[PCOS4Life]

I've been diagnosed with PCOS, and I'm on Metformin. I've been taking it for awhile. I think I've maybe been in denial that PCOS is something I have to live with and manage my whole life. I now have over 100 pounds to lose. This just isn't a good way to live. I don't know why I haven't done more to fix this. I don't want to be in this same place next Thanksgiving.

[Rana]

Welcome!

It's tedious, but it's really the best way. Good luck. It can be done. Have you set up a support system to help you through this?

[PCOS4Life]

I really haven't set up a support system. Not sure what that would look like. I'm hoping that coming here will help.

[Rana]

A support system can be people like us who are on a forum that can give you ideas. But you also need allies in your life, like doctors (gyno, endo or GP or all of the above!); friends and family who are willing to help you reach your goals (will help motivate you or will just simply stop offering you foods that harm you!); and of course, if you need to get emotional or psychological help to sort through it.

[PCOS4Life]

I've thought about it, and I'm not sure what to ask people to do to support me. The doctor checks my insulin levels. But in terms of friends and family, I'm not sure how to approach that.

[Rana]

For me, I realized that my family shows their love through food-- and so does my boyfriend! So, I've had to get over those displays of food and ask them to feed me healthy stuff I can eat, or not offer me (or feed me those foods). That's how they can be supportive. My friends are thinner than I am, and I've worked with them to have them support me in my exercise goals (and I just gained 20 lbs this year because we all stopped working out together! -- in addition to other stuff that happened).

Your doctor checking your insulin levels is one thing -- but they should also be checking other bloodwork. You can have a gyno, an endo, etc., because they can take a look at your disease in different ways (and if you have good insurance, since it's a cost, after all!).

[PCOS4Life]

What other ways? I need to ask for a referral under my insurance, so I'm not sure what I would say to my primary care doctor about that?

[Rana]

PCOS is not just insulin, but it's also your hormone levels.

You can ask for a full panel of bloodwork on your female and male hormones to see where you are. You should also be checked for other things like fatty liver disease (nonalcoholic) because high carbs can lead to that. You may have to be referred to specialists if your primary can't handle all of that.

Additionally, depression and anxiety have been linked to PCOS, so you have to get those parts checked out too, just in case.