PCOS and weight loss!

I was diagnosed with PCOS at age 12 also, I've struggled with my weight basically my entire life. about a year and a half ago after not getting my period for almost a year, constantly dieting and being stressed out I decided to quit dieting. I just started eating a clean unprocessed diet and exercising and two months later I ended up pregnant! I am now on my journey to lose the baby weight I gained. Please feel free to add me as a friend:)

There's some threads on Low Carb Friends where there are some discussions about Atkins-type diets for women with PCOS. It's a bit old, but it might be a useful starting point?

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/general-health-medical-issues/679237-atkins-low-carb-pcos.html

and here:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-175010.html

And some fairly good info here:

http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/diet-news8.html

Not saying I agree/disagree with any of the views expressed but could be worth a try if fasting is messing up your cycle?

I have been diagnosed with PCOS. After two years of infertility, gaining 30 lbs coming off the pill, and gaining 60 lbs with each of my pregnancies, I have managed to be pretty successful in managing my weight and - well, had two kids. For the weight management, I suggest a low glycemic index diet, calorie counting, and exercise. Try to focus on foods with a low glycemic index - most are intuitive, it's basically avoiding processed and foods high in refined sugars, but there are some things you might not assume. But mostly importantly, count your calories, and if you aren't losing weight at a certain intake, lower your intake. The best exercise is strength training but anything is good.

For pregnancy, losing weight will definitely help, as will the exercise. I know this is a terrible piece of advice and I used to cringe at it, but taking my mind off it worked for me. I first got pregnant the cycle after we stopped treatments and were selling our house to get money to do IVF. I got pregnant the second time on vacation in France. And finally - even though I assumed that the problem was me, when we went to a fertility doctor, it turned out my husband also had pretty serious issues. Make sure he has been checked out - you might be trying to fix it assuming you are the problem when there is something else going on entirely!

Good luck. PCOS really is manageable and there are tons of women here with it. If you look in groups you will see many groups dedicated to overcoming PCOS.

I have PCOS. It wasn't diagnosed at 12, because back then they didn't have any answers for what was wrong with me. But I am certain I've had it since puberty. At my highest, I was 375 pounds. Now, let me say that my family in general is very fertile. My Gram used to say "if a man throws his pants over the end of the bed, we get pregnant". We tried for years to get pregnant, and I did, but I always miscarried. Doctors told me that carrying a baby to term was just not in my future. We adopted (from foster care) in 2004, after 6 years. I lost almost 100 pounds over a 4-5 year period (still obviously very obese, needed to lose 120+ more pounds) and I got pregnant in late 2008.. I didn't KNOW I was pregnant until 13 weeks along. I had no real morning sickness, missed periods? Well duh, I could go 2-3 months without one easily and not suspect, thanks to the PCOS. But I was so tired, just completely worn out exhausted. I went in to the doctor several times - is it anemia, are my blood sugars much higher than normal? what? what is going on! For some reason, I still don't know why, I was lying awake one night and started to wonder. I went to a 24 hour pharmacy at 2am and bought a test. Positive? Boggle. To the doctor the next day. Positive!?

PCOS inhibits weight loss both by the insulin resistance (which means insulin is in your body longer than a "normal" person), and insulin in your blood is a trigger that turns OFF fat burning, but also by some other mechanism that medical science does not understand. After all, its still a "syndrome" which means a collection of symptoms that happen together often enough that doctors recognize it must be a disorder of some kind, but don't know what causes it.

I lost weight by eating a diet recommended for diabetics, only even stricter with the carbs. I ate protein with every meal, and restricted most of my carbs to fruits and vegetables. I wouldn't even eat a piece of fruit alone though, I always paired it with protein, and sometimes a little healthy fat, to reduce the rate carbs would enter the blood and minimize the insulin reaction. I practically memorized the glycemic index charts to make the "best" choices. I was also doing aerobic/cardiovascular exercise for 45-60 minutes 6 days a week.

It still took YEARS to lose the weight. I got "talked into" a lapband in 2007, and it essentially made no difference. It's been removed.

Anyway -- yes, losing weight can make a big difference in your fertility, but it can also be very challenging to lose the weight. And not all sufferers of PCOS are the same. There are "thin" PCOS'ers who don't seem to have the same troubles with weight loss/maintaining their weight, and then there are the rest of us.

Edit: I am no longer as strict with my diet. I am more careful about processed carbs, and I still don't like to eat carbs alone, but I am less rigid about the choices, and I am much happier as this is a sustainable way of life, where before it was an agonizing diet. I am losing weight this way, but exercise is still pretty key for me.

I'm feeling so down today...

I also suffer from PCOS, but I'm down because for one, I keep weighing myself, and found that I've gained a pound. This could be due to the fact that I'm spotting, (I guess my period will be here soon, but sometimes spotting goes away) but I'm afraid that it's from my PCOS.
It just seems like the weight isn't going to come off as quick as MFP said it would. I DID lose about 6-8 lbs my first week, so seeing a gain makes me think I just lost water weight, and that the real fat isn't going to come off. I have been overweight pretty much my entire life, and I use to eat once a day to maintain a size 14.
I am not on any medication at the moment. I want to cure this naturally, since metformin tends to make me sick. What's getting me down, however, is that I've worked hard to lower my calories to 1200 a day, (on most days) but now, it seems that lowering calories isn't enough. Now I need to let go of even MORE carbs and sugar. I LOVE sugar and carbs. I'll be miserable if I can't at least continue to have my plain Cherrios, yogurt, and fruit.
I'd also like to mention, that I am pescetarian, but I have been eating as an ovo-lacto veg for a few days, and wish to continue to do so. I ALSO heard that I need to do away with DAIRY! What CAN I eat? I'm so frustrated!
I really want this weight loss. I'm just sad about having to give up everything I like. I went from having to add sugar to everything, to only getting my sugar from fruits, veggies, cereals, yogurts, and milk. UGH!
P.S. I do love silk almond milk, ( french vanilla) but the unsweetened kind is just....so bland.