Weight loss with PCOS

I have PCOS and have struggled with losing weight and getting pregnant. I find that cutting out simple carbohydrates makes a huge difference. I LOVE bread and pasta so it is hard for me, but when I can do it it pays off. What have you tried?

Yep - Low-carb possibly even Ketogenic diet is your only choice. Start by keeping carbs under 100 grams/day, and continuing your calorie deficit. It's the only way you will burn the fat.

I'm quite lucky because i havent had the weight problems common to pcos. Although i am trying to drop a bit after a lazy period. So I'll leave that to the great advice youve already been given!

I just thought I'd add that cutting carbs (mostly sugar) and upping protein helped me with some of the other issues. I dont sugar crash anywhere near as often, and generally time of the month has been better. I think partly because cutting sugar massively improved ibs symptoms.

And actually thats how i stayed motivated despite my love of cake. Because i feel so much better most the time. I think 1200 cals might be too low, because if you knackered you'll find it harder to get the willpower to stick with it.

But obviously thats a personal experience, and might not work for you.

Recently, I went to a holistic nutritionist about my PCOS weight issues. He put me on a nutrition plan and I lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks.

Basically, our insulin resistance stems from an overworked pancreas. This happens because it's trying to digest foods our body was never made to eat:

Dairy
Refined sugar
Processed foods

By cutting these out and eating 100% vegetable and lean protein diet (no nuts or fruits for the first 3 weeks), I was able to lose crazy fast. It's all about getting rid of bad yeast called Candida. That stuff is literally stopping your body from behaving normally. Our overworked pancreas is a symptom of this problem. Candida feeds off of sugar, so the more sugar you eat, the more you let your candida yeast thrive. It's gross.


Good luck!

ccyoda14 wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

With PCOS you still lose weight, do not panic. Losing the weight will help with PCOS symptoms and insulin resistance. Track calories with a reasonable goal (not 1200 calories, set your goal to 1-2 lbs per week) and exercise. With 290 lbs starting weight, you should not be eating 1200 calories, it is so low it will not be sustainable. But make sure you use a food scale, and track every single thing you eat, at least at first, until you can get a better idea about calories per food item and portion. Physical activity, regardless of weight, is key to controlling PCOS, so try to do some sort of exercise daily (walking is enough, no need to become an athlete or up the intensity to the point you are exhausted). Just choose something you like, and commit to it.

Yes I found out that 1200 calories was way too low. I'm not eating between 1400 and 1600. I've gotten really good at tracking everything I eat because sometimes I don't notice exactly how much more I'm eating than I should. After talking to my doc, he told me I need intense cardio, not just walking. I've been doing about 45min intense interval cardio and 15min strength training 5x a week and have been doing it for almost 3 weeks now. I'm feeling good, I just need to stick with it, but I feel like with pcos my motivation waivers just because of everything going against me. I know that sounds like an excuse and maybe it is but its a tough problem to overcome for me.

Realistically, no one ever gained hundreds of lbs because of PCOS. 10 lbs, maybe. So yes, this part is an excuse. It sounds like you are on the right track, so do not let your mind play tricks on you. Be patient, it sounds like you have a good plan.

Research Ketogenic diet. My sister suffers from PCOS and follows a ketogenic diet. Basically it is low carb, high fat and moderate protein (no sugar, breads/grains). It works wonders for her and she has been eating this way for 30+ years now and is a mother of two children.

I have PCOS and started at 260lb and now down to 185lb. I did it by going down to 1500-2000 calories a day, having protein rich breakfasts and dinners, saving my carbs for lunch. I do light exercise most days for 30-60min, either walking or cycling on a stationary bike. Then a couple of days a week I'll do running or a dance class. This has taken me 2 years to do, with a few plateaus of 3-4months before I started recording and weighing food to kickstart myself again. My symptoms started to improve massively after losing the first 2 stone. I don't know if it's particularly harder for me to lose weight with PCOS though. I think I'm lucky in that I was never put on any long term medication to manage it and I'm glad as the diet control is better. The big trick for me was switching all white pastas, rice etc to wholegrain and making sure I weigh it!

Just wanted to chime in here as well. I also have PCOS and was diagnosed at 20. At 26 my doctor told me I would probably not have kids and I spiraled up to 268lbs, after getting down to 207lbs I got pregnant back to back and now have two beautiful babies 2-3 yrs old. After the pregnancies though I gained all the weight back plus some. I started out at 280lbs. I've worked my way back to 234lbs so far but it's different this time because I'm not fad dieting. I'm eating healthier with less processed food and more exercise so I know this time it WILL stick. You can do this and like @aggelikik said don't let your mind play tricks on you. Acknowledging and understanding that it is harder but achievable is the first step.

I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 19. Heavy periods (My periods could and would last up to 3 months continuously) caused severe anemia, but that's about it for me. I'm eating 1800 calories daily and still losing 2+ pounds per week. I eat as many carbs as I like since my doc hasn't told me to do otherwise.