Are we, as women with PCOS, screwed when it comes to weight loss? Are we destined to be fat or regain weight because of our hormones.

Sometimes I don't admit in my own head that I have PCOS and IR because I think I will end up using it as a crutch. "Oh I may as well not try I can't lose weight I have PCOS and IR."

I guess my question is, is it possible for us to lose weight like any other person?

I can't do low carb. I'm a vegetarian and it's to complicated and difficult. I'm calorie counting and exercising and since August (I think) I've lost 20lbs. Am I not going to be able to lose all the weight without weightloss surgery or low carb?

Losing 20 pounds is right on target. The healthy rate is 1-2 pounds per week. You are doing great. You do know if you do have weight loss surgery you have to eat a whole lot of protein. It's your primary food. I lost 200 pounds and it took me nearly 3 years, so don't sell yourself short. You are doing well, keep it up.

QuilterInVA: Thank you. I know I am doing well. But it just seems like all I've heard is negative comments about weight loss and PCOS. It just leaves me feeling, like I said, hopeless. You've done amazingly....any advice?

Weight loss with PCOS is hard but not impossible. I'm coming up on year 5 of when I started my weight loss journey. It hasn't been easy and a lot of it still deals with me overeating. You don't need weight loss surgery and you don't need to eat low carb. I think you should be careful about the carbs you do eat though. I'd recommend looking at a couple things:

Eat to Live
Dr Barnard's program for reversing diabetes

It is possible. Don't give up. I have lost 60 lbs so fat after being diagnosed with PCOS. And yes, it has taken me a while. Almost a whole year! But you know what? My symptoms are dissapearing and my facial hair needs waxed less and less. The best part of all it that my TOM has come on its own for 2 months now. That's something I thought I would never achieve.

Stick with it. You will be rewarded with your health!

I feel frustrated sometimes, too. I see people with frequent and large weight loss, and my body just doesn't let go of weight that easily. It is discouraging.

If you can't do low carb, you can do "better" carb.

I have PCOS, and I have lost almost 50 pounds in the last 3.5 months. I just cut my calories to a moderate level, and I avoid sugar in excess. Women with PCOS can lose weight just as well! With IR, you're just going to have to put the extra effort into making sure your diet has the best carbs and fewer carbs and sugar. Being a vegetarian complicates things a bit, because one of the things that really keeps people from eating too many carbs/sugars is eating lots of filling protein.

So you can do this! It's not as simple for us as it is for other people, but if you pay attention to your carbs, sugars, and protein, you're going to be able to lose.

Although losing with PCOS is definitely harder I personally found it a relief when I got the diagnosis as I finally knew what I was up against.

Besides diet are you exercising? I found adding exercising (specifically weight training) really helped my weightloss.

I am in your exact situation, vegetarian not by choice but proteins make me sick. I learned long ago that i cant compare myself to ppl w/o pcos, nor can i say i have pcos so i cant lose wieght.if you dont diet you'll gain, if you diet u stay within your current wieght and lose...i gain even on diets sumtimes...but i dont let it get to me because id b the one even more pissed if i was ne fatter.