Pcos and losing weight
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jenlockner25
Posts: 2 Member
I'm 31 been following a 1200 calorie diet for about a month now and my weight keeps going up and down within about 5 pounds . I have pcos and alot of my weight is in my stomach and sides. I feel like even though I'm eating mostly vegetables and lean meat I'm not seeing progress that I want. Anyone relate?
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Replies
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Because weightloss is down to how much you eat and not what you eat, you have to log correctly for calorie counting to work.6
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I measure everything out and log everything I eat and drink.2
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There are mistakes that people commonly make that cause them to not lose weight that we might be able to spot if you change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings3
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There is a PCOS group on here may I suggest you take a look into it. PCOS changes many of the rules, a set of symptoms which can have varying inputs. Lowering carbs is something which helps with the insulin resistance aspect. Many women relate to PCOS. All the very best.
edit to add.
there is another PCOS thread active in the debate section. Some interesting information should come up there too. I'm not saying your thread is less value only that one was started slightly earlier in the day. This just goes to show it is a real problem for so many women.
One person has already said she is doing better on 60 gram carbs a day. each is different being lower than your allocation by 20 can help some. I helps by levelling out the insulin swings so the body does not have to concentrate on doing that and can work on working as best it can.1 -
I have been where you are and it is very difficult to lose weight and people that tell you to eat less, it's very insulting. Someone with pcos unfortunately has to work twice as hard as anyone else.6
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I posted this somewhere else before i figured it semi relates feel free to ignore it entirely, Just my PCOS views xD Didnt bother rereading it myself even hah. TLDR.
My opinions on this matter tend to differ very much from most peoples. We hear all this information about PCOS as if we are a textbook. All the rules like your insulin resistant ALL PCOS girls do best on low carb. I feel the need to respond to these posts because I show a different view. I do best on HIGH carb. And yes i had insulin resistance -Its now a non issue. Ill tell you a bit about my journey starting as reference but i am not recommending anything except self reflection. I am not a doctor obviously.
I am 5 ft 3 i started at 235 pounds. I got diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 14 and had all the bad side effects - lack of period, alot of subcutaneous fat, Bad acne Etc. I heard all the stories and reasons behind why girls with PCOS have a harder time losing weight. It kind of sucked to hear and gave me an excuse to hide behind. Even if i didnt admit it to myself. One day a switch in my flipped and i decided i was going to lose weight. It wasn't an option to me to fail. My doctor echoed to do low carb so i did. And to put it simply, I was *kitten* miserable.
I would get weak and shakey. I would feel constantly hungry and i was a total pleasure to be around ( not). I did lose weight, My first 20 pounds lost miserably in the first few months. I was so angry at everything in the world and ended up binging semi often on carby foods. I kind of ended up rebelling and saying screw low carb im either going to backtrack or fail- or ill succeed and be miserable if i stayed on low carb. So i simply started counting calories. My blood sugar levels stabled out more the more i added back in healthy carbs (mainly potatoes, vegetables, fruits and some breads) I stopped feeling dizzy and actually became energetic.
Summed up I realized im a person who does best with high carb. Screw PCOS, Its a label that never did me any good. I am not a text book, And neither are you. So all im saying is dont let the PCOS "rules" define you. You know your body best, Its very possible you will do well low carb, But its also just as possible your like me and carbs are your fuel. Different people require different things. Labels be damned.
I lost all my weight simply counting calories and walking. Nothing crazy. Granted i do have an active job. I did find i burn less calories thn others who have simillar activity levels, By a significant amount. That sucked to find but it wasnt the end of the world. Was simply more knowledge about my body to work with i didnt treat it as an excuse. There is no excuse why you CANT lose weight, If thats what you want and you prioritize it. Everyone has different hurdles.
I lost 110 pounds the first 100 took 13 months the last 10 have been over the next 8. I am now happy and healthy and my diet consists of 70-80% carbs. Im a bulk eater so i eat ALOT of veggies and fruit. The "diet killing" potato is a huge staple for me. And my doctor is amazed and she no longer recommends low carb strictly as the only option to other girls with PCOS. Makes me happy to know my struggle is now helping her other patients who may be like me.
Sorry for the giant wall of text, But my main point is dont let a label define you. The most important part in anyones weight loss journey is taking in information they hear, Testing it, And deciding if it works for them. Finding what works for you is arguably the most important step. It will help you maintain, And stop weight loss being miserable and burning out. Take some time to experiment. Try different macros and different foods and really self reflect on how you feel- After eating?- 2 hours later? Do you feel satisfied and energized? Tired? Maybe energetic but still hungry?
In time youll find YOUR diet. And you will succeed
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Why is it insulting? Is it not true? If wo, why is she even on a 1200 calorie diet?I have been where you are and it is very difficult to lose weight and people that tell you to eat less, it's very insulting. Someone with pcos unfortunately has to work twice as hard as anyone else.1 -
Jaded Miss - I wonder if it is the kind of carbs you have chosen to eat. The other day I was reading on a Diabetic site, not all carbs are equal, in that for example a cooked carrot is more carb because of the change in its water content from the raw state, it contains more water. Potatoes would probably react similarly. The site was also saying a slice of bread has a different level of carbs if it is fresh to a day old to being stale and toasted. there was much more too it than I had expected. May be you prefer leafy vegies to fruit, there can be so many variables. Certainly one needs to avoid those low carb crashes.
I agree its finding your personal balance.2 -
Kemmodevaran - It is insulting to be told you are not weighing and measuring every last crumb you are eating when you are holding yourself accountable for every last microgram you put into your mouth, then someone says, "I know better than you", and they are not sitting on my shoulder seeing all. I would be wasting my life if I deluded myself that I could do a scoop, heaped instead of flat, of this or that and it will be only x calories when seeking loss or to maintain, why try at all?
I've not been diagnosed with PCOS, but I do have various dietary intolerances which impact on how my system works. In my view there is too much ignorance of how someone's body can behave differently from the core population, mostly the ignorance is within the medical profession, epitomised by a local endo consultant who held a different less educated view on Salicylate Sensitivity to that of a Regional Hospital Professor in immunology!
I've been beseeched to, If I can't loose weight for myself please do it for me! If I could do it for you, I would know how to do it for myself. My answer has been to resolve digestive dysbiosis. But what the heck. I'm not permitted to be different, to have issues which need resolving before weight loss happens. Insulin resistance is different, it causes problems digesting resolving both added and incorporated sugars. Insulin resistance can be influenced by poor thyroid function but the thyroid gland can be functioning poorly because other endocrine glands are not working effectively.
I did discover an argument that calories are irrelevant to weight loss because calories are recorded in amounts it takes to heat water to a given temperature. I do not think my body is only heating the water I drink to a significant temperature, its turning the particles I eat into the required, well hopefully its making enzymes and other substances which my body needs and not simply heating a kettle.
So an earlier poster is on 1200 calories to try to loose weight because this is what works for the herd but not for each and every person with some kind of endocrine disfunction which is what PCOS is. Regretably our doctors do not always have the interest to keep up with recent scientific developments and continue to diagnose with sysems in place when they qualified which could be how many years ago? 10, 20, 30 even 40! but a primary care provider is a first place to call and they are generalists not specialists!
Sorry you hit my tender spot. 50 years with weight issues, attending doctors and being dismissed as, fit your own word in here, has done nothing to ease my frustration, the 100+ lb I have lost has been lost doing what is right for me, not you or many others, simply me, because, I matter just as much as anyone else, I have a right to enable my body to work more closely to those of other people. Like too many I have needed to learn for myself.
Please do not take this personally, it is directed to all who doubt as you do.5 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
Why is it insulting? Is it not true? If wo, why is she even on a 1200 calorieI have been where you are and it is very difficult to lose weight and people that tell you to eat less, it's very insulting. Someone with pcos unfortunately has to work twice as hard as anyone else.
First do you have pcos? If so you would understand why that is insulting and unfair to say you should eat less. Pcos is extremely difficult to manage no matter how much or how little you eat. It doesn't even matter how much you work out. Also not all people that suffer from pcos are not the same. We have to work 10 times harder than the average person just to lose that 1 pound.0 -
No, I don't have PCOS, but I don't see why that is relevant? But I have been overweight, and I lost weight by eating less, everybody loses weight by eating less, that's why we suggest "eat less". I really don't think that any disease can override the laws of thermodynamics, so my suspicion is always that people who struggle, are doing unnecessary things, AND NOT the necessary things to lose weight, and that they don't understand that there are some things that are necessary for everybody, AND IN ADDITION other things that may be necessary for them.
First do you have pcos? If so you would understand why that is insulting and unfair to say you should eat less. Pcos is extremely difficult to manage no matter how much or how little you eat. It doesn't even matter how much you work out. Also not all people that suffer from pcos are not the same. We have to work 10 times harder than the average person just to lose that 1 pound.kommodevaran wrote: »
Why is it insulting? Is it not true? If wo, why is she even on a 1200 calorie diet?I have been where you are and it is very difficult to lose weight and people that tell you to eat less, it's very insulting. Someone with pcos unfortunately has to work twice as hard as anyone else.5 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
No, I don't have PCOS, but I don't see why that is relevant? But I have been overweight, and I lost weight by eating less, everybody loses weight by eating less, that's why we suggest "eat less". I really don't think that any disease can override the laws of thermodynamics, so my suspicion is always that people who struggle, are doing unnecessary things, AND NOT the necessary things to lose weight, and that they don't understand that there are some things that are necessary for everybody, AND IN ADDITION other things that may be necessary for them.
First do you have pcos? If so you would understand why that is insulting and unfair to say you should eat less. Pcos is extremely difficult to manage no matter how much or how little you eat. It doesn't even matter how much you work out. Also not all people that suffer from pcos are not the same. We have to work 10 times harder than the average person just to lose that 1 pound.kommodevaran wrote: »
Why is it insulting? Is it not true? If wo, why is she even on a 1200 calorie diet?I have been where you are and it is very difficult to lose weight and people that tell you to eat less, it's very insulting. Someone with pcos unfortunately has to work twice as hard as anyone else.
Actually there is, they're called hypothyroidism, Cushing, additions, PCOS...just a few examples that affect hormone balance in the body. Hormones tell your body which foods to store, burn etc. Not saying all these people can't be successful once hormone levels are restored, just know your comment was a bit presumptuous. You statement was backwards, should have said there modifications necessary for them (first), and then there are lifestyle modifications that essential for everyone to obtain and maintain a healthful body.9 -
I’ve had PCOS, officially, about 15 years. I had all the signs growing up. Doctors would overlook everything else and just see the fat girl then tell me to exercise and eat less. Slow weight loss is an unfortunate symptom of PCOS. It can be done, but it will be slow. I think, though, it’ll be better. It’ll give you time to adjust to everything
In the past ~1 1/2 yrs I’ve really started eating better/healthier for me, and working out consistently. In a year, I’ve lost 18 pounds. I don’t measure myself so I’m not sure about inches.
Having PCOS can be very discouraging, especially since there’s no true cure. I am no where near my goal, but I’ve read where weight loss has helped others. I’ve read that a lower carb diet can help.
Maybe not what you want to hear Just keep at it. Make sure you’re measuring and logging everything. It will happen. 3 -
Leslierussell4134 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
No, I don't have PCOS, but I don't see why that is relevant? But I have been overweight, and I lost weight by eating less, everybody loses weight by eating less, that's why we suggest "eat less". I really don't think that any disease can override the laws of thermodynamics, so my suspicion is always that people who struggle, are doing unnecessary things, AND NOT the necessary things to lose weight, and that they don't understand that there are some things that are necessary for everybody, AND IN ADDITION other things that may be necessary for them.
First do you have pcos? If so you would understand why that is insulting and unfair to say you should eat less. Pcos is extremely difficult to manage no matter how much or how little you eat. It doesn't even matter how much you work out. Also not all people that suffer from pcos are not the same. We have to work 10 times harder than the average person just to lose that 1 pound.kommodevaran wrote: »
Why is it insulting? Is it not true? If wo, why is she even on a 1200 calorie diet?I have been where you are and it is very difficult to lose weight and people that tell you to eat less, it's very insulting. Someone with pcos unfortunately has to work twice as hard as anyone else.
Actually there is, they're called hypothyroidism, Cushing, additions, PCOS...just a few examples that affect hormone balance in the body. Hormones tell your body which foods to store, burn etc. Not saying all these people can't be successful once hormone levels are restored, just know your comment was a bit presumptuous. You statement was backwards, should have said there modifications necessary for them (first), and then there are lifestyle modifications that essential for everyone to obtain and maintain a healthful body.
There was a typo, I meant Addisions disease.0 -
I have PCOS. Diagnosed about 20 years ago, confirmed more recently due to some tests I’ve had to have.
For years, I told myself that it was my PCOS that made it harder for me to lose weight. I tried lots of ways to lose the weight, always gave up in the end, because, well “it’s just so hard with PCOS”.
My hormones are really screwed up at the moment, leading to several complications. I’ve started on medication to help with this. I’m not insulin resistant, and my thyroid is fine, according to my last round of blood work.
I’ve been losing weight just fine with MFP- I’m careful to be as accurate as I can, weighing food religiously and logging EVERYTHING. No “forgetting” to log things, no underestimating... it’s all very honest. I also love carbs, and don’t restrict them at all- I regularly eat somewhere in the range of 159-200g of carbs per day.
The weight loss started before I was on my meds, continued the same way after starting them.
I guess that what I wanted to say is, don’t do what I did and just blindly subscribe to the idea that weight loss is harder with PCOS (not saying that you are, just that I did, and now I regret all those wasted years). Maybe it is harder for some people, but I’m proof that it’s not harder for everyone with PCOS.
For me, the hardest part was complete honesty in my logging.
Once I focussed on that, the weight came off just fine, and continues to do so.4 -
Hi Jen,
I was going to write this big response in order to help support. However, I thought maybe there was a way for it to help more people so I turned that post into my first blog.
I hope the tips in there can give you some help or give you some faith to keep going! More than happy to try and help further if I can.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/amandalolson12/view/top-10-tips-how-i-lost-47-pounds-and-counting-with-pcos-955847
Cheers
Amanda1 -
amandalolson12 wrote: »Hi Jen,
I was going to write this big response in order to help support. However, I thought maybe there was a way for it to help more people so I turned that post into my first blog.
I hope the tips in there can give you some help or give you some faith to keep going! More than happy to try and help further if I can.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/amandalolson12/view/top-10-tips-how-i-lost-47-pounds-and-counting-with-pcos-955847
Cheers
Amanda
This is great - I would add to number ten that if your Dr isn't supportive around PCOS then find one who is, some are definitely better than others and the different levels of support are staggering.1 -
I am on the 1200 calories diet and have now lost 3.5 Stones since January. Initially I was following the diet and weighing and logging everything but not losing much. It was a bit disheartening but I knew I felt better so carried on. After about 6 weeks the weight started falling off and has continued to do so. I haven't added in extra exercise as I want to create good eating habits first but obviously as I got smaller became naturally more active. The other thing I have done is drink more water which has done wonders for my skin. I have just under 2 Stones to go and it is getting a bit harder now but I don't worry so much about it now as I know I can do it. I hope my story will help to keep you on track as healthy eating is so good for your mind as much as for your body.1
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I also lost weight with PCOS. I did it by being honest with and sticking to my deficit. I did not cut anything, I just ate less of it or ate less of something else. I also make an effort to be active so I can eat more.2
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This is interesting and important, thanks to everyone for posting!1
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