pcos

Hi ! I have pcos too and I just want to let you know that it's totally possible to lose weight with pcos because I've done it myself before ( I've gained it all back now due to having a baby, and eating way to much sugar!) when I first started to lose weight when I got diagnosed I was only eating like 600calories a day and I had bulimia but I still couldn't lose any weight!! I was stuck at 85kg which is I'm pretty sure like 175pounds (can't remember exactly) but then I was a dietician who had me eat 6 times a day to keep my blood sugar stable which is the key with pcos. I would eat low glycemic index food, whole grains, brown or basmati rice, porridge for breakfast. I weighed my portions every so often so I didn't backslide and I ended up losing the weight getting down to an australian size 8 which is an American size 2 and maintaining that for three years ( also I completely recovered from bulimia!) I even managed have another baby:-) which is actually while I'm back here because I've put on 25kg whilst pregnant ( i have arthritis and because I couldn't take arthritis meds while pregnant I couldn't workout) and in the first six months after giving birth, I'm only just finding my motivation again sorry for sounding like a motivational speaker I just want to let you know it's possible

I have pcos and saw little to no improvement until I started to take Metformin and Spiro. My best results are with super low sugar and limited carbohydrate diets. My dr also gave the Spiro and birth defect warning. It has taken me 2 years to get balanced on these medications, but they work wonders! I let my pcos and thyroid go without medication and with NO attention to diet or exercise and got all the way up to 327 lbs. Never Again!

I have been diagnosed with PCOS for abt 3 years. However,it was last year I got a wake up call after I hit 210lbs, and my health was on the downfall. I was put on metformin and low-calorie diet. I dropped 60lbs in 5 months with very little exercise and I have been maintaining it since. I am 150 lbs and trying to lose the last 15lbs at a slower rate. I ditched sugars, gluten, processed foods and soda. So basically I eat only home-cooked meals and fresh produce. I drink around 3 liters of water per day and tea. I tend to overdo it when it comes to apples and peanuts.

chermike1 wrote: »

I am confused with the metformin is it for diabetes or just to help lose weight?

Hi there. I also have PCOS and I also take Metformin. This is what I was told by my doctor. I am insulin resistant. The Metformin sensitizes my liver to the insulin my body produces and helps my body use the insulin the way it is supposed to. Weight loss is an added benefit.
About a year ago, my doctor decided that, since I had lost so much weight, perhaps I wasn't insulin resistant anymore. She cut my dose in half. Well, that lasted about a month. Suddenly, the carb cravings were out of control! I mean, I was eating to the point of being sick. One night, I realized that carbs equalled glucose and called my doctor. She immediately brought my dose back to the level it was before. I have been taking it for about 10 years now and, I have a feeling I always will have to.

chermike1 wrote: »

HMM33502 Is the Metformin for diabetes? I guess I should consider myself lucky that I am only overweight with hair on my chin. My Dr. told me it could be much worse. I could have had diabetes and hair on my chest and back, but is still embarrasses me beyond belief and the hair I do have comes back fast! I was discouraged after seeing my endocrinologist because I thought once I had an answer to my issues I would have a fix and that is just not the case. I was told no cure and I couldn't take the only pill I know of that would eventually help with the hair and that because of the pcos I will probably never get down to the weight I want to be and I would have to pretty much be happy dieting to my plateau and then get stuck there forever.

It is still a daily battle! Fortunately, I can take Spiro. Believe me, the journey to get to a "balanced level" has been a long one. I don't have diabetes, but I have been tested for pre-diabetes when I was 80 lbs heavier. With every 10 lbs I lose, I have to go back to the doctor and get my bloodwork reevaluated. I'm hoping that I will be off of mess one day!

jens936 wrote: »

Basically pretend like you're diabetic. Avoid sugar, pair carbs with protein, eat whole grains only when you do eat carbs (which should be sparingly). I know a lot of people take Metformin to treat PCOS who aren't diabetic. I have PCOS and am not insulin resistant, which is a little unusual, but I have to act as though I'm diabetic if I want to lose weight. I cannot eat sugar, period.

Or OP could speak to an endocrinologist to get proper advice for her situation. My insulin is barely above the normal marks, but enough so to have been given a PCOS diagnosis. I also have hirsutism, but do not take spironolactone for it thus far (that and I refuse to take BCPs as my sister had a pulmonary embolism from her BC patch when she was around my age). My endo chose not to put my on metformin just yet either to see if my continued weight loss would bring down my numbers. She also instructed me to change nothing about my diet so long as I'm still losing. If my loss stalls out or my insulin numbers do not drop then I will be medicated and diet will be evaluated. This is not a one size fits all issue.

chermike1 wrote: »

Thank you all for your comments. My blood sugar was tested as well and it came back in the normal range. So I think I may have to be like jens936 and just eat a diabetics diet. This will be a big adjustment for me because I have always incorporated a lot of fiber to balance any carbs. I have always tried to keep my carbs on the low end, but I still would do fiber one stuff ect. that I will have to cut out of my diet.[/quote

That's great that your blood sugar came back in the normal range. My doctors were always scratching their heads about mine, and I even had one say that I couldn't have PCOS if I didn't have insulin resistance, because insulin resistance is the cause of PCOS (even though my FSH/LH ratio is really elevated, I have obviously enlarged and cystic ovaries on ultrasound and I have every symptom). I continued to gain weight until an endo told me that I had to watch the sugar. If you can, schedule a visit with a nutritionist. It was a nutritionist who taught me how to pair protein with carbs (think fruit, not bread or processed stuff) and choose low glycemic index foods. I lose when I do that and it stays off. If I stray from it, I gain - QUICKLY. I recently had a baby and am losing weight now. I am not diabetic and intend to stay that way!!

i have pcos but have no insulin resistance. I get regular periods but they only last one day and i do not ovulate. I can only lose on 1200- 1300 cals a day, and the only thing that took the extra weight off initially was that and cardio that got my heart rate up to a minimum of 165 for at least 30 consecutive minutes, 4-5 days a week. ( I do not suggest starting out this way right off the bat, check with a doctor first to see if this is healthy for you to do) I always lifted heavy because i love it, but it never did anything to reduce the extra body fat... it built up muscles under it though! Apparently this is not the norm for most people, but it is what has worked for me. Birth control also helped with a lot of my symptoms (acne,hairloss) but I had to stop taking it last year due to a chronic migraine aura, and gained 20lbs within a month and a half of stopping... just starting to lose again now. I feel like i could be a bit lax with calories when on hormone therapy, but not anymore lol!

When i first went on my weight loss journey, it took around 3 months before I even lost anything. Then all of a sudden one day the scale was down 5 lbs, and stayed there. Then another plateau, a few months, nothing, and then more weight dropped suddenly. I think with pcos our plateaus just last longer, the trick is to soldier on, even if 2 months go by and there aren't many changes, keep going and eventually it will come off. Before I would give up after a month or two because i didn't see any results. I think eventually my body knew that things would go back to the old way soon and that's why it didn't bother to change.

I'd also like to second the above poster. Eating mostly vegan helped a lot with the cystic acne, especially quitting dairy

I have pcos with abnormal sugar levels, I also miss periods and have TERRIBLE period symptoms. I take birth control to tame it, but no other medication but I find birth control really helps with the symptoms of pcos, especially excess hair.

What I find works for me is a low carb diet with LOTS of veggies. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but as a carboholic (partially due to pcos, partially due to the fact I am italian and greek lol) I know it is hard to stray away from pastas, bread, etc. I find eating a small amount of carbs, lots of veggies and lots of protein really help to keep you full but healthy. I currently have mfp set at 1400 cals a day, but I try to eat 1300ish. I try to eat at least 6-8 servings of veggies a day and I try to incorporate low amounts of whole wheat carbs into meals if I'm craving. I also drink a lot of water and I find that helps too.

Try the PCOS group here on mfp, much more relevant information there than here on the general forums.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis

There is lots of info there about what types of doctors help the most, what type of diet helps, what types of tests to ask for to see if you have IR also or just PCOS, what types of tests to ask for to see which type of PCOS you are, suppliments that are good for PCOS, etc

Lots of ladies who understand your struggle and support each other.