PCOS/Insulin Resistance SupportSupport for us with any of the following: Insulin Resistance, Syndrome X, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or other endocrine disorders.
low glycemic index diet, portion control, exercise, and metformin if it's right for you.
the hardest part for me has been not letting other life pressures get in the way of my goals.
every time i stick to that regimen listed above for any given amount of time, I lose weight, but if I fall off track, it starts to creep up. finding something sustainable is the magic answer.
Like previous poster... been successful before at losing. Still trying to learn the MAINTAINING part. Regain stinks. Ugh.
Best success? When I'm as close to low-gi as possible...
Eat low-gi.
Organic where possible to reduce chemical and hormone load. (We've got crazy hormones as it is.)
Consider dropping dairy to drop hormone load. (I know it TASTES good, but it really isn't a needed food. We've all weaned as grown ups and really don't need to consume the breastmilk of other species.)
Lean toward the fruits and veggies, go light if at all on the grains/starchy root veggies.
Aim for a 40-30-30 split initially. Then fine tune from there if you need a bit more fat, more carb, more protein so that it is right for YOU. If you do exchanges, maybe this will help you get in the ballpark for your calorie level.
Don't be afraid to be the patient from ****. Fire weenie docs, and hunt down the ones that LISTEN!
You want something deeper check out as a starting point? Try here to preview... http://books.google.com/books?id=2bp...gbs_navlinks_s I've read so many PCOS things -- starting there would have saved so much time! Totally worth the $20 e-book price.
Work up to 45 min hard cardio at least 4x a week. It might take more, but at that point I add strength training on top rather than more cardio.
Reduce stress.
I'd gotten down to 185 and then I blitzed. Trying to get back. It really does demand consistency, and I freely admit that I find it a lot harder to do as mom than when I was single or even a couple.
But most of all... even if you have to pause, take breaks, cope with other Life stuff... NEVER GIVE UP forever! Always come back to take care of YOU.
Count me in that group too. I can lose, maintaining is the hard part just because it is SO easy to gain with PCOS. Most people gain excess weight over months and years. I can easily gain 12-15 pounds in a month. A few months back my doc tried a new hormone and I gained 7 pounds in a week!
The glycemic index is extremely important to someone with insulin resistance. Low carb almost always works for weight loss, I lost 80 pounds in 6 or 7 months doing only the induction phase of Atkins, but it was not a sustainable way of eating for me.
Be mindful to make sure that most of the carbs you are getting are complex, and that the number of grams per day is low consistent with your caloric intake. I try to stay under 120 grams a day.
Carbs beget carbs for me. I eat sugar, and that starts a rollercoaster of cravings that never gets satisfied.
I don't take metformin, never wanted it. The side effects are terrible and the chances of success aren't that great. I do take a cinnamon supplement, it is a natural way to help regulate blood sugar/insulin issues.
I have also learned that I cannot just trust myself to eat normally. The damage I can do in one day can equate to having to work it off for weeks. I have to count and track every morsel that makes it past my lips and weigh myself daily to head off any increases.
I've lost weight on PCOS, too. I've managed to maintain it off so far, minus this little regain of the last month (ish) where I've been very bad at eating when traveling. Carbs come in easy to eat forms, protein and healthy veggies do NOT.
(Actually, when I'm tired and overworked, like now, it's easy to reach for the easy source of fuel -- sugar, carbs, etc. -- rather than waiting or finding the other kind, like protein or fats.)
At least, I'm maintaining, which is a goal in itself.
I've lost a little over 60 pounds with PCOS, and every pound if it has pretty much sucked, probably due to my lack of discipline watching what I eat.
I'm on Metformin and BC pills, but I have been on and off the Met repeatedly and it does not seem to really affect my weight.
I tried eating low carb and low GI but it didn't settle well with me. Even after a month and a half of doggedly sticking with it I still had a constant upset stomach and headache, so I figured it just wasn't for me and stopped.
I vary my exercise routine every now and then because I seem to adjust to exercise and stop losing weight very quickly if I don't mix things up. I started out on the treadmill, added weights, and now I'm doing Insanity. I started keeping my calories at 1500 a few weeks ago and that seems to be working better than I expected since I am not paying attention to my carbs really other than to try and reach for whole grains, proteins, and veggies first if they are available.
I have PCOS and have lost 176 pounds, admittedly it has taken me close to 5 years to do this. Over time what I have discoverred works best for me is low GI foods, i try not to eat carbs at night time, i try to aim for a diet based higher in protein & whole foods and limit any "low fat foods" (apart from dairy), i also exercise 8-10 hours per week.
My plan was calorie counting, with a solid emphasis on whole foods (lean protein, veggies, fruits, and whole grains). I also do a LOT of exercise (around 8-10 hours a week as well). I am on Metformin for fertility purposes, but wasn't for most of my weight loss.
It may be more difficult, but weight loss with PCOS is possible.
I've lost about 230 lbs, with only a small regain at one time (maybe 20 lbs). It has taken me about 4.5 years though but admittedly I didn't try *super* hard that entire time. I plateau constantly but I'm pretty sure my metabolism is crappy. Still have about 50 more lbs to lose.
Currently I'm on another nice long plateau and I'm biking at least 11 hours a week plus gardening right now an average of 30 hours per week. I eat low carb but not as low as I would like (I'd like to eat under 20g per day). When I have real pig-out days I probably eat 1800 calories, most days I eat around 1200. I also eat cinnamon EVERY time I have carbs. I know I'm not on a "diet" - this is the way I will have to eat and exercise for the rest of my life.
My advice? Accept the fact that it's going to be harder for you to lose weight than average people and then do the work. Low-carb will enable you to control your eating IF you choose to control it. And only you can choose to exercise.
Sucessful weight loss with pcos? anyone?
Was wondering if anyone has had great success out there losing weight?
