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Old 09-11-2007, 08:21 AM   #1  
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Default Metformin and PCOS

I was to my doctors yesterday, and while there asked him if there was anything medically that could be affecting my weight loss, that I have struggled the past three to four months to lose a few lbs.

He is running some blood work, and testing my thyroid, but based on what I have told him he suspects I have PCOS. He said that PSOS could be why I am having so much difficulty trying to lose weight.

Is there anyone here who has PCOS or is using Metformin? I think if my thyroid test comes back normal he is going to start me on Metformin. Just wondering if anyone has had any luck with it...

Also, if I have PCOS, is there anything besides Metformin that I should try or be doing??
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Old 09-11-2007, 11:40 AM   #2  
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Im not personally affected, but my best friend has PCOS and she was on Metformin, not sure if she still is. But she is on LAWL and they moved her to a plan below what she is supposed to be on due to all the sugars. I would talk to your COD, and I hope someone there is as knowledgable about PCOS as our counselors are at our COD. If you dont go to a COD, then Im sure you can find all kinds of info from the web as well as your doctor. I will be praying your results come back normal!
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Old 09-11-2007, 01:36 PM   #3  
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Thanks for the info Kimberly. I will talk to COD tonight and give them a heads up. Did your friend have difficulty losing weight and/or does she still?
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Old 09-11-2007, 03:08 PM   #4  
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She did at first, then thats when they figured to put her on a lower plan. She has lost 55 lbs since January and thats with taking a month off when she had her tonsils removed.
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Old 09-11-2007, 04:24 PM   #5  
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PCOS has been stuck with me and my extremely stubborn personality for the last 5 years. It worked against me in WL, in that I dropped the inches and not the pounds, but I'm not complaining on that front. What I find works best for me is sticking to the much lower carbs when it comes to plan. I can actually boast that in the last 10 months I have not had a piece of bread or a single noodle. I've been lucky that my sugar levels have alwasy been stable, so Metaformin is still far off into the future.

COD actually kept me on Red, but that's alwasy been because I work out an insane amount of time. The advice that I did get with life post weight loss was that if I skip any exchanges during a day, try to make it a fruit or a starch. If you want more advice, scroll up to the support boards, there's a whole PCOs board up there. And if you need any head on advice, feel free to send me a PM.
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Old 09-14-2007, 01:10 PM   #6  
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Hi,

When I started this program, I didn't understand why, though I drastically reduced my intake of food and made healthier choices, I did not lose weight! I went to the doctor thinking I possibly had a thyroid problem and found that I am Insulin Resistant. My doctor suggested that I take 200 mg of Chromium/day and eat foods that are lower on the glycemic index (higher in fiber and lower in sugar). Lately I have been hearing that PCOS is closely related to this and so I did some research. All of the following info I got from:
http://www.obgyn.net/pcos/pcos.asp?p...iet_mckittrick

The discovery of insulin’s role in PCOS has brought hopes for better treatment. Treatment is no longer just aimed at treating the individual concerns (ie. erratic menses, hirsutism, acne, etc.), but instead is now aimed at treating one of the underlying causes – insulin resistance. If insulin resistance is present, it is best treated with diet, exercise and weight loss if needed. Insulin sensitizing medications may be used as well. Most physicians prefer to start with diet and exercise and turn to drugs if needed. Keep in mind that not all women with PCOS have hyperinsulinemia, but the majority do

It has been shown that losing even 5% of body weight can lead to an improvement in skin, regularity of menstrual cycles and decreased insulin levels. However many women with PCOS experience difficulty losing weight, possibly due to high insulin levels promoting fat storage. The standard low fat high carbohydrate weight loss diet may not be the best approach for women with PCOS. High intakes of carbohydrates, especially refined carbohydrates (ie. sweets, white bread, white rice, etc.) will quickly turn to sugar and cause elevated levels of insulin. Since high levels of insulin can cause a multitude of problems for women with PCOS, a better diet would be a low glycemic index diet. This is a diet that includes foods or combinations of foods that do not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar.

I hope this helps!!
Maia
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Old 09-14-2007, 02:30 PM   #7  
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Sorry for the dumb guy question, but what the heck is PCOS?
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Old 09-14-2007, 02:31 PM   #8  
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Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
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Old 09-14-2007, 05:49 PM   #9  
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Patsy,


I'm sure you already know this, but there is a PCOS forum on 3FC, too

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=70
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Old 09-14-2007, 10:08 PM   #10  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bradleys mom View Post
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Ah, so nothing I need to personally worry about then...
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Old 09-15-2007, 09:26 AM   #11  
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Dan, I believe you are DEFINITELY in the clear on that one!!
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Old 09-17-2007, 08:21 AM   #12  
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4myself - thanks, I didn't know. I ran across 3FC and this forum when I was researching LAWL...am going to have to branch out and see what else is on 3FC

Maia, thank you for the info I will check out that site as well! Since discovering you are insulin resistant, have you had better luck dropping the weight?
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Old 09-17-2007, 09:00 AM   #13  
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Hi.. I have PCOS and insulin resistance. It can be a real shock trying to lose weight. I did try weight watchers for about a year and found myself starving, my cycle even more erratic and very little weight loss despite sticking to the points.

Then I decided to start really researching. PCOS is a nebulous term that has many aspects to it, not all of which each woman has. For me I started to keep a journal with food, sleep, exercise, my cycle, and emotions etc in it. I started to work out that if I take the chromium supplement as well as vitex (a herbal hormonal regulator) that my cycle fell into line and I wasn't losing weight - but for a change I wasn't gaining.

Then I started to low carb. I felt fairly crappy on that to be honest. So I switched to south beach. I like the approach of having a detox - which helps your insulin sensitivity and then gradually adding carby foods back in to see how you feel. For example I feel fine eating potato but pasta and bread made me feel ill and too much of it will cause some haywire cycles.

I think that it is also important to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Maybe start with a pedometer and just see how much you do over the course of a week. Some days I am low, other days when I am at uni are mega step days and make up for it. But as a rule I try and get in 30 minutes of something extra per day.

I have slowly lost weight.. about 36 pounds your measurements so far and that has been since really starting at the beginning of the year. I feel good and don't starve myself and have loads more energy. But I think at the core of it is actually listening to my body and respnding to what it personally needs rather than what someone is telling me. So after this very long winded post I would recommend starting to experiment and see where it takes you

Best of luck I know that the diagnosis can be really sad, but perhaps it will help to generate the solutions you are after.
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Old 09-19-2007, 12:31 AM   #14  
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Patsy,

Sorry it took me a while to respond to this, I was away for a bit. Yes, I have been able to lose weight since I started taking Chromium and paying attention to the glycemic index scale. I have never lost weight in my life, but since I have been doing this (while on LAWL) I have lost almost 30 lbs., which is something I thought I could never do.

Maia
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Old 09-20-2007, 08:54 AM   #15  
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I have picked up some Chromium and am watching my carb intake. I will see where this takes me for now.

October 1st seems so far away (next time until I see doctor). But I am committed and will do best I can to incorporate your suggestions here. I ordered my wedding dress last Friday in a size 16 (I am now a size 20)...so really have to start hustling

It has been very frustrating, I have been on plan since January and lost 30 lbs. I was supposed to reach goal in November, but at this rate I will be lucky if I am half way there by December.
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