PCOS FML.

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kailyamie
kailyamie Posts: 130
in Motivation and Support
I am SO frustrated. I have an appointment with my gyn next week.... but I couldn't be more frustrated right now. My PCOS is so bad, for the last 18 months it's 70ish days with nothing followed by 30 days of constant non-stop AF... Well today is exactly 2 months since I started MFP and I'm pretty much down 14 pounds, so I guess that's good... but I haven't lost a single thing in over 2 weeks... which is when the "problem" started. I had one bad day and it wasn't even a whole bad DAY it was one meal that we ate out and I had dessert - which I shouldn't have done, but seriously, one meal? Over a week ago? I've been totally on-point since then and I was still up 0.7 this morning. :( I am so frustrated right now. And my favorite part is that the doctor says that losing weight will help to control the PCOS (duh, right?) but the PCOS makes losing the weight so freaking difficult, it's like I'm caught in this catch 22. ?My husband and I were TTC (I think last night we decided to put that off for another year, in light of my post yesterday about vacation vs. weight loss vs. vacation vs. baby etc we had a long talk last night about all of that) and PCOS hindered THAT for the last year and a half, and now it's kicking my *kitten* in this weight loss crap. I am so over it. I just can't wait to see my Dr. next week b/c I am not leaving that office until they do something besides tell me to lose weight. This is ridiculous now :( I am bringing my MFP progress charts, food diary, FertilityFriend charts.... I have a whole file of crap to bring with me. UGH. Any other PCOS'ers have this kind of problem??

Replies

  • Caperfae
    Caperfae Posts: 433
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    Losing weight is always the first thing out of a doctors mouth. I've been hearing it for YEARS unfortunately.
    They may or may not put you on Metformin. I was on it to help with PCOS . It didn't help me one bit but a lot of women do see results while on it.
    I lost weight last year thanks to this site and my periods became fairly regular as a result so it is possible. When you have extra fat, it stores estrogen and sends your hormone levels crazy.
    Everyone who has PCOS will present signs and symptoms differently (you probably know that from research).
    You may find some insight from another message board called www.soulcysters.net (at least I think that's the URL for it, it's been a while) It's specifically for women with PCOS. I'd stick around here too though because the information here and food diary is invaluable when trying to lose weight.
  • CeejayGee
    CeejayGee Posts: 299 Member
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    I hear you. I'm slow to lose too,but it WILL happen. You just have to be patient, keep up exercise, avoid lots of carbs, and keep at it. it takes more discipline because you don't get the satisfaction of quick results.

    Does your doc have you on Metformin or anything to regulate your periods? Metformin will also help with the insulin resistance, thus help you lose weight. I've been on it 6 months and the last two months my periods are perfect 28 day cycles and I've also been able to lose 45 pounds in the last 6 months. I *still* hit plateaus (like the one I'm on now) and I went 5 weeks without losing. But, I kept it up. Everyone hits plateaus, even those without PCOS.
  • cori314
    cori314 Posts: 38 Member
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    Last year my doctor told me that I possibly had PCOS. She told me the easiest way to find out was to try to have a baby for a year and that if it didn't happen, then I could take it as a positive diagnosis of PCOS. It's been a year, no protection, no baby. I'm not too heartbroken because my husband and I had agreed to not have children. But now that I'm serious about my weight loss and health, I find that I have to work extra hard to get any kind of results. I had struggled before, even after being on point (like you said) for weeks at a time. Once I went to the doctor and found out about PCOS, then it all made sense to me.
    I can totally understand your frustration with losing weight with this diagnosis. I can't say that I can identify with your other challenges but I can tell you that quitting won't get you there. At all. Ever. So even though you may not be seeing results at this point, think about how much worse things could be if you weren't caring for yourself the way you are now. Hopefully, once you show your doctor your many files and make your utter frustration known :grumble: , he/she will have better answers and solutions for you.
    Hang in there! :bigsmile:
  • kailyamie
    kailyamie Posts: 130
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    I hear you. I'm slow to lose too,but it WILL happen. You just have to be patient, keep up exercise, avoid lots of carbs, and keep at it. it takes more discipline because you don't get the satisfaction of quick results.

    Does your doc have you on Metformin or anything to regulate your periods? Metformin will also help with the insulin resistance, thus help you lose weight. I've been on it 6 months and the last two months my periods are perfect 28 day cycles and I've also been able to lose 45 pounds in the last 6 months. I *still* hit plateaus (like the one I'm on now) and I went 5 weeks without losing. But, I kept it up. Everyone hits plateaus, even those without PCOS.

    My Dr has me on nothing. The last solution was to put me on BCP's but I refused b/c the last time I was on BCP's I gained 40 pounds and had no regularity at all anyway. So right now I'm totally winging it and apparently failing miserably lol. I'm going to ask about metformin, I have a good friend who is on it and she has fantastic results with it so I'm hoping that I might have the same success. Hopefully my Dr. is open to it now - which is why I'm bringing every source of proof that I'm making a serious and concerted effort - and I won't get scoffed at this time. :grumble:
  • ShinyFraga
    ShinyFraga Posts: 132 Member
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    I have PCOS and was having trouble losing weight and conceiving. my doctor put me on birth control for a few months to regulate my cycle and Metformin to help control the PCOS. I managed to lose about 15 pounds after taking the meds, and within a month and a half of ending the birth control I was pregnant. I continued with the Metformin throughout my pregnancy and for a short while after. I am now med free and managing to lose more weight and control my PCOS on my own.
  • McPenguin
    McPenguin Posts: 67
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    I know exactly how you feel.

    Today marks day 100 for me on MFP. I've lost 21 pounds. I've been on or just under my calorie goal for weeks, and working out at the gym for at least an hour, 4 to 5 days a week. Even though my calories here are set to make me lose 1.5 pounds, and the workouts should be helping, every week I seem to only be losing 0.8, 0.8, 0.8... then last week I was up .8 lbs. So really, it was like a 2 week plateau?

    Frankly, I'm scared to weigh in again. I'm so tired of this plateau/weight gain. I haven't DONE anything wrong, except have PCOS that my doctor WON'T give me metformin for. :( FML.

    To the poster who put the link to soulcysters... thank you. I haven't been on that site in years, but I think I'll go back. I need some help.
  • McPenguin
    McPenguin Posts: 67
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    I have PCOS and was having trouble losing weight and conceiving. my doctor put me on birth control for a few months to regulate my cycle and Metformin to help control the PCOS. I managed to lose about 15 pounds after taking the meds, and within a month and a half of ending the birth control I was pregnant. I continued with the Metformin throughout my pregnancy and for a short while after. I am now med free and managing to lose more weight and control my PCOS on my own.

    Shiny Fraga - you got to stay on metformin while pregnant? That's awesome. My doctor refused, and made me stop taking it. Hence the gestational diabetes that went totally unchecked, and my 100 pound weight gain (again! after all that hard work!). :grr:
  • kailyamie
    kailyamie Posts: 130
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    I know exactly how you feel.

    Today marks day 100 for me on MFP. I've lost 21 pounds. I've been on or just under my calorie goal for weeks, and working out at the gym for at least an hour, 4 to 5 days a week. Even though my calories here are set to make me lose 1.5 pounds, and the workouts should be helping, every week I seem to only be losing 0.8, 0.8, 0.8... then last week I was up .8 lbs. So really, it was like a 2 week plateau?

    Frankly, I'm scared to weigh in again. I'm so tired of this plateau/weight gain. I haven't DONE anything wrong, except have PCOS that my doctor WON'T give me metformin for. :( FML.

    To the poster who put the link to soulcysters... thank you. I haven't been on that site in years, but I think I'll go back. I need some help.

    ((hugs)) I TOTALLY understand!! I was up .7 this morning and I thought I was going to cry. My Doctor is being a PITA about giving me anything also. They convinced me to get the Mirena and I swear that is when everything went downhill for me. I didn't have PCOS before having my youngest child, then they sold the Mirena to me BIG TIME and I agreed because it sounded like a great deal, and I had problems the entire 18 months that I had it and the last 19 months since then have been dreadful. But I'm thinking that this will be the last chance for this Doctor, if they won't help me - I'm going elsewhere. There's a lot of doctors in this town.
  • kailyamie
    kailyamie Posts: 130
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    I have PCOS and was having trouble losing weight and conceiving. my doctor put me on birth control for a few months to regulate my cycle and Metformin to help control the PCOS. I managed to lose about 15 pounds after taking the meds, and within a month and a half of ending the birth control I was pregnant. I continued with the Metformin throughout my pregnancy and for a short while after. I am now med free and managing to lose more weight and control my PCOS on my own.

    Shiny Fraga - you got to stay on metformin while pregnant? That's awesome. My doctor refused, and made me stop taking it. Hence the gestational diabetes that went totally unchecked, and my 100 pound weight gain (again! after all that hard work!). :grr:

    I'm a member of a message board for ladies who are TTC and in various stages of pregnancy/PCOS/etc. and someone just posted a study yesterday that said that in women with PCOS, STOPPING metformin increases the miscarriage risk to 50%. So shame on your doctor for making you stop taking it!!
  • janeosu
    janeosu Posts: 140 Member
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    First, 14 pounds in 2 months is awesome !! Keep at it and you'll see more results. I know the plateaus are hard to deal with and I hope you start seeing the numbers move again soon. . hang in there! I've dealt with PCOS for 15 years and it's true that losing the weight makes it much easier to manage, but losing the weight is so stinkin hard with PCOS! Have you tried changing around your protein-carb-fat percentage ratios? 40-40-20 is what seems to do the job for me. Hope this helps!
  • Caperfae
    Caperfae Posts: 433
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    I'm a member of a message board for ladies who are TTC and in various stages of pregnancy/PCOS/etc. and someone just posted a study yesterday that said that in women with PCOS, STOPPING metformin increases the miscarriage risk to 50%. So shame on your doctor for making you stop taking it!!

    When I got pg with my daughter 6 yrs ago I was on Met. and told to stop as well. Some doctors who aren't as well versed with PCOS just don't have a clue.
    I wasn't on it this time at all so there was nothing to stop taking .. BUT I do have gestational diabetes again but that's because of the PCOS/insulin resistance and my family history.
    PCOS is such a battle :(

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