PCOS and IBS

Yes, pretty much you do it like anyone else.

Any one of us, with or without complicating conditions like your PCOS and IBS, should

• tell MFP they want a sensible gradual weight loss rate (say around half a percent of current weight per week, unless severely obese and under close medical supervision for nutritional deficiencies or health complications,
• follow the recommended calories fairly closely on average over a week for 4-6 weeks to see what their average weekly weight loss is over that whole time period; women who have menstrual cycles should compare body weight at the same relative point in at least two different cycles,
• then, if actual multi-week weight loss isn't as expected, they should adjust their calorie goal to personalize it, based on their experience.

That'll work. Yeah, there's a small possibility that that first few weeks may be more of a learning experience, less of weight loss, but investing that time is an investment in long-term success. Besides, most people are close to the estimates MFP provides, and some people lose faster than MFP estimates (I did).

With IBS in the picture, obviously you'd want to follow whatever medical advice you've been given about food choices to limit flare-ups.

Some women with PCOS find they do better on a relatively lower carb eating style - not necessarily zero or super-low - so you might want to give that a try.

In general, while good overall nutrition is useful and health promoting, there are no particular foods you absolutely should or totally can't eat during w woreight loss: It's more about portion size and frequency of calorie dense things, not about "good foods" or "bad foods". That means that you can eat whatever foods work best for your IBS and PCOS, as long as they add up to the right calorie level, and you'd expect to lose weight.

Don't be afraid. The process is less complicated than most people think - at least that was my experience losing around 50 pounds, obese to healthy weight, at age 59-60, in menopause, while severely hypothyroid (medicated), and with various things that limit the types of exercise I can do.

Don't eat lots below your calorie goal, don't shoot for ultra-fast weight loss. Those are bad ideas for anyone. Why? Because the harder we make the process, the less likely we'll stick with it long enough to lose all the weight we want to lose, and because fast weight loss increases health risks (including some serious ones).

I'd say that if someone has troubling health conditions to start with, such as your IBS and PCOS, trying to speed up weight loss by undereating is even a worse ID: It's stacking those health risks of fast loss on top of whatever other health condition(s) is stressing the person's body.

You can do this, and if your experience is like mine, the quality of life improvement will be more than worth the effort (and patience) that it takes.

Best wishes for success!