Women with PCOS and BMR

13

Replies

  • Errrica91
    Errrica91 Posts: 122 Member
    Red13 wrote: »
    To the people who think pcos becomes an excuse you should keep in mind everyone has a different level of the syndrome and thus everyone has to try different things to see results. To answer your question I am in the same boat with eating low calories to see any change. I try to stay around 1200-1500cal and count half my exercise cals. Some things to try... Carb cycling. It keeps your body guessing and I had most success on it. Another thing is get rid of dairy. I didn't look at your diary but I'm just starting it and so far it's great! Also lifting weights as mentioned is a great approach for pcos.

    YES - exactly <3 thank you <3
  • Errrica91
    Errrica91 Posts: 122 Member
    edited November 2015
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    PikaKnight wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    My suggestion is to dump the HIIT and instead do 40-45 minutes of LISS (low impact steady state) cardio like walking four times a week, in addition to lifting weights 2-3x/wk. Keep the pilates if you would like, for stretching once a week but don't count on it as a great calorie burner.

    I'd probably start at 1650 calories per day, stick with it for four weeks of good solid logging, and then analyze the results.

    Been there, done that. LISS doesn't change my weight loss either:( And my Pilates is advance so it's really not to be considered just "stretch" - I burn about 300kcal in a session. And I track EVERYTHING (kcal, carbs, protein, fat, kcal burn through exercise) - I'm no newbie to this.

    And ARE you suffering from PCOS, TOO?

    But THANKS anyway.

    I always jump in when people say yoga doesn't burn many calories, but can't speak to Pilates. How are you getting the 300 cal/session burn? If from the database, those burns are considered inflated and many people suggest you just eat 50% of the calories you've earned from them back.

    Someone else (I wish I remember who) said burns for her are more accurate when she says she is an inch shorter than she really is and I am trying that at the moment cuz it's easier than always adjusting the burn.

    Ofc yoga burns calories just depends what kind of yoga you're doing B) I use heart monitor btw:*

    But HRMs are for steady state cardio. Using it for other activities like yoga, aerobics, strength training, etc will end up giving you exaggerated burn.

    That is not true. HRMs are to use for any physical exercise - including strenght training and HIIT...and even Pilates - it just depends how you have it adjusted;) mine counts calories after I get above 60% of my HR for example;)

    HRMs are categorically NOT to be used for any physical exercise ...not strength training, not HIIT, not Pilates

    Calorie burn is NOT directly related to heart rate. A HRM is only for steady state cardio based exercise like running, rowing, cycling at specific intensities ...the formula works on a table of HR in these conditions conversion to oxygen uptake

    Getting your hr to 60% of some formulaic max (again heart rate zones is old school) does not equate to a specific calorific burn

    It wouldn't matter if you were losing, but you aren't

    Because your logging is wrong

    Other people's calorie intake is irrelevant

    I personally lost most of my weight eating around 1800 calories, currently eat around 2300-2400 in maintenance and my carbs never normally drop below 50%.. This is irrelevant to you

    Stick to your excuses and incorrect assumptions, they won't help you



    HRMs keep my arrythmia in check and that's all that matters to me in fact:) I wonder if you'd ever consider the possibility that I AM logging right - after 8 years of exercise and diet and 5 years of steadily losing - I think I am and the problem is really mainly in hormonal disbalance. But I guess you'd say the same thing to obese ppl, right? They don't have a health issue...they're probably just lazy *kitten*, making excuses, right?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I'm confused by that post and your response

    @pineygirl 5'1 and 122 your BMR is around 1350 and you say you're eating 1500 to 2000 calories a day, averaging 1650 .. if you're set to lose 1lb a week that would put your TDEE at 2150 which is probably appropriate for an active / very active person at your height and weight

    Where exactly is the lower BMR?

    What do you mean by eating 250 under due to logging inaccuracies - are you actually not eating 1650 but eating 1400? and losing a pound?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited November 2015
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    PikaKnight wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    My suggestion is to dump the HIIT and instead do 40-45 minutes of LISS (low impact steady state) cardio like walking four times a week, in addition to lifting weights 2-3x/wk. Keep the pilates if you would like, for stretching once a week but don't count on it as a great calorie burner.

    I'd probably start at 1650 calories per day, stick with it for four weeks of good solid logging, and then analyze the results.

    Been there, done that. LISS doesn't change my weight loss either:( And my Pilates is advance so it's really not to be considered just "stretch" - I burn about 300kcal in a session. And I track EVERYTHING (kcal, carbs, protein, fat, kcal burn through exercise) - I'm no newbie to this.

    And ARE you suffering from PCOS, TOO?

    But THANKS anyway.

    I always jump in when people say yoga doesn't burn many calories, but can't speak to Pilates. How are you getting the 300 cal/session burn? If from the database, those burns are considered inflated and many people suggest you just eat 50% of the calories you've earned from them back.

    Someone else (I wish I remember who) said burns for her are more accurate when she says she is an inch shorter than she really is and I am trying that at the moment cuz it's easier than always adjusting the burn.

    Ofc yoga burns calories just depends what kind of yoga you're doing B) I use heart monitor btw:*

    But HRMs are for steady state cardio. Using it for other activities like yoga, aerobics, strength training, etc will end up giving you exaggerated burn.

    That is not true. HRMs are to use for any physical exercise - including strenght training and HIIT...and even Pilates - it just depends how you have it adjusted;) mine counts calories after I get above 60% of my HR for example;)

    HRMs are categorically NOT to be used for any physical exercise ...not strength training, not HIIT, not Pilates

    Calorie burn is NOT directly related to heart rate. A HRM is only for steady state cardio based exercise like running, rowing, cycling at specific intensities ...the formula works on a table of HR in these conditions conversion to oxygen uptake

    Getting your hr to 60% of some formulaic max (again heart rate zones is old school) does not equate to a specific calorific burn

    It wouldn't matter if you were losing, but you aren't

    Because your logging is wrong

    Other people's calorie intake is irrelevant

    I personally lost most of my weight eating around 1800 calories, currently eat around 2300-2400 in maintenance and my carbs never normally drop below 50%.. This is irrelevant to you

    Stick to your excuses and incorrect assumptions, they won't help you



    HRMs keep my arrythmia in check and that's all that matters to me in fact:) I wonder if you'd ever consider the possibility that I AM logging right - after 8 years of exercise and diet and 5 years of steadily losing - I think I am and the problem is really mainly in hormonal disbalance. But I guess you'd say the same thing to obese ppl, right? They don't have a healt issue...they're probably just lazy *kitten*, making excuses, right?

    Good I'm glad you are using the HRM for what it is designed for - that makes perfect sense

    You're not losing weight

    Your posts speak to logging inaccuracies to be considered in the first instance

    Are you weighing your food? you have yet to answer
    How are you estimating your calorie burns (300 for pilates is overestimating) you have yet to answer

    after a long time dieting it is far more likely that bad habits have snuck in and if it looks like a horse it's probably a horse

    If you steadily lost for 5 years how come you still need to lose weight - even at 0.5lb a week that would be a weight loss of what? 130lbs?

    do you yo-yo by any chance?

    If you think you have hormonal imbalances / thyroid issues go to the doctor

    You know what I'd say to obese people? I'd say log your food accurately by weight and don't overestimate your calorie burns. I wouldn't advise weight resistance exercise until they are down from morbidly obese though because of joint issues - but for someone like you I would say you should be following a progressive resistance programme for it's many benefits

    or you can just cut your calories further to make up for your inaccuracies - that will work too

  • Errrica91
    Errrica91 Posts: 122 Member
    edited November 2015
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    PikaKnight wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    My suggestion is to dump the HIIT and instead do 40-45 minutes of LISS (low impact steady state) cardio like walking four times a week, in addition to lifting weights 2-3x/wk. Keep the pilates if you would like, for stretching once a week but don't count on it as a great calorie burner.

    I'd probably start at 1650 calories per day, stick with it for four weeks of good solid logging, and then analyze the results.

    Been there, done that. LISS doesn't change my weight loss either:( And my Pilates is advance so it's really not to be considered just "stretch" - I burn about 300kcal in a session. And I track EVERYTHING (kcal, carbs, protein, fat, kcal burn through exercise) - I'm no newbie to this.

    And ARE you suffering from PCOS, TOO?

    But THANKS anyway.

    I always jump in when people say yoga doesn't burn many calories, but can't speak to Pilates. How are you getting the 300 cal/session burn? If from the database, those burns are considered inflated and many people suggest you just eat 50% of the calories you've earned from them back.

    Someone else (I wish I remember who) said burns for her are more accurate when she says she is an inch shorter than she really is and I am trying that at the moment cuz it's easier than always adjusting the burn.

    Ofc yoga burns calories just depends what kind of yoga you're doing B) I use heart monitor btw:*

    But HRMs are for steady state cardio. Using it for other activities like yoga, aerobics, strength training, etc will end up giving you exaggerated burn.

    That is not true. HRMs are to use for any physical exercise - including strenght training and HIIT...and even Pilates - it just depends how you have it adjusted;) mine counts calories after I get above 60% of my HR for example;)

    HRMs are categorically NOT to be used for any physical exercise ...not strength training, not HIIT, not Pilates

    Calorie burn is NOT directly related to heart rate. A HRM is only for steady state cardio based exercise like running, rowing, cycling at specific intensities ...the formula works on a table of HR in these conditions conversion to oxygen uptake

    Getting your hr to 60% of some formulaic max (again heart rate zones is old school) does not equate to a specific calorific burn

    It wouldn't matter if you were losing, but you aren't

    Because your logging is wrong

    Other people's calorie intake is irrelevant

    I personally lost most of my weight eating around 1800 calories, currently eat around 2300-2400 in maintenance and my carbs never normally drop below 50%.. This is irrelevant to you

    Stick to your excuses and incorrect assumptions, they won't help you



    HRMs keep my arrythmia in check and that's all that matters to me in fact:) I wonder if you'd ever consider the possibility that I AM logging right - after 8 years of exercise and diet and 5 years of steadily losing - I think I am and the problem is really mainly in hormonal disbalance. But I guess you'd say the same thing to obese ppl, right? They don't have a healt issue...they're probably just lazy *kitten*, making excuses, right?

    Good I'm glad you are using the HRM for what it is designed for - that makes perfect sense

    You're not losing weight

    Your posts speak to logging inaccuracies to be considered in the first instance

    Are you weighing your food? you have yet to answer
    How are you estimating your calorie burns (300 for pilates is overestimating) you have yet to answer

    after a long time dieting it is far more likely that bad habits have snuck in and if it looks like a horse it's probably a horse

    If you steadily lost for 5 years how come you still need to lose weight - even at 0.5lb a week that would be a weight loss of what? 130lbs?

    do you yo-yo by any chance?

    If you think you have hormonal imbalances / thyroid issues go to the doctor

    You know what I'd say to obese people? I'd say log your food accurately by weight and don't overestimate your calorie burns. I wouldn't advise weight resistance exercise until they are down from morbidly obese though because of joint issues - but for someone like you I would say you should be following a progressive resistance programme for it's many benefits

    or you can just cut your calories further to make up for your inaccuracies - that will work too

    I count calories strictly for my cardio burns - I've done LISS and HIIT over the years, I used to run, I swam,... so I really was just curious about caloric INTAKE of other girls with PCOS:)

    I DID lose for 5 years and THEN I gained about 16-17lbs in just two months (but I alredy wrote that in a previous post:)) about a month after I was diagnosed with arrythmia and was put on betablockers:)

    I eat as healthy as I did before I gained - lc/keto - healthy fats, lots of green veggie, lean meat, not much dairy - I've worked as a model since I was 16 so strict healthy diet IS part of my contract too - but the weight gain makes it almost impossible to model now:/
    I do have hormonal imbalances (PCOS is not a just a flu as you know yourself:)), don't suffer from thyroid issues - fortunatelly and I take betablockers for my arrythmia. I go to BOTH gynecologist and endocrynologist and AM trying to solve this problem with them. But as I said: since I'm not exactly overweight or obese yet and they see my eating is ok - they don't do anything about it:)

    But you're right - I should maybe put more preasure on them:) Thank you:-)

    PS: when it comes to obese ppl, it's a hormonal issue too, and you should take that into account:)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    PS it is always a Calories in vs calories out issue and blaming hormones is generally an excuse

    PPS many models have some of the worst diets in the world, I'm glad to see you didn't fall into that trap

    PPPS maybe add a dietician to your mix of specialists
  • Errrica91
    Errrica91 Posts: 122 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    PS it is always a Calories in vs calories out issue and blaming hormones is generally an excuse

    PPS many models have some of the worst diets in the world, I'm glad to see you didn't fall into that trap

    PPPS maybe add a dietician to your mix of specialists

    It's not an excuse but that's your opinion:)

    Depends on model agency - the good ones want healthy models:)

    My fitness trainer is a nutritionist but not helping either:/

    But thank you:)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited November 2015
    It's less of an opinion than an actuality - unless you have seen studies that refute that in which case please do link them here

    I have worked with a lot of agencies .. lots of them profess to policies they don't carry out

    A nutritionist is not a dietician - be careful on taking diet advice from a fitness trainer

    and you're welcome
  • Errrica91
    Errrica91 Posts: 122 Member
    edited November 2015
    @rabbitjb

    Honestly, I don't care about studies very much cause most of the time they're just paid and not occurate.

    I've lived around ppl with hormonal disbalance most of my life (some of them obese) and I could see how hard it was for them to lose weight even if they did everything right... or they lost some weight (still far away from "slim figure") and then all of sudden their metabolism striked back and they gained most of the weight back.

    I come from medical family so I know this stuff. And any doctor will tell you that if "hormones go crazy" (and you probably know this since you're almost 50 based on your profile) there's not much you can do about it. YES, you can keep it in check sort of. But you'll probably never have a model body exactly. ;):*

    But thanks for your advice anyway <3
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited November 2015
    You're welcome

    Your anecdotal evidence and belief system is against scientific fact, but that's fine - you aren't trying to convince anyone that you know what you're talking about.. you're just looking for other people's opinions

    And I know you know that you don't get the level of knowledge a specialist like a registered dietician or endocrinologist has through osmosis :)

    Any doctor telling you 'hormones go crazy' should be struck off .. or at least sent back to school .. because science

    You're right I'm almost 50 .. there's plenty I can do about my body and weight .. a healthy nutritious diet and resistance programme and I actually think my body is pretty good to be honest. It's got me through many years of different health issues, made 2 beautiful children. Though if you've been stalking my profile you can make your own judgement of course regarding a 'model body' LOL, but having worked with a number of models I have my own opinions there ... I certainly don't feel I need to lose weight :huh:

    :heart: :bigsmile:

  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    Not being able to do much about 'when hormones go crazy'. Well, if a doctor ever said this to me I'd find a different doctor. Luckily the doctors I know and speak to understand turning 50 and 'not being able to do anything about hormones going crazy' probably do not go well together. I turn 50 next year so I'll start checking about the inability to impact my hormones due to age. OP--best of luck, at age 23, with all the specialists you go to and your family's knowledge in the medical field you ought to be able to figure out how to go after your goals and know the difference between science and woo.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I have to say, being 53 and post the "hormones going crazy" phase of things, there is anything I feel but helpless in the face of it. My doctor's advice to me regarding my weight was the same it would have been to any other patient.

    It's something to hold onto going forward in life. Hormones are a very small part of the equation. Calories and activity matter far more.
  • rainbowblu
    rainbowblu Posts: 119 Member
    I understand. I gave up asking or telling people about PCOS and IR years ago.People who don't suffer with these conditions don't understand.Sometimes we hear the calories in vs. Calories out Soooooo much,that we forget that there are people with VALID HEALTH ISSUES that cause us to lose weight MUCH slower. MFP may not be the place to ask.. Maybe a forum for people with PCOS/IR would get you more answers.

    Anyways... I'm 5'9 and My weight stays the same(or I gain) at 1500 calories if I eat the standard American diet.. I have to eat 1100 on the SAD to lose weight every week(YES I weigh and measure). This was at 300lbs btw. If I take Metformin I can eat 100 grams of carbs per day and 1500 cal and lose weight. Without medication I have to eat 1100 calories of the SAD,or do a LCHF diet. When I did an Atkins or similar plan I could eat 1500 or more calories and lose weight.... It took me YEARS to figure it out... As of now I try to eat 50 or less carbs a day,walk 10,000 steps daily,and occasionaly go to the gym and I lose 2.5 per week for the last 15 weeks...

    What helps is to try things for a few weeks and constantly tweak your plan until it works.Also,you might need medication if your IR/PCOS is bad.. I stopped taking the Meds,but I know that IR makes it waaay easier to get type 2 Diabetes so I'm trying to fix it now. The BEST things for IR is exercise and low carbs.Good luck on your journey.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    There are plenty of people on MFP, on this very thread, who have PCOS with and without IR, who understand how it works and what effects it has. Women with PCOS, both with and without IR, have lower BMRs, yes. But that doesn't mean that their fat is built with less energy (fewer calories) than anybody else. People who are obese (with or without PCOS) have an excess of fat because they have ingested more food than necessary to fuel their bodies at lower weights.

    We are not made of air and pixie dust. Nobody gains fat without eating more than their bodies need to maintain. Can we gain weight, including that which can be attributed to water retention, more food in the stomach and bowels, etc., without eating in excess? Yes, absolutely. You can do that due to hormonal fluctuations, salty meals, more carbs than usual, etc. But fat? No.

    Coming from a medical family means diddly squat as far as having a proper science and medical education. My dad was a computer programmer and I can't program a computer. My grandpa owned a transmission shop and I would have to google "car transmission" to be able to point one out. My husband's family owns a salon but I wouldn't let him near my head with a pair of scissors. You don't inherit knowledge or education.
  • rainbowblu
    rainbowblu Posts: 119 Member
    We have all met a person who eats A LOT of EVERYTHING and never gains weight,so why is it so hard to believe the opposite? One of my best friends is 5'8 and 120lbs.. People made fun of her for being too skinny so she used to eat 2 whole pizzas a day and drink a gallon of chocolate milk,snickers and everything to try to gain weight.She never gained weight..why? She was obviously eating way more than she should(for Years!). We all know people like this... If there are people who overeat and don't gain weight why is it so hard to believe that not every overweight person overeats? "Science is just science until it's not." K.W. I have been saying that for years.. There are many things in science that were not fully known or understood until some other scientist discovered something. I believe that weight/metabolism/hormones have a looooooong way to go in the scientific world.
    All I know is that before I had PCOS I was like most of you... Judgemental. I used to hear people saying " I'm doing everything I can..ect,ect." I secretly would think that they were lying,binge eating,or not being accurate. But,now I know better.

    Your journey is YOUR OWN- the way that you are affected by PCOS will not be the same for another person.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    rainbowblu wrote: »
    We have all met a person who eats A LOT of EVERYTHING and never gains weight,so why is it so hard to believe the opposite? One of my best friends is 5'8 and 120lbs.. People made fun of her for being too skinny so she used to eat 2 whole pizzas a day and drink a gallon of chocolate milk,snickers and everything to try to gain weight.She never gained weight..why? She was obviously eating way more than she should(for Years!). We all know people like this... If there are people who overeat and don't gain weight why is it so hard to believe that not every overweight person overeats? "Science is just science until it's not." K.W. I have been saying that for years.. There are many things in science that were not fully known or understood until some other scientist discovered something. I believe that weight/metabolism/hormones have a looooooong way to go in the scientific world.
    All I know is that before I had PCOS I was like most of you... Judgemental. I used to hear people saying " I'm doing everything I can..ect,ect." I secretly would think that they were lying,binge eating,or not being accurate. But,now I know better.

    Your journey is YOUR OWN- the way that you are affected by PCOS will not be the same for another person.

    I call BS on eating 2 whole pizzas, a gallon of chocolate milk, and a Snickers every day. Maybe once or twice? Maybe. On an ongoing basis? No. Very light people who think they eat "a ton" and never gain eat less than they think. A good number of them are also more active than other people, whether through exercise or through NEAT activity (fidgeting, etc.)
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    rainbowblu wrote: »
    We have all met a person who eats A LOT of EVERYTHING and never gains weight,so why is it so hard to believe the opposite? One of my best friends is 5'8 and 120lbs.. People made fun of her for being too skinny so she used to eat 2 whole pizzas a day and drink a gallon of chocolate milk,snickers and everything to try to gain weight.She never gained weight..why? She was obviously eating way more than she should(for Years!). We all know people like this... If there are people who overeat and don't gain weight why is it so hard to believe that not every overweight person overeats? "Science is just science until it's not." K.W. I have been saying that for years.. There are many things in science that were not fully known or understood until some other scientist discovered something. I believe that weight/metabolism/hormones have a looooooong way to go in the scientific world.
    All I know is that before I had PCOS I was like most of you... Judgemental. I used to hear people saying " I'm doing everything I can..ect,ect." I secretly would think that they were lying,binge eating,or not being accurate. But,now I know better.

    Your journey is YOUR OWN- the way that you are affected by PCOS will not be the same for another person.

    I call BS on eating 2 whole pizzas, a gallon of chocolate milk, and a Snickers every day. Maybe once or twice? Maybe. On an ongoing basis? No. Very light people who think they eat "a ton" and never gain eat less than they think. A good number of them are also more active than other people, whether through exercise or through NEAT activity (fidgeting, etc.)

    Yeah - it's amazing how when you put these 'magical-metabolism' people under the microscope it turns out that there is no magic or different metabolic rates - it's calorie intake and calorie burn only

    there's a good example of that on video I've posted a few times but I'm not on my home pc so can't link now - if anyone else can to the metabolism testing and the doubly water trials that would be good (for the lurkers)
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited November 2015

    I've never seen that. Excellent.

    I was a "she eats so much and doesn't gain weight" person in high school. I graduated weighing 115 at 5'6" but ranged between 105 and 115 through h.s. I ate a Snickers at lunch 4 days a week, which made my friends see me as eating junk food all the time. But that's all I ate for lunch those days. Snickers and water. 250 calories total. That's because I got $10 per week for lunch money and if I spent $.75 for lunch four days a week I had enough to go out one day and get a 6" Subway sub and a drink and pocket the change so I could buy a package of Spree at the basketball game on Saturday night. Or I could go out a couple of days and get a single McDonald's hamburger and small fry and have enough to buy a package of Reese's cups on the weekend. For breakfast I had a couple of pieces of toast and jam or a bowl of cereal, and hot tea. For supper whatever meat my mom made and salad. I usually skipped the mashed potatoes because I didn't like them. That's it, no snacks. That's not a lot of calories but a lot came from "junk food" so my friends thought I ate a ton. Same goes for college. I ate a bit more then but I was way more active due to walking around campus between classes and for my job (I gave 40 minute walking tours to prospective students four times a week) so I burned more calories.
  • pineygirl
    pineygirl Posts: 322 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I'm confused by that post and your response

    @pineygirl 5'1 and 122 your BMR is around 1350 and you say you're eating 1500 to 2000 calories a day, averaging 1650 .. if you're set to lose 1lb a week that would put your TDEE at 2150 which is probably appropriate for an active / very active person at your height and weight

    Where exactly is the lower BMR?

    What do you mean by eating 250 under due to logging inaccuracies - are you actually not eating 1650 but eating 1400? and losing a pound?

    It really depends on the day. I use a Fitbit Charge HR to estimate my TDEE. I take 16,000 to 21,000 steps per day and it says I burn between 2100 and 2800 calories per day. I usually eat anywhere from 1400 to 2000 per day. I take an extra 250 in addition to my 500 calorie deficit to account for my lower metabolism from the PCOS and hypothyroidism and also because the fitbit is inaccurate too. I'm probably more accurate in my food logging than my fitbit is at estimating my calorie burn. So hence the 250 calorie "buffer". So far it's working. I'm steadily losing get 1lb per week. So I think my TDEE is more like 2150...not 2400 like my fitbit says. So 1650 is a decent target. But some days I'm not as active so I eat less those days...like 1450 or so.

    My calculated BMR is 1209...but I think it's more like 1100. But I suppose I'm pretty active...so my low BMR doesn't matter that much.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    So the BMR is guesswork

    And HRM is probably not an accurate reflection of your TDEE cos they're not

    But it's working for you ...which is all anyone needs to know :)
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    rainbowblu wrote: »
    We have all met a person who eats A LOT of EVERYTHING and never gains weight,so why is it so hard to believe the opposite? One of my best friends is 5'8 and 120lbs.. People made fun of her for being too skinny so she used to eat 2 whole pizzas a day and drink a gallon of chocolate milk,snickers and everything to try to gain weight.She never gained weight..why? She was obviously eating way more than she should(for Years!). We all know people like this... If there are people who overeat and don't gain weight why is it so hard to believe that not every overweight person overeats? "Science is just science until it's not." K.W. I have been saying that for years.. There are many things in science that were not fully known or understood until some other scientist discovered something. I believe that weight/metabolism/hormones have a looooooong way to go in the scientific world.
    All I know is that before I had PCOS I was like most of you... Judgemental. I used to hear people saying " I'm doing everything I can..ect,ect." I secretly would think that they were lying,binge eating,or not being accurate. But,now I know better.

    Your journey is YOUR OWN- the way that you are affected by PCOS will not be the same for another person.

    I call BS on eating 2 whole pizzas, a gallon of chocolate milk, and a Snickers every day. Maybe once or twice? Maybe. On an ongoing basis? No. Very light people who think they eat "a ton" and never gain eat less than they think. A good number of them are also more active than other people, whether through exercise or through NEAT activity (fidgeting, etc.)

    Yeah - it's amazing how when you put these 'magical-metabolism' people under the microscope it turns out that there is no magic or different metabolic rates - it's calorie intake and calorie burn only

    there's a good example of that on video I've posted a few times but I'm not on my home pc so can't link now - if anyone else can to the metabolism testing and the doubly water trials that would be good (for the lurkers)

    Are you talking about this one?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA9AdlhB18o

    Where the overweight woman was eating way more than she thought but blaming it on a slow metabolism (which turned out to be completely untrue)? And her friend who supposedly ate all the foods, all the time turned out to not eat nearly as much as either of them thought?
  • bellaa_x0
    bellaa_x0 Posts: 1,062 Member
    edited November 2015
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Errrica91 wrote: »
    I haven't heard about Inositol other than that it's for PCOS. I also take Prometrium Rx progesterone for my PCOS and endo. That's to balance the hormones, because I do have too many androgens.

    The Metformin is Rx for IR/diabetes. The herbs and mineral I take are other things that can help the blood sugar levels. Mine got too high, so that's why I take so much to help with my sugars. Oh, and I take the RDA of Magnesium, too. That's another mineral (along with Chromium) that can help. Fenugreek is just an herb, and Bilberry is a very yummy fruit. I cut my capsules open and eat that one, lol.

    Both Fenugreek and Bilberry also help with stomach troubles like I have, so that's half of why I take them. I have GERD.

    I'm sorry to hear that:( two of my friends have GERD too and it's really "unpleasant" at least:(
    Not sure if my doc will be willing to put me on Metformin so I'll go with Inositol and see what happens:) Don't worry if my auntie wasn't a nurse I wouldn't know about Inositol either:D

    Is your doc a regular doc or an endocrinologist?

    I go to both endocrinologist and gynecologist - since I'm not exactly obese and eat healthy diet - they don't care that I gained about 17 lbs in two months about two years ago WITHOUT any change in my diet or exercise AND without being underweight before :-) It's just part of my heart disease AND PCOS in their opinion:/

    find new doctors if they don't care - you should get a new attitude as well. your responses to people trying to help are absolutely uncalled for.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    edited November 2015
    jemhh wrote: »
    rainbowblu wrote: »
    We have all met a person who eats A LOT of EVERYTHING and never gains weight,so why is it so hard to believe the opposite? One of my best friends is 5'8 and 120lbs.. People made fun of her for being too skinny so she used to eat 2 whole pizzas a day and drink a gallon of chocolate milk,snickers and everything to try to gain weight.She never gained weight..why? She was obviously eating way more than she should(for Years!). We all know people like this... If there are people who overeat and don't gain weight why is it so hard to believe that not every overweight person overeats? "Science is just science until it's not." K.W. I have been saying that for years.. There are many things in science that were not fully known or understood until some other scientist discovered something. I believe that weight/metabolism/hormones have a looooooong way to go in the scientific world.
    All I know is that before I had PCOS I was like most of you... Judgemental. I used to hear people saying " I'm doing everything I can..ect,ect." I secretly would think that they were lying,binge eating,or not being accurate. But,now I know better.

    Your journey is YOUR OWN- the way that you are affected by PCOS will not be the same for another person.

    I call BS on eating 2 whole pizzas, a gallon of chocolate milk, and a Snickers every day. Maybe once or twice? Maybe. On an ongoing basis? No. Very light people who think they eat "a ton" and never gain eat less than they think. A good number of them are also more active than other people, whether through exercise or through NEAT activity (fidgeting, etc.)

    I was one of these people that others thought could eat anything without gaining...because I could pack away *a lot* of food. But then my internal regulator would kick in and I would eat less than usual for a while. I was also rediculously active.

    I even believed it myself for many years. When I started tracking and trying to gain (because scrawny) was when I finally figured out what was happening for myself.

    All of the studies I've read are consistent with this too...that metabolism is generally dependent on size and activity, not some drastic individual differences.

    And I graduated HS at 5'11" ~115 pounds.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    jemhh wrote: »

    I've never seen that. Excellent.

    I was a "she eats so much and doesn't gain weight" person in high school. I graduated weighing 115 at 5'6" but ranged between 105 and 115 through h.s. I ate a Snickers at lunch 4 days a week, which made my friends see me as eating junk food all the time. But that's all I ate for lunch those days. Snickers and water. 250 calories total. That's because I got $10 per week for lunch money and if I spent $.75 for lunch four days a week I had enough to go out one day and get a 6" Subway sub and a drink and pocket the change so I could buy a package of Spree at the basketball game on Saturday night. Or I could go out a couple of days and get a single McDonald's hamburger and small fry and have enough to buy a package of Reese's cups on the weekend. For breakfast I had a couple of pieces of toast and jam or a bowl of cereal, and hot tea. For supper whatever meat my mom made and salad. I usually skipped the mashed potatoes because I didn't like them. That's it, no snacks. That's not a lot of calories but a lot came from "junk food" so my friends thought I ate a ton. Same goes for college. I ate a bit more then but I was way more active due to walking around campus between classes and for my job (I gave 40 minute walking tours to prospective students four times a week) so I burned more calories.

    Ya, along these lines, anyone who eats dinner with my mom would think she eats a ton of food. However, she is also 1. extremely active and 2. frequently skips meals.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    ...Any doctor telling you 'hormones go crazy' should be struck off .. or at least sent back to school .. because science...

    Dude, that was basically my diagnosis at the ER the other day, lol! I went to a doc-in-the-box one Saturday night because of how I was feeling, with heart palpitations too, so I just wanted to know my blood pressure, etc, to know how to take my beta blocker that night and whether a decongestant was OK to take. She sent me to the ER!

    Hours and a gazillion of tests later, because of the timing of it in my cycle and other symptoms, the doc said it's perimenopause and that my hormones were 'probably going crazy', lol. They can cause the sudden incredible fatigue and heart palpitations.

    That has nothing to do with weight, but I just thought it was funny. Hormones are a b!tch.

    PCOS can get really out of hand with the hormones, too. Women growing beards, unable to conceive, turning diabetic, etc. It really can be a very big deal and unpredictable to boot.

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited November 2015
    Hormones can indeed be a b1tch

    As can I...on hormones ;)

    But what they can never, should never, be is an excuse
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Everyone, I want to provide a reminder of the following rules:

    1. No Attacks or Insults and No Reciprocation

    a) Do not attack, mock, or otherwise insult others. You can respectfully disagree with the message or topic, but you cannot attack the messenger. This includes attacks against the user’s spelling or command of written English, or belittling a user for posting a duplicate topic.
    b) If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, you will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself or a friend is not an excuse! Do not take matters into your own hands – instead, use the Report Post link to report an attack and we will be happy to handle the situation for you.


    Please make sure that we keep conversation to debate and discussion. We don't need insults or attacks.


    psuLemon
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    edited November 2015
    rainbowblu wrote: »
    I understand. I gave up asking or telling people about PCOS and IR years ago.People who don't suffer with these conditions don't understand.Sometimes we hear the calories in vs. Calories out Soooooo much,that we forget that there are people with VALID HEALTH ISSUES that cause us to lose weight MUCH slower. MFP may not be the place to ask.. Maybe a forum for people with PCOS/IR would get you more answers.

    Anyways... I'm 5'9 and My weight stays the same(or I gain) at 1500 calories if I eat the standard American diet.. I have to eat 1100 on the SAD to lose weight every week(YES I weigh and measure). This was at 300lbs btw. If I take Metformin I can eat 100 grams of carbs per day and 1500 cal and lose weight. Without medication I have to eat 1100 calories of the SAD,or do a LCHF diet. When I did an Atkins or similar plan I could eat 1500 or more calories and lose weight.... It took me YEARS to figure it out... As of now I try to eat 50 or less carbs a day,walk 10,000 steps daily,and occasionaly go to the gym and I lose 2.5 per week for the last 15 weeks...

    What helps is to try things for a few weeks and constantly tweak your plan until it works.Also,you might need medication if your IR/PCOS is bad.. I stopped taking the Meds,but I know that IR makes it waaay easier to get type 2 Diabetes so I'm trying to fix it now. The BEST things for IR is exercise and low carbs.Good luck on your journey.

    It is highly recognized that people with PCOS and especially IR have different reactions based on macronutrient composition. It's why, anyone you get to a PCOS thread, we always like to the PCOS group and suggest LCHF. That is because many with PCOS have associated issues with carbs. Some don't have the issue as bad as others, so carb gram ranges can vary vastly. For my wife, she is more borderline PCOS (w/o IR) but also has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome... with POTS, depending on how advanced you have it, then carbs can also be an issue.

    IIRC, the reason is those with IR have longer periods of elevated insulin. And since insulin is an anticatabolic hormone, it would make sense that calorie for calorie, those with IR, would benefit from a LCHF since their body doesn't regulate insulin like a person without a medical issue would.

    Here is the link to the PCOS group.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    OP, the two biggest inaccuracies we see on this forum is accuracy and logging. This is why we ask if you use a food scale (based on you being evasive, i suspect your answer is no) and since you don't have an open food diary, it's hard to check that one.

    Is it possible that your bmr is lower than it should be.. possibly, but if you want to know, get a metabolic test done. You can do a resting metabolic rate test done as many universities and some teaching hospitals.
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