The PCOS Belly
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I have had PCOS for about 10 years, I was diagnosed in high school and I after battling with many different types of treatments and medications I've come to the conclusion that it is a good diet (low carb or paleo/primal) and lots of cardio and weights. Metformin made me horribly sick and I've always felt better after exercise. I understand how you feel when the skinny/fit people around you can eat anything they want. I just have to tell myself that all that processed crap is bad for me anyway and I'd feel even worse if I became a diabetic or my pancreas quit working. Better to nip it in the butt now before things get out of hand.....plus I'd really like to get pregnant here soon. Hope this helps!0
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From what I have been told by a naturalistic doctor the gluten affects the intestines making them inflamed thus causing them to enlarge and since those are in the abdominal cavity they also cause the belly to expand. The collection of fat or weight gain around the belly, I have been told by both natural med doctor and an MD is due to the fact that our body is much like a diabetic in that we gain weight first in the belly before anywhere else.
edit.....tried to quote someone but it didn't work right0 -
I 100% identify with everyone who said anything about losing a significant amount of weight without any waist reduction.
I lost about 35 lbs this summer and had DXA scans done before and after to see where the fat was lost. Exactly NONE of it was from my ginormous PCOS belly. It's pretty much the definition of frustration.0 -
I've been trying to eat gluten free/paleo as much as possible-in the first week I lost 9 lbs by not counting my calories but just sticking with mostly veggies, fish, nuts and almond milk instead of regular dairy. I felt wayyy better too. I fell into my old eating habits on Thanksgiving and I'm trying to go back to eating gluten free this week.I have the same issue! My stomach is the place where I tend to gain weight, followed by my hips. I've noticed that my stomach feels extra bloated/large after eating gluten.
I'm new to the group-feel free to add me on here!
same thing for me too! I was literally just talking to my coworker about maybe trying this whole gluten free thing. i hear its a little tough though and the motivation to not cheat....sheesh idk if I have that yet lol. Do you follow gluten free?
Gluten-free is hell. I have a cousin with Celiacs disease, and it took her a couple years to adjust to GF eating. I've heard that Paleo is essentially gluten-free, so you could try that. My partner and I might be going gluten-free next year once our new insurance kicks in and he can get tested, because he's showing a lot of signs of gluten intolerance (inflammation and joint pain, namely). How it affects the belly, I'm honestly not sure. I'll be interested in what KatyAverill says, too.0 -
Unless you are tryna get preggo, Metformin won't shrink the belly...just make you sick. People (including me) really underestimate the power of cutting out processed food from their diet to increase their efforts in slimming their bellies. Even dinners that are suppose to help with diet efforts (those frozen weight watchers and lean cuisines) block your belly shrinking efforts. Once I cut those out and other processed food, my belly shrunk dramatically. A strong slim core is made just as much in the kitchen as it is made in the gym (or at home gyms).
Actually, while it doesn't directly, "magically" help you lose weight, it can influence where the body pulls the fat from, due to the mechanisms by which Metformin works.
High insulin and testosterone levels both predispose a body to storing fat in the midsection. Metformin lowers insulin levels (which can also help women with PCOS to lower their testosterone levels), thereby reducing the predisposition to store/keep fat in the midsection.
You're still at the mercy of your genes in the end for determining where you lose fat from when, but it can help.0 -
I have the same issue! My stomach is the place where I tend to gain weight, followed by my hips. I've noticed that my stomach feels extra bloated/large after eating gluten.
I'm new to the group-feel free to add me on here!
same thing for me too! I was literally just talking to my coworker about maybe trying this whole gluten free thing. i hear its a little tough though and the motivation to not cheat....sheesh idk if I have that yet lol. Do you follow gluten free?
Gluten-free is hell. I have a cousin with Celiacs disease, and it took her a couple years to adjust to GF eating. I've heard that Paleo is essentially gluten-free, so you could try that. My partner and I might be going gluten-free next year once our new insurance kicks in and he can get tested, because he's showing a lot of signs of gluten intolerance (inflammation and joint pain, namely). How it affects the belly, I'm honestly not sure. I'll be interested in what KatyAverill says, too.
It can be hell, if you expect it to be so. ("Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're probably right.")
Paleo is gluten free (there's no "essentially" about it - it's a grain-free diet at it's base), and in my opinion, it (and similar whole-food based dietary frameworks) is one of the best ways to go about gluten free. That way, you're less likely to fall into the trap of "gluten-free!" products (ie - gluten food replacements), which tend to be counterproductive, and instead, switch to a diet that is gluten-free by nature.
It can be difficult, yes, especially if you're not keen on cooking. However, with a little planning and a willingness to cook at least some, going gluten free doesn't have to be hell.
How it affects the belly depends in part on what's causing the belly. For those that are gluten intolerant and get GI issues or an autoimmune response, the belly can be due to inflammation and gas. For those that aren't, a whole-foods based gluten-free diet is often by nature lower carb than a typical Western diet. That reduction in carbs alone may be enough to drop the body's insulin level enough to prompt the body to pull some of its fat from the abdominal stores. For those with both...well, they may have gotten "lucky" in solving their belly dilemma and the combination of fixing both potential causes may compound the effect.0 -
Weight lifting will help way more than cardio for toning up, read "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis, it will blow your mind. Also, what you eat has a huge effect on your body, even if you work out all the time. That is why you see people that work out a lot but still have a gut.
Thanks for the book suggestion.0 -
So glad to see this. Many people don't understand how much PCOS affects women.
I am currently 5'7" and 183lbs. I am down from 200 but I don't lose anything in my belly. Last month was 7lbs and 7inches. None from my belly.
It is frustrating to keep being asked how far along I am because of my belly. I am desperately trying to get pregnant with no success. My sugars are not under enough control for metformin and I had a bad reaction to prometrium.
My OB/GYN has set the goal to get down to 150lbs. If I can make that he will attempt a surgery to help rid my ovaries of all the current cysts in attempt to reset them. And prescribe the metformin to help with insulin resistance.
Heres to all of us trying to lose weight while dealing with PCOS. Good luck to everyone!0 -
I agree with everyone here - the belly just doesn't go away - it goes down but NEVER goes away - I got down to a size 4 and still had it! Totally sucks!0
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I identify with this so much. I've lost weight and am relatively thin now (5'7" and 133 lbs) but I still look 5 months pregnant. That darn belly is what kept me going with weight loss after I hit my initial goal weight of 139. My arms, face and legs definitely got thinner especially as I got below 139 but I still feel like I'm 'all belly' ... which is not such a compliment when you're not pregnant.
And yes, my hips and thighs are easily a size smaller than my waist measurement. So frustrating! I also hate reading all the stuff about how an apple shape/belly fat is so bad for your health ... I know it is; if only I could do something more about it! 0 -
I have the PCOS belly too!
When I had a personal trainer, she had me doing a lot of lower abdominal work with the balls, weights, anything lol she was crazy but it did work. Lost a bunch of inches in that area which is nice
One exercise that helped me a lot was (not sure of the name) but you lay on your back, legs straight in the air, and you lift your hips form the floor. So painful but worth it.
Anyways - I'm going to add you so we can support each other!0 -
It is so discouraging! I cry almost every day at the SIZE of my stomach... I would love to have a baby and can't and the worst part is that I look like I am ready to give birth. I've been on a LCKD for a little while now and I'm losing weight but most days it feels like my stomach is getting bigger...
There is some comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this. Thanks for all of your stories, ladies!0
