PCOS

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Hey everyone! If anybody has any tips for fighting pcos and foods they like please let me know. It's hard, but not impossible to lose the weight fighting this cruddy disease!

Replies

  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    I hear you!!! I have PCO and have fought my weight all my life. I remember having surgery once for "female issues" and my mother asked my doctor about my weight - she's badgered me all my life too. He told me I'd be battling it all my life.

    Having said that - since April 2011, I've lost about 150 pounds, and gained back 100, and am now back on track. So it can be done. Life happened. This time, I'm back at it. Hoping beyond hope that this time I've learned enough from the last few years to be able to finish the job and maintain.

    Anyhow - having spoken with a bariatric dietician, the things that help me most include:
    • Focus on the protein and the fats/carbs will take care of themselves
      Make sure you get in enough fiber. I have 1 or 2 chocolite protein bars to help with that (www.healthsmartfoods.com)
      Drink your water
      Be open to alternate ideas when going out - like ordering from the kids menu

    Also, I have a dorm fridge in my laundry room with water, Greek yogurt, string cheese, apple slices, etc. in it. There's a "snack box" next to it with baggies of pretzels, peanut butter crackers, "Jif-to-Go" cups, protein bars - things that are about 100-ish calories. That way I have a "safe zone" for snacks.

    For what it's worth....
  • DaizyBell
    DaizyBell Posts: 9 Member
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    Hello!
    I have Hypothyroidism and am getting tested at the moment to see if I have PCOS.
    Desperate to lose weight, but it's tough going...
    I just started Slimming World and I am focusing on not eating much carbs at all..
    Hopefully, I lose something with this diet..Any tips welcomed x
  • ripupthedancefloor16
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    I recently just started a 1200 calorie diet and it seems to be working for me because cutting out carbs is just IMPOSSIBLE for me to do. I constantly feel dizzy and what not when I do that. I was on metformin for about 1 year and all it did was make me really sick.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    If you are not exercising, start today. Ease into it if necessary but at some point in the near future (within the next 3 months) you should be adding resistance training such as bodyweight or weightlifting. Strength training has shown to help women with PCOS lose weight. On non resistance training days, do some cardio. Doesn't have to be high intensity. Walking for 45 minutes is great.

    Eat in a moderate deficit, meaning around 20%. Eat plenty of protein. Multiply the top healthy weight for your height by .8 and aim for that many grams of protein per day as a minimum. Cut that protein number in half and aim for that many grams of fat per day as a minimum. Once you hit those minimums the rest of your food can be carbs or more fat or more protein.
  • kitarinalee
    kitarinalee Posts: 8 Member
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    Also have PCOS, and just started back on metformin in the last couple months. The 'lovely' side effects led to losing my first 10 pounds, so now I'm trying to look on the bright side and use that as a spring board to sustainable life changes. Working on hitting that cal deficit daily, and slowly bringing more and more physical activity into my life (running and yoga).

    Carbs will be the death of me.
  • runningjen74
    runningjen74 Posts: 312 Member
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    Pcos & hypo thyroid.

    I started seeing a trainer in 2013 for strength work. I was lifting about 4 times a week and a bit of cardio on top, hiit to finish off. I was also walking most days for about an hour. He told me to focus on whole foods, increase my protein and fat- another poster had given rough calculator which wasn't dissimilar to figures I had, except I limited carbs to 100-150gm a day. Most of my carbs come from fruit and vegetables.

    After having I'd guess 4 menustral cycles a year for the previous 10-15 years, I became completely regular after 6 weeks. I could never pin point quite what ' fixed' things for me, but I'm now a firm believer in strength work and playing with you diet to figure out what's best for you. I also believe 90% whole foods are important.
  • bgh707
    bgh707 Posts: 164 Member
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    I have PCOS, and I've lost 25 pounds in the past year through a combination of the paleo diet and exercise, and I have about 15-20 more to go until I reach my goal. PCOS can be overcome, but it's difficult, and you have to be patient.
  • sweatin4me
    sweatin4me Posts: 17 Member
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    I was diagnosed over 10 years ago. I battled my weight since I was 14. When I was 24 I just started losing, come to find out I needed my gallbladder out. But it gave me the motivation to get moving. I tracked my calories and dug deep really getting into working out. After a year I lost 30 pounds. Then life happened and I got pregnant with my 2nd baby. I gained about 60 pounds. Again I went back to tracking and did even more exercise, more than I had done in my life. I managed to get back to my previous weight about a year and a half after I had my baby.
    This past year has knocked me down. My weight has all come back thanks to issues with my depression. Now I know what I need to do. My advice: MOVE!