Pcos

goddessj
goddessj Posts: 7 Member
edited September 27 in Motivation and Support
I have pcos. This is a metabolic insulin resistance disease which causes me all sorts of troubles. One of the main problems is that the heavier you are with this condition, the worse all the symptoms and side effects. The catch 22 is that my metabolism does not behave normally and it is really difficult, next to impossible, to lose the weight and I gain easily. I decided to try this site, and it worked at first, I lost 3 pounds in one week. Then the pcos kicked in and I started gaining while maintaining within my caloric goal. I actually have a hard time eating all my calories, as i am a pretty active person. I walk my dogs, I work out 6 times a week, and I do all the work of a domestic goddess. I am totally de motivated now. I have lost 4 pounds in about 6 weeks. My goal is 20. I like this tool so much! I'm going to share it with my endocrinologist when I see him next. But I don't know where to go from here. I really want to lose the weight. I'm really trying. But I may have to give up if I gain anymore! I'm so very frustrated! I'm sure other users here suffer from pcos, words of encouragement anyone?

Replies

  • WendyDemers
    WendyDemers Posts: 17 Member
    I also have PCOS and struggled with weight loss for a long time. Since starting MFP in January I've lost 26 pounds so it's definitely possible! I'm doing this all with no drugs...only exercising and eating right. I talked to a nutritionist a while ago about eating food that is lower on the glycemic scale. This means I can't eat a lot of fruit, but I just up the vegetables. It's really made a big difference this time. It's also sooo important to completely stay away from foods high in starch. I eat only whole grain foods. Do I follow it 100%? Definitely not, but I try my hardest. I've learned what makes me gain and what makes me lose. I learned to listen to my body, not the doctors:)
  • short68
    short68 Posts: 4
    Sure you know this already, but the best diet for PCOS is carb/sugar free and high protein/good fats diet x It is really frustrating I know but you just need to hang in there cos results will happen x you are doing all you possibly can and all the right things x are you on any drugs for your PCOS x I tried herbal remedies (saw palmetto) in conjunction with acupuncture x I did see the gynae and he tried to put me on some drugs but I said that I would control it with diet and following a carb free diet, the improvements were immense and I did actually lose a lot of weight, my skin condition improved and I felt energetic and happier x That's the beauty of My Fitness Pal is that you can actually see what carb intake you are on and it should not rise above 20 grams of carbs a day which is equivalent to approx 4 teaspoons of sugar x slowly slowly catchy monkey that's my motto x
    :flowerforyou:
  • celestial_girl
    celestial_girl Posts: 6
    I also have PCOS and I would loose a few pounds, then really struggle for the rest so I feel your pain! After years of trying to lose weight without, I have finally been able to lose consistently while on metformin. I hope you can achieve your goal by not having to take drugs, but the metformin has really helped me.
  • Bigmomma0u812
    Bigmomma0u812 Posts: 118
    I have seen a lot of PCOS sufferers since joining. I have PCOS myself. I was diagnosed years ago while trying to get pregnant. I took metoformin to get pregnant and since having my daughter I don't even think of it any more. I think with me I have so much weight to lose that it hasn't been a big hinderance yet (and hopefully won't be in the future). I see others post that diet and exercise are key. I know what foods upset me because I had gestational diabetes while pregnant and checked my sugar 4x a day. I think we're all different and the same foods probably affect us in different ways. I try to balance my carbs with protein but I fall short all the time because I like carbs more than protein. You'll find what works for you, this site is wonderful for motivation, inspiration and information! Good luck!!
  • roointheuk
    roointheuk Posts: 25
    hi there,
    i also have pcos! After a couple of years of struggling i have finally found something that works and have lost the most yet and am my lowest weight in years. Fortunately i am quite lucky as my mother in law is a final year holistic nutrionist and has guided me in most things.

    So the crux of my lifestyle change is this and is an extreme change for many people but you can mix and match.
    I cut out all dairy (lactose does not agree with me)
    all wheat has gone
    all processed sugar
    no alcohol
    no processed foods.

    However, I can eat veg and proteins.
    The principle is two thirds veg and 1 lean protein.For all three meals, plus a snack of nuts (in a small quantity because of high cals). At present i am guinea pig as i am also trying to make my psoriassis better. So i am meat free too.

    More leafy greens the better! Like I say its extreme but its low gi and frankly its working so i am not going to complain.
    Add me as a friend I am happy to support :)
    Hope I have made sense and hasn't freaked you out :)
  • DawniesLife
    DawniesLife Posts: 157
    I understand that it is more difficult to lose weight when you have PCOS, especially when you have the insulin resistance issue to go along with it. I know because I also have PCOS with insulin resistance. I used that as an excuse for not being able to lose weight for years. And now that I have lost over 42 lbs, I'm not sure why I used that as an excuse for so long (not saying you are using it as an excuse, but I sure did). YES, it is harder to lose weight when you have PCOS with insulin resistance and yes it is more easy to gain weight, I actually had a doctor tell me that I wouldn't be able to lose weight without a ton of trouble, that added to my excuse list for years. I had tried Metformin in the past, but it made me ill so I stopped taking it years ago and about a week after I had started it. What it really took for me to get my weight loss going was cutting the calories down and exercising. Calories in vs calories out. I try not to eat too many carbs, but I do still eat carbs, and on some days a great deal of them! It's about finding a balance and what your body responds to, and it can take weeks or months to figure out that balance. Make sure you are eating the right amount of calories a day as well.

    What I do know is that when I started my weight loss journey here on MFP I hadn't had a period in 3 years due to the PCOS and then I got a period! So strange to me after not having one in so long, and then about 55 days later I got another period, of course that is a long time in between but wow that is a lot closer than 3 years, and then I just got another period, 32 day cycle. Normal is 28 to 35. I shouldn't have a normal cycle with PCOS!!! I really think my diet and exercise has helped get my PCOS under control. I am curious about the insulin resistance, because my doctors had never told me that insulin resistance is reversible. I didn't know that until I did some research on it. I wonder what mine is like now, it's obvious my body is making great changes. But sadly without health insurance, I am not able to get that checked at the moment, but the signs my body are giving me are great clues.

    My best advice is work with your doctor, see what they say, and go from there. There are many different approaches to take and some work better for some than they do for others. But you can lose the weight, you just have to find out what works for your body! And you will! Just stay motivated and stay dedicated and keep on trying! Good luck! :)
  • WendyDemers
    WendyDemers Posts: 17 Member
    I understand that it is more difficult to lose weight when you have PCOS, especially when you have the insulin resistance issue to go along with it. I know because I also have PCOS with insulin resistance. I used that as an excuse for not being able to lose weight for years. And now that I have lost over 42 lbs, I'm not sure why I used that as an excuse for so long (not saying you are using it as an excuse, but I sure did). YES, it is harder to lose weight when you have PCOS with insulin resistance and yes it is more easy to gain weight, I actually had a doctor tell me that I wouldn't be able to lose weight without a ton of trouble, that added to my excuse list for years. I had tried Metformin in the past, but it made me ill so I stopped taking it years ago and about a week after I had started it. What it really took for me to get my weight loss going was cutting the calories down and exercising. Calories in vs calories out. I try not to eat too many carbs, but I do still eat carbs, and on some days a great deal of them! It's about finding a balance and what your body responds to, and it can take weeks or months to figure out that balance. Make sure you are eating the right amount of calories a day as well.

    What I do know is that when I started my weight loss journey here on MFP I hadn't had a period in 3 years due to the PCOS and then I got a period! So strange to me after not having one in so long, and then about 55 days later I got another period, of course that is a long time in between but wow that is a lot closer than 3 years, and then I just got another period, 32 day cycle. Normal is 28 to 35. I shouldn't have a normal cycle with PCOS!!! I really think my diet and exercise has helped get my PCOS under control. I am curious about the insulin resistance, because my doctors had never told me that insulin resistance is reversible. I didn't know that until I did some research on it. I wonder what mine is like now, it's obvious my body is making great changes. But sadly without health insurance, I am not able to get that checked at the moment, but the signs my body are giving me are great clues.

    My best advice is work with your doctor, see what they say, and go from there. There are many different approaches to take and some work better for some than they do for others. But you can lose the weight, you just have to find out what works for your body! And you will! Just stay motivated and stay dedicated and keep on trying! Good luck! :)

    I had the same things happen for me! I've been having a regular cycle since I started here in January. Before that it was maybe once a year. Glad to hear such an uplifting success story:}
  • Lady_Bolt
    Lady_Bolt Posts: 2
    I have pcos as well. I'm glad there are other females here for support and motivation. It's a great thing to see! I'm 28 years old, recently married on Aug 10th 2010 :) I want to lose weight so we can have a child. That's what I've wanted all my life. Hoping to achieve this goal of mine for good! So please add me on here as a friend! And also feel free to add me on Facebook (just make sure to let me know who you are lol) Thank you all, and we can all do this...one day at a time :)
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