how do you do it?
 

hey guys-i am new "surprise" :) My name is amber, i am 22, and have been struggling with weight all my life. When i was in junior high i was about 190 and wore a size 18 (big legs!)..and then in highschool i had my heart BROKEN (what? in high school??) and moved down to a size 8/9..and i maintained that for about a year and a half, then for some reason gained about 100 lbs in 6 months..and i had no clue why! I excercised/ate well..in 07 i moved down to new braunfels tx from arlington tx and visited a new dr ((i had probs with monthly cycles as well))..i did find out that i have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which i was told is primarily the reason i gained the weight soooo quickly..last week i found out my thyroid has became underactive..sooo im basically torn becase i want to feel sorry that i have these issues and just sleep all the time..but on the other hand ((the one i use the most often)) i know that i can live with this and get my life back again-i know that there are situations SOOO much worse than mine..i want some support other than my husband-who tries so hard but just doesnt UNDERSTAND what im going through..he doesnt know why i cant see myself the way he sees me..soooo thats my story-and i will continue to read and become encouraged by all the of love and support i have found on this forum-Thanks for reading and have a great day :) :) :carrot:

hello and welcome

Good luck with the loss- I too have PCOS I gained a ton of weight in college and at my heaviest was 235. It's a slow weight loss process for me but I find that making permanent changes are just as important as dropping a ton of weight. Sure it's taken me a almost year to lose 23 lbs but I feel so much better about myself in general :) I do think the PCOS is what has partly helped make my weight loss slower than normal.

Good luck.

i agree making lifestyle changes is equally important-so thats what ive been focusing on :) just eating differently, and realizing that the way my body reacts to what i eat is different than most..so im glad there is someone out there who kinda knows what im going through as far as the weight being hard to take off-thanks for responding :) one question though, when you first found out, how did you FEEL? did it change your thoughts about anything? did you kinda feel a bit depressed and alone? just curious-if its personal no prob :)

thank you :)

Hi Amber, welcome! There is a sub-forum here for those with PCOS if you're interested: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=70. You'll find lots of support at 3FC, so just jump right in! Good luck!

Hi amber,

I think you should definitely stick to 'the hand you use more often' and keep trying to change things to what's best for you, not just giving in and feeling sorry for yourself.

Sure there will be days when that's all you feel like doing, but as long as you're still working towards your goals in the long run then it's ok.

I think it's nice that you have a husband who loves you no matter what - you're lucky :) Still, weightloss is something we do for ourselves, not other people, so good luck to ya

Sarah x

The key to my weight loss is definitely portion control. People really dont understand it. Your plate should look MUCH less than half full! lol. I use a saucer plate. Thats way I dont over eat. And I am dropping about 2-3 per week. I was down to 146 and ate "wing stop" with the hubby 3 days out of 1 week. Suprise suprise Im constipated, bloated, and pist! So....I hope you enjoy this forum. It has helped me a great deal and I LOVE this place. GOOD LUCK and WELCOME.

thank you-i think its nice too :) he is great..and he doesnt have to be-he just loves me..i thank god everyday for that-thanks for your words of encouragement! :)

thanks for your encouragement and welcoming :) and yes i have definitely learned this!! the saucer plate is a great idea though-lately ive been cutting my food in half and giving it to hubby so he doesnt go for seconds haha.

Hey there New Braunsfels--DFW area here.

I am here to support you and will be glad to help in any way I can. I would love more support too. You have found a good place. You can do this thing. Lots of women here are dealing with those same issues. WELCOME

Welcome Amber! Good luck with your weight loss im sure you can find all the support and encouragement you looking for here, i know i have!

Welcome! Check out the 20 something forum, the PCOS forum and the Dieting with Obstacles forum. Sounds like you have a great plan and a can-do-it attitude! I'm glad you're here! :wave:

Depressed PFT! I flat out cried my eyes out when I found out I had PCOS! I was so upset. I was like dude WHY me?! First I'm fat and hairy my WHOLE freaking life- then I find out that I've got cysts all over my ovaries and that's why I hadn't had a period in like a year (I switched doctors cuz my other doctor wasn't helping me at all- just basically said 'you are too fat that's why you aren't getting a period). This other doctor was great- she calmed me down, she said it was okay. She told me she also had PCOS and that she'd help me. She changed my BC and put me on metformin and spironolactone (though I no longer take either cuz I felt they didn't work after 2 years of use). I didn't lose weight with her- in fact I kept gaining, but I still thought she was a great doctor. I didn't listen to her when it came to eating cuz I don't know why, part of it was depression and giving up hope. It wasn't till last year that I was like I can't keep up with this life- I don't want to die young.

Remember us girls with PCOS have to work twice as hard to lose half as much as a regular person. I workout, I run, I lift weights, I eat well, and so on, but I plateau all the time, The 23 lbs I've lost has taken me almost a year- whereas a regular person might lose 23 lbs in 2-3 months it's taken me more like 9. You just have to keep pushing through- I read "The PCOS diet" and while it's pretty straightforward and almost obvious- it's a great read. Check it out :) The thing I like about it is it doesn't just say "do atkins cuz carbs are bad" but it explains to eat the right carbs, whole grains, whole wheat pastas and so on. Lots of fruits and veggies and very little processed food.

Oh and btw since the weight loss my periods have been coming back and I have no more cysts.

Good luck.

thank you :) i dont know why but i never saw this! anyway-i try to stay hopeful, i was distraught when i found out, but my family was even worse so i tried to be strong for them..i have had a few breakdowns but my husband tries to keep my mind off of it..:)