PCOS success stories with 100lbs to lose?

chunkyhoney78 · December 2013

Hi I'm Kat I'm looking for those of you that have PCOS and successfully lost a great deal of weight with it. How did you do it? what's your best tips and advise? I need to lose at least 100lbs my eating sucks right now kind of all over the place. My doctor has told me to do low carb but when I do I go nuts and end up binge eating and its hard for me to get back on track. I do track everything even if its a bad day.

peabean26 · December 2013

Hi, I also have PCOS and have started to try and lose. One thing that is important for me is NO DIET SODA! I used to drink at least one diet soda a day, and I now realize it makes me so incredibly hungry. After drinking one I binge on sweets/carbs. I'm not sure if this is related to the PCOS, but I do know that I've talked about it with my 2 workout buddies and they don't have the same reaction to diet soda.

Sky212 · December 2013

I have PCOS and I lost 70 lbs a few years ago with Body for Life. It's weight training with some cardio. You chose your own food, but watch portion size and combine carbs and protein in every meal & snack. I was never hungry. In fact there were times I thought I was eating too much food.

I kept the weight off until I married a vegetarian and my carb consumption increased. I gained a chunk of the weight back, so here I am.

I also quit the Diet soda. My skin has never looked so good.

If you're interested in Body for Life, there are a couple books - one specifically written for women. This is NOT an expensive program where you have weigh-ins, point counts, or have to buy overpriced food. It's just the cost of the book.

chunkyhoney78 · December 2013

Thank you so much for telling me your stories ladies. Yes I would be interested in the info on the body for life. I restarted my healthier eating today woke up refreshed and ready to take this weight loss for real. I have a problem with motivation sometimes but the success stories help me so much. I'm happy to say that I took last week off and ate whatever but to my amazement I didn't gain a lb. woohoo! I do walk a bit but I don't log it because I feel I can do better with working out.

Averysfairytale · December 2013

Hi There

I have PCOS and am insulin resistant. I started really working to lose weight in September. I am 5'7 and at my highest I was 242. Something clicked this year and I realized that this is something that I can really do! I have lost 30lbs so far with at least another 30 and probably 40 to go. I haven't started exercising yet but plan too with the new year. At this point in time I am just eating 1200 calories a day. I have cheat days here and there too

I also cut out all soda's including diet and it helps so much with the bloating and stomach pain. Even one soda now and my stomach swells up and is painful. Lots of water has made a world of difference! I am hoping to get off of my blood pressure medication and have my blood sugar meds lowered soon! I am not a diabetic but take metformin for the PCOS insulin resistance and it is just a miserable medication to take! If you don't mind I will send you a friend request

We all need support from time to time!

alexandriax03 · December 2013

Hi There I have PCOS and am insulin resistant. I started really working to lose weight in September. I am 5'7 and at my highest I was 242. Something clicked this year and I realized that this is something that I can really do! I have lost 30lbs so far with at least another 30 and probably 40 to go. I haven't started exercising yet but plan too with the new year. At this point in time I am just eating 1200 calories a day. I have cheat days here and there too I also cut out all soda's including diet and it helps so much with the bloating and stomach pain. Even one soda now and my stomach swells up and is painful. Lots of water has made a world of difference! I am hoping to get off of my blood pressure medication and have my blood sugar meds lowered soon! I am not a diabetic but take metformin for the PCOS insulin resistance and it is just a miserable medication to take! If you don't mind I will send you a friend request We all need support from time to time!

Avery- I am also on Metformin. I am just curious as to why you say it is a miserable medication to take

chunkyhoney78 · December 2013

I'm not taking metformin yet but if I don't get my sugar levels and PCOS under control that's the next step part of why my doctor wants me to do low carb. I like low carb sometimes but I do like pasta every now and then and I love sandwiches. Today I have not been eating low carb just eating what I have on hand. I welcome all friend request.

kender54 · December 2013

I was diagnosed with PCOS in February just a few weeks after I started my new healthier life style. My OBGYN (who also has PCOS) was a wellspring of info. I am on Metformin (I didn't have any major side effects, so I'm really lucky there) which I believe has really helped me. I have lost over 60 lbs this year.

I too have a hard time limiting my carb intake, so what I do instead of focusing on my carb number is I focus on:
1) focus on increasing my protein and staying under calories (this therefore forces my carbs lower and I don't have to think about cutting carbs, but more, increasing protein). I do not do a "low carb" diet so if that is what you're going for, that won't work so much
2)focus on increasing my vegetables and whole grains, which will then, in conjunction with #1, make more of my carbs complex carbs (better for you when you have insulin resistance)

chunkyhoney78 · December 2013

Thank you so much for all the advise ladies. I'm glad to know how others are dealing with the weight loss with having PCOS.

scabydonkey · December 2013

Both myself and my sister have PCOS and the way I have ond to lose weight was to not eat carbs after lunchtime. You can get your pasta fix then!! Instead of pasta, broccoli!! I lost 50lbs and my sister has lost the same and has actually become pregnant for the first time at 43!! Its not easy but get the carbs in as early in the day as possible.

kenzietate · December 2013

I'm not taking metformin yet but if I don't get my sugar levels and PCOS under control that's the next step part of why my doctor wants me to do low carb. I like low carb sometimes but I do like pasta every now and then and I love sandwiches. Today I have not been eating low carb just eating what I have on hand. I welcome all friend request.

I have PCOS and am insulin resistant. Low carb is really hard but I will say it was the best decision I ever made. I am currently staying under 120 carbs/day because I am pregnant and this was my doctors recommendation. However, before I got pregnant, I was on a LCHF (Low carb/high fat) diet for about 3 months. In that time I lost 10-12 lbs, my acne cleared up, I started ovulating on my own (resulting in the pregnancy lol), my energy levels were amazing, and I had to reduce my metformin. I will say that I am still using the principles that I learned from that to keep from getting gestational diabetes and so far it is working.

I'm not sure how low carb you have done but I have found several things through experimentation. Though I definitely felt better while doing the LCHF (under 20 carbs/day) I found that I could still lose weight if I stayed under 75 carbs per day, but if I went over that I would gain no matter what my calorie level was. I kept my calories, without even trying, around 1600 per day during my time with LCHF. I couldn't eat more than that b/c I was so full.

Also, keeping my carbs mostly from veggies and some berries helped tremendously. If I ate bread it would be whole grain, pasta would be whole grain or whole wheat, oddly enough, sweet potatoes and Yukon gold are the best types of potatoes. So basically controlling where my carbs came from helped a ton!

The other thing I learned is that if I cheated one day from the 20 carbs (potatoes are my personal downfall) if I stayed under 75 I would still continue my weight loss. But if I went over that even one day it would delay me for several days.

iRun_Butterfly · December 2013

I've never been officially diagnosed as PCOS, but have been told by my Dr. and former RN that its highly likely I have it and prior ultra-sounds have shown evidence of cysts. I've struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. For me, the key to my success has been exercise. I have to watch what I eat pretty carefully, but I don't adhere to low carb or a specific "type" of diet. However, regardless of how well I eat, if I don't exercise I don't lose. Took me a while to figure that one out, but since I have I've been successful at losing.

I wish you the best in your journey, find what works best for you and run with it!

delisaswiger · December 2013

I just joined today. I found out I have PCOS after I gained about 100 pounds after having my daughter. I was put on metformin and that did not work. I have been on birth control for about 10 months now and that works. Unfortunately/fourtunately, I started to have stomach problems in February that had lead me to lose 25 pounds with diet alone in 4 months. I have since licked it up a notch. I rejoined the gym on June 30 and have lost another 50 pounds! I had to cut out most dairy, and switched to almond milk. I eat activia every morning for the probiotics. I cut out soda! NO soda!!! I drink water, and sweet tea. I watch high fructose corn syrup, too! That is in almost everything!!!!!!

RxKetogenicRx · December 2013

If you are new to low carb/keto. An easy way to adjust is to up your food volume with greens (I.e. Frozen broccoli) and make it palatable with whatever fat you prefer (olive oil, butter, cheese, etc.). Adding salt helps too.

Metformin is very tolerable, GI side effects (I.e. Diarrhea) is only transient when starting...tolerance develops. If you do opt for Metformin, the XR/ER is a good once daily option for 850mg...generic and cheap as well. Very safe as well being mostly renally eliminated...unless you have kidney disease or a huge spike in creatinine from acute injury (only temporary of course).

Metformin is weight neutral; however, many do have weight loss with Metformin...in part from motivation.

chunkyhoney78 · December 2013

Thank you everyone

the not eating carbs after lunch sounds like a great idea to try for myself thank you for the tip. I have tried the low carb with eating no more than 50 grams of carbs a day and I'm just a big grouch always in a bad mood like that and headaches that never seem to leave. I have cut the sodas for the most part every now and then I want one but its not everyday but working on cutting them out for good.

Alliwan · December 2013

If you are new to low carb/keto. An easy way to adjust is to up your food volume with greens (I.e. Frozen broccoli) and make it palatable with whatever fat you prefer (olive oil, butter, cheese, etc.). Adding salt helps too.

Metformin is very tolerable, GI side effects (I.e. Diarrhea) is only transient when starting...tolerance develops. If you do opt for Metformin, the XR/ER is a good once daily option for 850mg...generic and cheap as well. Very safe as well being mostly renally eliminated...unless you have kidney disease or a huge spike in creatinine from acute injury (only temporary of course).

Metformin is weight neutral; however, many do have weight loss with Metformin...in part from motivation.

metformin helps motivate you to go low carb also. as the side effects of a higher carb meal and/or day is horrible and painful. I agree the ER/XR version is much better than the regular version and its cheap. It helps your cells let the insulin your producing do their job so you actually get the nutrients from your food.

The PCOS group http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3070-p-c-o-sis is really really helpful. there are posts in there, like 'pcos vs normal' which help explain why pcos causes weight gain, why our tdee is lower than others with our same stats, what insulin resistance is and why metformin helps.

It can be done, there is a lady on here, ill try to find her success story when I get home, who lost over 100lbs with pcos. its very inspirational.

chunkyhoney78 · December 2013

Thank you everyone

Sky212 · December 2013

Metformin can cause some people to feel sick or have diarrhea. It don't bother others. I'm also on Metformin for the cysts and it has been effective & I don't have any trouble with it.

MirrorMe33 · December 2013

Hi!
I was diagnosed with PCOS as a young teenager and have been all over the place with weight loss and gain since then. My biggest weakness was always bread and after plenty of discussions with my doctor I started first on a Low-GI diet and then moved to removing most breads and pasta completely because I couldn't stop eating them. I get my grains and cereals from other foods though that's not to say though that I don't occasionally indulge.

It wasn't an easy process. If you're keen to make a change, start slowly! Like others have mentioned restrict your carb intake to earlier in the day. I have found as well not having those things in the house is a big help. Cutting my danger foods out made me question too whether I was actually hungry, bored or having cravings for the wrong things. I've found the more I eat food I shouldn't the more I crave it. I definitely had issues with the headaches and mood swings with cutting these things out but no pain no gain right? It won't happen over night but once you get the good habits down pat it makes the rest a whole lot easier!

I've managed to maintain my weight for at least 12 months now and have decided I'm ready to step it up a notch and try new things to get me closer to my goal.

The biggest thing I can suggest is start small, be patient and appreciate every achievement, even if it is being able to skip the carbs after lunch!

tammigee13 · December 2013

bump

imaginaryplant · December 2013

Hello, I was diagnosed with PCOS in around 2002, however I first began my original weight loss journey in 2008. It took 9 months for me to lose 130 lbs. I was very thin and fit at the end. I did it with changing my diet and exercising. I didn't even exercise for the first 50 lbs that I lost, I just started eating only 1200 calories a day, which is similar to what they'd make you do if you got weight loss surgery, and since I didn't want to have that, I just really needed a drastic change. I stopped eating solid foods for the first 5 days. I drank lots of liquids, broths, sugar free jello, and I slept A LOT. (Sleeping helps when you're suffering through the food withdrawls)...I'm not going to suggest that everyone start off the same way as I did, but it was absolutely necessary for me that I quit my addiction to foods over 5 days. It was extreme, but by the end of the 5 days, I'd lost over 15 lbs! I was almost 300 lbs at that time.

I started off by walking while originally losing during the first 50, but didn't get very serious about it until I'd lost the 50. After I lost the first 50, I started going to the gym for 1-2 hours a day. I'd do cardio for an hour and strength training for an hour, alternating upper and lower body each day. It sounds crazy, but once you drop a certain amount of weight, its A LOT easier to move and you can see yourself doing things you've never thought possible.

I ended up getting to my goal weight, after which, I had to get a tummy tuck to remove 5 lbs of SKIN from my tummy. I got to 20% body fat which for a female is fairly good. I got my personal trainer certification also.

In 2011, my brain meds got switched up and I immediately gained 15 lbs. I freaked out!!! The more I freaked out, the more it caused me to gain more. I have struggled for the past 2 or so years to try to get down from the 35-ish lbs that I've eventually gained from brain meds. Last month I gave it a good go, however, I was under an EXTREME amount of stress and kinda gave up on it for a month. I'm back and counting calories, but not only that, making the calories count by eating healthier.

I'm STILL on Metformin, because they found a rather large mass on my ovary, and my insulin resistance thing is still an issue, but I have no doubt that I will have this sorted out in 2014.

I have known many other people that could not believe how much weight I'd lost while having PCOS, but yes it's MAJORLY possible, you just have to find your inspiration (do it in honor of something!) and work towards that as hard as you can.

When you have more weight to lose, it's SOOOOO much easier to lose it faster!

If you wanna talk in private or anything, just message me. Good luck on your journey!

jsnutri · December 2013

I was diagnosed with PCOS in Feb. 2013. I also suffer from endometriosis. At the time of diagnoses I was a strict Vegan, had been for over a year, and was a vegetarian for two years prior. I eat an all natural, no junk food, organic diet and I was gaining weight like crazy. My weight would fluctuate 10 lbs between morning and night, no that's not an exaggeration, I weighed myself twice daily. The first thing I did was stop eating wheat and then all grains after having read the book Wheat Belly. But I was STARVING all of the time, still being vegan. My weight eventually stopped fluctuating, after a few weeks. My diet evolved after reading The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. The next thing I did was add back in animal products. Grass fed meats, fish, and fats, lots of fats. And that is how I've been eating since and I've lost 50lbs since March 2013. I went from 175lbs to today's weight of 125. The thing I can't stress enough is that every body is different, you have to find what works for your body. Before I went vegan I weighed 130lbs, after Vegetarian/Vegan phase 175lbs and now eating Paleo/Primal 125lbs (holding steady) Also eat real food, nothing processed. No boxed cookies, no soda pop, nothing that says fat free or sugar free, etc... Real whole food the way nature intended grown organically (stay away from GMO's). Make everything from scratch and buy organic produce and grass fed local meats as often as possible. It might sound overwhelming but just do one thing at a time and you'll get there. Oh in this time I also got tested for food allergies and cut those out too. It's hard to lose weight if you are eating inflammatory foods. Again this is what is working for me, hope it helps and good luck with your health journey.

jsnutri · December 2013

O

Pandora_King · December 2013

Hi I had PCOS. I got started on Spironolactone a few years ago and the cysts went away and never came back. Lucky me I guess.

For losing weight the key for me was really just EXERCISE. Every day. If I walked my dogs just 90 minutes a day everyday and ate 1500 calories, I lost weight consistently. But I was lazy and greedy. Now I'm back and hopping on the wagon again.

Pandora_King · December 2013

Metformin can cause some people to feel sick or have diarrhea. It don't bother others. I'm also on Metformin for the cysts and it has been effective & I don't have any trouble with it.

Yes. Metformin was terrible for me. I was in the hospital every time I took it. Allergies, they thought.

chunkyhoney78 · December 2013

Thank you so much to all of you wonderful ladies sharing your journeys and struggles with me. I now feel that I am not alone in this fight and many before me fought and won the battle of the PCOS bulge. I am truly grateful for al of the wisdom that you have shared thank you from the bottom of my heart

khaleesinoodlebelly · December 2013

Hi There I have PCOS and am insulin resistant. I started really working to lose weight in September. I am 5'7 and at my highest I was 242. Something clicked this year and I realized that this is something that I can really do! I have lost 30lbs so far with at least another 30 and probably 40 to go. I haven't started exercising yet but plan too with the new year. At this point in time I am just eating 1200 calories a day. I have cheat days here and there too I also cut out all soda's including diet and it helps so much with the bloating and stomach pain. Even one soda now and my stomach swells up and is painful. Lots of water has made a world of difference! I am hoping to get off of my blood pressure medication and have my blood sugar meds lowered soon! I am not a diabetic but take metformin for the PCOS insulin resistance and it is just a miserable medication to take! If you don't mind I will send you a friend request We all need support from time to time!

Avery- I am also on Metformin. I am just curious as to why you say it is a miserable medication to take

While I do not know why it is miserable for her, for me it gave me terrible stomach cramping and really icky digestive issues. It was not worth it in the end so stopped taking all together.

khaleesinoodlebelly · December 2013

I like your suggestion of the liquid diet to start off with! I think I might try that. If any other suggestions on how you get through that (I am unfortunately already super tired lately) I will take it.

Averysfairytale · January 2014

Hi There I have PCOS and am insulin resistant. I started really working to lose weight in September. I am 5'7 and at my highest I was 242. Something clicked this year and I realized that this is something that I can really do! I have lost 30lbs so far with at least another 30 and probably 40 to go. I haven't started exercising yet but plan too with the new year. At this point in time I am just eating 1200 calories a day. I have cheat days here and there too I also cut out all soda's including diet and it helps so much with the bloating and stomach pain. Even one soda now and my stomach swells up and is painful. Lots of water has made a world of difference! I am hoping to get off of my blood pressure medication and have my blood sugar meds lowered soon! I am not a diabetic but take metformin for the PCOS insulin resistance and it is just a miserable medication to take! If you don't mind I will send you a friend request We all need support from time to time!

Avery- I am also on Metformin. I am just curious as to why you say it is a miserable medication to take

I have horrible stomach issues with this medication and my body never adjusts to it so its like constant Irritable Bowl Syndrome. I am on 2000mg a day

wheatybread · January 2014

Hello Ladies! I too have PCOS...I am not on any meds...I started at 311 pounds when diagnosed with PCOS . I only had my monthly maybe 3-4 times a year. I decided to take control of my life, I went on a LCHF diet..I went from a size 24 down to a size 14! LCHF really works with PCOS...I think I was the last time I wore a 14 was when I was 11..I do slip off the wagon ...especially around the holidays...I have gained about 10 lbs ...I am now back on looking to keep losing...My goal weight is 180...I am currently 214. Is anyone on meds for PCOS? How you found you lost weight easier on the meds? I chose not to go on meds..since weight loss I have a period almost every month...I am still dealing with other issues from my PCOS ,but not nearly as bad as it used to be when I was heavier.

jennipooh0324 · January 2014

I also have PCOS.
Just curious as to what a LCHF diet is? And what types of foods do you (or don't you) eat.
I am down 30 lbs but kind of at a stand still. I eat around 1450-1550 cals a day.

PCOS success stories with 100lbs to lose?

Replies

Categories