[attackpanda]

Hello everyone,
I've had PCOS since 1995 (not diagnosed til 1997), and I'm on the South Beach Diet. I've just finished up Phase 1, and have lost 10 pounds (so I'm down to 215! )... which is more than I have been able to lose on my own since '95. I don't cycle on my own, BCP's make me psychotic (literally - I guess introducing extra hormones into my already crazy hormone cocktail is a bad thing for me), I take 2000 mg of metformin (glucophage) daily; I have all of the symptoms... I'm a classic PCOS case, and am going to the fertility doctor tomorrow to see about having a second child.

Really I am looking for buddies who are on South Beach with PCOS to compare notes with. Have any of you had any symptom relief? Do you notice that you get headaches taking the metformin since starting the diet?

Anyway, get in touch with me... it would be really great to have a fellow "sufferer" to chat with about all this.

Panda, AKA Aspen

[ciaoroma]

Hi Panda: I am new to this board. I was diagnosed w/ PCOS and Insulin Resistance. I had been trying diet after diet and just knew something was not quiet right with me. I went to 2 different endocrinologist and finally, the 3rd one did an ultrasound on my ovaries to find cysts on each one. I don't have a ton, but they are there. I have the irregular cycles and severe acne that i try to keep clear by medication...but even that doesn't always work. Finally, i have a weight problem and have for years.

My doctor put me on Metformin (2000mg a day) and told me to follow the South Beach Diet. I followed the diet perfectly last fall, and didn't lose any weight. I continued to follow the diet b/c i really liked the way of eating even tho i wasn't losing a pound. It was really what got me to go to another doctor. Last year alone, i was on Weight Watchers twice, Jenny Craig and finally the South Beach Diet with no results. My blood tests showed that i was very insulin resistent so that explains the no weight loss despite lots of hard work at the gym and clean eating.

He feels that b/c i had good eating habits w/ the SBD that i probably helped keep diabetes at bay. So now the plan is to take the Metformin and continue eating right on the SBD and exercise each day. With this combination-- my doctor feels that i should be on the same playing field as the rest of the world as far as dieting and losing weight goes. So far, i've lost 6 pounds in 3 weeks (that's a LOT for me..it's been a true uphill battle for me). I've been trying to read a lot on other boards about how long it takes to get the Metformin in your system and to really start working. I've read that it depends on your body...some say a month..some say 6 months. I feel lucky that i don't have any of the GI problems that i have read about. I also hear that eating lower carb helps with that...so b/c i don't want stomach issues...i walk a pretty straight line with food. I"m really hoping that I start to see some results now b/c i really need to lose 20lbs (more, than that, but i'm starting w/ 20 for now)! I have read that some people don't lose weight on it and then i've read that some people have had great success on it. I'm really hoping i find success...i'm at my wits end with all of this.

Well that's my story. Where are you at with the SBD? how's it going? i consider myself a "vet" at this point and can give you lot's of pointers and food ideas since i've been on it for some time now!

Take care, Nicole

[Jennifer 3FC]

Hi Panda, I didn't get relief through SBD as much as I did with weight loss in general. As I lost weight, the symptoms started decreasing and getting under control. I still have symptoms, but they don't control my life any more!

Nicole, I'm sorry you've had a tough time with weight loss. I totally understand! I've been a sloooow loser for years. Every year I go down, which is better than up, so at least I'll reach my goal eventually. Don't give up! That is very interesting about the met sometimes taking 6 months to work. I've been looking at my bottle for months now. I guess I better not put it off anymore.

The one thing I've learned that meant the biggest difference to me was not diet, but exercise - regularly and frequently. IR patients need more than usual!

[ciaoroma]

Hi jennifer and thanks for your response. i'm going to stick it out and continue eating low(er) carb on the SBD and continue exercising. I currently work out 5-6 days a week for at least an hour...and it's usually more. I absolutely love my gym and all of the aerobics and weight classes that they have.

I'm trying to keep my patience and let the Met do its job. I'm going to lay off the scale for a while and just continue doing what i'm doing. thanks for your words of wisdom.

I do feel that Met has helped w/ my Acne. I have severe cystic acne on my face and bikini line that is not only ugly, but extremely painful. It has really cleared up lately and i haven't had any new cysts appear. Which is great.

So, you were prescribed Met, but u just haven't started taking it? I was unsure of taking it...i don't take any meds really and was hesitant. I wanted to control it by dieting and exercise. But I was banging my head up against the wall working out all of the time and really dieting like a crazy person for 2.5 years. I was so confused as to why none of the diets were working. Then i found out about the insulin resistence and PCOS. Hopefully, i can get back on track!!

thanks for your reply! --nicole

[nweisha]

I have found the South Beach Diet to be an absolute miracle! I did have issues at first tweaking it "just right" because I am actually diabetic with PCOS, so I went from Atkins (which left me with REALLY low blood sugars) to SOuth Beach with a modified Phase 1. I basically eat Phase 1 for breakfast, dinner, snacks & Phase 2 for lunch. THis has worked really well & has given me a great amount of energy without the lows. The issue with that however is SLOOOOOOOW weight loss, but that's okay, I feel healthier than I have in years & would recommend SBD to anyone with diabetes ir insulin resistance.
Start:245lbs
Current 236 lbs
Goal by 08/16/2005 220 lbs
Long term goal:130 lbs

[Tokyo-gal]

I also have PCOS and it has been quite a challage living in Japan my gyn here figured it out tried to take glouphage but the dose they give here is sooo low it did nothing for me. I also tried Atkins and became a mad woman!
I tried south beach could not stick to it.

What is working for me right now is Exercise and more exercise my weight is FINALLY GOING DOWN! I do know if South Beach works for you then you grab onto and stick to each persons body is so different! I have finally figured out that my body is so senstive I gained 46 pounds in 2 years after I had my gallbladder out .

Right now the pool is really helping me I am too heavy to go to the gym but I walk and do water aerobics goal is to get back to boxing which I love. I am not dieting right now watch what I eat try and listen to my body and move move move

Best of luck with Sb though I do think it is a great plan. Julie

[fl_mom]

I am taking Fortamet (brand name XR Met), Yasmin (bcp), and doing SBD. My RE (fert doc) put me on the fortamet about 2 mths ago with instructions to follow the SBD because it was the best one for IR. Until starting the SBD I had not been able to lose more than 5lbs since having my youngest, who is 1.5yo. In the past 2 mths I have lost approx. 18 lbs and I feel so much better than I used to. I don't get headaches unless I drink something with caffeine. I also don't follow the SBD exact and was only in phase 1 for a few days. I started eating whatever I want for a week (bad bad me) and then jumped back in at phase 2, with a continued weight loss.