I'm new and have a new lease on life!
Since high school I've gone from 135 to 220lbs (my highest 5 years ago) and gained about 10lbs per year. My periods weren't regular and they were almost nonexistent from 1999 til now. The doctors just said my body had to regulate itself. So I went on all different birth control pills to regulate my cycle and gained a ton of weight with each pill! Then the doctors told me that BC pills don't make you gain weight. Yeah right! Well about 2 years ago I started getting scary symptoms- my hair was thin on top of my head and my facial hair was VERY black and thick. I did some research on the internet and found these were all symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). I HOUNDED the doctors until they agreed to send me to an endocrinologist, who in the end said "you are a walking symptom! How did no one catch this?" and she diagnosed me.
I've read so much about PCOS since then, and finally came to terms with it this weekend. TEN PERCENT of women have this condition!!!!! It causes depression and low self-esteem because of the ugly symptoms (facial hair, female balding, weight gain, carb and sugar cravings). I just want to yell on a mountaintop that finally FINALLY "it wasn't my fault!!!!" There was a reason why when I eat pasta (white or whole grain) I can't stop; when I eat pancakes I'm hungry an hour later; and eating pizza will make me crave it for the next 48 hours. I'm not a normal person! But realizing I'm not normal is freeing me!!!
Here are my new rules to treat my condition: (first, I ditched the pill!) I have to do at least an hour of cardio per day to keep my hormones in check; I CAN NOT eat sugar or grains (except oats and yams, which support hormonal function); eating sugar or grains stresses my insulin levels which makes my hair follicles contract, which makes my hair fall out! That cake or cookie or pasta will make my hair fall out. Who knew?
I'm also taking an MSM supplement (natural sulphur that should be present in our body but nutrient deficiencies in our soil are preventing us from getting this from produce) and this should make my hair grow like crazy (only been on it for 3 days so far).
My daily treat is a block of dark chocolate sweetened with low-glycemic sugar alcohol. It tastes like a dream!
So anyway, I kinda just typed randomly above, but there are so many undiagnosed women out there, and doctors are not helping them. If anyone else is overweight, having some period issues, or issues with androgyny (symptoms of male hormones) please get yourself checked out by an ENDOCRYNOLOGIST. Other doctors most likely will blow you off. Once you are diagnosed and give up the sugar and grains, and start exercising every day, things will change. They most likely will want to put you on scary meds for diabetics and high blood pressure meds, but don't let them. This must be fixed with diet and exercise!
I am so excited. I'm entering a 12-week challenge today for Global-Fitness.com and can't wait to see what results I can achieve! Anyone who has any comments on this I'd love to hear from you! I hope I can help other women suffering from something that isn't their fault. I wish someone would have told me back in high school when all this started. Now we can fix it!
PCOS!! Who else has it?
But I've come to realize that I just can't eat like someone who doesn't have it. I'm different and I need to eat different. My boyfriend makes mac and cheese all the time but I swear the next time I see him making it in front me I'm gonna slug 'im (lovingly) 
I told him to treat me like a recovering alcoholic. He can't eat sugar or carbs around me. We don't live together so whenever he's at his place without me he can eat anything he wants.
