[freakumdress]

I'm 22, lead a somewhat stressful life, have almost every symptom of PCOS and am trying to lose 100lbs. I just wanted to see if there is anyone out there who may be around my age and was my weight who has had weight loss success. How did you do it and what worked for you?

[rockstar87]

I'm usually in and out of this board every few months or so, but I peaked in tonight and happened to see your post.

I'm 23 and I was diagnosed officially with PCOS when I was 18. I lost the weight with a combination of clean eating (whole foods, organics), calorie counting and 5-6 hours of intense exercise. I did mostly circuit training (from one of Jillian Michaels's books) and some running or spin classes. I found the more weight I lost the better my symptoms got. My hair started growing in thick again (it was never thin, but it wasn't as thick as it used to be), my periods became regular, I went off prometrium and metformin and my blood sugars (which had been just above "normal") went down.

Feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions.

[freakumdress]

great info, thanks for the reply....do u think u would have the success u had without the meds...and what is prometrium.
also im still tring to figure out how to pm....help please...lol

[rockstar87]

Ohhh. I don't think you've done enough posts yet to PM. I forget how many you need...I feel like it's 20.

I think the meds were important for making sure I got my period every other month (this is important for preventing endometriosis and endometrial cancer). I rarely used prometrium (this is a drug similar to provera that basically induces a withdrawal bleed after ten days of taking it), the metformin usually took care of that. Just using the metformin I got my period every other month-ish. When I started working out I got it every month and then I just tried stopping it one month and my period came right on schedule. That was a happy day. By the end the metformin was something I didn't really need so it as actually giving me episodes of syncopy (passing out) if I went too long without eating during the day.

Sorry, I'm not trying to scare you. Basically the meds were good to a point, but my goal was alway to get off them.

[rockstar87]

Are you seeing a specialist for your PCOS? I went to an endocrinologist for about 3 years before they told me I probably didn't need to bother anymore unless something changes.

[freakumdress]

yeah i was on the metformin but and a host of other meds....i got to a point where i just felt so sick all the time so i stopped taking everything and ive since felt alot better eventhough is till dill with the pcos symptoms.

it seemed like the metformin wasnt making a difference...i gues cuz i was only taking 1000mg.
no im not seeing a doc as of yet cuz i dont have any health insurance. im applying tomorrow for a new insurance i found out about...hopefully i get approved and fast so that i can start getting the lab work i need done.
I just wanna have that first doc appointment before i get back on the metformin to see where i am healthwise without the influence of any drugs.

But i prefer to do this without any drugs if possible....if not than i am always open to whatever the doc prescribes. hopefully i see them soon cuz i was getting my period about every 39 days and then it went to every 46 days and now its well past 46 days and still no period. so i definitely wanna get that checked out.

[rockstar87]

I had one doctor prescribe me 1500mg of metformin and that didn't do anything. When I went to my next doctor a few years later she put me on 2000mg and it started to "work". The metformin never made me lose weight though. It made sure I got my period, but any weight I lost was because I did it.

My testosterone levels were never high enough to say I had PCOS officially, but my ultrasound said I had cysts on my ovaries consistent in that pattern and hormones can be tricky like that. Haha.

Definitely see where you are without the drugs and start working out. Seriously. Start walking or run/walking and lifting some weights. Also start swapping out anything processed (no matter how low cal it is) to something natural. Pick a few key foods and swap them out for organics. Your body already has hormone issues and a bunch of chemicals is just screwing them up more.

[freakumdress]

great advice......i have already stopped using all the "white" stuff like ...potatoes, rice and bread and pastas.... I only do whole grains or wheat...and brown rice...I try to go to the farmers market to get my produce..but sometimes i cant.

I think mustering up enough energy for exercise and developing the willpower is the hardest part for me...its sad when you know that just a 30 min walk can put you on a path to save your life but still cant do it....its like a battle against my mind...i always try to remind myself that if my mind tells my body "no" i can override that....but its soooo hard.

That is definitely the hardest part...i dont have a problem exercising...i just have a problem begining it. but after a good walk/ run/ or work out with my trainer i feel great...i dont know why its so hard to get myself out there.

I'm still trying to figure out which foods are necessary to get at the whole foods market and which ones arent really that important to get from there.

I go to apply for the new insurance today....keep your fingers crossed for me please...lol

[rockstar87]

Fingers are crossed!

In terms of "what to buy" there are some lists on online on produce that should be bought organic. Berries are the worst in terms of pesticides and such. Coffee's bad too, tomatoes, apples... Anything with a thicker skin (like an orange or a banana) the skin absorbs most of the chemicals so you're probably safe just eating conventionally grown.

I would also buy any breads and things not just whole wheat or whole grain but sprouted grain. Food For Life makes a brand of that breads, english muffins and tortillas called Ezekiel. I eat those pretty much religiously (I even use the tortillas to make pizzas!).

It's good to buy organic dairy too. Milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. It's also good to buy organic meat but that's something I never really did. I tried to buy nitrate free turkey though when I could.

As far as exercise goes...getting to the gym is the hardest part even for me still. Is there anything you really like doing? Or anything you've always wanted to try? I started taking spin classes (which I loved for extra cardio), I did muay thai through my school and I took a bootcamp at my gym. Find something you get excited about doing and it may not seem so daunting to try and get going.

I also find going within an hour or two of waking up is the best way to make sure you get it in. I went for a run yesterday afternoon and I was not feeling it at all. I used to wake up, go to my first class and then hit the gym. It sucks for about a month and then it just becomes routine.

[freakumdress]

yeah my husband like the Ezekiel bread...and my mom in law, whos a health nut is always talking about it..but i have a problem with trying new foods so i have yet to try it but i will give it a try today.

That's great advice to make it simpler...the thicker skin is ok..I'll keep that in mind..

I used to love to run thanks to HS track but now after gaining so much weight its hard on my knees and with in minutes I feel like my heart is gonna leap out my chest..lol But i'm sticking to either walking the treadmill or cycling, or stairclimbing.
But I love to dance and I always wanted to try that cuz I know it will work for me. Just hard to find and afford a dance class right now...but i still do it at home with my 2 yr old sometimes...lol
Im trying to start the morning thing too.

[freakumdress]

Thanks for all your help and advice by the way....I really appeciate your hospitality. You'll be the first one I tell when I reach my month goals.

[rockstar87]

Ohhhh, yes babies make things more difficult in terms of time. Maybe look at finding some good workout DVDs? I know a lot of people on here like 30 Day Shred because it's less than half an hour and it's quite challenging.

I'm sure there are some good dance workout dvds out there too. And even if you did a walk/run program to get yourself going on that. Running's so addictive. I always advocate running, haha.

[rockstar87]

Oh and try the ezekiel bread toasted. It tastes waaaay better.

[Eliana]

Hi Freak! (That's fun to say)

I was diagnosed around age 28 and am now 36. The past ten years have been a horrible struggle with weight gain and no loss. I blamed PCOS and thought there was no way I could lose it. I was very faithful to the South Beach diet and did lose 30 pounds with it, but quit when I felt like the loss was too slow.

What has worked for me is calorie counting, cardio, weight lifting and a shift from processed foods to a whole foods type diet. I did this gradually. Every month I delete a food, change a food or add a food to my diet. One month it was milk and I switched over to soy. This month it's High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and I've been on the hunt discovering it in ketchup, BBQ sauce, bread, etc. Then I try to find foods that do NOT have it. I've had fun with this approach and it has been an easy transition and something I've ended up WANTING to do and feeling good about rather than something I forced on myself.

The biggest secret to my success? I had to get around the fact that I gave up too easily. Many of us with PCOS lose slower than the average woman. It's just the way it is. So I got really curious about where I could be if gave it a year with no quitting, no matter what. How much could I lose? My year anniversary is TOMORROW!! And I've lost nearly 80 pounds.

We may lose slow, but we do have the ability to lose it. I'm convinced our food plays a hormonal role with us. I think eating fewer processed food has contributed to my success. And all my symptoms have disappeared.

[freakumdress]

@Eliana

okay it says "freakumdress" as in what I'm gonna be wearing when I reach my final goal...lol....but no seriously..Freakumdress

Also thanks for your input...I find that m biggest problem right now is that I give up too.....but im begining to get past that.
Congrats on your success...I cant wait to be able to say that...and its beautiful that you are doing this with your fam.