Advice Needed for PCOS & Weight loss

Kristi_Kay
Kristi_Kay Posts: 26 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone!

I am in need of some advice from people who have PCOS and have had success in losing weight. It seems like I can easily drop 20-25 lbs but once I hit that, I am just stuck. PCOS can cause weight gain and/or makes it difficult to lose weight. I am wondering if there is a special diet I should be on or trying? I have read some stuff online but I'd really like to hear from someone who has had success. My symptoms of my PCOS are steadily getting worse for me and I am in dire need to lose weight as that seems to be the only thing that really helps with that. I get super motivated and once I hit that wall, I'm just so unmotivated and feel hopeless. Any one have any advice or success with this?

Replies

  • trjjoy
    trjjoy Posts: 666 Member
    PCOS does not cause weight gain; ci > co causes weight gain. Maintain a decent caloric deficit and you WILL lose weight.
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,159 Member
    I'd say if a dietician is something you can swing, that should help you find what's right for you. Mine is invaluable. For a long time she had me do the recommended PCOS diet, low carbs, moderate protein, high fat. I'm down to the last ten pounds or so and have hit a plateau with it so she changed me to a 35% fat and protein and 30% carb since she wants to try treating me as someone without PCOS since I'm so close to my goal. That seems to have helped. It's still coming off slowly but it seems to be the right answer for me.

    And I agree with the post above about being physically active. It's very important for anyone but is known to help the PCOS.
  • Kristi_Kay
    Kristi_Kay Posts: 26 Member
    Thanks! Sounds like I need to increase my exercise. I've been going to the gym probably 4-5 days. And decreasing bread would be good for me. I haven't really thought of that or watched as closely as maybe I should be. Thanks again!
  • Kristi_Kay
    Kristi_Kay Posts: 26 Member
    kar328 wrote: »
    I'd say if a dietician is something you can swing, that should help you find what's right for you. Mine is invaluable. For a long time she had me do the recommended PCOS diet, low carbs, moderate protein, high fat. I'm down to the last ten pounds or so and have hit a plateau with it so she changed me to a 35% fat and protein and 30% carb since she wants to try treating me as someone without PCOS since I'm so close to my goal. That seems to have helped. It's still coming off slowly but it seems to be the right answer for me.

    And I agree with the post above about being physically active. It's very important for anyone but is known to help the PCOS.

    Thank you!! I appreciate this advice!
  • Kristi_Kay
    Kristi_Kay Posts: 26 Member
    Mejorando wrote: »
    Mades5 wrote: »
    trjjoy wrote: »
    PCOS does not cause weight gain; ci > co causes weight gain. Maintain a decent caloric deficit and you WILL lose weight.

    Well that's bull! With all due respect, I know of several people who struggle with weight loss/gain due to PCOS. Perhaps speaking to a medical professional before providing feedback would best, since you're obviously not very knowledgeable on the subject! Also, think about the way you respond to people! We are all here for a reason, we need support! Not someone who is going to belittle the knowledge we have! Stay focused Kristi! You've got this! And if anyone else has anything to say, remember, we are here for support and encouragement!! Let's think of ideas, collaborate!!

    Agreed! Our bodies are so complex that simple math just plain doesn't work for everyone. Hormones are major players in the weight loss game.

    My advice is to try a gluten-free diet. You still need to eat a calorie deficit - gluten-free alone won't make you lose - but there's tons of evidence to show that women with endo and PCOS are gluten/wheat intolerant. The inflammation could be masking or impeding your weight loss. You should also have your thyroid tested if you haven't already.

    Thank you!! I think I'll look into that and try it out. Someone else had mentioned breads too. I think that's something I'll need to really take into account and see how that works for me. Thank you so much!
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
    edited May 2017
    I do have PCOS. For me low carb works best to keep me alert, not bloated, and puts the insulin resistance in much better check and as I lose weight the symptoms lessen considerably. With that being said, workouts are different for those with PCOS too, you have to work out smarter not harder. I try to incorporate yoga twice a week to help me relax and stretch, I also do much better with weight lifting and minimal cardio, I only do cardio 3 times a week. Prior I was doing cardio a lot. It took me a year to lose 50 lbs and I was doing P90x in the morning and a full hour kickboxing/boxing session in the afternoon and I couldn't move the scale, and I was in a calorie deficit. Once I moved my eating to IF and then changed up my workouts I started to lose. Everyone is different but PCOS is a big struggle with losing.
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    I'd suggest visiting a reproductive endocrinologist with experience treating patients with PCOS. They should make sure you're not insulin resistant or have T2 diabetes and help you treat symptoms you're experiencing. As far as losing actual weight, I did that with calorie restriction.

    I totally agree with @aggelikik regarding exercise. Moderate to intense exercise can have a very positive effect on your body's insulin regulation, as well as improve your general mood, body image, and let you eat a few more calories while still losing. My body composition responds very well to exercise - especially my excess abdominal fat.
  • 1musicgrl
    1musicgrl Posts: 135 Member
    I have PCOS and I have now lost almost 60 lbs. I've done it through healthy eating and training very hard at the gym. It hasn't come off easily, but it has come off. I also am gluten free which helps me A LOT! It's doable. Everyone's body is different though, and this is what worked for me. You got this!
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,461 Member
    I also have pcos. Currently doing fertility treatments and gearing up for ivf.

    I can lose weight with just a calorie deficit and not restricting anything.....BUT....I have found the weight comes off much easier when I add in a mix of cardio and strength training.

    I also like the "link and balance" approach to carbs and protein from the insulin resistance diet. That has helped me a lot.
  • ashluv2sing
    ashluv2sing Posts: 42 Member
    Low carb has helped me quite a bit. I am on metformin and I've lost 17 pounds since February which is great for me. I'm following a plan right now written by and endocrinologist called The Metabolism Miracle. One of my sorority sisters from college followed this plan and has great success and it's worked great for me so far as well. Best of luck to you.
  • sarajames123
    sarajames123 Posts: 11 Member
    I have PCOS. The best diet for me is the insulin resistance diet. For every 15 grams of carbs eat 7 grams of protein. No more than 30 grams of carbs per meal. It works and I can eat anything I want.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,669 Member
    I also have it. I'll agree with those who've said that a decent deficit, moderate carbs, and vigorous exercise worked for them. I'm 53 lbs down, 20 to go.
  • etkahler
    etkahler Posts: 7 Member
    Hey, first of all well done so far on the 20-25 lbs! My first piece of advice would be to celebrate that!

    I have PCOS and I'm down 45-50 lbs and my goal is still an elusive 10 lbs away. You might see if your library has any books on PCOS or check out online. (I really like PCOS Diva.) I have tried cutting out dairy from my diet recently, and even though I slip up occasionally, the scale seems to be inching downwards. (I'm also heading towards vegan-ism, but that's for different reasons.) If you still crave the bread, I've been eating Ezekiel bread very frugally when the craving hits.

    My diary is open to friends. Feel free to add me and check out my diary, especially in the spring of 2014 as that's when the majority of my weight loss happened.

    Hope this helps and best of luck to you!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    My gf with PCOS had great success working with her endocrinologist, moderate carbs, and moderate exercise.

    My understanding is that the CO for women with PCOS is slightly less than would be expected, so weight loss is completely possible, just somewhat slower.

    Some (but by no means all) are affected by carb intake, so reducing carbs is something to experiment with.
  • amyinthetardis1231
    amyinthetardis1231 Posts: 571 Member
    I also have PCOS with IR as well as hypothyroid. My metabolism is le slug. Ultimately, losing weight always comes down to consuming less than you burn, but how you achieve that deficit is individual. I find it easiest to achieve a deficit (and manage the blood sugar roller coaster) by eating lower carb (under 100g, not keto). I find fat satiating, so it works pretty well for me. I also weight train 3-4x a week. Others with PCOS find they can still get a deficit with a higher level of carbs, but for me they trigger cravings for more carbs and then I get a blood sugar crash and feel ravenous 30-60 min later, so it's not practical for me. I resisted going low carb for a long time, and now I wish I'd started sooner. It's sustainable for me, and something I plan to continue even when I'm at maintenance.

    I will say, my first 25 lb came off shockingly easily when I started low carb. It's getting harder now, as I'm only about 20-30 lb overweight and it's harder to achieve the deficit needed to lose 1 lb a week. Our CO is often on the lower side, and online calculators don't take that into account so even hitting the numbers we're advised to, we may not get the same results as someone who doesn't have PCOS. It's not impossible, but it is harder. Now that it's nice out, I'll be trying to add more cardio by walking outside a few times a week to help with the deficit.
  • spiffychick85
    spiffychick85 Posts: 311 Member
    My best friend has PCOS. She was overweight for quite a while (and was convinced she couldn't lose weight) until she found out she was also in renal failure (unrelated). She is on a kidney friendly diet, and has lost a ton of weight. I'm not saying you need to follow a low phosphorous diet like her, but that a calorie deficit for her worked, and she was convinced it wouldn't work for her for years prior...good luck, you can do this :)
  • stefisaca
    stefisaca Posts: 31 Member
    I have PCOS and I just keep a caloric deficit and move a lot. I didn't give up any food categories but I'm generally eating healthy and weight loss works just fine for me (my BMI is 19.6)
  • Leannep2201
    Leannep2201 Posts: 441 Member
    I have PCOS. Have been overweight for years and regularly struggled with my weight. I'm trying to lose weight as I want to conceive- have been TTC for a while now, so I'm determined to lose the weight this time.
    I struggle with fitting exercise into my life- I'm away from home about 12 hours/day with a full-on job, and when I get home, I'm shattered, and still have to cook, and finish work I've brought home with me on many nights.

    I try to get out for a walk a couple of times a week- sometimes it happens, often it doesn't. I find that if I maintain a calorie deficit I can generally lose, but sometimes it's pretty slow. I used to exercise a lot when life was a little less busy but there wasn't much difference in the rate of weight loss.

    My experience is that there are a lot of differences in what works for people with PCOS- everyone's body is wired differently. So my advice to the OP is to try a few different things and see what works for you.

    Good luck!!!
  • tltnjma247
    tltnjma247 Posts: 1 Member
    edited May 2017
    I have PCOS, Multiple Sclerosis, and asthma. I know first hand how frustrating it can be. Just hang in there you got this. I been losing weight by eating healthier, counting calories, and when I can exercise. It will come off, keep working on it. You will get there
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    Iv lost 100 pounds this year (todays my 1 year aniversary :D! ) And i didnt eat anything special, Didnt eat low carb, Just ate less moved more (altho the foods i eat i tend to eat actually alot more lol) PCOS isnt a fat jail sentence, If you put in the work and commit you can lose like everyone else. The problems people experience come from frequent blood sugar crashes and binging from them. Find the foods your body likes and eat those. For me its carbs. Which most people say to stay away from with pcos.
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