it really depends on your body. I have hypothyroidism and PCOS so it's definitely a double edged sword. Over the past two months I've lost about 5 lbs (and a couple inches... i never kept track) by doing C25K and not really changing my diet too much (I eat very healthy anyways, high protein, lactose intolerant, gluten free and low carb). For me slow and steady is how it goes, but 7lbs in 3 weeks sounds great! And good job to everyone else who has seen success.

Hello, in 2008, I was able to lose 130 lbs while not on my PCOS (Metformin) medication. I started at 285 lbs. I don't recommend this for everyone, but at the time I was considering weight loss surgery, so I felt that I had to do something about my weight or get cut open and I really didn't want that. For the first 5 days, I drank nothing but liquids, I ate liquids (broths, jello, clear low cal juices, crystal lights with an occasional diet coke just so I didn't give up)...I slept A LOT over those days. At the end of the 5 days, I had lost almost 20 lbs. After that I had broken my addiction to food and was able to handle a very strict 1200/day calorie diet. I don't recommend this for anyone who has any medical issues, besides having PCOS, I was physically healthy and 28 years old. I ate 1200 cals a day, and did brisk walks for 30 mins to an hour almost everyday.

After I was down 50 lbs, I moved to the gym. I would do 1 hour of cardio, 1 hour of strength training (alternating areas of the body daily, just to make sure I didn't strain anything). Over 9 months, I lost 100 lbs. The last 30 lbs were the HARDEST to lose. I ended up having to get a tummy tuck because of the large amount of skin that I had left on my stomach which was causing rashes and my insurance paid for it. They removed 5 lbs of skin. I was always under the impression that taking Metformin and exercising was a bad mix, but I think as long as you drink a ton of water and dont overdo it, it should be fine.

Right now, I have only gained 30 lbs back because of brain medication, and I've had the hardest time trying to lose. I'm on Metformin again, and I'm not afraid of exercising while on it.

I'm sharing all of this because this was the biggest thing I've ever accomplished, I was told that I would NEVER be able to lose weight due to my PCOS. It is possible, and I am living proof that women with PCOS can lose weight and change their lives. I just hope that soon I'll take off these wretched 30 extra pounds that my stupid brain meds caused...i do know its possible, I just get discouraged sometimes.

I lost all my weight without any meds, it can be done! Good luck!

I'm on meds.... and they ALL make me sick. but i have a pretty extreme case of PCOS >>>
but ive read of a lot of success stories that say you can do it without meds!!!! I think it can def be done. you just need to keep in mind that you will experience different progress. It might be slower than regular people, but dont get discouraged!!!! losing weight will ultimately HELP your pcos symptoms ... even 0.5lbs off is a step in the right direction :-)

Tips:
Restrict Carbs
Watch Portions
Be mindful of hormonal cravings/eating
Strength training if your friend
Low GI diets are great
Some up's and down's are okay
Slow and steady is the way to go

Good luck!!!