Why is it harder to lose weight with PCOS?

sueberlin
sueberlin Posts: 32 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
I have PCOS. And they say women with PCOS have a harder time to lose weight. Does anyone know anything about that? I don't want to know whats wrong with me or what is PCOS. I know that already. I would like to know why is it harder to lose weight with PCOS?? It's about my hormones in the body...but what exactly has that to do with the weight loss?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited April 2017
    http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/pcos-symptoms/weight-loss-with-pcos/

    Note that I haven't researched any of this, but this pretty much jives with most things I've heard in regards to that particular metabolic disorder.
  • sueberlin
    sueberlin Posts: 32 Member
    Thanks :)
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    PCOS is so prevalent! And it's hereditary. I have it and so does my 15 yo daughter. Fortunately, we don't have the weight side effect of it, but yeah, pretty much everything else! Hang in there.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    I have PCOS and I know when I eat a carb heavy diet then yes it doesn't matter if I am in a calorie deficit I just have a harder time losing. The other problem that occurs is I start having issues related to PCOS (cycle irregularities mostly). I eat high protein, moderate fats and keep my carbs around 150g daily which I found works for me. I know anecdotal evidence isn't best, but this is also what is recommended by most research out there.
  • crazyycatlady1
    crazyycatlady1 Posts: 292 Member
    OP, can your doctor refer you to a dietician who can help you navigate through this?
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    @sueberlin many of us with autoimmune related health conditions are experiencing the same thing you are finding and may be one of the root causes of us being overweight.

    In our house it is Lupus and Ankylosing Spondylitis that are driving my medical research reading. After about three years I now mainly focusing on only one factor and that is our C-Reactive Protein (CRP) test levels and how to eat, move and take supplements that continue to drive CRP results to approach ZERO. If in fact the least common denominator in managing autoimmune related health conditions is the monitoring and lowering of our CRP levels then life is becoming more simple for us even if it is not easy to do.

    https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3245829/
    Is PCOS an inflammatory process?

    While this is science on the subject of PCOS it can help you learn the other long term health issues that can be expected to follow if our CRP levels are not lowered into a low risk range ASAP.

    I have little doubt that it was Klebsiella pneumoniae that was a triggering factor in my life time of AS.
    https://hindawi.com/journals/jir/2013/872632/
    The Link between Ankylosing Spondylitis, Crohn’s Disease, Klebsiella, and Starch Consumption

    The strong evidence in my case was when I cut out all sugar use and eating of any form of any grain first of Oct 2014 only to see my 40 years of pain levels in the 7-8 range drop into the 2-3 pain level range just 30 days later. Today it is still lower as I learn and test supplements medically proven to lower CRP levels in humans.

    While we may never find the factual medical cause of our chronic pain we often still can learn how to make it approach a level near ZERO.

    Best of success as you learn your way forward in the years ahead. I was 63 before I realize my medical future had become my Job #1 after 40 years of failure just listening to others.

  • firead
    firead Posts: 56 Member
    I'm not sure how the insulin resistance part of it works, but I do know it can lower your metabolic rate, so your body needs less calories to function. Since it burns fewer, that leaves more "extra" calories to be stored as fat, and it means that even when the calculators show a deficit, your body may not be at a deficit because of your unique metabolism. If you tend to run a lower than average body temperature, there's a very good chance this is what is going on.

    Short of going to a clinic and having specialized testing done to find your actual metabolic rates, the easiest way to figure it out is to log very accurately and track your weight and progress over a period of a few weeks, then change it by 100-200 calories for a few more weeks and measure the difference. Most people with PCOS average about 400 calories lower than "normal", and I've found that number pretty accurate for me.

    So, it means that I need to set my calories about 300-500 a day lower than MFP estimates to be in the weight loss range it gives. My PCOS symptoms do seem to correlate with my weight a lot as well, and I found that when I was under 280 or so I was within about 250-300 calories of the estimate, but when I was above 325 I'd have to eat closer to 500-600 less to hit the estimated loss. This is going to be different for each person, but tracking your calories and results is the easiest way to figure out what range gives you the deficit you need to keep losing.
  • Catawampous
    Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
    I *think* Lyle McDonald did some pretty in depth stuff with PCOS. He has a website. Google will get you there.
  • Enjcg5
    Enjcg5 Posts: 389 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    One reason I see women with PCOS have trouble losing weight is that they read that PCOS causes trouble losing weight and react by cutting calories down way low while cranking up exercise to the nth degree. Then they are exhausted and turn into slugs with very low NEAT calorie burns.

    Eat in a small to moderate deficit. Experiment to find whatever macro combo works best for you. Exercise for health and fitness. Your BMR might be slightly lower than a woman without PCOS but weight loss will work the same.
    Exactly. Quick fixes don't work. You have to make sustainable changes.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    edited April 2017
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/pcos-symptoms/weight-loss-with-pcos/

    Note that I haven't researched any of this, but this pretty much jives with most things I've heard in regards to that particular metabolic disorder.

    Yes, the study referenced here:

    In a recent study, researchers found that women without PCOS needed roughly 1868 calories per day whilst women with PCOS only needed around 1445 calories per day, and those with insulin resistance needed even less (6).

    is important to note. Metabolic rate can be significantly lower for women with PCOS, especially the insulin resistance type. Here's the link directly to that study:

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18678372

    It can be discouraging, but I think it's also important to be aware of so people don't think it's just an "excuse" or a mental thing. This doesn't mean that it's impossible, and of course there are outliers, but women with PCOS do often need to create a bigger deficit (I'd rather do it through more activity than through dropping calories super low, personally) than other women of similar stats to lose weight.

    One of my sisters and I both have PCOS. We've both struggled to lose weight. For me, I started losing weight much more easily and sustainably when I switched to lower carb ways of eating. That's often successful for women with PCOS. I tried low carb/high fat/adequate protein when it was recommended by other PCOSers and that helped regulate my cycles better, as well.

    I've also read that HIIT and strength training tend to be more beneficial for women with PCOS than LISS (especially for durations over an hour). I'm too lazy at the moment to dig for the links but it might be something to look into if that piques your interest. There's a PCOSis group on here that's slow but has some very knowledgeable members if you'd like to join.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    macchiatto wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/pcos-symptoms/weight-loss-with-pcos/

    Note that I haven't researched any of this, but this pretty much jives with most things I've heard in regards to that particular metabolic disorder.

    Yes, the study referenced here:

    In a recent study, researchers found that women without PCOS needed roughly 1868 calories per day whilst women with PCOS only needed around 1445 calories per day, and those with insulin resistance needed even less (6).

    is important to note. Metabolic rate can be significantly lower for women with PCOS, especially the insulin resistance type. Here's the link directly to that study:

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18678372

    It can be discouraging, but I think it's also important to be aware of so people don't think it's just an "excuse" or a mental thing. This doesn't mean that it's impossible, and of course there are outliers, but women with PCOS do often need to create a bigger deficit (I'd rather do it through more activity than through dropping calories super low, personally) than other women of similar stats to lose weight.

    One of my sisters and I both have PCOS. We've both struggled to lose weight. For me, I started losing weight much more easily and sustainably when I switched to lower carb ways of eating. That's often successful for women with PCOS. I tried low carb/high fat/adequate protein when it was recommended by other PCOSers and that helped regulate my cycles better, as well.

    I've also read that HIIT and strength training tend to be more beneficial for women with PCOS than LISS (especially for durations over an hour). I'm too lazy at the moment to dig for the links but it might be something to look into if that piques your interest. There's a PCOSis group on here that's slow but has some very knowledgeable members if you'd like to join.

    I used to quote that study but now find it suspect. It claims that the control group had a BMR of 1868 and BMI of 26.67. That's pretty out of whack using any BMR calculation. Yes, BMR calculations are estimates but we're talking a Harris Benedict calculated BMR of 1846 for a 5'6" 235 lb woman. That would be a BMI of 37.9.

    Anyway, I believe that PCOS can be linked to a lower BMR but not that big of a difference.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/pcos-symptoms/weight-loss-with-pcos/

    Note that I haven't researched any of this, but this pretty much jives with most things I've heard in regards to that particular metabolic disorder.

    https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3289164/
    The Effect of Exercise in PCOS Women Who Exercise Regularly

    It does sound like PCOS makes CICO a little different for people when it comes to weight loss and maintaining.

    If one could just focus on first reversing the Metabolic Syndrome then perhaps that could kill two birds with one stone. If the Metabolic Syndrome is not addressed up front it sounds like PCOS may set one up for higher risks of heart disease and several kinds of cancers.

    https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2683463/
    Long term health consequences of polycystic ovarian syndrome: a review analysis

    It sounds like if one can prevent/reverse Type 2 Diabetes if it has already developed should help prevent the cascade of diseases that can follow with PCOS. Most things that can be helpful to lower one's C-Reactive Protein test results should be helpful address short and long term PCOS health risks it seems.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    @kar328 that is awesome and a long time to stay on course. I think your experience shows that we may be able to fix our broken health by using LCHF over a long period of time. Healthy people do not tend to become obese and unhealthy people have a hard time losing weight. I think we have to figure out a way to lose weight to get back to good health. Sounds like you found a long term solution. Best of continued success with your new macro.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    kar328 wrote: »
    Another "cyster" here. It's been slow, but it's definitely achievable. I'm down 103 lbs, today is day 1565 here. I have been plateauing for a long time now, those last ten or so pounds just want to hang around. I've changed my macro settings a bunch of times, did the standard high fat, moderate protein, low carb recommended for PCOS. Just saw my dietician last month and she decided to treat me like I don't have PCOS and we reduced my fat to 30% (Before this I was making sure I hit my protein numbers, keeping a range for carbs and not really looking at the fat, so it was over 50%). Somehow this is now working, in the 4.5 weeks since my appt, I'm down 6.2 pounds :smiley:

    Fantastic work!
  • girlhermes
    girlhermes Posts: 4 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    One reason I see women with PCOS have trouble losing weight is that they read that PCOS causes trouble losing weight and react by cutting calories down way low while cranking up exercise to the nth degree. Then they are exhausted and turn into slugs with very low NEAT calorie burns.

    This is a little reductive. Trouble losing weight with PCOS is not simply a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sure, it could be a factor in some cases, but crash diets tend to be bad news for anybody regardless of their physical health.

    Again this is anecdotal, but as my PCOS has advanced, I have noticed that the CICO approach just doesn't work like it 'should' (and did for me in the past). Cutting down sugar has helped, and actually regular exercise is incredibly important, but the main factor in my weight loss turning a corner has been starting inositol. It's like my body just remembered the maths of calories in/calories out; I'm able once again to roughly predict what I will lose each week by looking at my food diary. For myself I feel this is pretty strong evidence that I am not weak-willed or looking for excuses, or doing it wrong (for a while I thought I was just going mad), but that I accepted traditional weight-loss advice without knowing that I needed to bring insulin resistance into the picture.

    I'm paying far more attention to my body and my PCOS now, and for the first time really doing what I can to 'heal' it. I am more concerned with being strong and healthy than being uber-thin. I would like to be able to conceive in the not too distant future. I want most of all to not be afraid of my body - of blood sugar crashes, of feeling helpless in the face of excess weight - and hope that through research I can find solutions that will suit me for life.
  • girlhermes
    girlhermes Posts: 4 Member
    kar328 wrote: »
    Another "cyster" here. It's been slow, but it's definitely achievable. I'm down 103 lbs, today is day 1565 here. I have been plateauing for a long time now, those last ten or so pounds just want to hang around. I've changed my macro settings a bunch of times, did the standard high fat, moderate protein, low carb recommended for PCOS. Just saw my dietician last month and she decided to treat me like I don't have PCOS and we reduced my fat to 30% (Before this I was making sure I hit my protein numbers, keeping a range for carbs and not really looking at the fat, so it was over 50%). Somehow this is now working, in the 4.5 weeks since my appt, I'm down 6.2 pounds :smiley:

    amazing! What great progress - and very heartening.
  • linsey0689
    linsey0689 Posts: 753 Member
    I don't know if this is what you want to know or not. Might be too medical to you but women with PCOS are often times insulin resistance. Insulin is the key for glucose to work in the body. If your body is insulin resistance a lot of glucose (carbs/sugar) are turning too fat. Have your doctor check your fasting INSULIN levels. This is different than fasting glucose and also different than diabetes. I have insulin resistance and my doctor started me on metformin for my PCOS which seem to make things a little easier. He said it makes my doctor work like normal women and I actually started having regular periods for once in my life
  • ladypew
    ladypew Posts: 89 Member
    Lashawn71188 wrote: »
    I have PCOS and the best thing for me is a low carb high fat diet. That plus weight training and HIIT cardio for the past 5 1/2 months and I'm down 50 lbs!

    Same here! I eat carbs but cut out bread, pasta (the pure baddies) and under 1200 cals and down 45lbs. Have started yoga and strength training now, but if u have the energy HIIT does work wonders
  • CupcakeKendra
    CupcakeKendra Posts: 212 Member
    For me, If i stick with a 1200 calorie diet and no cheat days, while exercising 6 hours a week, I can lose weight quickly. I lost 50 lbs in 90 days before! I have PCOS and a pituitary tumor.
  • erbear117
    erbear117 Posts: 62 Member
    The reason PCOS women have trouble losing weight is due to insulin resistance. I have been looking up a lot of clinical research on the topic (and keto/LCHF diets for PCOS) because I do not want to take medication. The research points to insulin resistance being the primary factor. If you can manage that, by changing your diet, or taking cinnamon supplements and other things (supplements for diabetes are a good clue), then it presumes that your PCOS symptoms will be much easier to manage.
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,461 Member
    FWIW, I have PCOS. I used to be considered insulin resistant, but after 2 years on metformin and some changes to my diet, I was able to stop medication by simply balancing my macros better.

    Now, I just try to "link and balance" my meals, but not quite to the extreme that the Insulin Resistance Diet recommends. Basically, I never have carbs without a protein and I try to keep my protein to at least 50% of my carbs. So, if a meal has 30 g carbs, I have to have 15 g of protein. Obviously, this is not always perfect (like with dessert), but I try to keep my days macros balanced to the above. I have found balancing my meals like that makes it much easier to lose, because I stay full longer. I still eat all the carbs, pasta, white bread, sugar, etc. I am just more mindful about how and when I eat them. I eat about 1600 cals a day. (I also have a lot to lose.)

    Also, another big (HUGE) help for me has been adding exercise. I swim 3-4 days a week and I am starting to lift 3 days a week. From my own research, those of us with PCOS benefit greatly by regular exercise and strength training.
  • vnb_208
    vnb_208 Posts: 1,359 Member
    I also have pcos and have lost 75lbs since august 2016
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    welcome back necro thread, I stick by what i said at the start
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    Unlikable response to the topic but i have PCOS and iv lost 95 pounds in the past 11 months. Eating plenty of carbs... Im a strong believer its harder in studies because people use it as an excuse and its a mental thing. Yes it can mess with blood sugars and be more likely to binge if you let your blood sugar get screwy, Yes it can be harder to find your middle ground. But no, It doesnt halt weight loss and no your body wont just hold on to fat against all logic. Weight loss is hard for everyone, People dont succeed until they take the time to learn their own body and its needs. Don't give it a second though or youll use it as an excuse (even unknowingly) Just do your research and experiment find what YOU need. And do it. Your not a textbook, You dont need excuses, You can do it. Do try to ditch preconceived notions though, or just keep them in the back of your mind (like i guess low carb helps some people, But for me if i listened to that id of failed miserably my body needs carbs and thats okay, But i kept it in mind while i experimented)

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