It can be really frustrating to talk to normal people about weight loss. To be perfectly honest I don't actively discuss these kind of things with people who haven't dealt with PCOS anymore. It just ends up in frustration and me feeling like a failure, even starving myself at one point. The idea is to be patient with yourself and listen to your body. Our bodies don't operate the same way so we should not try to hold them to the same standards. It does take more time and diligence, but try not to get to wrapped up in it. Stressing over these things isn't worth it. It will happen when it happens. Just do your part to take care of your body and slowly it will regulate. This is a great place for advice and tips for things to try as well as moral support. I think the latter is what I needed most when I first found it.

The scale is an *kitten*, I promise you that. I have bounced up and down the same 2 pounds for the last 4-5 weeks...but then I did my measurements and I had lost some inches. My clothes seem to fit better and I can visibly see changes that the stupid scale can't.

Low carb is my hero (mostly, sometimes I curse it because it is screwing with me some...but overall totally worth it).

As PCOSers, we have challenges with inflammation which causes insulin resistance. Even if you're not prediabetic, the slightest insulin resistance makes your body store fat instead of using it. A few questions: do you feel like you are in knowledgeable hands with your dr? Even endocrinologists are not always competent at treating us. Reproductive endos seem to be the best. Are you on any medications - Metformin or birth control pills like Yaz? Have you tried the supplement myo-inositol? You can read studies about it at www.examine.com and then search "inositol." It's over the counter - I buy mine off Amazon. Inositol helps with insulin resistance, fertility, weight loss, and anxiety, and it is extremely safe because the body is supposed to make its own inositol. There is a great site called www.pcosdiva.com where I have been learning a ton of info. The lady who runs the site sells PCOS meal plans (which I've never bought) but gives a staggering amount of info out for free. The latest studies on PCOS, interviews with experts, etc. My dr has been concerned the last few months because my bloodwork has been getting dangerously close to prediabetes territory even though I am still considered normal weight (although at the high end.) 3 weeks ago, I committed to an anti-inflammatory, low carb (50-100g/day) diet per my doctor's instructions, weight train with max weight (failure at the 10th rep) with a trainer twice a week for 30 minutes, and I take the following pills:
Metformin 1000 mg twice a day (Rx only)
Inositol 6 g twice a day (I take this high dose to help with anxiety. 4 g are plenty for most PCOSers)
ALA twice a day (helps with blood sugar)
Vit D 5000 once a day (most PCOS women are deficient)
VSL (probiotic) once a day (new studies indicate that inflammation is causing the insulin resistance)
Natural Calm Magnesium - 2 teaspoons at night
I'm considering adding chromium to the mix but haven't done the research.
In three weeks, I'm down 13 lbs. I'm pretty shocked, but thankful to my dr for insisting that carbs (breads, pastas, etc) were raising hell with my insulin resistance. I get all my carbs through veggies, nuts, and fruits. I'm supposed to give up dairy because it's considered inflammatory but that's <ahem> a work in progress. Feel free to friend me - I love PCOS sisters who are fighting the good fight too.

Justcallmeskel wrote: »

@Nurdycurls I can relate. I have the same problem. I am in the same boat and have been all my life. I have to watch what I eat daily. Right now I am at my heaviest. I am 5'6" and weigh 210 lbs. I can gain 5 lbs. in a weekend but it takes me a month to get it off. I started my fitness journey on Jan 1, 2016 and have been using MFP for the last 2 weeks. I chart EVERYTHING that I eat. My calorie intake is set at 1200 and I struggle to eat that many calories in a day. If I do I gain weight. I know, I know people will say, "Oh, you need to eat all your daily calories or your body goes into starvation mode." Trust me when I say this....It does not! It goes into fat storing mode if I eat all of my calories. I have been stuck for a month now. Lost only 2 lbs last month. With the amount of weight training and bike riding and walking and dance aerobics I should be down a heck of a lot more than that.
I swear to god that if I was on the show Survivor and made it to the final 3 I would be accused of hoarding and hiding food because I would have only lost a few pounds while the others would have lost 1/3 of their body weight. My scale is my fitness trainer because If I didn't scale daily I know I would be hundreds of lbs overweight.
I am on a no white diet-pasta, potatoes, bread, rice (low carb) diet. I get my carbs from fruits and veggies.
I take no medications. I take 1 calcium and 1 multivitamin gummy a day.
Starting weight 218 as of Jan 1, 2016 and lost 8 lbs then gained 4 back from eating all of my 1200 calories. Weight to date is 210. So total weight loss since Jan is 12 lbs. I have been stuck there since Feb 2nd.
I have spoken to my Dr about this and have charted my food intake, blood tests were done and everything came back normal.
So very frustrating when you work so hard and seem to be getting no where fast!
But I will carry on and keep working hard to achieve my goal to loose 50 lbs.

There is often a lower calorie threshold and a higher calorie threshold at which we lose weight. Anyone losing weight solely at the lower threshold will struggle more with plateaus and major stalls and all manner of frustration. It's usually like 1,200 max is the lower range, then like 1,800-2,000 is the upper range, and folks generally gain at the higher range before starting steady losses before dropping steadily. Most people desperate to lose weight can't handle the gains before losing again, so they never try.

Make sure that if you are eating lower carbs that you increase your fats to balance - the body can only use carbs or fats as fuel...protein is not fuel and trying to use it as such overtaxes your kidneys to process it inefficiently to use as such.

I'm not saying that you can or should lose at the higher range, but your numbers suggest that it is highly likely... I'm not intending to judge or anything at all...just providing an alternative perspective.... Please get metabolic testing if you can, or use a site like http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ to check your numbers and consider tweaking things around...

Good luck, no matter how you proceed. And remember that 2 pounds in a month is 1/2 a pound a week and a completely acceptable rate of loss...

Justcallmeskel wrote: »

@KnitOrMiss The trouble with the upper range calorie intake is that I gain weight and continue to gain weigh. That's why I am at my highest weight now. I did increase my intake and now I am struggling to get the weight off. I am going to continue with what I am doing right now. It's just frustrating.

There have been stories of folks gaining weight for 6 months, slowly, and then with a repaired metabolism, suddenly sloughing off pounds weekly... So there are so many factors!! Just something to keep in mind.

Nerdycurls wrote: »

Every day that I log-- which is usually 5-6 days a week-- I log diligently. I do cardio workouts a couple times a week along with weights 2 more times a week. I KNOW I am logging very accurately, using my scale all the time. You'd think after doing this for so long there'd be consistent weight loss but I've been stuck for a while.

It's frustrating because if you ask on the forums, you get told you're overeating, you're probably not eating right, etc. I know, I ask for it but sometimes I think normal people don't have an idea of the struggles with PCOS. The most I've ever been able to lose is 20 pounds. With the loss, I'm still overweight by 25-30 pounds.

It seems like nothing works anymore.

Get your blood work done. My doctor thought I was insulin resistant but I wasn't. When I began working out with my personal trainer I was not losing weight. He changed my meal plan every 2 weeks until he figured out that I was not getting enough fats in my diet. It took me between 6months to a year to consistently lose weight. check your macros and try hiit cardio.

Yeah it was every 2 weeks but He just made minor changes he added flax seed and macadamia nut oil to my shakes which helped a lot. I used to get bloated a lot so the healthy fats helped. Also he reduced my carbs from 1 cup of oats to a quarter cup. 1 cup of brown rice to half a cup.