I am a newbie here, and I wish I would have gotten here sooner. I too am a sufferer of PCOS - and I mean "sufferer" in all sense of the word. I am almost 23 years old and am married to a wonderful man. However, I am disappointed in myself. I've let my weight get out of control and it is now affecting my marriage. I've had enough and am fed up with feeling bad about myself. I have acne-prone skin, dark-ish facial hair, and weigh 215 pounds. I'm onl 5'3"! I am ready for a change. I am ready to feel attractive to my husband again, as he recently brought to my attention that my poor body shape is basically a turn-off for him. I am at the end of my rope and I have nowhere else to turn. I am already on metformin, but my other medications aren't helping matters very much. I am also on Lyrica for back pain (but am considering ceasing that one) and Celexa for depression. I want my life back. I am starting Weight Watchers again tomorrow and need as much support with this weight loss journey as possible. I am glad I have found a place where I can reach out for help and have other ladies understand where I'm coming from.

Steph

Hey Steph!

Have you found our WW forums yet? Lots of great ideas for that specific plan.

PCOS can make weight loss harder, but it does NOT make it impossible, so take heart! You can do this. In fact, weight loss is one of the VERY BEST things you can do for PCOS, even if it can be difficult.

Hope to see you around often - can't wait to get to know you!

Welcome Steph!!

We will support you! I too have gone through a few relationships where my body shape turned out to be an issue. It's like someone punched you in the face. Ironically I wound up breaking up with them and they begged to come back, lol. My current boyfriend, who is awesome, actually keeps telling me my body is fine... which may just be equally as frustrating!

What you need to understand is that we are not like the average person who makes some changes then loses weight. We are an entirely different breed. While the average American just has to work out 2-3x week for 30 minutes, start eating whole wheat grains and healthy fats, then lose weight, most of the time that just that doesn't work for us.

The only whole grains I eat are the ones where you can see the friggin' seeds. Grains need to be practically picked from the ground and placed in my bowl, or else my insulin goes outta control and I'm hungry for more. It basically needs to be sprouted for it to not have an effect on my weight.

As for exercise, I do about 4 hours a week and it's still not enough. I am pushing myself to work out 2 hours per day, with weight training making up some of that time every other day. We just don't lose weight like normal people. We almost have to transform ourselves into athletes, and follow a body-builder's diet plan.

I haven't yet mastered this lifestyle, but I'm trying very hard to. I've been eating and working out like an extremely health-conscious American for the last 6 years and still have only ever lost the same 10lbs. Something has got to change. It's like a war.

I got a small ice cream from Cold Stone with my boyfriend Sunday night. The next morning my pants were tight. I didn't even weigh myself. The sundae was about 500 calories, and an extra 500 calories shouldn't have that impact on my body, but it did b/c I'm a PCOS girl, not a normal girl. A perfect example is my roommate. She wanted to lose 30lbs so she started lifting 3x/week and 45-minute cardios 2x/week. She doesn't diet. She's now a size 4.

I guess what I'm saying is I've realized that we need to put in double the effort of a normal woman who does not have PCOS, and an extra-strict diet. Be careful with Weight Watchers. They may recommend things like "fat-free Cool Whip with a 100 Calorie-Pack" or something. A low-calorie, high carb snack like that would send me through the roof, then hungry for more. Plus it's not real food with nutrients.

Wow, I totally went off typing there! Sorry, lol. I am just starting to see things now that I'm realizing the normal 'healthy lifestyle' scene has no effect on me whatsoever. I need to turn into a machine just to get normal results. I am willing to do that, because I've come to peace with it.

This site is great and everyone is so supportive. I welcome you! And PCOS isn't the end of the world (although many times it tricks you into thinking that) :/

I'm a WW member, too! Definitely join us in the WW section ^^

What Michelle says about the snacks can be true. You can be on WW and not eat those snacks, though. In fact, my leader is constantly pushing the fruits, veggies & whole grain foods. They recommend those substitutions for the times when we really want something similar. Those foods aren't really meant for every day consumption.

I hope you find all the support you need!

Best of success!

I don't want to be a downer, so just consider this to be a bit of my personal experience with PCOS. I'm taking Metformin and have been on a rather high dose for more than two years. It hasn't proven to be the miracle drug everyone else said it would be; however, I can say that after having lost quite a bit of weight, it is starting to work better. The last two months, my period has been regular. The facial hair and acne problems...I've got them too and it can be very frustrating. I don't have any suggestions other than to try some anti-acne face cleansers (Biore is working okay for me) and just keep your tweezers handy for all those lovely stray hairs. Focus on getting some extra exercise...walking is an excellent starting place. You'll be feeling better in no time.

CHIN UP STEPH!!!

I was/am in a similar situation as you. I'd gained about 40 pounds since my boyfriend and I got together. I got to a point where I wasnt happy with my body and he obviously wasnt either. He also told me that he was physically attracted to me anymore. But you have to remember... that doesnt mean he stopped LOVING you!

I've gone, quite slowly from 230 to 210. I dont feel like my body looks much different. But key thing... MY ATTITUDE HAS CHANGED! My bf has been active as an aide in my dieting efforts. We agreed to have him help hold me accountable and for me not to get angry when he points out what i've asked him to. He's started going on walks with me, we go grocery shopping together and became educated about nutrition together. I'm still 15 pounds over my pre-bf weight... but I feel like he desires me now more than ever. Because I am motivated, its improving my mood, and my hard work, honestly, is a turn on for him. LoL. I'm making myself the best possible version of me, and thats the person he fell in love with. Right?

Change your prespective a little, get your hubby on your team, clean out your refrigerator and cupboards and SMILE. Things will start falling into place.

I'm sorry that you are feeling so bad and that your husband isn't being supportive (saying hurtful things). I guess the only thing I can say is to focus on your health and take care of yourself. Try different things to find a diet and exercise plan that works for you. I think the mistake I always made when I was younger was focusing on the process and not on the goal. I would try one thing, get frustrated and give up. Because I was focused on the particular diet plan or the way I was feeling at that time. And I wasn't focused on the over all goal of getting healthier and getting the weight off. Do it for you. The quality of your life: your mood, your energy, your daily experiences are all affected by how you treat yourself every day. So put healthy food in your body and get exercise, and you will be building up good things for yourself to come.

Hi, I'm new too, nice to meet you but sorry to hear about your struggles. I once had a guy tell me that "intimacy" just didn't feel great because of the extra weight on my body. Talk about stickin' with ya? It wasn't just a random... he had been my best friend for years before we started dating and had been intimate for 2 years when he said that to me... awesome.

I wish I had wisdom to offer on PCOS, but to be truthful, I ignore mine... I'm paying for it, my family comments on my facial hair, I'm putting on tons of weight, and if I'm lucky, I have 2-3 periods a year.... but I'm dedicating this summer to mending my mistakes and getting back on the right track.

Hope this finds you well and hope to get to know you better...

Hello Steph,
Welcome and good luck with your weight loss~