South Beach Diet Fat Chicks on the Beach!

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 06-24-2005, 04:39 PM   #1  
Silicon Andy
Thread Starter
 
Silicon Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 38

Default TTC or PCOS on the beach

I've noticed that a few of us are ttc on this board, or that one reason we chose SBD is PCOS, so I thought I'd start a thread for us.

I'm wondering if there's anyone here who has been doing SBD for a while and has seen good results, both in weight loss and in having regular cycles. That would REALLY help me stay motivated!

Background for me:

Different doctors tell me different things. One said I had pcos, one said I didn't. I have little cysts on my ovaries, but my hormone and insulin levels are "borderline." My DH had really bad morphology and low motility on a SA in January, so he had a varicocele ligation in March and we just got back his first test results since then today. They look good. Now we need to figure out me. I'm going to a RE next Tuesday and hoping to get some help from him. I do not seem to lose weight no matter what I do, so I think I must have PCOS and would like someone to give me some help with it (other than "join weight watchers").

I just got a cbe fertility monitor and am using it for the first time. I hope I get an O reading soon!

Sarah
Silicon Andy is offline  
Old 06-24-2005, 05:06 PM   #2  
Senior Member
 
Tammy70's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 151

S/C/G: 270/212/170

Height: 5'9

Default

Hi Andy!!!

I have been dx'd with pcos since 1998. I have many cysts on my ovaries, however my insulin levels did not show abnormalities....I don't think my doctor knew what he was looking for. Anyway, to your question, I have been doing SBD for 4 weeks now and have lost 15lbs. It has always been a terrible ordeal to lose any weight due to the pcos. I tried atkins, ww, low carb and nothing seemed to work, the most I lost was 20 pounds over 3-4 months, it was so difficult. My cycles have been regulated w/ bbc so far and we were ttc for 10 years and finally we decided to let go because it caused such anxiety for me I had to give up. But....I have known several women who have lost weight and their cycles were regulated. Eventually once I lose more I will get off the bbc and we'll see. I hope everything goes well and be optimistic...that helps so much when you're going through fertility treatments and losing weight.

Take care
Tammy70 is offline  
Old 06-24-2005, 05:20 PM   #3  
Keeper of the Cheerios
 
fl_mom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Fl Panhandle
Posts: 243

S/C/G: 218/209/170

Height: 5'4

Default

First my story and then I will post again with replies.

I went through the same thing trying to get a diagnosis for my PCOS. My OB claimed for years that I didn't have enough symptoms and since I was going to a military doc, I couldn't see another one. I know that I have had pcos since I was about 13, when my periods started. I had 1 period and then not another for over a year, they have been 1-2 times a year since then. I had a lot of pelvic pain when I was 13/14 so I had a cat scan and multiple ultrasounds. I had the classic "string of pearls" cysts on my ovaries at the time. Since then, I have had cysts, just not the "pearls". Also, my tests (was never tested for IR) ALWAYS came back normal or borderline, my hormone levels were acceptable for my doctor. I was given a perscription of Metformin since I basically demanded it but it made me so sick the week and week after I took it, I stopped.

With this new RE, He sent me for tests right away but they weren't the same old tests I had already had. I went for my first 4hr glucose tolerance test where they also tested my insulin, instead of just my glucose! It turns out that my glucose levels are fine but my insulin levels are much higher than they should be. He started me on Fortamet, which is a name brand formula of Metformin. I have had very few side effects since the first week when my body was getting used to the meds. He also told me to follow the south beach diet and I took Yasmin for birth control for 2 months. He asked me last month if I wanted to continue losing weight or try to get pregnant, I opted to try and get pregnant (while losing weight lol).

My RE decided against using Clomid and is instead using another drug that supresses Estrogen (usually used in cancer patients) to try and convince my body to produce eggs. I go for an ultrasound on July 11 to see if there are any eggs and if they are a good size, I will get an HCG trigger shot to induce ovulation.

Fortunately, we are not dealing with a male factor. In fact, I think DH is the main reason I got pregnant the first 2 times.


* I thought it was important to point out that EVERY woman gets a cyst after ovulation. When your body releases an egg, it is replaced by a fluid filled sac that is called a corpus lutuem cyst. The problem comes in when the cysts never go away or are caused by other reasons.
fl_mom is offline  
Old 06-24-2005, 06:14 PM   #4  
Started SBD 1/26/04
 
Sheba's Mom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Rocky Mountain States, USA
Posts: 439

Default

I found out that I had PCOS in 1999. In addition to PCOS I only have one ovary and of course because of the PCOS it doesn't work correctly. I have always had strange periods and very sporatic periods (went 1 1/2 years without one). I have some pain on the side that the ovary is on but not a lot or all of the time. I have been on birth control pills, to regulate my periods, since early 2000 and have not been able to lose weight to save me until last year when I decided to try the SBD.

I started SBD the last week of February 2004 and by the middle of October I had lost 35 pounds. I know that doesn't sound like a lot but the inches were really coming off and I was feeling really good and at that point any weight loss was fantastic to me. In October and until the first part of this month I pretty much eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted (in other words fell off the OP beach). But I realize now that I had installed some good habits into myself before I fell off the OP beach. When I went through the two week detox of P1 again this time it wasn't as hard on me. It made me realize that even though I hadn't been eating OP all of the time I was still making better eating choices than I was before I started SB. And I didn't gain any of the the 35 pounds back in that time. One of my good choices was exercise, to walk every day. I don't always get a lot of time to exercise but I always tried to walk 3 times a day for at least 10 minutes each.

I made a mistake when I started SBD in not measuring myself. I have been using my wedding measurements (May 2002) to compare to and so far I have lost 4 inches off of my butt and 6 inches off of my waist along with 45 pounds so far. I went off the pill at the end of March and so far my periods are if not normal at least fairly regular (within a week or two of the 28 day period).

As I'm not trying to get pregnant I don't know how this would effect be able to get pregnant. I will tell you though that I feel so much better when I stay OP than when I don't. I had forgotten from last year to this how much more energy I have when I stay OP and how much better I feel about myself and everything in general.
Sheba's Mom is offline  
Old 06-30-2005, 03:56 AM   #5  
Junior Member
 
AnnaCee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 3

Default

I am PCOS as well. My tests all came back "within range" and yet I am severe PCOS. Loosing weight is amazingly difficult for us. You are correct. We cannot just waltz into Weight Watchers and lose weight. I know I eat the same amount as thinner people, and yet I gain weight whereas they do not. There is this horrible stigma that overweight people either "eat too much" or "need to push back from the table." In other words, there is this belief of it is a will power issue. It is not. What people do not realize is PCOS is genetic and we are "wired" so to speak to this disposition. After eating a full meal, I experience the feeling of having over eaten, but at the same time my stomach is growling and I am experiencing hunger pains. I was always too embarrassed to say too much about it because no one ever believed me when I did speak up. Now researchers are conducting research to the hypothalamic area of the brain, which controls hunger (and hormones). These studies are reaffirming what I have been experiencing all these years. The good news is there is Met. What the above ladies have shared is absolutely what you need to do. If you do not treat your PCOS, there is an amazingly high probability you could develop diabetes and/or heart disease. In fact, if you do not treat the PCOS your PCOS symptoms will only get worse. I experience issues with my weight, my uterous, thinning hair, skin tags, facial hair, body hair in places it shouldn't be, mood swings, my skin darkening in spots, and I am diabetic. Insulin resistence is a major factor in PCOS. IR will develop into diabetes if you do not get treated. Sorry for rattling. I wouldn't if I didn't care.

AnnaCee
AnnaCee is offline  
Old 06-30-2005, 08:19 AM   #6  
Keeper of the Cheerios
 
fl_mom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Fl Panhandle
Posts: 243

S/C/G: 218/209/170

Height: 5'4

Default

I haven't lost any weight in the past week or so BUT I haven't been OP and AF/TOM is here. I know that I am causing my own stall by not being OP.

Saturday I get to take my 25mg of Femara, I am excited! This is my first month taking it so we will see about the 23rd if it worked

My weight loss goal for July is 6lbs and I also have a goal to stay OP for 95% of the month. I know I will not stay OP for the whole month but I am going to make a real effort not to sabatoge myself.
fl_mom is offline  
Closed Thread


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:47 AM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.