PCOS cysters.

ChazzyEvilKitty
ChazzyEvilKitty Posts: 20 Member
edited January 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm looking for my fellow ladies with PCOS to share a weight loss journey with, and to help support and maintain weight loss. I need to ideally lose over 70lbs. I could also do with knowing what I should, and should't eat to help with my pcos symptoms, as well as losing wieght, so I can help myself for when I would like to start a family.

I'd do it now, but honestly I want to be healthy, and thin before I try. I don't want to look down and see my huge belly knowing that its mostly fat, and risky to a baby, but to be able to look down and see a baby bump and know I've done everything in my power to be healthy and fit :)

I could do with advice on dieting tips, and recipes, as well as finding friends who are in the same situation.


Regards, Charlotte x

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Replies

  • LauraAshley95
    LauraAshley95 Posts: 70 Member
    edited January 2016
    Charlotte,

    I'm on a weight loss journey and also have PCOS. I've had bariatric surgery so I'm not sure how much advice I could give on helping to lose weight and get symptoms under control, but it would be nice to have a cyster as a friend :) I've lost 79.2lbs and have 95.6 left to go.
  • lnxjenn
    lnxjenn Posts: 64 Member
    I have PCOS and I just started my new medications for it. I have not had any luck whatsoever losing weight over the last 2-3 years. My doc liked my idea of eating paleo and my naturopath recommended gluten free and no dairy. So might want to look into those.
  • aSearch4Me
    aSearch4Me Posts: 397 Member
    I have PCOS & am always looking for new friends. I was newly diagnosed in June after difficulties losing weight & 5 years of TTC without success. I've lost 40# so far, but still have a way to go, Feel free to add me :smile:

    My method is a LCHF diet (approaching the "Keto" levels), paired with exercise. I also take Metformin & Inositol.

    Also, there is a great group on here for women with PCOS, if you dig through old threads there is ALL sorts of information & individual stories. ( http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis ).
  • shondraturner1
    shondraturner1 Posts: 7 Member
    Hello....I have PCOS along with other illnesses. I went to an Endocrinologist yesterday. It causes problems with my blood sugar, hormones and thyroid. So in my case I have to take diabetes and thyroid medication, lower calories (weight), reduce carbs (blood sugar control) and get some exercise even if it is only 10 - 15 minutes (helps with weight loss and blood sugar control). My diet is specific because of my food allergies. I do not eat wheat, corn, potatoes and most seafood. I bake all of my breads and goodies that I want knowing that I have to be careful of portions. I add in plenty of protein, veggies and fruits (berries, apples, pears, peaches-other fruits are too high in sugar and impact my blood sugar). Basically find foods that you can work with and will help meet your goals. And as you go along, make changes so that you continue to lose weight and get healthy. I am choosing to not look at this as a diet but a lifestyle change. I know I can still have my favorite foods but in moderation. And most importantly, be patient with yourself. Please feel free to add me as a friend.
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
    I have found what works for ME (please note that I'm not suggesting this for anyone else, simply providing my own experience) is a keto diet. When I reduced my carb intake that drastically, my body responded by regulating my periods. Prior to that, I only had them when I was taking BC and they stopped completely when I stopped taking the pill. That could be correlation rather than causation, but it happened either way.
  • mandy014384
    mandy014384 Posts: 9 Member
    If you have insulin resistance with PCOS, I have found taking Metformin (prescription) and eating low carb works well. I have lost 40 lbs in approximately 4 1/2 months. Eating low carb, I still feel full and average 1100-1400 calories per day. I walk but other than that I have minimal exercise; which I need to work on. Majority of my weight loss is with food choices.
  • zombiemomjo
    zombiemomjo Posts: 546 Member
    PCOS'er here, too. Exercise, reducing carbs (only eating half of the bun if I have a burger, for example), and counting calories consistently are the only things that have ever worked for me. I found that I LOVE to exercise! I avoided it, because I didn't want to made fun of for my size. Now, I don't give a crap what anyone else thinks, because I know I'm fitter than I was in my 20's. But for the past two years, I've kept up pretty regular exercise, but letting the diet go has led to me gaining it all back. So I'm back to counting and keeping it lower carb, and I'm seeing the scale drop again!
  • aStrongerSteph
    aStrongerSteph Posts: 161 Member
    I have PCOS and had the sleeve (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy) 3 1/2 yrs ago @LauraAshley95 . I started at 325, lost 70 pounds before surgery, 70 pounds after surgery, then gained 26 back from bad decisions. Lost the regain and gained it back 2 more times!!! This past October I went back to my surgeon and my gyno. Both suggested the same way of eating. Low carb only veggies and fruits with my protein/fats. I have lost the regain and broke the plateau I always hit.

    I should have paid attention in the first place. I tried to "eat normally" in moderation but, I was an epic failure. For wls success and PCOS symptom alleviation, eliminating carbs from, bread, pasta, rice, crackers, chips, sugar and regular baked goods is essential. We are weight loss resistant and put on weight easily from PCOS. So, I now realize I can't add those items back into my diet if I intend to be successful long term. I haven't had any non veggie/fruit/dairy carbs since September. I feel incredible, my skin is great, my weight loss is nice and level, I have energy, no more "carb" headaches (never knew that was what the constant headaches were from), plus and I know this is a favorite for everyone with PCOS eventually, the dark hair growth has slowed way down and lightened up. I want to lose more weight and I finally feel as though I will be successful with this way of eating. I was convinced I'd feel awful, rundown and deprived with the carb/sugar elimination but, I truly don't.

    I wish I had known how to eat for my diagnosis, years ago. It would have saved me 7 years of infertility and mental torture, trying to get pregnant with my second child.

    @aSearch4Me I tried the LCHF but, for those of us that have had wls it can be really tough on our tummies. I basically eat the same way but, leaned up quite a bit. I have heard of a lot of success for PCOS and diabetes sufferers with the LCHF approach.

    @lnxjenn I tried Paleo and loved it there are some delicious, satisfying, recipes available. I have to do protein shakes at least once a day to hit my protein goal and whey is the protein best for my system. Plus I sorta love cheese lol so I went to just a modified version.

    @ChazzyEvilKitty it's very smart to get healthy before you have your family. I wish you the very best :)

    I love seeing that all of us have realized that our bodies don't do well with the typical processed carbs and sugars. Must mean we are on the right track.
  • andread123
    andread123 Posts: 28 Member
    mandy014384 wrote: »
    If you have insulin resistance with PCOS, I have found taking Metformin (prescription) and eating low carb works well. I have lost 40 lbs in approximately 4 1/2 months. Eating low carb, I still feel full and average 1100-1400 calories per day. I walk but other than that I have minimal exercise; which I need to work on. Majority of my weight loss is with food choices.

    My doctor just prescribed me Metformin as I have PCOS and insulin resistance -- were the side effects really bad?
  • healthilyeverafter13
    healthilyeverafter13 Posts: 18 Member
    I have PCOS and am always looking for new friends too! I'm also TTC, and one of my primary motivations for losing weight this go-round is to get to a low enough weight that my RE (reproductive endocrinologist) will let me start fertility treatments. I've got about 70 pounds to go to get there, so... eesh.

    For me, I'm on Metformin right now and that has been the biggest help for my weight loss this time (although it didn't always work) so I totally recommend it if you're not on it already. It's also good for you to be on while trying to conceive as it apparently helps some women with PCOS get pregnant. It didn't help me in that regard but it may once I get the weight down some more.

    In my experience, low-grain, low-sugar diets have been the most helpful, but the hardest for me to stick to. I did Whole30 about a year and a half ago and felt great, lost an okay amount of weight... did Paleo after that and continued to lose a bit, but I missed the 'forbidden' foods and had a hard time not "cheating". So I fell off the wagon. My new approach is just calorie counting and honestly in terms of weight loss it works just as well for me (right now, anyway). I don't feel quite as energetic and wonderful as I did when I was on the Whole30, so I try to still limit grains/sugar, but at least I don't feel quite so deprived!

    Feel free to add me as a friend -- I love finding other 'cysters' who I can relate to and find support with! :)
  • bellaa_x0
    bellaa_x0 Posts: 1,062 Member
    edited January 2016
    andread123 wrote: »
    mandy014384 wrote: »
    If you have insulin resistance with PCOS, I have found taking Metformin (prescription) and eating low carb works well. I have lost 40 lbs in approximately 4 1/2 months. Eating low carb, I still feel full and average 1100-1400 calories per day. I walk but other than that I have minimal exercise; which I need to work on. Majority of my weight loss is with food choices.

    My doctor just prescribed me Metformin as I have PCOS and insulin resistance -- were the side effects really bad?

    I just started Metformin a week ago.. first week I only took 1 500mg pill once a day (no side effects). Now I'm at 2 500mg pills (1000mg) a day since Sunday and so far I have experienced a little gastric distress in the late afternoon on Monday and Tuesday, but nothing like what I was expecting. Hopefully it will be completely resolved after a week!
  • healthilyeverafter13
    healthilyeverafter13 Posts: 18 Member
    andread123 wrote: »
    mandy014384 wrote: »
    If you have insulin resistance with PCOS, I have found taking Metformin (prescription) and eating low carb works well. I have lost 40 lbs in approximately 4 1/2 months. Eating low carb, I still feel full and average 1100-1400 calories per day. I walk but other than that I have minimal exercise; which I need to work on. Majority of my weight loss is with food choices.

    My doctor just prescribed me Metformin as I have PCOS and insulin resistance -- were the side effects really bad?

    For me, the side effects lasted a couple weeks... not gonna lie, they kinda sucked. Serious upset stomach and...erm...intestinal discomfort. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. But 1) it was temporary -- once I got past the first 2-3 weeks I was perfectly fine, and 2) for me, I could correlate the severity of the side effects with what I was eating. It was worst after dinner, which was typically my biggest meal, so eating smaller meals was helpful; also, the side effects were bad if I was eating super greasy food, so I cut that back. I had some sensitivity to spicy food but not enough to slow me down (which is good because I'm obsessed with spicy food!). I've known some people whose side effects were so bad that they had to come off of Metformin, but personally, I was able to just grin and bear it.

    Also, one particular friend of mine said that she had horrible side effects on generic metformin (glucophage), but when she was prescribed the name-brand Metformin (Glumetza, I think?) they were either less intense or gone completely. So that's a thought. :)
  • andread123
    andread123 Posts: 28 Member
    bellaa_x0 wrote: »
    andread123 wrote: »
    mandy014384 wrote: »
    If you have insulin resistance with PCOS, I have found taking Metformin (prescription) and eating low carb works well. I have lost 40 lbs in approximately 4 1/2 months. Eating low carb, I still feel full and average 1100-1400 calories per day. I walk but other than that I have minimal exercise; which I need to work on. Majority of my weight loss is with food choices.

    My doctor just prescribed me Metformin as I have PCOS and insulin resistance -- were the side effects really bad?

    I just started Metformin a week ago.. first week I only took 1 500mg pill once a day (no side effects). Now I'm at 2 500mg pills (1000mg) a day since Sunday and so far I have experienced a little gastric distress in the late afternoon on Monday and Tuesday, but nothing like what I was expecting. Hopefully it will be completely resolved after a week!
    healthilyeverafter13 wrote: »
    andread123 wrote: »
    mandy014384 wrote: »
    If you have insulin resistance with PCOS, I have found taking Metformin (prescription) and eating low carb works well. I have lost 40 lbs in approximately 4 1/2 months. Eating low carb, I still feel full and average 1100-1400 calories per day. I walk but other than that I have minimal exercise; which I need to work on. Majority of my weight loss is with food choices.

    My doctor just prescribed me Metformin as I have PCOS and insulin resistance -- were the side effects really bad?

    For me, the side effects lasted a couple weeks... not gonna lie, they kinda sucked. Serious upset stomach and...erm...intestinal discomfort. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. But 1) it was temporary -- once I got past the first 2-3 weeks I was perfectly fine, and 2) for me, I could correlate the severity of the side effects with what I was eating. It was worst after dinner, which was typically my biggest meal, so eating smaller meals was helpful; also, the side effects were bad if I was eating super greasy food, so I cut that back. I had some sensitivity to spicy food but not enough to slow me down (which is good because I'm obsessed with spicy food!). I've known some people whose side effects were so bad that they had to come off of Metformin, but personally, I was able to just grin and bear it.

    Also, one particular friend of mine said that she had horrible side effects on generic metformin (glucophage), but when she was prescribed the name-brand Metformin (Glumetza, I think?) they were either less intense or gone completely. So that's a thought. :)

    Thanks, ladies! That makes me feel better about going on it. I know it doesn't mix well with alcohol and I love having a glass of wine or two (or three) on occasion. Is it sad that that's what I'm most disappointed about?
  • aSearch4Me
    aSearch4Me Posts: 397 Member
    edited January 2016
    andread123 wrote: »

    Thanks, ladies! That makes me feel better about going on it. I know it doesn't mix well with alcohol and I love having a glass of wine or two (or three) on occasion. Is it sad that that's what I'm most disappointed about?

    I've been on Metformin (1000mg XR, b.i.d) since June. I *very occasionally* drink while on it (i.e. only for special events like weddings). I only drink 1 drink normally, or 2 if it's a long event. I haven't had any adverse effects, except that I notice a faster buzz :smile: . Normally 1 drink and I'm to a "good place" and don't need to have another. lol

    Regarding side effects, I think being lower carb helps the transition when upping dosages of Metformin. I had very few side effects when starting it. But my body definitely lets me know if I've had too many carbs on that medication, even several months later. I also found that I couldn't drink even a 1/2 cup of milk with GI consequences after starting Metformin.

    Editing to add:1 drink sipped slowly. I would definitely take things slow if seeing if you could drink on it. And I'd wait to see how your body reacts to drinking after you've fully adjusted to whatever your final dosage amount is.

    I would think quick consumption of alcohol (i.e. shots, shotgunning a beer, etc), could be disastrous. lol. But that's general life wisdom...right? :smile:
  • shondraturner1
    shondraturner1 Posts: 7 Member
    Wow....most of you were very lucky. I can't tolerate any of the treatments my doctor wants to use for PCOS. So counting calories and carbs plus taking insulin is my only course for now. But on a bright note, if I lose all the weight I can go off the insulin. And after another two years (I am likely older than most of you on here), I can get rid of those pesky ovaries. PCOS will be a thing of the past. ;)
  • nomorefatgirl78
    nomorefatgirl78 Posts: 61 Member
    Same here. I never took anything other than birth control to get a period but always gave my body a break after a year or so. I lost 80lbs last year doing low carb and exercising but after an injury that came to a head. I am proud of myself for not gaining any of the 80 back; I definitely learned portion control since then and quite honestly, my fitness pal helped A LOT with that!! I've been trying to have a baby since I was 24 (38 next month) and the only positive thing I can say about that is thank God I haven't because of the way one relationship ended and needless to mention a divorce. I've finally found someone that I'm absolutely in love with and, with me hitting almost 40, this biological clock problem is in full gear. So that's my pcos input..... low carb dieting, portion control, lots of sex. Hey, its exercise! ;)
  • Laura013009
    Laura013009 Posts: 6 Member
    I also have PCOS. I never realized I had it until I was 26 from trying to conceive. Once I was referred over to a specialist I was diagnosed with PCOS. I was able to conceive after a year of fertility treatments and did the same treatment again to have twins my second pregnancy. After I had my kids I kind of didn't think much of the PCOS, I would go 11 1/2 months without a period... at that time I thought it was great. Once I started working out and reached my heaviest weight of 272 I was able to lose almost 30 lbs with weight watchers and excerise like 5-6 days a week. Hard core 70 minutes or more a day. I quit weight watchers and things got crazy at home and I gained all my weight back. I am now 35 and having a cycle almost every other week. Just went through a bunch of test to make sure I do not have uterine cancer with my results a me back negative today. My doctor wants to put me on a birth control or some sort of hormone medication. Metaformin did not agree with my system at all. Very curious to know if there are any other medications that women with PCOS have been prescribed?? I have used fitness pal a long time ago and I just restarted about a month ago. I would love to be friends with other PCOS women. I could use the help and the understanding.. I feel like I bust my but to get no where . Thanks for reading.. I know I just gave my whole story here. I just never truly realized how much pcos has effected my weight gain and I am still learning. I also didn't realize until a few weeks ago this is also 1 of the reasons it's so hard to lose weight. Okay I'm done now

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