Anyone on here with PCOS and struggling??

lizstyles2013
lizstyles2013 Posts: 34 Member
in Getting Started
Over the years I slowly gained weight and now I find it a real struggle to lose it and I am thinking maybe its because I have polycystic ovarian syndrome along with depression. Does anyone else have this problem and how are you managing it?

Replies

  • Grumpsandwich
    Grumpsandwich Posts: 368 Member
    I have PCOS, have had it for over 20 years along with hashimotos hypothyroid. Weight was always a struggle until the last year. My endo started me on metformin and spironolactone for the pcos n testosterone lvls. Got my thyroid meds in order. But the best thing she did was send me to the hospital nutritionist who taught me about what i should and shouldnt eat. Which was pretty similar to a diabetic diet. That with working out I have finally started to lose weight and pretty rapidly I may add with just 45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. It doesnt even need to be strenuous cardio either :D I belly dance! Its fun, not tough on the joints/bones and extremely toning n defining to the body
  • stephfaist
    stephfaist Posts: 11
    I was diagnosed with PCOS 2 months ago along with a wheat allergy. I was not able to loose weight, last summer I was running 4 miles walking 5 and doing 2 jillian michaels workouts just to maintain all while tracking what I ate. This fall I was unusually tired and gained 15 pounds in a month, was having memory loss and just all sorts of problems. Then I found out it was PCOS. Right now I have been able to counteract the side effects by going on a low processed sugar and gluten free diet. Down 12 pounds in 2 weeks! I've never lost weight that quickly. Along with diet and exercise I also have changed birth controls and take metformin which seems to be helping. Good Luck in your struggles, its not fun to deal with but changing your diet and sticking to it will really really help
  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
    I have PCOS and am now on metformin too. You need to reduce the carbs in your diet to help the PCOS, the insulin resistance that comes with it, and to lose weight. Processed, simple carbs are your worst enemy in this situation.

    You can google pcos diet suggestions. There's also a PCOS group here on mfp that can help you.
  • kellymac518
    kellymac518 Posts: 132 Member
    There's also a PCOS group here on mfp that can help you.

    How would one find this pcos group??
  • SZD10
    SZD10 Posts: 6
    I've had the symptoms of PCOS before and as soon as I pretty much eliminated wheat and processed food/sugar from my diet and incorporated cardio most days of the week, I was re-tested and was in the clear. (This was like six months later)

    Look up the paelo style eating diet, its very caveman style but I still have oats, rice and sweet potato and it works wonders for symptoms of PCOS. Losing weight will happen immediately especially combined with regular cardio.

    Good luck!
  • SkimFlatWhite68
    SkimFlatWhite68 Posts: 1,254 Member
    I was diagnosed with Insulin Resistance and PCOS over 16 years ago when I was struggling with infertility.

    I have never taken drugs, although was prescribed Metformin by the Endochrinologist.

    The way that I have dealt with it, and I believe have beaten it, is by following a low carb lifestyle. It's not a diet, it's really changing the way that I'm eating for the rest of my life. I've found in times that I've fallen off the wagon for a few weeks (or years) I've relapsed and all the problems have come back again. It's just so much easier to eat well and go for a walk every day and not have to worry about the horrible side effects and long term issues of daily medications.

    What has worked for me is cutting out grains and starchy carbs, recreational sugars. The carbs that I do eat are non-starchy vegetables, citrus fruits and berries. I find that keeping carbs under 75g a day is pretty easy to do, still eating lots of salads and veggies and one serve of fruit a day so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Instead of pasta I have broccoli under my bolognese sauce, and I love it.

    For snacks I have things like boiled eggs, cold sausages, meatballs, anything that's a small serve of protein.

    My diet is 40% protein, 40% fat and 20% carb most days. If I have a day here and there that's higher in carbs then that's ok as long as it doesn't become a regular thing it doesn't affect me too much.

    Exercise wise - I walk 5 times a week and lift weights 4 times a week. It took a year to lose 30kg, but slow and steady wins the race and for me, this is the way to keep the excess weight off and get rid of PCOS for good.

    I agree with SZD - the primal/paleo lifestyle is very successful for PCOS.

    Best wishes.
  • coriander1209
    coriander1209 Posts: 6
    There's also a PCOS group here on mfp that can help you.

    How would one find this pcos group??

    Once you go into a message board, a search option comes up. Click on that and type in PCOS, I have joined a couple of them
  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
    On the blue links at the top of the page, next to Message boards is Groups. Select that then do a search on PCOS.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/search?utf8=✓&phrase=PCOS
  • LT128
    LT128 Posts: 6
    In exactly the same boat ladies... Struggled for years & years! Feel free to add me. Could always do with a little bit of support along the way :smile: x

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