PCOS and trying to lose weight

Bonstizzle · January 2011

Hello Everyone,
I have PCOS and the symptoms are awful! I was wondering if there is anybody out there with the same issue as me and is also trying to lose weight. I have heard once you lose weight the symptoms start to go away. You always have it though, I know. It's really hard being a female and growing hairs on your chest and arms

It is really hard being a female and knowing you have to much testasterone in your body.

So if there is anybody out there who has some tips that can help me out I would really appreciate it.
Thanks!
-Noelle

Caper88 · January 2011

I am a 22F that also has PCOS. I am trying to battle my weight in order to help with my symptoms. It hasn't been an easy battle so far but I hope I can over come it. It's hard too because its nothing something that gets talked about or explained. Feel free to msg if you just want to chat.

strivingfor130 · January 2011

I have PCOS as well and I know there are MANY others on here that have it too. I hate the symptoms, and I'm hoping with weight loss mine go away too.

kiannlouise · January 2011

Hi

I have PCOS, like I said to someone who posted a similar one.... I didnt actually know it was harder for us with PCOS to lose weight? haha Like i knew it was hard for me, but i didnt know that was the cause! maybe you just need to not think about PCOS? Yeah my doc said the same, symptoms will go away when you start to lose weight

) maybe just wait and see what happens?
All you can do is hope for the best right? and its worth giving it a go!

saltermatt · January 2011

Hi! I don't have PCOS, but I am a Nurse practitioner who has treated patients with it. YES, you will have many less symptoms as you lose weight. You might also want to consider laser hair removal as it will raise your self-esteem greatly! It IS expensive, but tell all your family and friends that's what you want as gifts for any occasion. Best wishes to you!

ambermabee · January 2011

Ooh me me me!! Unfortunately, not all of the symptoms will go away, but many of them will. So looking forward to that happening!

Godsflower1789 · January 2011

yep!

here's some helpful tips I've learned:

PCOS is caused by insulin resistance (as I'm sure you know) which means you have too much sugar in your body. Your body cant process and use all of the sugar you could be consuming.
SO...when i found this out i ate a sugar free (sugar and anything with white flour), clean diet. It is very hard to do, but it really helps (and most doctors will put you on meds that just treat the symptoms, it will never cure it)
I am proud to say since then the hair has lessened, dark spots are gone, I've lost alomst 30 lbs, and i feel great.
SOOO
talk to a nutritionist. upping the intake of vitamin D helps, and eating certain veggies, meat, eggs, and whole grains (like oatmeal) helped SOOO much. Please at least take it into consideration-your diet is such a huge part of your health!

wannabahotmama · January 2011

Hey..I have PCOS, don't you just love the symptoms.

One thing I do want to let you all know is that I had laser hair removal and it didn't work on me. They told me after many treatments that until my PCOS was undercontrol that it was not going to remove all the hair.

Amy95670 · January 2011

Hi! I was diagnosed with PCOS last year and it's not well known and frustrating learning process to go thru. If you (or anyone else on this thread) want to chat feel free to message me. Biggest thing I can say that helped me is a book my Dr reccommended when I was diagnosed. A Patient's Guide to PCOS: Understanding--and Reversing--Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Walter Futterweit. It's on sale used at Amazon around $5. Like godsflower alluded to it reccomends a lower sugar, lower carb index diet and really explains a lot of thins quite well. I highly reccommend it!!!

Bonstizzle · January 2011

Thanks everybody

It is so encouraging to know that there are people going through the same struggles as me. I cannot wait to see what happens when I lose the weight. When I was younger I didn't show as many of the symptoms, I didn't even know I had it. Just weird irregular periods that I though was normal and my doctor even said was normal for teenage girls. BUT...when I turned 19 I gained almost 100 pounds and my symptoms ran rampant. I am for sure going to look into the book Amy95670 recommended and going to try doing what godsflower suggested about taking more carbs out of my diet. I have already reduced a lot of processed sugar.
Anybody who wants to friend me feel free too, I would love the support along my journey.

misskate1971 · January 2011

I always thought I had PCOS...dr. said no after blood tests. Seeing that this was 10 years ago, is there anything else I can do to diagnose the problem? I believe I have some of the symptoms, and I want to make sure...Thanks!

Cmariposa215 · January 2011

Hi Ladies,

I also have PCOS. When I was 19 I was diagnosed with that and Diabetes Type 2. I hated having to deal with all the symptoms, but even more so hated the idea that I might never have children. In 2005 I elected to have LapBand surgery (against my PCP's advice). I weighed 220 pounds before the surgery and my blood sugars were sky high. Within a year I was down to 160, no longer needed my diabetes medicine, and found out I was pregnant! The weight lose helped me tremendously! I signed up for laser hair removal and have had fairly good success, I haven't had to shave my face for over 4 years now. Unfortunately my lap band sprung a leak and is no longer working. I am back up to 190 lbs and struggling to lose the weight again. So I guess the point of my story is that the weight loss WAS beneficial! It reduced my hair growth and regulated my cycle so that I was able to conceive. It also allowed me to have a point in my life that I can reference back to for motivation. Also, just fyi, it was not just the LapBand alone that helped me lose the weight, I was working out 3-4 days a week, but I find that more difficult to do with a 4 year old at home. A difficulty that I am willing to live with

AnneMSel · January 2011

Ladies,

You have no idea how comforting it is to hear that I'm not alone in this struggle. I too have PCOS and I know how soul destroying the hair, weight and cycle issues are first hand. I really hope that all you say about symptoms reducing after losing weight is true.

MissKate1971, if you suspect you do have PCOS you should probably go back to your doctor again and possibly ask for an ultrasound scan to check if you do suffer from it. My blood tests were mainly negative and showed only elevated levels of testosterone but my GP referred me after I explained all the problems and the symptoms I was having. The ultrasound showed that I did indeed have PCOS. If the GP won't request an ultrasound, maybe ask for a referral to your local Gynae clinic?

Stick with your plans girls! If we all do this then maybe we can all fight our way to a normal(ish) life! :op

ambermabee · January 2011

Good morning ladies! Sorry I didn't write more last night; I was a little off my game last night due to some muscle relaxants. :P I just wanted to mention that I, too, am trying to stick to a "clean diet". I don't use any wheat flour at all in my house (I also have issues with gluten). I use corn starch, corn flour, rice flour..those kinds of things. I don't use sugar..if I want any kind of sweetener I will use Splenda, but I don't even use that very often.

manon1 · January 2011

Hi
I have PCOS, like I said to someone who posted a similar one.... I didnt actually know it was harder for us with PCOS to lose weight? haha Like i knew it was hard for me, but i didnt know that was the cause! maybe you just need to not think about PCOS? Yeah my doc said the same, symptoms will go away when you start to lose weight ) maybe just wait and see what happens?
All you can do is hope for the best right? and its worth giving it a go!

Unfortunately, ignoring PCOS doesn't work. I was diagnosed 15 years ago and as I mentioned in another thread, the last year for me was hell - probably because I'm older and my metabolism was also slowing. I've been on completely sugar and flour-free (including rice, corn and any other type of flour) diets for as long as I can remember. I would do great for 2 years and then the first taste was the killer. Then nothing started working.

October I had vertical sleeve gastrectomy. I have since lost 60 lbs. I was completely hopeless and now I feel like the light is just over the hill. I'm about 1/2 way to my goal and it's working like nothing else has. This is not to say that everyone needs VSG, just that it is working for me.

jhann16 · January 2011

I have PCOS and to quote my endocrinologist I have, "the worst and weirdest case of PCOS I have ever seen!" That was two years ago after spending four years trying to find out why my body was shutting down. My PCOS causes my insulin resistance. Endo put me on metformin and metanx which lessens the effect PCOS has on my insulin resistance. After two years of treatment the weight is coming off!! So YES it is possible to lose weight with PCOS! Also, I've managed to control my PCOS to the point where I am no longer classified as pre-diabetic. You have to find out how to manage your PCOS and the weight should come off "normally". Good Luck!!!

astovey · January 2011

I was the one that posted the same subject just this morning! I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 16. I had never experienced a period before I was treated. I had an ultrasound and they put me on birth control. I had two doctors in three days tell me I was overweight and needed to lose weight to make the symptoms more bearable. Soon the dark spots started going away, the acne lessened, the hair…well the hair is still there, except I shave my arms now because I was always tormented as a kid. I started watching everything I put into my mouth and exercised. After I couldn’t seem to lose more than 40 pounds I followed my mother’s weight watchers info and lost 20 more. I went from 225 to 165 in about 8 months. Im now 25 and my life is SOOOOOOOO much better. I really want to get the word out so more people understand PCOS. I had the WORST self esteem growing up and never thought a boy would ever want to kiss me or take me on a date or anything. I got my first kiss when I was 18 and am now married to one handsome fellow. I really don’t think I would be where I am now if PCOS was not brought to my attention.

I also think that A Patient's Guide to PCOS: Understanding--and Reversing--Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a great book to own if you have PCOS.
Just posting some B/A pics…… THERE IS HOPE!

sbracken · January 2011

I also have been diagnosed with PCOS. But the only outward symptom I have is the inability to get pregnant. Which totally sucks when you're trying to start a family. It wasn't even suspected in me because I'm not considered overweight medicially. My doctor caught it after giving me an ultrasound after an early miscarriage this past summer. I'm hoping that with a clean low GI diet I can get my body regulating and hopefully get that family we want so bad.

DivaStar2 · January 2011

Hi I am new to MFP. I have PCOS and I have all the symptoms the unwanted hair growth, the unwanted hair loss, the excess belly weight. everything. I am struggling with this weight loss thing and I need support from this community. I am looking for serious accountabilty partners. I stopped taking the metformin because it was making me sick. Would love to share stories.

amuhlou · January 2011

I always thought I had PCOS...dr. said no after blood tests. Seeing that this was 10 years ago, is there anything else I can do to diagnose the problem? I believe I have some of the symptoms, and I want to make sure...Thanks!

Did your blood tests include a check for the thyroid? I don't have PCOS but a close friend of mine does and hers was complicated by thyroid problems (which affect the metabolism).

ally1385 · January 2011

I have PCOS too! I just started on my weight loss journey after trying to conceive with Clomid has not been successful. I finally decided I need to lose some weight and hopefully my body will kick back in to gear and I'll start ovulating and conceive. I had never really heard of PCOS until I was diagnosed and ever since then I have found there are lots of people out there with it!

PCOS and trying to lose weight

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