Welcome to the monthly thread! The October thread is here.

It's November!!! We have to keep on our toes to survive the holidays. What are you going to do in order to stay healthy? I am not baking anything for anybody. I put down the fine cooking holiday baking issue at the store last night, and I'm not giving in. Do we have a nail biting smiley?

Who's here this month?

Me me me! And I'm determined to post more in November. The more active I am, the more likely I am to stay on track.

How are you?

I changed BP meds a couple of days ago, and it's now higher than it was. Bummer. It's still 'low' at 130/85 when I wake up and 120/70 the rest of the day, but I don't like it being high when I wake up. So I'm looking in to getting that taken care of.

What are you working on?

Trying to get my BP under control, and working on more consistent exercise! Eating is in check.

How was last month? How's your PCOS management going?

My symptoms are pretty much under control, other than a couple of skin tags that showed up under my armpit. Yuck. I hope my IR isn't back on the rise.

Who's here this month?

I'm here!

How are you?

I'm doing okay. I've had some problems going on with the family the last couple of months. It's been a downer and I gave up on trying to lose weight. I actually gained back the little bit I lost.

What are you working on?

Losing weight.

How was last month?

Last month was okay. Doc is a little worried about my fatty liver, so she really wants me to focus on losing weight.

How's your PCOS management going?

Well, I guess. Insulin levels are down, but period still missing. Doc gave me a prescription for Provera, and I just started taking it.

I want to bake something for Christmas dinner, but not really worried about Thanksgiving. I hear ya on posting more, though. I need to keep up with it this time around. Hope you get your bp to where you're happy with it. Whenever someone mentions issues with bp, I get nervous.

Who's here this month?

I am!

How are you?

Tired. I've been traveling for the last 5 days and I can never get good sleep or eat well or exercise well enough. I'm glad to be home again.


What are you working on?

Weight-loss of course! I gained 2 lbs from my travels, but I don't know yet if this is water-weight or solid pounds. I don't think I over-ate 7,000 calories, which would imply permanent 2 lbs, but my scale read it up this morning.

I don't think I did as bad as I could have (or have done in the past) and that's probably why it's only 2 more lbs.

I just have to continue where I was (I saw 175.x before I left).


How was last month? How's your PCOS management going?

Last month was great. I lost 6 lbs or so, which is GREAT for me.

I need to do the same thing in November!

I'm taking my supplements, which I think are working. The chromium I really think is working to balance my blood sugar.

I also noticed that my habits are keeping me sane and reaching for healthy alternatives, even after a trip away from "my food" and routine. I'm glad the healthy habits are ingrained.

I didn't do too badly on the trip either because I made smarter choices too. I tried to get my vegetables in, protein, eat regularly, and carry snacks.

Who's here this month?

I am!

How are you?

A tad bit tired...and still looking for more self motivation to exercise.

What are you working on?

Currently working on networking on this site....also working on trying to keep my commitment to lose 11lbs by the end of the month.

How was last month? How's your PCOS management going?

Well I wasnt on this site yet last month...but last month was definitely harder than this month has been. SInce I've cut out all the "whites" in my diet I've been feeling alot better. I need to work harder on managing my addiction to sugar. Other than that I'm reading a book by Dr. Futterweit that giving me lots of info to help me manage better...wish me luck.

Freakumdress, I posted in that other thread for you about exercising - seriously, if you get really motivated by music, try just listening to those best songs when you exercise. Exercise is when I daydream. I have two left feet, and couldn't dance to save my life, but when I'm on the elliptical, I'm a fly girl, and also a world class drummer. It's great ME time! Exercise is so very important if you have insulin resistance. You have to burn all that extra insulin off that your body is creating a surplus of - and insulin is 'the fat storage hormone' and you don't want any of that! Maybe we should have an exercise challenge! Exercise 5 out of the next 7 days. Even if just for 10 minutes of dedicated exercise. Wanna?

Who's here this month?

Meeeee!

How are you?

9th day of a 3-week low-iodine diet for a thyroid cancer screening (been in remission a few years). This diet suuuuuuuucks! But...I'm probably eating how I should in the long run, but I had to stop eating healthy staple foods I've been eating to lose weight so far. However, I do lose weight on this diet definitely (and it got me off a plateau). I just miss seafood, dairy, bread, and everything else I'm not allowed to have right now.

What are you working on?

Mini-goal is to get down to 250 lbs. I walked a mile yesterday when I got home from work before I even took my stuff inside the apartment because I didn't think I'd want to come back out in the cold. I need to work on daily exercise and after my thyroid test and Thanksgiving I'm going to restart my food journal. Right now it's too depressing (lol) to write down what I'm eating.

How was last month? How's your PCOS management going?

I have a little more energy. Walking a mile is a lot easier than it was when I was 50 pounds heavier. But I still have all the other PCOS symptoms. I'm hoping more weight loss will improve those and restart my period. I'll also be having my uterus biopsied this month to see if the hormones I was put on are reversing the complex endometrial hyperplasia I have.

@Jennifer3FC
I would love to..I actually already made that challenge but I challenged myself to a 30min walk everday....I say everyday because I have a treadmill thats a 1 min walk away from my apartment in my apartment complex.

Yay! Thanks for starting the thread!

Who's here this month?

I'm here, but work got busy again. Ah, well, the break was nice!

How are you?
very good -- sleeping well, good energy, etc.

What are you working on? How was last month? How's your PCOS management going?

Taking a break from BCP and finding that the acanthosis nigricans on my elbows is clearing up a bit. Waiting for Nov blood draw and subsequent appointment to comment on that.

I'm working on better finding new recipes. I enjoyed the BistroMD break when I was really pressured, but I've turned it off past this week. Maybe that's a mistake with thanksgiving approaching... I don't know yet... but I do want to resume my own cooking.

Working on the garden out back too. Be nice to grow some lettuce for salad.

A.

Who's here this month?

Arctic Stamp Queen checking in for month #2

How are you?
Hanging in there...still seeing my new Naturaopathic Dr.

What are you working on? How was last month? How's your PCOS management going?

I have lost 20 pounds since I started on South Beach the end of Sept. and I could not be ANY more excited....except that my naturopath really encouraged me to do allergy testing due to some chronic health issues I have in addition to my PCOS. We got the results back yesterday and I am just thrown for a loop.

I am allergic to :

All Dairy
Eggs
Wheat
Almonds
Peanuts

and a few other things. BUT these are the things I have been eating on my South Beach program. I cannot even wrap my brain around how to balance these two things. PCOS/Chronic Health Issues...how do I choose? I need to find a balance between the two but the thought of how to do that really STRESSES me out. Okay, I've said it, tantrum over. Now I am researching and trying to figure out what this means for my lifestyle.

I am beginning exercise tomorrow. I am excited about that. I work in the Special Education Dept. and they have a couple of treadmills for our autism kiddos to run on when they are losing it to expend some energy so they don't trash the room. So me and a co-worker decided to expend some of our energy on them after work instead of joining a gym.

Lot's to wrap my brain around...would be so easy to curl back up in my ball and ignore it all, but that is not what the healthier me wants. So, putting on my big girl panties and dealing. Have a great November ladies! Ready to encourage and support as I will be leaning hard this month.

I'm back down my few pounds that I gained while I was traveling. Getting back to doing exercise after my travels has me exhausted but I'm not sore like I would have been in the past.

My boyfriend has been complimenting my hourglass shape that's beginning to appear. YAY!

Still taking my supplements and watching my diet. I had a chocolate craving the other day that I actually went ahead and ate and while I don't feel bad about doing it, I realize that my cravings really stem from how well (or how poorly) I'm doing.

The thing that has been pleasant is knowing that my weight went quickly back down. Over the summer, I would travel and I would gain the weight and it would take a month or more to get it back down. I'm really making a difference in my food choices (I think!) and the supplements that I'm taking.

I really want to lose 15 pounds in the next three months. I don't know if it's possible. It took me a year to lose 10, but I was missing some information and I wasn't taking the chromium and supplements that I am taking now diligently. So... I'm hoping I can. I have a prize waiting for me at the end of those 16 lbs (I'm at 176 today and I need to get to 160!).

Had a nice weekend, but was asked twice if I was pregnant.I took it in stride, but yeesh. I'm not pregnant, it's PCOS belly!

You guys ever get that one?

A.

Who's here this month?
I am finally. I have been absent for the past two months because I have had to move and start a new job! It's not the ideal job, but hey at least I am employed.

How are you?
GREAT! I keep losing the LBs and I am feeling so good about myself. I believe I am down another 5lbs and I cannot wait to drop more. I no longer feel like a layered cake

What are you working on?
I am just trying to get settled in at my new place and get into the swing of things at my job. My sisters wedding is coming up in May and I want to look my best for her.

How was last month? How's your PCOS management going?
My PCOS management I going much better than ever. Of course I fail here and there and eat junky, but I think I have managed a lifestyle change since I found out I had it a year ago. I dont really crave all the sodas and sweets like I used to. My exercising seems to be an essential need now to my body so I am very motivated to get up off my butt and get to movin'! I am currently doing P90X... can you say ouch! I can tell you that the P in P90X does not stand for pleasant, but it stands for painful. It works though! I hope everyone is doing great this month!

I officially weigh in on Saturdays (have been doing this since I started) and I was weighing in at 174.6 lbs.

I thought about posting whether or not it was healthy that I was losing weight so fast, then I realized that NORMAL people probably lose weight this fast.

I'm back on my comfortable plateau now, who knows when I'll drop more weight!

I think I've always been too big for anyone to question me if I was pregnant or not. So thankfully, no, I've never been asked if I was pregnant. i can only imagine how awkward (and probably embarrassing) that is.

Congrats on the weight loss, Rana You might just lose more weight by next Saturday! Must feel nice to have it coming off a bit!

Today is not a happy day. After about 10 months without one, TOTM has arrived. I was so angry at my endoc when I woke up LOL. I was hoping that even though I took the Provera, it would magically still not happen. I'm just hoping it stays light and only lasts 5-7 days. I have this fear that it's going to be horrible and last for a while.

Bright side, I'm down 8 pounds total. That puts me at 322. I just can't wait to be back in the 200s. Not sure if I'll lose any this week, but I'm hoping. Might skip some of my exercise, but I'm going to try to keep my eating in check.

Is it Turkey Day yet? Hehe.

Who's here this month?

Me! While I haven't been officially diagnosed with PCOS I have many of the symptoms and hope I can join your group.

How are you?

I'm doing good! I'm making some changes and trying to see what works best.

What are you working on?

I'm doing low carb combined with the 5 hour fast and getting more active! I really wanna try Zumba!

How was last month?

Pretty good...I'm losing a little here and there. It's slow but at least the scale is going down and not up