Hey, I'm Cassie and I'm 21 years old. I have been struggling with my weight all my life but as of the past 3 years it's been getting out of control. I'm going to the doctor today to talk with them about the possibility of PCOS because everything I have fits the bill. The weight has also affected my ability to have kids so far, my hubby and I have been together for 3 years & 7 months, married for 7 months and in those 3y7m's there has been ZERO pregnancy scares. I took ovulation tests and found out that I do.
So I am here to get my life back on track and to hopefully get my family started by losing this burden attached to me.
I've changed a lot of my eating habits. I do not drink soda, I only drink ice water, unsweetened tea, hot green tea (no sugar), and 100% fruit juices (not cocktails), and the occasional mixed drink or glass of wine. I only eat cereals like raisin bran, total, cheerios, corn flakes, etc and I've never added sugar even as a child. So cutting sugar there was easy. I don't add salt to many things. I use sour cream instead of ranch dressing and I don't pour it over my salads either. I have given up eating pork because of it's fat content and grease. I've picked up my activity level and I've been swimming everyday for 3 weeks and no weight loss yet. What gives? My husband is tall and skinny and can eat whatever he wants (..and he does), could that be another one of my problems?
Height: 5'2"
Current Weight: 233
Short term goal weight: 180
Goal Weight: 140-150
If you do have PCOS you will have to change the way you eat- specially when it comes to carbs. I limit my diet to no more than 40% carbs a day. I fill my days with protein and veggies.
For example:
Breakfast:
1 laughing cow wedge, 1 poached egg, 1 arnold sandwich thin (on weeks I have an additional egg or an omelette).
Lunch: Either a salad with grilled meat (lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, a pickle or two, dressing, cheese, nuts, etc- nothing carby like croutons) OR I'll bring in a homemade soup or leftovers from dinner.
Dinner: Grilled meats and veggie side dishes. Occassionally something like whole grain pasta (Like yesterday I had multigrain pasta with peas, chicken, and alfredo sauce).
But overall I stay away from carbs as much as possible, I don't even eat cereal anymore- I probably eat cereal like once a month. Now my breakfasts are full of protein and honestly the arnold sandwich thin is probably the most carb filled thing I eat overall- but it comes in multi-grain and whole wheat, etc.
I'm not saying you have to do Atkins but South Beach diet is highly recommended for a lot of people with PCOS and it's the ONLY thing that has really worked for me and stuck. My weight loss has been slow but what I have lost I have finally kept off- I finally started a new year weighing LESS than the year before.
Also if your current doctor is pretty clueless please change doctors- it's taken me going through MANY doctors to find someone who is actually doing something! I switched doctors again recently since my old doctor left and my new doctor has thrown me through a slew of tests for thyroid, parathyroid, my hormones, pelvic exams, next week I'm going to an ultrasound to check for cysts, and so on. She knows I can't take metformin because it makes me ill but she wants me to go back on spironolactone but she'll give me a higher dosage, and so on.
I suggest reading all you can about PCOS. Google it and the first few links that come up are very informative.
If you can I'd look into the South Beach Diet also.
I was unable to lose weight by just switching to healthy foods. It turns out that I'm quite capable of overeating healthy foods, too! The switch to healthy foods did help blast my way into a new way of eating, but it also took counting. You will find people here at 3FC who count calories, points (Weight Watchers), carb servings, exchanges (like the diet often given to diabetics).
You've made a great start by changing the way you eat and posting here.
While some people have success with the whole "small behavior changes" I sure am not one of them. I was blatantly ignorant about all the places in my life that I was wasting calories and I was a lot of behaviors away from a healthy lifestyle.
So by far the biggest thing for me was doing detailed calorie counting online. It was less for me about hitting a specific number (although I have a range I focus on) but instead learning about my food. I can't tell you the number of times I've put away 700-800 calories of cereal in a sitting without really realizing it.
I would highly recommend you try it, even if for only a couple of weeks. You'll learn a lot about what you eat and where you might be going off.
Keep at it Cassie!!! I get so frustrated when I'm not seeing immediate results on the scale, but then I put on a shirt that fits looser...or my pants are a little roomy. THAT to me is a huge success!!
you clearly came to the right place for support! I have PCOS and suffer from severe depression and feel like my weight too is always an issue. I sometimes drink yogi tea brand women's relief raspberry leaf tea. it makes you um...fertile if you will. it tastes wonderful and it cuts your appetite. You can even go to a herb store and make your own tea with ingredients that will help your situation somewhat. Be open and honest with your doc and I hope you find a healthy balance! It’s going to all work out!!!
Thank you all.
I went to the doctor and he thought I had PCOS which was causing me to be at a weight loss plateau. After ultrasounds, he said I didn't have PCOS, I was just overweight so he started me on Metformin 500mg to boost me metabolism and it could also help my infertility & no ovulation issues. He said my weight is acting as a natural birth control. That was my catalyst for self improvement. All I needed was to hear that if my eating habits didn't straighten up there would be no children in my future. I started the Met yesterday and I was elated with it. 3 separate occasions I thought about eating some delicious goldfish but when I picked up the first one I suddenly lost the urge and put it back. And I got some new jogging pants for myself, yesterday so maybe wearing these will help with some motivation.
Today, my "exercise" is cleaning the house top to bottom, we've got company coming. ^_^
Thanks ladies for some good info and supportive comments.
PCOS can be tough, I have strong suspicions I have it. I was able to conceive very easily with my first (while obese) but we have been trying for a second for a few years and nothing yet. Hang in there and don't give up!!
I find I lose weight easier when I eat a glycemic index type diet, linking carbs with protein and keeping my blood sugar as stable as possible. Thank God I have fended off insulin resistance/type 2 thusfar and hopefully forever.
You will find a lot of support here. Losing weight with PCOS is not the easiest but I hear it helps with symptoms A LOT.
New, Struggling, & Need Support
you clearly came to the right place for support! I have PCOS and suffer from severe depression and feel like my weight too is always an issue. I sometimes drink yogi tea brand women's relief raspberry leaf tea. it makes you um...fertile if you will. it tastes wonderful and it cuts your appetite. You can even go to a herb store and make your own tea with ingredients that will help your situation somewhat. Be open and honest with your doc and I hope you find a healthy balance! It’s going to all work out!!!
