PCOS

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firepxy
firepxy Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
I was diagnosed with PCOS back in September. I had been going to the doctor for a year trying to figure out how I went from just a little bit chubby like I've always been (managed to stay the same since high school) Then all of a sudden I gained like 70lbs in less then a year, I didn't change my diet, I didn't change what I did. I was even working a more active job then I currently have.

They did ultrasounds on my throat making sure I didn't have a thyroid problem, took blood etc etc etc. After being poked an prodded on, they determined PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).

I tried everything, I cut calories, cut out anything I enjoyed (biggest vice is pop, not even sweets), I went to the gym, and busted my tail to get somewhere. Nothing.... no change, no nothing, not even a pound.

I went back to the doctor and talked to him about it back in September, I told him that it's discouraging to continue what I'm doing if I don't see one lick of change, and I'm getting married in Sept 2014? I flat out told him, I don't want to be a fat bride, we gotta do something, he decided to put me on Phentermine (Adipex), to see how it would work for me. Since all diet pills have a 95% failure rate.

Luckily for me, it works. I have lost about 40lbs so far. 25 more to go just to get back to my original weight, tho I do want to get down further.

I always took a multivitamin (Woman's One a Day) and a Fish Oil pill (the one time daily). I don't even exercise right now, which I know I should, to get into the habit, but I truly hate it, more then anything. There is nothing about it that is fun to me. I've been trying to find ways of exercising that I enjoy that isn't..... a gym. The gym atmosphere seems to be my issue.


PCOS sucks, there's no cure, they don't know what causes it..... I'll have it for the rest of my life. Everything I"ve read on it keeps telling me about lifestyle change, eat right, exercise blah blah blah.

I'm not exactly a lump on a log, as it is, I out go everyone around me right now, I can walk for hours, doesn't phase me.

and my natural eating habits, are healthy in the first place, I eat either oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast. (not a big morning eater), I eat tuna and i mean just tuna, not even with mayo, and 10 saltines. Then I eat something for dinner, if left to my own devices I'll do something like one of those stupid lean whatevers meals. (I hate cooking) I don't look forward to meals, I'm not counting hours till I get to eat again. I barely even touch sweets, they just are not my thing.

tl;dr PCOS sucks, it's hard to get results without getting some kind of plan together.

Replies

  • lwanbaugh81
    lwanbaugh81 Posts: 70 Member
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    I have had PCOS nearly all my life and it does make it a bit harder to lose some weight. I have worked with a nutririonist before and what helps me the most to drop the weight is a diabetic eating plan. If you are insulin resistant (which most of us are) this really, really helps. Cutting out a lot of the sugar and simple carbs in my diet really makes me feel better and get the weight off quicker. My gyn has told me even a loss of 10% of your body weight can make a lot of the PCOS systems go away. PCOS is like a double edged sword, it leads to weight gain and makes it harder to lose weight. While there is no cure it can be manageable.
    You said you don't exercise but it really will help. When I have been the most successful with weight loss it was due to exercise. It doesn't have to be a lot but if we can get in thirty minutes of cardio five days a week it will make an amazing difference!
    You can do it, it's just a little harder for us! Sometimes I feel like I can be perfect all week long and lose a half a pound while my friends that aren't perfect lose 1-2 pounds a week really easily.
    Feel free to add me if you want a PCOS buddy.
    Lindsey
  • firepxy
    firepxy Posts: 13
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    Oh, I know I need to exercise, I just HATE it lol. I either have to have a gym buddy, which with the people I know, I can't get one.

    I think something like a karate class or something where I'm getting a skill out of it would make me actually do it.... but money of course is always a issue.

    And yeah I'm insulin resistant as well :/ They got me on Metformin ER for that right now.

    But I do know what you are talking about, it's totally discouraging to watch others do barely nothing when I have to bust my tail to get any kind of result.

    The diabetic diets work then? I read about it, asked my doc, and he said I didn't really have to do it that way. He did make me do a food journal for a month so he could get a feel of what I eat etc etc. I'm a picky eater as it is. Definitely don't eat sweets very often, maybe once every 2 weeks or longer. Carbs tho... carbs are my weakness :/ Tho, I've tried my hardest to cut that down at least.
  • kenzietate
    kenzietate Posts: 399 Member
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    I have had PCOS probably all my life but I didn't get diagnosed until 18 after having all kinds of issues. It does make it harder to lose weight!

    I am also insulin resistant and I was exactly like you said. I was extremely active, I ate healthy according to everything I could find, I never drank sodas, I avoided sweets as much as possible and I put on 50 lbs in 6 years. I finally had a good doctor who told me about how carbs need to be limited when insulin resistant to lose weight effectively. I had to do a lot of experimentation but I finally found that for me, if I stay under 75 carbs per day and eat to my hunger, I consistently lost weight though slowly. I lost about 10lbs doing this and the carbs I did eat were low gi carbs.

    After that I started to wonder what plans kept it even lower to see if maybe I would feel better since I was already losing weight. I found the ketogenic diet and I decided that I would try it for a month. In that month all my symptoms started to reverse. My acne was almost gone, my energy levels were through the roof, my metformin dosage had to be reduced, my weird hair growth slowed considerably, my hair and skin became much less oily, my period pain was non existent that month and it was my first month off of birth control after 6 years. I also lost about 3 lbs in that month. I decided to keep going because I was feeling so much better. Month 2 and month 3 were even better and all my symptoms continued to dissipate. I also kept getting my period but no real signs of ovulation so I thought they were anovulatoy cycles caused by just getting off BC. But the third month I turned up pregnant! (yay) So that diet literally fixed every single symptom I had including ovulation and weight loss. By this point I had lost 12 lbs in 3 months! As soon as I can after giving birth I will be back at it lose the baby weight and the rest of the weight I had gained prior!

    It is rough at first to jump to a ketogenic diet (very low carb, moderate protein, high fat) but it was by far the best decision I ever made! Losing 12 lbs in 3 months after taking 8 months to lose the first 10lbs was amazing!
  • firepxy
    firepxy Posts: 13
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    I'll definitely look into that Kenzi, my doc put me on Phentermine for right now, which is helping me loose the bulk of what PCOS made me gain. But I don't want it to come back after I stop taking the pill. That's what makes me kinda nervous.

    I gained about 70lbs last year i'd say starting in August 2011, and I'm active so I was concerned. I started talking to the doc, he thought it was in my head (I had just gotten insurance about that time 2012) He never seen me before hand. So it was interesting. basicly spent a year, then got to this point.

    I've dropped 35lbs of the 70 so far. so I'm still working on it. But for sure, gonna check out the ketogenic diet . thanks for that

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