Feeling hopeless with PCOS/Hypothyroidism & Weight Loss..
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xSirensSong
Posts: 615 Member
Good morning, everyone. I'm Meagen, 23 years old from Indianapolis, IN. I can't remember if I ever introduced myself on here & if I haven't, sorry I'm doing it in such a poor fashion. :ohwell:
I was diagnosed with PCOS/Insulin Resistance & hypothyroidism last year around July. I didn't really start taking the diagnosis seriously until I was weighing in at 225 pounds & all that I saw was weight gain consistently. I went to my OB/GYN feeling so down, stuck, & like there was no way out. I felt so embarrassed breaking down in front of her, just crying because I didn't know what else to do. She was very comforting & has helped me every step of the way. I started feeling better, lost a little bit of weight, but now, I'm starting to get back to that very emotional place.
I work out 6 days a week, weight lifting & cardio (more so weight lifting), and am at the gym for about 90 minutes each time. I do my best to eat a low (net) carb diet, gluten free, & high in protein. I eat less than 1600 calories a day, except on my cheat day (which I struggle with ~ still trying to get that to a cheat DAY, not a cheat weekend) and I get 10 cups of water in. I also take BC, Metformin, & Levothyroxine.
Since November 2013, I've lost 7 pounds. Every week recently, I'm weighing in between 213-215. If I am over on my carbs at all, my weight shoots up to 217-218. I'm becoming more & more frustrated, but I can also not give up ~ If I did, I would be 400 pounds at this rate. My friends around me hear how hard I 'supposedly' work, but I feel like to them, I'm just bluffing. My mom is the only one who sees me in the gym everyday, sweating my butt off & giving it my all. Since I'm making no progress, I feel like everyone thinks I'm doing nothing, yet saying I'm doing everything. Also, I see people who started off around the same time as me getting below 200, below 190 & I'm just sitting here, baffled.
Any pointers or support would be greatly appreciated. What am I doing wrong? My diary is open, my profile is open, & so is my mind. Help this fat girl get healthy! :flowerforyou:
I was diagnosed with PCOS/Insulin Resistance & hypothyroidism last year around July. I didn't really start taking the diagnosis seriously until I was weighing in at 225 pounds & all that I saw was weight gain consistently. I went to my OB/GYN feeling so down, stuck, & like there was no way out. I felt so embarrassed breaking down in front of her, just crying because I didn't know what else to do. She was very comforting & has helped me every step of the way. I started feeling better, lost a little bit of weight, but now, I'm starting to get back to that very emotional place.
I work out 6 days a week, weight lifting & cardio (more so weight lifting), and am at the gym for about 90 minutes each time. I do my best to eat a low (net) carb diet, gluten free, & high in protein. I eat less than 1600 calories a day, except on my cheat day (which I struggle with ~ still trying to get that to a cheat DAY, not a cheat weekend) and I get 10 cups of water in. I also take BC, Metformin, & Levothyroxine.
Since November 2013, I've lost 7 pounds. Every week recently, I'm weighing in between 213-215. If I am over on my carbs at all, my weight shoots up to 217-218. I'm becoming more & more frustrated, but I can also not give up ~ If I did, I would be 400 pounds at this rate. My friends around me hear how hard I 'supposedly' work, but I feel like to them, I'm just bluffing. My mom is the only one who sees me in the gym everyday, sweating my butt off & giving it my all. Since I'm making no progress, I feel like everyone thinks I'm doing nothing, yet saying I'm doing everything. Also, I see people who started off around the same time as me getting below 200, below 190 & I'm just sitting here, baffled.
Any pointers or support would be greatly appreciated. What am I doing wrong? My diary is open, my profile is open, & so is my mind. Help this fat girl get healthy! :flowerforyou:
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Hello there, i'm a newbie here
I'm Silvia, 23 years old.
I'm no expert but...
Based on my own experience i can tell you that i struggled for a long time with the same feelings you described. I used to work out pretty regularly and sometimes even too much. Most of the time I watched my diet very seriously. But even then, i couldn't lose weight. I was just bouncing back and forth. I remained a long time in that situation and just like you, i felt hopeless.
After all the ups and downs i gradually became more concious of my eating habits. I realized that my problem was the cheating part, specially processed sugar. Once i cheated, it became really hard to keep on track and i ate uncontrollably. And since it was only a day or two i still thought i was eating healthy enough. But nope, i wasn't. I failed miserably over and over again. Sugar made me feel bloated, tired and depressed.
Avoiding sugar as much as possible is capital for PCOSers since foods high on sugar causes your blood sugar to spike quickly, and then drop, which is bad for your hormones, your weight, mood, and energy. I mention this cause as i checked your diary i noticed that you don't track your sugar intake. I suggest you do.
As i said, i'm no expert. Hope this helps
And also, i'm trying to do my best with my English here
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Hi Silvia, your English is great! And you've hit upon something I've been thinking about lately. That cheat day that normal people on weight loss plans allow themselves. We're not normal people and I wonder if a single cheat day is in actuality too devastating for our systems to handle. Meagen, I have Cheat Weekends too. Every weekend we find ourselves eating out with friends or family and I'm just not a chicken and salad person. If I'm at a BBQ joint, well, I want BBQ! But I can feel it for days afterward. I've been trying to be lower sugar and lowish carb and week after week I start feeling great right around Wednesday. By Friday I've lost a few ounces. Then we start all over. Maybe a day is too much. Maybe a cheat MEAL is all we can afford.0
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You ladies might be on to something. I had a child two months ago so my eating and exercising are kind of crazy right now. But I find that if I let myself eat whatever I want for a day, I have a really hard time getting my act together the next day, and the next, and the next.0
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Hey my name is Megan and I live in Indianapolis, IN! lol
But I was also diagnosed with insulin resistance. I am having trouble even losing a pound. I know where you are coming from.If you want to talk, you can message me! We can do this! 0 -
Yup, the same here. The first 2 kilos were so easy tho shed, but now I'm stuck.
I eat low carb / low GI and excercise during the week, but then at the weekends I allow myself to cheat one day or even two if we are spending the weekend away.
Even when I cheat I don't eat sweets or desserts, I just don't count calories and have a glass of wine or two, but now after just a month on MFP I reached a plateau.
So maybe we can't afford to cheat with PCOS:sad:0 -
After all the ups and downs i gradually became more conscious of my eating habits. I realized that my problem was the cheating part, specially processed sugar. Once i cheated, it became really hard to keep on track and i ate uncontrollably. And since it was only a day or two i still thought i was eating healthy enough. But nope, i wasn't. I failed miserably over and over again. Sugar made me feel bloated, tired and depressed.
Avoiding sugar as much as possible is capital for PCOSers since foods high on sugar causes your blood sugar to spike quickly, and then drop, which is bad for your hormones, your weight, mood, and energy. I mention this cause as i checked your diary i noticed that you don't track your sugar intake. I suggest you do.
On my cheat day, I'm a huge sucker for sweets. That is what I crave ALL THE TIME, so on my cheat day, that's the first thing I think about eating. This weekend, I actually tried really hard to only have a cheat meal, but as you stated above, I had my cheat meal and was like 'Well, a meal of cheating isn't complete with some sort of dessert', so I broke out the cookies.. Ended up eating the whole box. :X So, I am unsafe around cookies, cakes, chocolate, etc...
As far as tracking my sugars, I was doing that for the longest time. After a while, I noticed that I had gotten my carbs so low & my proteins/fats so high that I was never ever going over my sugars, so I added sodium into my tracking instead of the sugar (something I've always had issues with). No worries on that ~ I always look at my reports to confirm I'm not going over in sugars.That cheat day that normal people on weight loss plans allow themselves. We're not normal people and I wonder if a single cheat day is in actuality too devastating for our systems to handle.
"After a week I start feeling great right around Wednesday. By Friday I've lost a few ounces. Then we start all over."
The cycle that you describe at the end is EXACTLY what I go through. UGH! And you're right, we're not normal. Which really stinks, but in the long run, that's what we can hope for, right? Normalcy? At least to some degree? :ohwell:You ladies might be on to something. I had a child two months ago so my eating and exercising are kind of crazy right now. But I find that if I let myself eat whatever I want for a day, I have a really hard time getting my act together the next day, and the next, and the next.So maybe we can't afford to cheat with PCOS :sad:
I'm starting to believe like most of you that PCOSers might not get cheat days/meals. It'll be hard, but I just need to learn to love the way I have to live/eat from now on & get used to it. I think the reason why it's so hard is because I keep having those cheat meals that keep the taste of 'bad foods' in my mouth, & bringing the cravings back around religiously.
Thanks for the input, guys. You rock
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I don't have 'cheat days' because then I feel like im on a diet, and the moment I feel like im on a diet I crave all the things I tell myself I cant have, like carbs and sugar. I am aiming for a lifestyle change instead. When I first went low carb, the first thing I looked up in the cookbooks I got was desserts. I make a few a week, trying new ones and remaking old favorites so I don't feel deprived of that sweet I want after dinner.
Google or go to the library for any of Dana Carpender or google cream cheese clouds or low carb desserts. There are some amazing ones out there. I use the cream cheese clouds often, I have a lot of flavors so sometimes its lemon cheese cake bites, sometimes its peach cheese cake bites, or strawberry or cherry, well you get the idea.
My point is, we cant have a 'cheat day' as PCOSers at all, it HAS to be a lifestyle change. So find a way to make it fit in your lifestyle. Once you are able to cut out what makes you feel bad and substitute it for what doesn't make you feel bad, you find your cravings are less for the bad stuff. That doesn't mean I don't have days once in awhile were I say 'screw it, im having a waffle!' but then im sick afterward and those days are becoming fewer and more spread out as my new lifestyle change kicks in.
So you can have treats and sweets, just make them fit your macros. Find new favorites. My family has come around, even my carb loving in laws after they have sampled the yummy food and desserts I eat on low carb.0 -
Keep it up ladies... willpower
Meagen, i understand you completly. I crave sugar like an addict and in fact, that's what PCOSers do. I decided to stay away from it all together and i finally moved on from my plateau. I know it can be REALLY hard to do, i still fall for it sometimes. I try my best though. I never have products with added sugar at home. If someone gives me a sweet treat i throw it away before temptation arises
. My family members are aware of this and they are not allowed to offer me any kind of sugary products. Check your food labels carefully cause sugar is hidden everywhere. Do it gradually. With time you will develop resistence, it will get easier and easier.
I don't know if you do but i suggest you track your cheat days. You'll be amazed, that's how i became aware of my inconstant and sugary eating pattern.0 -
Cream cheese clouds sounds amazing, I'm going to google it inmediately!0
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My point is, we cant have a 'cheat day' as PCOSers at all, it HAS to be a lifestyle change. So find a way to make it fit in your lifestyle. Once you are able to cut out what makes you feel bad and substitute it for what doesn't make you feel bad, you find your cravings are less for the bad stuff. That doesn't mean I don't have days once in awhile were I say 'screw it, im having a waffle!' but then im sick afterward and those days are becoming fewer and more spread out as my new lifestyle change kicks in.
Couldn't agree more.0 -
so question do you still feel like aside from weight issues you are having break through symptoms for you thyroid issues as well? also I found that my TSH level needs to be below 2 in order for me to not gain weight......do you know what yours is at? Also have read research regarding how caffeine can give you lab levels a lower level than what they actually are so next time you are due for labs on your thyroid eliminate it from your diet for about five days
Do you do measurements? those may help you to see some changes. Also do you do the same routine when you go to the gym? I found that when I do i get in that same game you do. However, when I vary it I often see some results
Also have you had your B12 checked.....if they tell you it is in the normal range.....ask what end as this is a huge range......if it is at the lower end see about get injection once a month (this can help with energy and metabolism)
Same with being low in Vit D
Until I was able to get all those things under control I didn't see much weight loss, once I did I was able to lose more weight......recently though my thyroid decided that it was going to become less effective and I gained 40 pounds quickly....dr upped my Armour thyroid (natural thyroid that works better than snythroid or levethyrine......those two are T4 only, Armour is made from desiccated thyroid and contains T1,2,3, and 4)0 -
I feel the same way. Especially when I work our and eat healthy and everyone around me is eating take out on the couch and losing weight. Grr.
I don't have much advise as I haven't found anything that works, but hugs, and hope it gets better, and you wake up one day and all that working has paid off!0 -
I have the same issue. My doctor had recommended the 'slow carb' diet instead of low carb, but he said it's important to have a cheat day too. The first few days, that worked GREAT, dropped 6 pounds right away. But then my cheat day rolled around. I didn't go nuts, but I had normal food, toast, things like that. Weight shot right back up. Since then, I don't have cheat days and I have just fluctuated between the same 3 lbs for 6 months or more. I exercise as much as time allows, usually 4-5 times a week. If I maintain the exercising schedule, then I can stay on the low end of the 3 pounds, but I feel like I would have to exercise even more to lose even an ounce beyond that. I really don't want to spend every waking minute exercising to keep this in control. It's very frustrating.0
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I know how you feel. I have the same things. If.you need a cyster friend, feel free to add me! 0
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I don't know if you do but i suggest you track your cheat days. You'll be amazed, that's how i became aware of my inconstant and sugary eating pattern.
I just started, actually, & holy moley, it's worse than what I was thinking it was (especially with my sugars, because that's all I want on my cheat days). I'm not doing the cheating thing for a bit & see if I notice a difference.so question do you still feel like aside from weight issues you are having break through symptoms for you thyroid issues as well? also I found that my TSH level needs to be below 2 in order for me to not gain weight......do you know what yours is at? Also have read research regarding how caffeine can give you lab levels a lower level than what they actually are so next time you are due for labs on your thyroid eliminate it from your diet for about five days
I do notice the tiredness creeping back into my life, where I sleep 6-8 hours, and take a couple naps throughout the day. Also, some other things have started to happen that my doctor says is due to low thyroid. I'm getting my labs redone next week.Do you do measurements? those may help you to see some changes. Also do you do the same routine when you go to the gym? I found that when I do i get in that same game you do. However, when I vary it I often see some results
I do measurements, absoutely. If I didn't, I think I'd go mad! I've lost 15.2" so far. My gym routine is usually the same every week, however it's different every day (different muscle groups, weights, etc.). Like I said, I do mainly weight lifting, which I absolutely LOVE. Since the weather is getting nicer, I'm starting to incorporate cardio into my routine again.
I'm considering Low GI instead of Low Carb, since the low carb doesn't seem to give me the best results. Anyone tried it?0 -
I have had a few items that are low gi......never really tried the whole diet it self though........have changed a few things though ie pasta when I do have it is now gluten free only .....made a huge difference in me and didn't cause me to feel bloated
weight lifting is great, however doing the same exercises every time may not always be of benifit......try new exercises even if they are working the same group of muscles they can work it in a different way..............have you ever used TRX...........I have found that when I added this in wow what a difference.....this uses your own body weight and different angles cause it to be harder or easier plus you are usually working in more than one plane with TRX
http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/a/aa072007a.htm (just in case you are not sure what I mean by planes this shows you the different planes of the body (it is missing the oblique plane but that's ok you still get the idea))0 -
Ahh, sorry to hear you have the pain in the bum combination! I too have hypothyroidism and PCOS. I'm pretty lucky with my PCOS as it's quite easily controlled and I don't have insulin resistance. My main symptoms were acne and completely crazy periods. However, my hypothyroidism is a REAL pain in the bum! The first thing to ask is when you last got your blood tests? If you thyroid levels are even slightly out, the weight just will not come off. Full stop. I also notice you're in the USA (I'm UK). I know people have really, really good success with Armour thyroid medication (we can't get it here though - sob!) rather than just Levothyroxine.
The main thing is not to be so hard on yourself though. The weight will come off, but with a thyroid problem it will be really, really slow. And like you say, sometimes it's just a battle to stop the weight going ON, let alone LOSE any!
Have you joined this group too? Lot's of useful info and support when it gets tough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/770-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism
Stay strong!0 -
I had a doctor who diagnosed me as hypothyroid and the levy (can't spell it out) made me gained weight. It wasn't until my natural doctor made the gluten/celiac connection and when eliminating the gluten, my blood work got better but I had issues with my T4 or T3 but it was something called the wilson temperature syndrome, i took a few rounds of the T3, i started to lose weight again. As far as the sweets, I notice that if i have snicker, a larabar, more than 1 banana, i'm up a pound on the scale so I know for me, I can't have the cheat snack because I am a scale junkie, that 1 or 2 pounds up will make me feel defeated and want to keep cheating or bingeing at that point. I try to follow the paleo diet but i'm not 100% perfect lol I still sneak a little ranch on my salad and mayo, mustard, and a little ketchup on my turkey burger patties lol good luck on the thyroid medication.0
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So, last week, I made the decision to try a Low GI eating plan instead of the low carb diet I was currently trying to accomplish. With strictly low carb, I felt very restricted, & I was always always ALWAYS craving sweets, breads, etc. Like.. It was all I could do to walk past the candy dish at work & think to myself 'It's not worth it, it's not worth it..' as my mouth watered like crazy. I would think about that candy dish All. Day. Long.
Last Wednesday, I looked into Low GI eating & tried to implement it for the rest of the day. Thursday, I actually did an entire day of Low GI & my cravings had already decreased by Friday morning. I also started taking Inositol powder in my protein drinks, which was recommended by my OB/GYN. Friday was my weigh day, but I was up 0.2 pounds from the week before (weighed in at 215.4). Even though I was discouraged, I knew it had only been two days & just kept truckin'. Friday evening came (normally pizza night) & I had no desire for any cheats. I stayed below my calories (first Friday of doing that in a looong time), Saturday, I did have some natural/organic pizza for dinner but was overall good (& was only over by 100 or so calories instead of 600-800) & Sunday I had taquitos for dinner, but was still only a wee-little-bit over my calories.
I weighed in this morning at 212.4 ~ the lowest I have weighed yet along this journey. That is a 3 pound loss; I know you ladies with PCOS know that is AMAZING! I seriously have no crazy cravings for sweets & that is from not even a full week of Low GI eating.
Just thought I'd share for anyone who was thinking about this & was having doubts. I'm a definite believer. I know I'll see Onederland in no time, when I was so very doubtful & hopeless before.0 -
That is amazing! I'm so happy you're losing. I literally have the EXACT same story as you. Even down to the gluten free part! I am also killing myself everyday, even with no cheat day and no weight loss. This week I'm going to try to up my cardio to an hour a day. This is the advice my trainer gave me since he's at a loss for why I can't lose weight when I'm killing it in the gym 6 days a week. Please add me! I'd love to keep up with you. It's always good to have support with someone who's going through the same thing as you 0
