Confused/Irritated, PCOS, and Friends!

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ljbrauer
ljbrauer Posts: 62
in Motivation and Support
I am in dire need of a good rant at this point and I will be more than happy to tell you all why!

Weight loss is not coming very easy for me...actually is is non-existent at this point. Sure, I have jumped on the scale once a week and at the most have seen a one or two pound drop, but then the next week it's back to my original starting weight. It's a very cruel thing to see because I have been working my a** off and being very good about what I eat and how many calories I consume. The past week I haven't cared about what I eat because I felt so down and upset with my body but I have still been working out. That's very counterproductive and I really want to reach my goals so I need to really buckle down and figure out what is holding me back.

I am almost 99% certain that my workouts are the not the issue because I burn a crazy amount of calories each week doing Turbo Fire and my HRM has clocked me at or around 700/800 calories for the Fire class workouts and close to 300 calories for the HIIT workouts, I burn over 2000 calories each week! The calorie input is the mystery that I am dealing with and it's driving me crazy!

So here's what I am thinking at this point: I am currently at 160 lbs (give or take a pound or two...my weight fluctuates so much on a daily basis). I have maintained that very weight for probably two years now and before coming to MPF and really improving my eating habits I ate whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted. I was a sporadic grazer, hardly ever eating breakfast and eating salty foods here and there until dinner came around. Dinner was usually a large meal followed up by a late night snack of some kind. I wasn't gaining weight, just maintaining with this diet. This has made me think that I haven't ever been consuming enough calories for my weight and height, therefore my body has adapted to my lack of nutrition and energy. I have used multiple BMR calculators online to figure out my correct calorie input. The consensus has been around 2200 calories! That seems crazy high to me, but I am a taller woman at 5'10" and I have never regularly eaten that many calories before. I am implementing a new calorie intake of 1900 for the next two to three weeks to see what that will do for me.

Another issue that may be affecting my inability to lose weight may also be linked to my PCOS. I am wondering if there are any ladies out there that are having the same issues as me. I currently take Metformin to combat my symptoms and help with my insulin levels. I know that PCOS does cause women to gain weight so maybe it also causes us to have more issues losing the weight too. I really don't know, but it would help to hear from anyone who has had weight loss success while dealing with PCOS. :smile:

I would really like to make some more friends too....for motivation and support and for accountability as well. I was seriously ready to quit the MPF site but I need to make myself even more rooted to this community and feel like I can't leave because there are people who count on me for their own motivation! I would especially love some friends who are dealing with similar issues as me and have any insight to PCOS or being able to figure out their calorie 'sweet spot'. I am about to go see a dietician/nutritionist to have a professional help me with my issues, but before I hand over the money for that, I am going to give it one last shot.

I know this super long, but a girl has got to let it out at some point and I have hit my limit! Thanks in advance to anyone that responds! :wink:

Replies

  • tweety170
    tweety170 Posts: 167
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    Hey lady! I think adding some calories for a few weeks is a great idea--see what it does for you. It sounds backward, but I lost weight when I added calories, too. What kinds of things are you eating to get to your calorie goals? That and sodium could also be putting a wrench in the works.

    xoxo...we need a chat date!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Thanks for your rant! After being out of town for two days and NOT working out even for a minute I'm feeling very sluggish and kinda down on myself.

    I know that eating every few hours is the best thing and it keeps the metabolism fires burning! It sounds counter-intuitive to be eating all day, but it does make a difference. I joined MFP to get back on track myself. I'm in great shape but I packed on an extra 20 lbs in the past year (from work travel, and eating free food at work). I'm trying hard to only eat what I bring to work and not all of the extras around for free.

    For you, it sounds like poorly spaced meals and food choices are the hardest thing. If you start planning ahead (I know it's hard) you will see results. Remember--eat every few hours or else your body starts to store fat.

    You can do it. We're all here for you and you can RANT anytime!!
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
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    What is your carb intake? I just got off a 4 week plateu by virtually cutting out my carbs (now down to 50g a day)...
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    I was the same for years, grazing and hardly eating all day then coming home and having the majority of my calories all evening! I have found my calorie 'sweet spot' and my weight has consistely gone down as a result. Now im only 5'4" but find that I needed to eat more to lose. Sounds like you work out pretty intensively, which does mean consuming more calories. A few things to consider as well:
    1) you should be getting a minimum of 10 glasses of water per day
    2) are the majority of your caloires from "clean" and healthy food
    3) are you getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night
    4) are the majority of your calories eaten during the day
    5) do you stop eating at least 2 1/2 hours before bed

    Everything counts, if you are lacking in even one area it will show up on the scale.
  • StaceG1986
    StaceG1986 Posts: 350
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    I just recently found out I have PCOS while going through fertility treatment! Which is why I have always found it so hard to lose weight!

    I'm the same, my weight fluctuates from week to week sometimes, but when I am losing week after week, it's only usually 1lb or so and I have to really work my butt off to get that! It's taken me since January last year to lose 45lbs whereas other friends have lost the same in 4 or 5 months! It's pretty gutting and frustrating sometimes to be honest, and when people moan about 'only losing 1lb' it really infuriates me as it's so hard for us to even lose that!

    Anyhow, I don't use the calories MFP gives me (1200) as I just can't manage that, I go by my BMR now which is around 1600 at the minute and much easier to handle - I felt like I was starving on 1200, and wasn't even losing anyway! I started losing when I upped my calories.
  • maipai21
    maipai21 Posts: 146
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    Hi! I have PCOS too and it makes the weight loss slightly slower but it's coming off (I have lost 22.4 since February 1st) I'm not currently taking any medications and I'm using the MFP guidelines for weightloss. With all of those calories you are burning I would suggest eating most of your exercise calories and see what that does for your weight loss. I eat almost all of mine and i'm still losing and chugging along at a steady rate :) Also are you drinking your water? It helps to get back to basics: logging EVERYTHING, drinking your water, taking your vitamins etc. I hope this helps! You CAN DO THIS! Slow and steady wins the race!
  • ljbrauer
    ljbrauer Posts: 62
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    My first responder! Awwwww! Thanks for the support on this, Sarah. Yea, it really doesn't make sense in my mind to add more calories, but we shall see what it does for me. My eating habits (before last week since I was eating crappy) as been at least three or four servings of protein, three servings of veggies, two servings of fruit, and two servings of grains/carbs. Sodium is a wolf in sheep's clothing because I always think I found something healthy to add to my meals yet it is full of that crap! Sodium is seriously in everything and it sucks! I need to see how you eat on a regular basis and get some ideas from you.

    Chat date=amazing idea! I totally agree! :heart:
  • rmcheathbabe
    rmcheathbabe Posts: 14
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    You can add me as a friend. I have PCOS as well, and weight loss is excruciatingly slow for me too. I lost 100 pounds several years ago, but it was a very slow process (compounded by the difficulty of losing weight with PCOS). Needless to say, I regained most of the weight and am back at the weight loss again. I have been working out like crazy for months, sticking strictly to my calories, and have only shed 10 pounds (far below the predicted weight loss by MFP). I feel your pain! Feel free to add me, and we can motivate each other! If there's one thing I've learned from my past weight loss, it's that those of us with PCOS have to have incredible patience and willpower because it's going to take probably twice as long to achieve our goals. The key is just sticktuitiveness..at least for me....very slow losses, but they eventually add up.

    ...wish I had a magic secret to success with PCOS I could offer...
  • charmane23
    charmane23 Posts: 4
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    My doc told me when he diagnosed me with PCOS that losing weight was a key to controlling it but losing weight for people with PCOS is usually pretty difficult. Unfortunately I do not have any positive insight about losing weight with PCOS but I completely understand your stuggle. I as recently put on Metformin and I don't know if it is supposed to help with weight lose or not but it seems to be doing so for me. It does sound backwards to have to up your calorie intake in order to lose weight, but if thats what it takes then I say try it...it can't hurt and you need to know what works and what doesn't!
  • ljbrauer
    ljbrauer Posts: 62
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    To answer your questions:

    No, I do not drink enough water on a regular basis. Some days I am amazing at remembering to drink more than enough water, and then other days I am lazy and forget about it.

    I have been eating really 'clean', but I have allowed myself to eat something not so clean here and there.

    I get at least seven hours of sleep per night, sometimes more.

    A majority of my calories are consumed during the day.

    I am very hit or miss about not eating 2 and a half hours before bed.

    Thanks for the amazing responses, everyone! I feel like I am on the right track with this finally and feel confident in the fact that I need to increase my calories for a few weeks. You guys are great! :happy:
  • LG30
    LG30 Posts: 72
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    I have PCOS, and I stopped taking metphormin almost a year ago and have had success with losing weight with diet and exercise, and of course with the help of MFP. So hang in there, and with support and encouragement you can and will meet your goal!! :)
  • devonparks
    devonparks Posts: 8
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    I hear ya. I've been frustrated the past few weeks, primarily because I'm recovering from severe rhabdomyolysis courtesy of a spinning class at the YMCA, but PCOS plays into it. Finally, just this morning, the numbers on the scale went down.

    My husband and I talk about this all the time. We've researched and stuff and here are some of the things we've discovered:

    First, make sure, make sure, make sure that your calories are at 1200 for the day, whether it's your net calories (when exercising) or regular calories (on an off day). If you don't, your body will enter starvation mode. I made that mistake early on and once I fixed the mistake, I started losing again.

    Second, vary your exercised. Eventually your body just gets used to doing the same old thing. Change it up and do something different or, increase the time/reps and resistance/weight to keep your muscles guessing. The whole muscle confusion concept is legit, but you don't have to spend a fortune on P90X and stuff like that.

    Third, our chiropractor is a health fanatic and he suggested increasing our fiber intake to 35 per day. I've just started doing this consistently this week and it's already paid off. Hubby's been doing it for a few weeks now and he's lost several pounds almost every week.

    Speaking of the chiropractor, he said to take fish oil too, although I don't remember why. There's a good reason though, I'm sure, or he wouldn't have said to do it.

    I'm not sure how the Metformin plays into the equation yet because I started MFP and got hurt just a few weeks in. I just started taking mine again last week after my liver and kidney function was back to normal. Anyway, I'm taking 2/day right now, but I've taken as many as four (500mg? each). You might want to talk to your doctor about increasing your dosage if you think that is playing into it. (Oh, yeah, Metformin makes some people retain water, just FYI.)

    Sometimes you need to shock your system too. Your body, basically, gets used to the lack of fat and adjusts itself. Sometimes you need to eat a crap meal to get everything burning again. We usually go out to the Mexican restaurant in town once a week. I used to be calorie Nazi and count my chips and stuff, but lately I'm just like, "Screw it." I eat what I want that one day and then I'm back on the game plan. I rarely put weight on the next day when I jump on the scale.

    I'm certainly no expert. This is just what we've discovered since we both got into this mid-January. As of today I'm down 26 lbs. and my hubby is down, I believe, 24. Hope some (or all) of it helps. I'd love to consistently compare notes with someone else who has PCOS, so feel free to add me. =)
  • tam8374
    tam8374 Posts: 270 Member
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    Question: Are you eating the calories that you burn?

    Just think the more you work your body, the more fuel it needs to lose weight. If you don't eat a lot of your workout calories, your body tries to hang onto the fat instead of shed the fat.

    That's just a tidbit that I have found works for me.
  • ljbrauer
    ljbrauer Posts: 62
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    I was taking fish oil but I am going to start taking it again and also adding more fiber too. Thanks for the suggestions!

    I wasn't eating my exercise calories but I now understand why this may hinder weight loss when you don't replenish at least some of the calories burned. With the amount of calories I have been burning I definitely think I need to eat more. I am hoping that 1900 calories will be enough! Again, thanks for taking the time to respond! :)
  • KandiGirl31
    KandiGirl31 Posts: 8
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    Ms. ljbrauer!

    I soooooooooooooo understand your struggle, but you will overcome! I have PCOS, but it used to HAVE ME!

    I went into denial for years about it and got up to 294lbs (as of January 2011) but I’m down to 264 and I started the last week of January.

    I led a sedentary life, but 2009-2010 was the FIRST YEAR I’d never gained weight. I was the same weight at my annual checkup in August 2010 as I was August 2009 and I wasn’t exercising. For a chica like me with PCOS, I WAS SOOOOO HAPPY and PROUD.

    I hadn’t found MFP in August 2010, but I did find balance of carbs and protein and eating 4-6 times per day is what made me keep my weight the same for 12 months. I wasn’t even eating as healthy as I am not (trying to lose 100+ lbs).

    So, my advice to you is to go back to basics.
    • TRACK EVERYTHING YOU EAT and start watching your carb to protein ratio.
    • With PCOS (even on METFORMIN) we need high protein, high fiber, low fat, and low carb…NOT NO CARBS. WE STILL NEED CARBS. We need more protein than carbs, but we DO NEED CARBS. NOT BAD ONES.
    • Drink lots of water
    • Try to eat most of your carbs before 3pm or (7hours before you go to bed); no high carb dinners (at least that’s what I’ve been doing)

    Right now I’m focusing on getting in 15-20g of fiber per day, 110g of protein, and 100-130g of carbs PER DAY.

    Any reduction of carbs from what you’re consuming now will help, but don’t get to a place that you can’t maintain. 100g of carbs per day for me is good and I try not to dip below that.

    My doctor put me on 500mg of METFORMIN in January, but I only take it once in the morning (though she suggested I take it twice).

    Also, I consume the majority of my carbs (healthy carbs) at breakfast and lunch and try to do very low carb (20g or less) or NO CARB for dinner.

    See if that helps. I know your struggle, but I KNOW THAT YOU CAN OVERCOME. Just listen to your body.

    And drink a lot of water and get some good sleep! I don’t play about my sleep!

    I can't wait to see that you've lost 4lbs in the next two weeks!

    SW: Jan 6, 2011 = 294
    CW: 264
    GW: 170 (no later than 12/31/2011)
  • Tules13
    Tules13 Posts: 16
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    I have also been diagnoised with PCOS, and put on metformin, and gainned weight and was sick constantly, so I stopped taking it, and have been watching my carbs, protein, calories, and changed my thinking from drop the pounds to thinking I'm just changing my lifestyle to one of healthy food choices, and that's with exercise has been working for me. I also went and spoke with a diabetic center for nutrition, and she helped so much on what types of food and how my plate should look, for meals and snacks.. things I never would have thought of on my own.. Good luck and you can add me if you'd like.
    T

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