I eat my BMR plus exercise calories (1700-2100 calories a day) and I've lost 11 pounds so far this month after losing almost nothing in March eating 1200-1400. I gained a few pounds at first, but hung in there and I'm so glad I did!!!

So for me I wasn't losing as easily below my BMR and am losing better slightly over it. I was first diagnosed with PCOS 22 years ago and was pre-diabetic and insulin resistant at my start weight, but much improved now (no longer pre-diabetic. I haven't had a fasting glucose since then, so not sure about the insulin resistance, but I eat very little sugar and keep my carbs around 100g a day).

interesting study. BMR calculators are already almost arbitrary considering they are estimates that do not take a lot of factors into account. now we have to worry about PCOS messing up the numbers too?? BOO....

nevertheless, to raise BMR we still have to follow the same rules...

gain muscle, drink green tea, HIIT, amp up the protein intake etc etc..

maybe we all need to find out which numbers work for us for weight loss then report it here? a sort of...PCOS calibration if you will?

I have no idea how to approach it. You constantly here eat your BMR, but I have gained or maintained when I did. Also, I try to eat low carb, under 100g. How do you do that at 1700+ calories. High carb food has most of the calories, I can't see to boost my calories without raising my carbs at the same time. So I really don't understand what to do.

I have tried to figure out my BMR before but I also know that when you are morbidly obese the amount of fat you have may effect your BMR as well. My Doctor gave me a meal plan of 1976 calories but I always go over. I do plan on getting it to that level but at my current size and my attitude I think losing weight slowly is best for me. I think 1976 is closer to my BMR than the 2200 I often get on BMR calculators.

I thought the article was rather informative. It confirmed a lot of the "rumors" I've been seeing in the boards. What I'm taking away from it is that ladies with PCOS cannot set their MFP goals to lost 0.5 lbs and expect to actually LOSE weight since out BMRs tend to be lower than the "normal". Instead set the goals even LOWER like 1.5 lbs/week and as stated in the article "...reduction in daily caloric intake, especially as derived from carbohydrates, and a significant increase in daily aerobic exercise" should decrease body weight. I didn't see a "formula"/model for how people could calculate their BMR if they had PCOS and were insulin resistant so I'm of the belief it's more of a trial and error thing. I find the 1.5 lbs/week MFP setting gets me some weightloss (small but I'll take it!). At my heaviest, I did suffer from ALL the typical symptoms of PCOS, including amenstual linked to my hyperandrogenemia, weight gain, and hirsutism. Luckily after losing close to 30 lbs, a lot of my symptoms have been aliviated.

Also in the article, they mentioned that insulin sensitizers (Metformin for example, which I see mentioned a lot in other PCOS groups, works by suppressing glucose production by the liver). can also be helpful. I personally am more for "natural" weight loss, so PERSONALLY I won't be taking any drugs to lose weight. Slow and steady wins the race, in my opinion, but I totally understand different strokes for different folks.

This is what I have suspected for years now. I recently had my BMR calculated by a sport physiologist and it is 1240 (I am 5'2). I have been eating a 1200 calories diet for years trying to lose weight (50 lbs overweight). I exercise regularly (run, walk, bike, hike, etc) and eat my exercise calories one a week. I have been struggling with my weight and the effects of pcos since I was about 19. I am 32 now.

I have only been able to lose significant weight once and it was about 20 pounds. The only way the pounds came off was through extreme exercise (not realistic) and at the tail end I tried the HCG diet which was 500 calories (lost 7 pounds in 4 weeks) and it was awful. I was hospitalized for a seizure since my blood sugar dropped so low. As soon as I slowly went back to my 1200 calories my weight came back after 6 months. I eat very well - I was in school for nutrition when my size jumped from a 4 to 14 in 2 months when I was 21. So I learned about eating right and love to eat healthy whole foods.

I am scared to go on super low-carb diets because my blood sugar drops so low (I test my blood sugar regularly). I tried metformin for 3 months and I was so sick - it was too difficult to manage work while feeling so bad. I eat around 90g of carbs a day (whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, millet, barley, buckwheat, fruit and wine once a week)). As many suggested, I increased my calories and after 3 months of watching the scale increase to the high 190's I freaked out and went back to the 1200 which dropped my weight to180, which is where I tend to stick. I am now going to try d-chiral-inositol with additional supplements I have heard about recently.

It is amazing how many people try so hard to do the right thing when taking care of their health (as I have read through hundreds of PCOS discussion boards) but yet there is this stigma that if you are overweight, you must be drinking soda, eating fast food everyday and not watching your calories. I wish reports about obesity would also talk about PCOS, so people understand that there are people who have a harder time with their weight - even with valiant efforts.