[SamIAm86]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to 3FC and found that there is a PCOS support thread!! That really made me happy because I haven't really been able to talk to anyone that has PCOS before. I must say that my doctor was not really much help at all when I was diagnosed and I haven't been back to see her because of it. I know for my health I need to see an OBGYN and I am in the process of finding another one. It has been almost 4 years since I've been. The only thing I was told is that I don't ovulate every month which will cause me not to have a menstrual cycle each month. I was not given a prescription for anything to help me to have a cycle and I don't take birth control. She also said that I needed to lose weight but never mentioned to me any specific diet or foods that I should stay away from. I'm looking for a good place to find some more information that is actually useful when it comes to PCOS. I haven't been too successful in finding much information that wasn't generic or what I didn't already know.

I currently weigh around 330 lbs...My scale broke so I am in the process of getting a new one. I need to lose about 170 lbs and am starting today to slowly make subtle changes in my diet and then start to exercise. I plan to follow a whole foods diet because it seems to be the only logical one and I've seen several people lose weight and keep it off this way. It also seems like it would help people with PCOS. I'm looking for buddies to do this with me, my support system IRL isn't that great. My husband is also obese and is pre-diabetic and heart attacks run in his family. He doesn't want to be told no when he shouldn't eat something. I'm afraid of losing him because he's so dang stubborn so I'm hoping if I start making changes he will follow with me. I want to have babies one day and I know I won't be able to if I don't get this weight off! My name is Sam, btw, and I just turned 27.

Sending out huge hugs and love to everyone! Can't wait to meet you guys!!

[ames14]

Well good thing is, your here!!
And your ready to change!!
Personally with Pcos the only real diet that worked for me is watching my Carbs.. keeping them under 30 grams a day..I was almost never hungry. I am not a big meat eater but I would work in meat.
Sugars, White flour, Carbs seem to multiply on my body..
Takes about a week you drop a bunch of water weight and then if you follow it keeps going.. at least a pound or two a week.
NO husband wants to be told not to do something. But he should know he could be hurting more than himself.
But.. your right maybe if you start to change he will too..
I try to keep junk out of the house. told Husband if he wants it.. there is a small fridge in the garage - go for it!
Doctor wise.. GET A GOOD ONE! My first doctor at 29 told me the same thing you don't ovulate.. you may never have kids.. make a follow up appointment. Before I got to my car I cried my eyes out..
Sadly I was never able to have children. Had a couple m/c and gave up. I am 40 now.. and We are past that phase in life..
But Now im focused on being healthy.
I would suggest keep on it. finding a doctor , losing weight.
because time goes by very fast..

If I can help in the future .. Please PM me!
have a great day!

[astrophe]

Welcome!

Although some women get figured out by an OB/GYN because they are trying to have babies or have AWOL periods, for continued care you might want to think about a Reproductive endocrinologist or endocrinologist because this is a HORMONE disorder.

I see my endoc for long term care.

You might want to consider peeking at the inciid faq -- esp for the suggested tests to ask for.

http://www.inciid.org/faq.php?cat=infertility101&id=2

We present in at least 5 ways -- check out the poll here.

• traditional PCOS -- anovulatory, increased androgens, no insulin resistance
• syndrome X -- anovulatory, increased androgens, insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes
• non-traditional PCOS --anovulatory, normal androgens, obese, insulin resistant or type 2 diabetes
• non-traditional PCOS -- ovulatory, increased androgens, mild insulin resistance
• idiopathic hirsutism -- ovulatory, increased androgens, no insulin resistance

When I come across usefull nutrition break downs, I post it in the PCOS article area. YMMV.
HTH!
A.

[SamIAm86]

astrophe Thank you so much for giving me this information!! I'm not even sure if I have any insulin resistance. I don't think my doctor ever told me. As far as I am aware I don't have diabetes. She never even discussed seeing an endocrinologist. THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I am in the process of getting health insurance so hopefully I can see someone soon!! I am giving you the BIGGEST internet hut ever!!!

[tofutolerator]

Oh Hun best of luck. I pray that you don't have the insulin resistance, it sucks when trying to lose weight. But with that said I've found insufficient help with my ordinary docs and OBGYN(who is great, but not with pcos). My endocrinologist appt is on the 30th.
There are some great foods out there to eat that are good healthy options. It's all about balance and minimal carbs.

[SamIAm86]

I was wondering about the carb intake. I do eat oatmeal, brown rice and beans, but not for every meal. Do I need to worry about any carbs in fruits and veggies that aren't potatoes? I downloaded my fitness pal the other night just to try it and see where i stood. It said I had taken in 170 carbs for the day but the goal for me by what it said was 284. I had read somewhere to try and keep it under 30 a day but not really sure how that would be possible unless I didn't eat any type of oatmeal, beans or brown rice. Anybody know much about this?

[Alice In ONEderland]

Hi Sam, your thread drew me because my situation is the same.
I have a CRAPPY doctor, and unfortunately I don't have any pickings for new ones, cause we just don't have enough of them here in Canada. When I was a teenager she told me I have Polycystic Ovaries but gave me no indication of how this would effect me. She just says "oh lose some weight, maybe you'll get "regular" again." She put me on BC just to control that.
Never did she inform me that this affliction would cause infertility, she never indicated if I was insulin resistant (and I don't have diabetes as far as I know but I want to keep it that way as it does run in my family)
I only learned about Polycystic Ovary SYNDROME on my own through web browsing. Does having PCOS mean that losing weight is harder/slower than it would be normally? God I hope not... If anyone knows the answer I'd love to hear it. When I began personal training and a food diary and calorie counting back in 2010, my wonderful doctor thought it'd be a hoot to give me a weight gain inducing anti-anxiety medication. No warning to me. No explanation for why I saw no progress when I was eating the best I had ever eaten in my life and working out 4 days a week at the gym. Am I bitter about it.... Yes. Is it that obvious? Sorry. 2014 is all about new beginnings, and starting on a fresh slate. If I can get a referral to a specialist though, that is an idea to consider. Can PCSO disappear if you lose weight?

[Rana]

Originally Posted by SamIAm86

I was wondering about the carb intake. I do eat oatmeal, brown rice and beans, but not for every meal. Do I need to worry about any carbs in fruits and veggies that aren't potatoes? I downloaded my fitness pal the other night just to try it and see where i stood. It said I had taken in 170 carbs for the day but the goal for me by what it said was 284. I had read somewhere to try and keep it under 30 a day but not really sure how that would be possible unless I didn't eat any type of oatmeal, beans or brown rice. Anybody know much about this?

The number of carbs you need to consume vary by person! MyFitnessPal is set to assume you're going to eat the majority of your calories in carbs -- this is just standard nutrition guidelines, but it doesn't mean it's right for you.

In the food settings section, you can change it to it lowers your percent of calories made up of carbs. You can change it to what you think you want to aim for.

I think 30 g of carbs is very low and you don't necessarily have to be that low. You just have to find the combination of food and exercise (and even medication) that works for you.

I also recommend reading PCOS Diva (on Facebook or her website) because she shares a lot of the latest information on PCOS.

As for IR, a non-medical way of finding out if you have some kind of IR is whether or not carbs give you energy or take it away. If you have a heavy carb meal and you start crashing after eating that -- irritable, tired, sleepy, so on -- can be signs of IR. It's not that scientific, but it's a way. If you get "hangry" you might have IR too, for example or be sensitive to blood sugar dips.

I think this is going to be trial and error until you find what works for you. And if you can find a RE, that would be the best way.

For now, read as much as you can (PCOS Diva!) and play around with what works or doesn't work for you.

[Fat Knickers]

My doctor is much like yours Sam but I was lucky to have had more in-tune doctors in the past for my PCOS. I would suggest that you pursue it with an OBGYN at least and persevere. It's not a life sentence but it helps so much to be informed and have the support of a medical professional who knows their stuff.

Although I'm not insulin resistant I follow the Insulin Resistance Diet (it's a chunky book but the mechanics of the plan only take up a few pages) - it balances carbs with protein in a particular ratio and it's very easy to follow. I tried and failed to lose weight before with plain old calorie counting but the weight comes off steadily on the IR diet. Each meal is limited to 30 carbs so that would be 90+ per day max.

Managing PCOS is about finding out what works for you, everyone is different!

[SamIAm86]

Thank you everyone for all of the help!! I finally enrolled in a health insurance plan and the coverage will start on March 1st. My best friend recommended that I went and saw her OBGYN and raved about her. She happens to be in my coverage network of doctors so I am going to try and make an appointment with her. I was looking around here to find an endocrinologist in case that is something I might have to do and the closest one is about 4 hours away in another state. But if I really need to go, that is something that I would plan for and do. I am going to check out the PCOS Diva and read up on other sites. I guess I should start thinking of questions to ask my doctor when I get to go see her so that way I can get as much information out of her as possible. If anyone has some good suggestions so that way I can be knowledgeable on how PCOS pertains to me, I would appreciate that. You all have been so helpful, thank you again! <3

[Rana]

Not sure if the closet Reproductive Endocrinologist in your insurance plan is 4 hours away, but here is a list for you that maybe are in your network. http://www.vitals.com/specialists/en...a/myrtle-beach

[SamIAm86]

Rana thank you very much for this information! When I get my insurance packet in the mail I will look them up and see if any of them are covered!!

[astrophe]

Try to take it one thing at a time. You don't have to have the whole puzzle solved instantly. Another useful resource to me is http://pcosfaq.com/

HTH!
A.

[imperialistic]

I won't repeat what everyone else has said, just giving you a little from my experience...
1. I was told that my symptoms made it harder for me to lose weight
2. It was impossible for me to lose weight before I found out that I had a hormone problem.. that could either be psychological (getting frustrated over and over again because I was checking the right boxes but now losing weight) or due to the fact that I was put on birth control shortly after
3. I was told that my period would probably come back when I lost weight. It hasn't. I still only get normal periods if I'm on the pills.
4. My doctor is a sweetheart but even he doesn't understand the full implications of what I'm experiencing. There seems to be a weak understanding among GPs about it.
5. A low calorie diet worked for me. If I cut out carbs, I will lose weight rapidly. Whether that's healthy or not is up to your interpretation.
6. I went vegetarian a year ago and that helped my symptoms. I steer clear of anything but organic milk and cheese. This was not based on research- I just assumed that I probably didn't want any more hormones being pumped into me when I was already so screwed up. So really, this could be due to a variety of different reasons- not necessarily vegetarianism.
7. It is important for me to exercise every day otherwise my body will not let me lose any weight. I've incorporated running and yoga into my regimen. It has worked well for me.
8. If I don't stay healthy and take care of myself, I will feel it... heavily. I feel sick, my period goes missing for 7-8 months, I gain weight, I get bloated etc. Plus diabetes runs in my family so I'm always paranoid. My doctor told me in November that my blood glucose levels were perfect. That may have slipped during Christmas but I feel very strongly that women like us need to watch out for this. As you've probably heard, they have found links between the syndrome and diabetes.. which is another cause for worry.

We're all just trying to figure this all out, just like you.

I don't know if that is of any assistance but it helps me when people share their own stories so there you go