Overwhelmed by PCOS
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I think we all have reasons and factors that led us to be at our beginning obese weigjt, however for me, it does no good to focus on those unless it is in the realm of techniques to reduce and eliminate those reasons or factors.
The idea that it is the overeating that brought us all there and that eating at a deficit is all that is needed to overcome this, is super helpful to me. I used to look for more answers and when I realized it all boiled down to that, it was an epiphany. So while I find it sad that you don't find that type of advice helpful, I am so grateful it exists on the forum for those like myself for which it is.
Yes. Exactly. And if you wish to reduce carbohydrates while creating that deficit? Have at it.
But make no mistake that the PRIMARY problem was that you chronically overate because you liked to/were in the habit of it and the food tasted good.
The carbs didn't "make" you do it. Neither did the insulin, or your hormones.
You have the power to fix it, and I'm not dissing your choice to low carb to do it, just your reasoning.
FTR? I moderate my own carbs to manage my energy levels thanks to a medical condition. That's my choice. I have nothing against the way someone chooses to eat to deal with their medical issues. I don't think it serves someone well in the long run to not fully address the root cause of their issues with their weight, though.
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PCOS is a syndrome and like all syndromes it is a collection of symptoms that will effect each person differently. Some people will have more severe cases then others. Not all women with PCOS are fat and in some it contributes heavily. Hell, not all women with PCOS even have ovarian cysts. It can testosterone or estrogen dominant and that variation will effect your treatment as well.
My suggestions:
1. Find a reproductive endocrinologist. They are the experts.
2. Get tested for insulin resistance.
3. If you are insulin resistant talk to your RE about Metformin. The difference in my body while on Metformin is night and day.
4. Keep an eye on carbs. I don't really low carb it but in general try to keep my net carbs around 100g a day.
5. Exercise/strength training can increase insulin sensitivity.0 -
I have a normal weight (BMI 21) and my sister is underweight and we both have PCOS with cysts. So weight control has not helped that issue.
Only about half of PCOS patients are overweight. The diagnosis is not a life-sentence to being overweight.
I'm fairly certain my sister and I have been able to control a lot of symptoms with weight and diet control.
We both count calories and lost weight without medication. It can be done. The first step is being honest with yourself. Weigh and measure everything and log everything.0 -
@PeachyCarol ... I admire you.. a lot
Your advice may be difficult for some to take when they are at certain points of their journey .. but if they can absorb the message no matter how unpalatable it is they will start to succeed .. and success breeds success
time to take responsibility for the parts you can take responsibility for .. time to not be a victim or find an excuse. People with IR and PCOS lose weight .. it may be more difficult than without but it's the same rules
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I'm not denying that you have the power to fix it. I am saying that it's important to know the cause of the cravings and how to stop them happening rather than just trying to ignore them and getting hypoglycaemic symptoms.
The OP said that her doctor didn't provide her with a lot of information about what was going on and didn't really know where to start or what to eat. I was offering her strategies that have helped me to lose 17.5kg over the last 3 months.
My reasoning for following low carb is because high GI carbs make my blood sugar drop rapidly around an hour after eating which makes me anxious, shaky, dizzy and I feel rotten. And when that happens I need to eat some sugar to get my levels back up. I didn't understand until this year what was happening to me. And I tried for years to find out why this happened.
All I'm trying to say is that you can't tell people that they overate and they should have fixed it when they didn't have the tools or knowledge to fix it. I'm trying to fix it now. And I did try to fix it in the past but didn't know how.
And as for your earlier comment I have a perfectly healthy relationship with food NOW because I understand how my body reacts to certain foods.0 -
PCOS warrior here. Struggled with my weight since being 15. Always ate too much. Blamed my "condition"
My condition did not make me fat. Me lifting food continuously to my mouth did that.
I used to have a conversation in my head "Oh flip, I feel so fat today. Stupid body. Stupid PCOS" "Eat some food to make you feel better" "Oooh yes I will thanks"
Yep IR does make things more complicated but the fact is... I have lost almost 3 stone since January. I take NO medication whatsoever to control my PCOS as I am more than aware that my symptoms are worse the bigger I am. Now I am almost at the upper end of a healthy BMI and feeling much better about myself.
Willpower. Accountability. A strength I never knew I had and being tough on myself caused that. Not PCOS.
It frustrates me how people will always blame their condition than just be honest with themselves that they eat far too much. Been there, done it, wore the too tight t shirt.0 -
NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner wrote: »
Yep IR does make things more complicated.
It seems to me that all @ellesMFP93 has been doing is explaining how it's complicated. Extremely patiently, I might add. As well as how it can be corrected.
Not all people with PCOS are overweight. Also, although the underlying biological reality is starting to become clearer, not all people have the same symptoms to the same degree. It is a syndrome - a metabolic syndrome, actually, the treatment for which is often - in cases where obesity is a symptom, which is not the case for every person with PCOS, by the way - a low-carb diet. Like that is the standard treatment, for people who need it. Because it is a metabolic syndrome.
I see pretty much no value to the OP in much of the discussion above. It's just people beating their drums just to hear themselves.0 -
PeachyCarol wrote: »What I'm saying is that there's a point where we all ignore the fact that we're overeating for whatever the reason is as the weight piles on.
We can see that we're getting bigger and bigger, and some people manage to stop before it gets to a certain point and get help by either going to a doctor and finding out what the problem is, or finding other ways to address it.
I know other people with PCOS, and not all of them get overweight to such a point.
For some people with PCOS, being overweight doesn't even come into it. There's variation in how it's expressed. Some never gain weight. Some do but it has nothing to do with PCOS. I think if you don't actually know what you're talking about, maybe it'd be better to sit out.0 -
You know what pisses me off? People who flag posts because they don't want to hear the truth. Flag me all you want. Just because you don't like what someone has to say, doesn't automatically make it either abusive or incorrect.-2
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snickerscharlie wrote: »You know what pisses me off? People who flag posts because they don't want to hear the truth. Flag me all you want. Just because you don't like what someone has to say, doesn't automatically make it either abusive or incorrect.
People need to remember that serial unnecessary flagging can get them mod points just as quickly as writing something against the TOS.
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PeachyCarol wrote: »What I'm saying is that there's a point where we all ignore the fact that we're overeating for whatever the reason is as the weight piles on.
We can see that we're getting bigger and bigger, and some people manage to stop before it gets to a certain point and get help by either going to a doctor and finding out what the problem is, or finding other ways to address it.
I know other people with PCOS, and not all of them get overweight to such a point.
For some people with PCOS, being overweight doesn't even come into it. There's variation in how it's expressed. Some never gain weight. Some do but it has nothing to do with PCOS. I think if you don't actually know what you're talking about, maybe it'd be better to sit out.
I do know what I'm talking about. Perhaps I'm not getting that point across, though.
To counter something you said earlier, low carbing is not necessary, even with people with IR. But that's not my point.
There's a reason that being overweight doesn't come into play for some people with PCOS. Think about that one.
I'm not saying anything different to what another poster said upstream. Re-read MamaBirdBoss's excellent post.
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I have PCOS. I've lost about 55 pounds and plan to keep it off long term.
It comes down to eating fewer calories than you burn. Yes, it is CICO. As a woman with PCOS, your BMR is almost certainly lower than a woman with PCOS (no matter whether or not you have IR, though those with IR have lower BMRs than those without) but that doesn't mean that you cannot lose weight or keep it off.
My suggestion for anybody trying to lose weight:- Fill out your MFP profile accurately (weight, height, age, non-exercise activity level.)
- Choose a reasonable weekly weight loss goal (a reasonable goal for your current weight and one that allows you to eat a sustainable amount of food--that means that you might be best choosing 1 pound a week rather than 2 pounds a week.)
- Weigh all foods with a digital kitchen scale.
- If you cannot weigh your foods, measure with measuring cups/spoons but be reasonable and don't mash stuff in them to get extra bites.
- If you can neither weigh nor measure your food (i.e., you are dining out), estimate really well (google "serving size chart" to get visuals to follow.
- Log every single bite as accurately as possible by using verified nutrition information such as USDA entries in the MFP database or the nutrition labeling on food packages.
- If/when you exercise, log that activity in your MFP exercise diary. Eat back the calories. Some people find that the exercise calories are overestimated so they eat back only a portion. Whether you eat back 100% or 50%, I suggest sticking with the same percentage for 4 weeks and then reevaluating whether you should a higher or lower percentage, based on how much you are losing each week.
The only different suggestions I have for women with PCOS are:- You might benefit by eating a lower carb diet. This isn't a sure thing and it doesn't mean that you have to go super low carb or keto. I do well eating around 100-150 carbs per day, the lower end when losing weight, the higher end when maintaining. It's not a surefire thing though so experiment with what works for you.
- Since the BMR is lower, I really believe that exercise makes weight loss so much easier for women with PCOS. For me, LISS type exercise (low impact steady state such as walking) ups my calorie burn but does not increase my appetite. HIIT makes me famished so I avoid it unless I know I'll be eating a lot that day. Again, you'll need to experiment a bit to find what works for you but I highly suggest adding some easy cardio. I'm also a strong believer in strength training but for weight loss purposes, cardio did a lot more for me than lifting weights.
One last thing: Don't let PCOS define you or become an excuse for unhealthy behaviors or lifestyle choices. You are more than a syndrome. You are a capable adult with a brain and decision making abilities. Make the right choices and you can be very healthy and fit despite PCOS.0 -
NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner wrote: »
Yep IR does make things more complicated.
It seems to me that all @ellesMFP93 has been doing is explaining how it's complicated. Extremely patiently, I might add. As well as how it can be corrected.
Not all people with PCOS are overweight. Also, although the underlying biological reality is starting to become clearer, not all people have the same symptoms to the same degree. It is a syndrome - a metabolic syndrome, actually, the treatment for which is often - in cases where obesity is a symptom, which is not the case for every person with PCOS, by the way - a low-carb diet. Like that is the standard treatment, for people who need it. Because it is a metabolic syndrome.
I see pretty much no value to the OP in much of the discussion above. It's just people beating their drums just to hear themselves.
Thanks for quoting me.
Alas you are preaching to the choir. I'm well aware of how PCOS works.
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Anybody have a thyroid issue?0
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ellesMFP93 wrote: »So the 7 years, 18 doctors and numerous fad diets it took to diagnose my PCOS and insulin resistance is because I was ignoring my weight gain?
Not everyone with PCOS is insulin resistant so I'm sure not everyone you know who has PCOS is overweight.
I'm not blaming the food. I'm saying I was told for years I was eating the right things until one day that information was incorrect.
I was explaining the reason why the overeating happens. Which I think is a lot more helpful than 'stop overeating'.
I was trying to help the OP to understand what goes on in the body of an insulin resistant person and the kind of foods to eat to combat this as she asked what she should eat.
I've found everyone else of MFP to be really positive and good at encouraging each other to eat better things. I can't say the same for you though PeachyCarol.
We have power over food, food does not have power over us.
Stop overeating and eat less calories than your burn is the answer to weight loss every single time. However, when you have medical conditions such as the OP does, it takes awhile and more work to figure out that special weight loss number. It sounds like she might need to find a new doctor, too--one who specializes in PCOS.
There are loads of people on here who have PCOS who lose weight and keep it off.
Whether or not someone is supportive is in your perception only. Just because someone takes a difference stance than you does not mean they are not supportive.
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My dossier on file with the doctor has PCOS in it. The thing I notice *most* is the stupid hair on my chin that I have to keep on top of removing.
Above a certain weight (170ish) I can get insulin resistant. I get insulin resistant faster than a lot of people around me. Progestin only birth control is a nightmare for me that way, because it can make me IR literally over-night at a pretty low weight, so I stay the heck away from that stuff.
However, these are just facts that I know about myself, nothing more. I do a lot of steady state cardio every day to keep my calorie burn nice and high. (Or, at least, high enough to live the food lifestyle I want to live.) I pay attention to my calories. Above all, I try keep my weight in control, because that reduces all my other symptoms.... Except that stupid hair. That's still there.
At a higher weight, you will have more symptoms to fight, yes, but that's an excellent motivator to get your weight down. It is going to be HARD, but not impossible. And the closer to normal weight you get, the easier things will be for you. And that will also be motivation to maintain your lifestyle once you've got a handle on how you need to go about things to keep your condition under control.
Sure it's easier for other people to lose weight, but honestly, once you've gotten to a lower weight and kicked the IR (which, you TOTALLY CAN) it will be easier for YOU TOO. Push yourself. Do the hard stuff. It will get easier, not just because it can become a good habit for you, but because without IR IT WILL ACTUALLY BE EASIER. But you won't get over the bumpy patch into the smooth sailing bits until you tough out the first hill.0 -
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Now, this deserves a.......NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner wrote: »PCOS warrior here. Struggled with my weight since being 15. Always ate too much. Blamed my "condition"
My condition did not make me fat. Me lifting food continuously to my mouth did that.
I used to have a conversation in my head "Oh flip, I feel so fat today. Stupid body. Stupid PCOS" "Eat some food to make you feel better" "Oooh yes I will thanks"
Yep IR does make things more complicated but the fact is... I have lost almost 3 stone since January. I take NO medication whatsoever to control my PCOS as I am more than aware that my symptoms are worse the bigger I am. Now I am almost at the upper end of a healthy BMI and feeling much better about myself.
Willpower. Accountability. A strength I never knew I had and being tough on myself caused that. Not PCOS.
It frustrates me how people will always blame their condition than just be honest with themselves that they eat far too much. Been there, done it, wore the too tight t shirt.
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PeachyCarol wrote: »What I'm saying is that there's a point where we all ignore the fact that we're overeating for whatever the reason is as the weight piles on.
We can see that we're getting bigger and bigger, and some people manage to stop before it gets to a certain point and get help by either going to a doctor and finding out what the problem is, or finding other ways to address it.
I know other people with PCOS, and not all of them get overweight to such a point.
For some people with PCOS, being overweight doesn't even come into it. There's variation in how it's expressed. Some never gain weight. Some do but it has nothing to do with PCOS. I think if you don't actually know what you're talking about, maybe it'd be better to sit out.
Um......I get the impression that she's spot on.
You don't get to tell anyone to sit anything out. 0 -
ellesMFP93 wrote: »OP what was the idiot dr who told you this? The first and most important treatment steps for PCOS are losing weight, via controlling calories, and getting physically active. PCOS might be to blame for a few extra lbs clinging to your belly area. That's it. The end. The rest of the weight, it is from overeating. So the good news are, you have control over it. Count your calories and start moving, and you will be impressed.
The rest of the weight is not just from overeating. Insulin resistance means that there's a fault in the lock and key mechanism that takes glucose into the cells in the muscles. When it struggles with that it produces more insulin to compensate, converts the glucose to glycogen and stores it as fat. This drops your blood sugar quite quickly and you can get hypoglycaemic symptoms. This obviously makes you crave more sugar or carbs which continues the cycle on again. If it goes undiagnosed for a long time this can cause obesity and diabetes. It's not just 'overeating' like your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Your body is telling you it needs more.
I've found the best way to combat this is making sure to eat fats and proteins at the same time as carbs if I do eat them. This slows down the absorption. Eating low GI carbs obviously helps too.
No, ALL the weight that brings you from a normal weight to overweight is from overeating. If you were one of the extraordinarily rare women who have insulin resistance due to another type of condition other than obesity, you wouldn't have an elevated risk of becoming obese.
Obesity causes PCOS, not the other way around.
Notice that thin women who have cystic ovaries don't respond to PCOS treatments that restore fertility in overweight women with PCOS. That's because their ovaries are cystic but they don't have PCOS. (Usually, ovary drilling is the only option for them after the follicle stimulating drugs fail.)
Like taking birth control, insulin resistance can make you a little more hungry and a little more tired. So along with the other things that create the behaviors causing obesity, it's just another pebble on the pile.
People with PCOS who have bariatric surgery don't lose less than people without PCOS. And MOST morbidly obese people develop insulin resistance as a result of their obesity. Men also often have a drop in their testosterone levels when this happens--and also the same sort of fertility drop. No one's telling them that their magical sex hormones now won't let them lose weight. Weight loss as little as 10lbs can lessen or even reverse PCOS, depending on the woman.
Metformin can make weight loss easier by reducing hunger and fatigue associated with insulin resistance. It isn't well-tolerated by everyone, though. Again, you can cut out all carbs with a high glycemic index and get a fairly similar effect.
Women need to stop being lied to--and women need to stop lying to their doctors about what they're doing, however unintentionally. (The average person underestimates what they eat by at least 20%--and underweight people usually OVERestimate what they eat, so this figure includes those people. In overweight people, the percents skyrocket.) Weigh everything. Eat a deficit. Watch the weight fall off.
If it didn't work, then a) you'd be magical unicorns defying the laws of physics, and b) bariatric surgery wouldn't work for some people. Yet it works for everyone until they learn to stretch their stomachs out again and force their bodies to accept more food.0
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