PCOS and weight loss

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shawnabellant
shawnabellant Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
I was diagnosed with PCOS over 10 years ago when I was close to 300lbs... 6 years ago I got down to 148 and kept it off until the last year. I gained about 50lbs and am struggling to get it off, I was just put back on my pcos meds so I'm hoping that will help. I am down a total of 17lbs but have had to kill myself to get it off. I am eating healthy and under my calories and am doing extreme workouts yet I can go 3 weeks without losing a single pound... WHY??

Replies

  • GreatGreenSea
    GreatGreenSea Posts: 47 Member
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    I'm in the same boat, and it sucks. I was able to basically starve/walk 60 pounds off when I was 21-22 (not recommended, lol), but now it's taken me most of the year just to lose 30 pounds, and I haven't lost anything in a month. Frustrated as hell.
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
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    PCOS is tough. I know your struggles. I have it as well as hypothyroidism.

    Feel free to add me!
  • aleshalh
    aleshalh Posts: 2 Member
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    I have PCOS too and it is so hard to lose weight with this condition! Basically, it can mess up the way your body processes insulin (because insulin is a hormone) because all the other hormones are messed up. People with PCOS have this happen a lot. I've been working hard on things this time around. I want to feel better. I'm actually not weighing myself at all, only tracking my eating and gauging progress by the way my clothes fit. At this point I've been tracking eating for about 3 weeks, so I'm just beginning, but I've already seen changes. Pants that were "lay down on the bed to get on" pants are now fitting, still snug, but comfortably enough. Keep up the good fight. I know it sucks.
  • grandmamaemae
    grandmamaemae Posts: 1 Member
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    This is just my opinion, but it works for me: Try to never be more than 50 calories below your allowed calories. Especially when you are exercising you must consume the calories that you earn from the exercise. If you don't then your body thinks you are starving it. Eat all your calories and it WILL work.
  • kazzsj0urney
    kazzsj0urney Posts: 57
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    I am similar to you, I lost 200 pounds (started at 380 pounds) and then regained back about 60 pounds. I work out 4-5 times a week...and eat well but my losses can be very erratic too...I recently went for 5 weeks without movement on the scales (they started moving when I lowered the calories slightly), my belief with PCOS is we just have to stick to it no matter what....sometimes just have to tweak things till we figure what works for us

    On a side note are you insulin resistant or be tested recently? Im not insulin resistant but havent been tested for over 7 years so am going to be retested tomorrow incase that is having some impact on my losing weight.

    Best of luck.
  • aleshalh
    aleshalh Posts: 2 Member
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    I forgot to mention, PCOS for me, getting my hormones in line was key. I tried to lose weight before being under a doctor's care and the scale wouldn't budget at all! Once I was put on birth control pills to level out my hormones and Metformin to handle the other parts of the hormone stuff, it's still difficult, but it has gotten easier. With me, I'm not insulin resistant, but using Metformin to help the body balance out the hormone stuff. So much easier to fight it if you know what to do to get things balanced. That was key for me.
  • shawnabellant
    shawnabellant Posts: 8
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    I am not insulin resistant, I did just go in for a complete blood work up but I don't expect them to find anything. It's so frustrating! To be honest I don't understand the whole net calorie thing..... today for example, I burned a little over 700 calories and ate 1100... so it said my net was 380 something. Is that too low? Just right? I'm not hungry. I just want to feel better about myself!
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Do you know if they checked your A1C levels?

    Some will look fine for fasting blood glucose levels and then have very high A1C, which seems to be why more doctors are looking to A1C levels to determine insulin resistance (which is really common with PCOS).
  • shawnabellant
    shawnabellant Posts: 8
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    I am not sure, when the results come in I will definitely ask!
  • Peacockbutterfly
    Peacockbutterfly Posts: 90 Member
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    I have PCOS and have struggled with it for years. I have been very successful recently eating more while staying away from simple carbs and exercising 6 days a week. I am only about 5 feet and I eat at least 1500 calories a day, most days eating around 1700. I eat a moderate amount of good carbs and really enjoy what I do eat, so it is sustainable. I think with PCOS we do have to be hyper vigilant about what we put in our bodies and staying active to keep the metabolism moving is also so important. I have been so successful that in the last 6 months I lost all the weight on my ticker and have reversed many of my PCOS symptoms.
  • Phoenix__Rising
    Phoenix__Rising Posts: 9,981 Member
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    I have been on this site logging my food since 11\2012. I too have both
    Pcos/endometreosis. My HW was 316+ .. not certain cause my scale then
    wasn't good. When I started here I was 212lbs.

    It took me being a slave to cardio and strength to lose what I did. I'm at
    160.2 today.Due to my lady problems I just underwent a complete abdominal
    hysterectomy so I'm still dropping from that,they removed a nearly 6lb fibroid.

    All I can recommend if you want results is watching your carbs, bumping your
    protein and eating at deficiet as often as you can .. always being active will
    def benefit. Unfortunately with PCOS, I found I needed to workout 2\3x
    harder than others.

    All the best to you!! :)
  • Westerlywind
    Westerlywind Posts: 7
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    I'm going to be following this!
    I feel the exact same way! It's so discouraging to have no results. I'm not perfect, but once I went to the gym for 64 days straight, and I didn't weigh myself the entire time, because I wanted to see what it was like to not have weight as the basis for determining health. I was a lot happier and I could see other indicators of health, like better heart rate, better stamina and strength, etc.

    The downside was that after the 64 days, I decided to weigh myself. I gained 2 pounds from when I had started, and I'm obese! Very discouraging. I threw in the towel. I'm hoping to get back into that mentality of embracing the other indicators of health, rather than weight.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    I don't have PCOS, but I do have IR and a thyroid issue. Because of the IR, which I understand is usually the biggest weight issue with PCOS, I've read a lot on the PCOS boards looking for help on the IR and metabolism. I ended up following what many on PCOS did -- which is really restricting carbs. It seems like everyone finds a different number, but for me, I found keeping them at 100 g or less really worked. Also, as others mentioned, being active. I opt for walking/hiking a lot and lifting heavy and weekly sprint (HIIT) sessions.

    But, it definitely does seem that those with PCOS, IR, thyroid issues do have to work a lot harder to see the same results. But, for me, reducing carbs and walking, lifting heavy and weekly sprint sessions, seems to have been the closest I've found to losing weight like a "normal" person. You're certainly not alone in this struggle.
  • laryngitix
    laryngitix Posts: 5 Member
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    Hello All,

    I would like to know what tests you did to determine your Insulin Resistance. I too have been struggling to lose weight and have been diagnosed with PCOS over 10 years ago. I've been stuck between 196 and 190 for the past 5 months and am getting desperate!

    Thanks!
  • mrsmitchell0510
    mrsmitchell0510 Posts: 83 Member
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    I have PCOS and thyroid issues. Losing weight for those of us with it does not seem to be as easy as calories in vs. calories out. Many have found success in lowering your carb levels and upping healthy fats.
    If you are not part of this group (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3087-p-c-o-sis), I suggest it as a place to start. A lot of great information and resources here!
    Feel free to add me if you like! It always helps to have friends with similar situations so you can learn from eachother!
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Hello All,

    I would like to know what tests you did to determine your Insulin Resistance. I too have been struggling to lose weight and have been diagnosed with PCOS over 10 years ago. I've been stuck between 196 and 190 for the past 5 months and am getting desperate!

    Thanks!

    I believe the gold standard test is the A1C. It provides a picture of sugar levels over the prior 3 months.

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/a1c-test/basics/definition/prc-20012585
    http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/A1CTest/
  • laryngitix
    laryngitix Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you Lindsey!

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