PCOS and Weight problem Group Forum

I have read the spark and I really enjoyed it - it gives some added perspective to the articles that you find on the site.

I find that my symptoms improve a ton based on how clean (non-processed) and low-carb my diet is as well. Even though I've lost 35+ pounds, I found out recently that I can't go back to eating crappy within my calorie ranges or I start getting more excess hair and breaking out. Bummer, eh? Oh well. :)

-Allison

Hi Team,

I'm Marissa and I am a freshman in college. I used to do Spark teens but I felt that it was time to move up to spark people! So here I am, 5 ft 2 inches, 157 lbs. And I have the freshman 15 to worry about. However I plan on reversing that and losing 15 LBS. Ultimatley I want to be 120, but believe me and less is better that what I am now. And I got PCOS, which I believe makes all this harder to the tenth power! So I am determined to stick with this and get motivation from this team.

Ravenz the only way I have ever found to nutritionally do anything about pcos (regulate cycles, anyway) is to do low carb. Now, I'm not talking cut them out completely. But, the "normal" diabetic diet plans that I've seen suggest 3 servings of carbs (a total of 45 grams) a meal, then two snacks with a serving of carbs (15 grams) at each snack. I only do 1 or 2 servings per meal. Not only has that helped me lose weight, but also my cycle has been 30 days for the past 6-8 months. I'm not saying that will work for everyone, but when I eat like that (along with 1000mg of metformin) my cycles normalize.

Hi ladies!
I'm krissy, 32 from utah. Just thought i would pop in and introduce myself. I was diagnosed with pcos a couple of years now. That is after 6 years of doctors telling me that i was crazy and lazy..or maybe just depressed. I tired metforman, but it made my blood sugar crash way hard...i dont know if it was the drug, or if its because i used to drink a lot of coffee. Birth control makes me sick and it makes my heart race. I am taking a supplement called vitex..Honestly, it's the only thing that gets me through pms. Does anyone else get heart palpitations right before and during their period? Anyone else go absolutely crazy? lol Anyways, hope to make some friends on here...drop me a line...and if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know... oh, has anyone considered having their mommy parts removed to fix this problem?

I seem to gain before I loose, any ideas on how to reverse this? I have been increasing my excersise some but it never fails the scale goes up but I can say that I have loss some inches. Also has anyone found a nutrition style that has worked well for PCOS? Last question for those who have read the spark book was it a good read? Did you learn alot? Thanks!

Hello, everyone! My name is Kimberly, I'm a returning spark people member and I'm determined to stick with it this time. I had a hard time sticking to healthy eating choices last night at Olive Garden, and I decided that I probably needed a little more support than my husband could provide.

I'm hoping I can be helpful around here, and maybe find a bit of motivation. I look forward to getting to know you all. :D

Happy Monday everyone lets make the best of this week and plan ahead of time to meet out goals!

Edited by: NEW_ME_FOREVER at: 9/27/2010 (12:38)

Hello everyone! My name is Michelle. After a long break, I recently restarted SP. I thought I would reintroduce myself here. I was diagnosed with PCOS a few years ago but struggled with it my whole life. I exhibit most of the major symptoms including difficulty losing weight. With the help of SP, I lost ~20lbs and managed to keep that off during my time away. Unfortunately, I am still technically "overweight". I also feel unhealthy too. So I'm back and ready to kick it in high gear! I just had my metabolic evaluated (it was normal!?!?!) so I have a good plan to follow. Now I just need to do it! Looking forward to getting to know you all =)

Hi there! My name is Nette. I have been with spark for a long time, but PCOS is giving me so many problems that I decided you gotta have it to understand it. I've got 95% of the side effects and it's getting worse the older i get. I've been out of work for 3 months and right now my biggest problem is the eating and major depression. I'm a crazy person that is eating and sleeping and crying.
The crazy part is PMDD. I feel mental even on good days!LOL Anywayyyy, now that I have gained back the whole 60 some pounds i have to start again.
I'm looking forward to hearing from and losing with you all. I have had problems with this for years and years. So if any of my experiences can help anyone please ask. Looking forward to getting to know you.
I definitely need a pen pal or 10!HAHA

Hello Everyone! My name is Amy and I'm from Ohio. I am new to the team, but not really new to SP. I did recently rejoin, I was a member a couple of years ago. Although after being away for a bit I thought it was time to come back to the motivation. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2008 after trying for almost a year to conceive with no results. I have probably had PCOS since my pre-teen years. I've always been heavy around the middle, always had irregular heavy periods, and have had massive facial hair since I was 13 or 14. I remember going to an Ob/gyn at 18 and her telling me I was lazy and that's the reason I was fat. So that was what I thought, until I met my husband and we started trying to have a family. I lucked into my ob/gyn I have now. I went in for a visit told her my symptoms she immediately ran the test and put me on metformin 1000mg. The test confirmed that I had PCOS. So, I started trying to workout and lose the weight and I did lose 20ish lbs then gained it all back. So here I am once more getting motivated and seeking motivation to lose the weight so I can get my health back and start a family with my husband of almost 3 years. I seek the encouragement and am happy to have found a great team to motivate me.

Yuck, sorry to hear FairyCC. I agree I'm having some of those same symptoms. I just want to have it dealt with!! Hope you have good news at your appointment!

when I had an ultra sounda few weeks back they also found polyps, they have caused me to have heavy bleeding so iam hoping to have them removed, I am currently waiting to see the gyn but as I am in the UK the waiting is quite long (NHS) and my appointment isnt until the 29th Oct.

Thank you for your insight! I thought it may be related to the previous cancer. I just couldn't see how a well...honestly a reproductive skin cancer turning into something different, but that is why I'm not a doctor! It is nice to know that at least others have had them :] He asked to do the saline test immediately upon finding them. So I figured it was normal, but the problems that could happen worried me. So I've been stressing out like a mad woman! Time to chill and just wait it out...

Thank you again for replying!

I've never had mine removed. Unless they cause pain or bleeding I was told they just leave them in there. I've never had a saline test, don't know what that involves. Since you've had cancer before, I can see how they'd want to biopsy anything!

Are they very painful to remove? He's doing a saline test in the next week or two, and then we are going to discuss a biopsy? (I've had vulvar cancer in the past.) And then removal of them...but I'm nervous about the saline test of all things!

And thank you so much for replying!

Yes I've got quite a few of those too. They're benign fibrous tumors.

While being tested for PCOS via cervical ultrasound, they have found I have uterine polyps. Has anyone else been diagnosed with them that has PCOS? (Still no definite on PCOS, the polyps took first spot for clarification for the time being.)

Recently diagnosed and been on Met for 6 days. Take time release. Only one day did I feel anything - and that was a rumbly tummy then time to go to the bathroom - fast! Good Luck!

I was diagnosed with PCOS several years ago and my ob/gyn put me on metformin but I was so ill from side effects that I quit it. Currently I do nothing for my PCOS and I just hate all the acne and facial hair growth!

Hi. I am new to SP and was diagnosed with PCOS 8 years ago when first trying to conceive. I have always struggled with my weight. I was wondering - how do you know if you have insulin resistance (as not all with PCOS do)? My mother has diabetes but my blood sugars and AC1s I think they are called all come back fine. I am on 500 mg metformin and haven't found it helpful. Is it because I am not insulin resistant, on too low a dose, or not being serious enough yet about lifestyle changes? Thanks all and good luck.

Hi, my name is Adele, I'm 31 and have been diagnosed with PCOS for a few years. I'm fairly new to the site and have a lot of weight to lose and am having trouble getting started. I've read a couple books on PCOS and am kinda unsure about how to get started losing weight and what the best ways are. Having a hard time getting focused!!

Hi everyone,

I'm Rachel, I'm 19 and have had PCOS since I was about 12/13 and finally was diagnosed at 14 and put on the pill for treatment. It has been the bain of my existence from day one. My weight is up down and all around constantly. Recently, my gyno tried to tell me it's possible it's disappeared but after gaining 10lbs I know it hasn't. I don't know anyone else who has it or really understands how hard it is to deal with. I'm really looking forward to being a part of this team.

It is important to have 4 periods a year to shed the uterine lining or you are great risk of developing cancer. Most woman doing realize this.

Hello,
I am starting the metformin treatment this morning. Wish me luck! I am really nervous about the side effects.

Good luck getting the OBGYN to listen. If they wont look into an endocrinologist.

New to group. I am in the process of checking out PCOS, my dermatologist is pretty sure, but my gynocologist isn't so sure. I happened to mention to my derm at recent appointment that my periods were really irregular recently despite being on birth control, (on my face cream prescription possible birth effects so they monitor periods) So then my derm asked some questions and I mentioned irregular when off, acne that started in mid 20s (but was in grad school and then began working and not much improvement), skin spots/discoloration. She asked about weight and it also jumped up around time, but wrote off as grad school/getting older. Finally, we discussed previous ovarian cysts and the fact that I had a miscarriage two years ago. She suggested I mention it to my gyno and when I did I got the well a lot of this stuff happens in your mid twenties. So getting tested but doctor suggested a birth control change help. Is there anything else I should or could do?

Glad to have you!!

hi! hi! i'm elyssa, i'm new here and i was diagnosed with PCOS in 2006 after passing a HUGE endometrial growth that triggered some pathology and an ultrasound - the wrong hormones in you BCP can cause these growths i guess...my take = NOT FUN! prior to that i'd fought with my dr for four years for a diagnosis and she always brushed it off as pre-diabetes and being lazy and sent me for blood work. and every single time it came back good. she suggested i consider gastric bypass (6' tall & 240lbs = WHAT?) i asked for metformin at one point and was finally given it sometime in 2009 but never stuck with it. i wasn't ready to really lose the weight i guess. but i am now, and after another clean bill of health and an 8lb weight loss in 4 weeks my NP and i decided to skip the metformin and see where working out can get me...and when/if i should hit a roadblock i'll go to an endocrinologist. but right now, its seasonale for BCP and spironolcatone for the dark hair and HBP and that's it. so far i've lost 13lbs in seven weeks on here...i'm not looking to conceive at the moment, not even close, but i'm trying to lose my big ol' belly. i'm just watching what i eat, doing HONEST logging, drinking lots of water, packing my lunch, and walking 30 mins/5 days a week (if i can)...AND i just started c25k, w1d1 today!

Edited by: ELAPOINTE at: 8/17/2010 (12:42)

hi Guys I am new to this group...my name is Cindy and I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was around 12 so that is 17 yrs ago. My PCOS has caused me to have excess weight in my mid section, which I HATE, and excess hair.

I am a newlywed and we plan on trying to conceive sometime next yr. I recently had my glucose checked and it was in normal limits as well as all my other bloodwork which I attribute to being on spark..living healthy and exercise has really helped me get my levels in normal ranges. I am trying to lose weight so that when we do try the weight is not an issue so I hope that by this time next yr I am in a normal weight range...this would mean I will need to lose around 40 lbs!!!

Welcome to the group!!

Hey all. I'm 26 and was diagnosed with PCOS 6 or so years ago (I'm not so good with time). I recently went to a not-so-great doctor, who sent me to a not-so-great technician to do a super painful pelvic ultrasound where I'm thinking she shoved the stick up the wrong bits... ANYWAY, he said I didn't have PCOS cause he couldn't see something or other, all very vague and unhelpful for me, but I still have every single symptom, so I'm hoping to get a second opinion and hopefully a much better doc once I find a new job and get some decent insurance.

Anyway, long rant short (too late), he put me on birth control to get my menstrual cycle going again after 2 years of nothing, which kicked in a little over a week ago (and is still going, though much lighter now (and holy crow, I thought those cramps were going to kill me)). I'm not sure if this will help with my weightloss goals, but having a regular (or even semi-regular) period can't be a bad thing, right?

So, hi! Hopefully I didn't scare anybody away, I'd love some friends and support, and can't wait to get involved here!

Hi everyone and to all of the new members!

Sorry that I haven't been around much. I took a little spark break due to my health. Now I am back again despite the health problems! I have got to lose this weight again :( I know that I can do it though!

So here I go again!

Hello!! I'm Kelly, I'm 23 (very almost 24), Hubby and I have been trying to conceive for two years now, found out I was pregnant in January but miscarried at 7weeks. My fertility specialist is fairly certain I have PCOS. My goal was to get from 88kg down to 60kg, am currently at 84kg. I'm a lot of fun, love to go out for a dance and love talking!

Hi, I'm pretty new to SP and new to this group. I was diagnosed with PCOS about 6 years ago, though I've probably had it for 18 years (since age 16). I've finally realized and accepted that I have to be an active part of managing this and I can't just sit around and hope that medications will provide a magic cure! I'm glad to find a group of others who know what I'm going through.

Eirianaithne,
I have had PCOs for 25 years now. One thing I know from weighing every day and charting it over months is that my weight can fluctuate up to 10 lbs in a day due to water. Keep doing the right things each day and don't focus too much on what the scale is saying. Over time you WILL go down if you eat your targeted calories and exercise on a regular basis. Do not starve yourself or you will gain weight.
Be kind to yourself and give yourself time and your body time to adjust to what you are doing.
I have been on 2000 mgs of metformin a day for years.

Since being on SP, I've lost 15#. This is the first lifestyle/diet that has really worked well for me. I finally chucked out all the nonsense about limiting my fruit intake due to IR. I have found that INCREASING my fruit right now is benefiting my body so that I have energy and can work out better. I started taking the Metformin again and it has helped. I do limit processed carbs but not too much as the body does require some to be able to handle the stress of exercise.
I do suggest a few down days to rest your body - I found that if I worked out every day, I wouldn't lose anything - but if I take off the weekend (no DVD workouts but stay within calories and relax) I will drop weight.
These are things I've found work well for me (oh, and walking - walking works wonders to start out).

HI I'm Emily. I'm 23, new to sparkpeople. I was diagnosed with PCOS about 6 years ago after gaining 20 lbs in one summer. It took me about a year to get my dr to even test for PCOS. I've been on and off metformin since then because it has always made me sick. I've been consistent with it for almost 2 yrs now. I've done a lot of weight loss prgrams while off the metformin with ZERO success, I'm hoping that now that I'm back on it, my hormones will level out and give me some level of success. I'm tired of staring at my skinny jeans! I'm ready to wear them and to stop being controlled by PCOS!

I have been diagnosed with PCOS for only 2 years though I have been having problems FOREVER (started at age 10). Getting doctors to help me has been like pulling eye teeth. I had to do my own research to get on metformin. I have been really frustrated the last two weeks. I started to really concentrate on exercising and eating right and the first 2 weeks I lost 5 pounds and was really excited. Then the 2 weeks after that I changed nothing but gained 8 pounds. I am hoping to get my medication adjusted in a couple of weeks, but until then is there any suggestions? Has anyone really seen a pattern with eating too little calories actually causing weight gain? I am taking a total of 2000mg of metformin a day; what seems to be the "magic" number for everyone else?

Welcome MEGANHOLIDAY! Congrats on jumping back onto the wagon! I don't think there's really a "wrong" kind of exercise for women with PCOS. The hardest thing about PCOS is that it's a little different for everyone, so you should experiment to find what works best for you.

The working out every day & not losing could have to do with your body going into "starvation mode". Did you up your calories when you upped your workouts? For some people, a too high calorie deficit can cause your body to be stubborn & hang onto your extra fat. One or two weeks of gains or small losses when you've been losing well could be your body readjusting a bit, building some muscle, water retention, etc. This is probably where you'll really see the inch loss, and it looks like you have, so congrats!

It's good to track your monthly cycles along with your losses to see if certain times of the month (ovulation, periods) affect your weight.

I'd also look at diet. Women with PCOS can struggle to lose with high carbohydrates. You don't necessarily have to go low-carb (though some women have success with it). You might have success just limiting carbs to 50-55% of your diet.

I hope this helps. Please don't let PCOS get you down. It may make things a little harder, but the payoff is so worth it!

Edited by: ATTACKFATCAT at: 8/2/2010 (11:19)

Hello everyone! I'm new to this team, but not to sparkpeople. I just got diagnosed with PCOS maybe 2 weeks ago. it finally was something to make sense of why I lost more when I only worked out 2 or 3 days and gained when I worked out every day. I did get a little low though. I haven't exercised since I found out because I feel nervous that I will do the wrong kind of exercise with PCOS and end up making my weight problem worse. So I did what I shouldn't and cried and had a pitty party for myself, but today I feel ready to try again. After my pitty party, I remembered that my weight was going up, but my inches were slowly coming down. That's what's really important. So here I am on Sparkpeople again, and I'm finally doing something again!

Don't change your obgyn just go see an Endocrinologist. They tend to see your whole body not just your female parts and they are often much more comfortable giving patients metforman. PCOS is about insulin resistance and that is what Endocrinologists take care of. Good Luck.

Daily walks and modest weight loss will help as well. The side effects of Metformin will pass within a a few weeks. I have been on it for 10 years now.

Hey Pixie - I have the exact same problem. My OBGYN doesn't believe in using metformin for PCOS - says there are "mixed studies." Argh! I read the things people post about how it helps them so much and it's frustrating that my doc won't try it. I hate to change doctors trying to get meds prescribed - makes me sound like a junkie. LOL. I definitely do wonder if it would help, though.

Ladies - I've found Glycemic Load to make slightly more sense than Glycemic Index - it takes the GI and applies a typical serving size rather than a controlled lab amount... so for instance, the GI of watermelon is 103, but the GL is 52, which is OK. A bagel on the other hand has a GI of 103 but a GL of 340 because a typical bagel is much larger than the lab portion used to measure the GI. Anyway, here's a link to a good listing of foods that includes bother the GI and the GL - enjoy!

http://www.lowglycemicload.com/glycemic_
table.html


Edited by: CD6966999 at: 7/28/2010 (19:08)

Hi I take metformin for my PCOS it helps a lot the side effects can suck but it helps me. My OBGYN also warned me that when women with PCOS take metformin it often helps them to become pregnant right away. Hope this helps but make sure you are doing the right thing for you.

I've been on Sparkpeople for a few years now. I had grown so frustrated though - I seemed to be losing and gaining the same 10 pounds over and over. I've alwasy watched my sugars because of my diabetic parents and not wanting to follow in their footsteps. I've been counting calories religiously for the past few years and working out but it's almost as if working out made my weight issue worse. I finally was referred to an endochrinologist and have been diagnosed with PCOS. I've started taking metformin 2 weeks ago, and I'm amazed that after all these years I can see the number going down on the scale! It's so nice to be motivated again and realize that I may truely be able to do this!

Hi everyone! I was diagnosed with PCOS and Insulin Resistance about 7 years ago. I did real well for about six months linking my foods but then dropped off. I have recently picked up my Insulin Resistance Diet book that my doctor recommended (many moons ago) and have been doing exceptionally well. I am linking my foods and I'm feeling wonderful. I am not having any of the uncontrollable cravings that I used to. I'm eating healthy and I'm losing weight. I won't weigh in until Thursday but I did peak at the scale this morning and I'm down some more! Woo Hoo!! I have never been this motivated and determined to eat right and get healthy. I love this site. Good luck to all of you.

I just joined SparkPeople. I've actually been spending time at another food-journaling site, but SP has way more options & is a lot easier to use!

So far, I've lost about 14lbs in 6 weeks. I've known about my PCOS for 10 years, but only recently did my new OBGYN inform me about the insulin resistance part of it, which I definitely have (I was always told it was just a fertility issue). I cut down my carbs & sugars & it's amazing how much better I feel!

I'm hoping to get to 175lbs by my 30th birthday next year (5/20) and 150lbs by Labor Day 2011.

I was doing really well with the weight loss until this week, when my body decided to readjust itself & I gained a pound even though I was on plan. I suspect I was eating too few calories (1400-1600) for the amount of exercise I was doing, so I've upped my calories a bit and switched up my exercise routine. So far, I'm down a half pound for the week, so hopefully this will jump start the weight-loss again.

Glad to be here and just wanted to say hello!

Hello Ladies! After battling with my weight for the last few years, and doing the weight loss dance back and forth it took getting diagnosed with PCOS to really get my head in the game. I'm now more determined than ever to live a more healthy and active lifestyle.

Hi everyone! Well like you all I have PCOS and am hating it! My hubby and I have been trying to conceive for like a year now but going off BC made me gain so much weight.. now I'm doing low carb and excersizing and trying to kick start my body. My OB/endocrinologist doesn't believe in using metformin for PCOS. Have any of you had this happen? I was hoping to try it just to see if it would help.. I've read where it has helped a lot of people in my predicament.. IDK

HI NEW ME, WHEN I GOT PREGNANT I WAS WORKING OUT I LOST ABOUT 10 POUNDS AND WAS TAKING GERITOL. NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE COMBINATION OR JUST ONE OF THOSE BUT THATS WHAT WORKED FOR ME.