Welcome everyone!

This is a thread for everyone who has PCOS, who thinks they might have PCOS, and who want to chat or keep up with others and the way they are managing their PCOS!

Come one, come all!

January's Thread

Let's get started by answering some questions:

Who is here this month?
How are you?
How was last month?
How is your PCOS management?
What are you going to work on in February?

Who is here this month?

I am, of course!

How are you?

I'm okay. It's actually hard for me to believe it's already 2012, it feels like 2011 went by in a flash and now to think it's already February and I'm making plans for March and April and May, it just seems like the entire year is going to fly by.

How was last month?

I think it went terrible. I'm struggling from getting off plan during New Year's, although I guess you could argue some of it was Christmas as well. I knew that it would be hard to get back on board, but I never realized how hard it is.

I think my lesson learned on this one is that it's really not worth getting off plan, because every time I do, it gets harder and harder to get back on it. I can do it for a meal, but not for a week or two! Good habits get easily supplanted by bad ones.... sigh.....

How is your PCOS management?

Good. Waiting for my period to start. It better. I suddenly gained like 2-3 lbs overnight. So, it better come, because I'm tired of this bloating.

What are you going to work on in February?

For this month, I need to be back on a lower carb diet (fully) and to get out of my diet those treats that should really be only treats (in other words, ONCE IN A WHILE) rather than daily...

Of course, to see how much weight I can take off. I really want to see the scale go down, past 160, but it feels like it's something in my head that I'm fighting (rather than my body).

I am also worried about the amount of coffee that I am drinking because I read an article the other day that caffeine affects people in different ways, including differences in race, by either increasing or lowering your estrogen levels in your body. And I am wondering if I am drinking too much coffee.

I'm thinking I need to switch back to green tea, but again, feeling lazy.

I still have an appointment with the nutritionist tomorrow but I am not sure what this woman will tell me, if it's anything that I don't know or if it will be wasted money.

I think what I need is someone to get me out of the denial I am in about the food I'm eating and get me back on track.

Someone want to sign up for that?! x__x

You beat me to making the Feb threads, Rana. WTG!

Ok.. .here is me.

Who is here this month?

Astrophe, rhymes with catastrophe. I made it up when I was 23 and I suppose I was feeling cranky and catastrophic about the whole doc parade. I didn't get the dx til about 25. Meanwhile I knew since my 15th something was wrong with me! And I know I'm one of the lucky. Some of those who came before waited even decades more for dx.

How are you?

Um... in a good mood, but tired.

How was last month?

Good. Busy with the last of the holiday hooha since we have some family bdays in Jan.

How is your PCOS management?

Just saw the endoc last week. Labs all good except the Triglycerides and the Non-fatty-liver thing. Lower than before tho, so progress.

She really wants me to try to lose some weight.

I picked up the newer 2011 PCOS for Dummies to see what's new in if from the last edition in 2007. (Same author wrote both.)

What are you going to work on in February?

1) I'd like to try getting DH better versed in PCOS because I worry as we get older he may have to advocate for me and he will be clueless. PCOS has some pychiatric symptoms and then with mental health issues of my dad... I suppose I worry I may find myself one day in similar straits. Scary.

2) I'm going to buckle down and try to lose some weight! Most of the excuses and drying up. Exercise of some kind 20 min, 3x a week. That's not an unreasonable goal.

It was really hard navigating so many holiday and family things with Dad all wiggy with Alzheimer. But now we have several months of normal ordinary life and no special parties that cause him EXTRA anxiety. Just normal life anxiety. But even then I find the "normal day anxiety" hard to deal with sometimes.

He IS more stable, mom's needing me less... so it's a good time to focus on ME for a change. But he's still a lot of work.

I'm not excited about starting over at the gym. But it's one of those things I have to just suck up. My energy is lowish. I think I'm just mentally and physically tired of my Dad.

It's terrible to say, but there it is. Sigh. Usually when I get time alone I want to crawl into the couch and read or nap. NOT jump in the car and head to gym but... gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do. I hope my enthusiasm builds up.


A.

Who is here this month?

Moi! I'm Jess. I've been here before, went MIA for a bit, and I'm back again.

How are you?

Doing okay. I was diagnosed with PCOS in October, and later came to find out that I had one large cyst about the size of a cantaloupe. So I'm not sure if I have PCOS or if the one cyst was causing all of my symptoms. Cyst was removed in early December but the symptoms continue (although TOM is back and regular since then).

So ... trying to figure things out. My PCP seems kinda confused, to be honest, about it.

I also just found out today that I have gallstones and need to have my gallbladder removed later this month. Another surgery - yuck!

Once the gallbladder issue is taken care of, my focus will be on the PCOS.

How was last month?

Not too bad. I lost 7.8 pounds which I'm happy with. Slow and steady, trying to make reasonable changes and sticking with a plan I can live with long-term.

How is your PCOS management?

Oops, guess I jumped the gun in answering above. As I already wrote, I was recently diagnosed, and there hasn't been any treatment yet. At the time of my dx, I was only getting 2-4 periods per year for the last 8 years or so. Since my surgery in early December, I've had two. Talk about a rapid change!!

Anyway, my PCP has mentioned starting me on Metformin and some form of birth control to aid with my symptoms (weight concentrated in my abdomen, oily skin, chin hairs galore, which is causing acne, also losing hair on my head - fun stuff) and possibly aid in losing weight. I don't have IR so not sure if it would really be helpful.

I guess I really should see an endocrinologist(?).

What are you going to work on in February?

I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing, diet and exercise-wise, to the extent I can, given I will be having gallbladder surgery.

I'm going to continue logging on myfitnesspal every day, no matter how painful it can be. It really helps in keeping me on track.

I'm thinking about starting the Beck Diet Solution book since I will be sidelined from exercising for awhile after the surgery.

I'd like to lose another 7-8 pounds this month which will bring me into the 220s, which will be my lowest weight in about 10 years.

Thanks for reading my LONG post!! Very glad to be here with everyone!

Jess -- I'm not a doctor, but I just have to ask if you've had a gallbladder attack or did they find the gallstones through an ultrasound?

The reason I ask is because they wanted to take my gallbladder out because they found some gallstones when I had an ultrasound for another reason and I found out that the surgery wasn't necessary at all. I had not had a gallbladder attack and having gallstones didn't mean I would have an attack.

I decided to not do the surgery and I don't regret that decision.

I just wanted to let you know my story since you seem a little hesitant on the gall bladder surgery decision.

Who is here this month?
Me! I'm always stalking the thread and sometimes posting. I'll try to post regularly this time.

How are you?
Started Feb with sinus infection and a bad soar throat :/

How was last month?
The last 2 weeks were OK - lost around 5 lbs.

How is your PCOS management?
Since I am not IR, and my periods are coming in regularly (although too far apart for my liking) I'm not taking any meds, just trying to control it with exercise and healthy eating.

What are you going to work on in February?
- Up my exercise so I am doing at least 60 mins of cardio each morning x 5 and trying to fit in toning & yoga in the evening on some days.
- Watch what I eat, include more proteins & fibers, stay away from processed foods. Try to log everything!
- Lose 5 more lbs, maybe?

here goes

Welcome all!

An update from the nutritionist. She wants me to eat more whole grain carbs. I'm nervous about this. She wants me to lower my fat, increase my protein and eat those pesky carbs throughout the day. Despite my conversations with her about PCOS/IR and she insisted that because I am doing as much exercise as I am doing, that I need to eat more carbs during the day.

The total amount of calories is 1650, with specific breakdowns with each food group -- she's following an exchange plan. It just seems like too much food, to be honest.

I have a follow up in a month and I'll give it a go. We'll see what comes out of it, unless I start sky rocketing with my weight.

Rana I have to say that Nutritionst doesn't sound like she knows PCOS girls, I read a study recently I'll have to find it, people who actually consume healthy fats as their highest % have the greatest weight loss, followed by those who consume protein as their highest %. I did the whole grains stuff got me no where.

Can you up the carbs from produce?

I mean, just a veg-fruit smoothie would crank it up easily. Carrot-apple for instance.

Anyway if you want to mess with a different exchange break out for 1650 try this calc.

http://riverflag.com/nutrition/diabeticexchange.html

In my case I KNOW that if I go overboard with the grains, I zoom out of calorie range on a grain (usually bread or crackers) binge and it takes me a while to come back and tone it down again. Something about wheat just sets me OFF. I just do calmer on a 40-30-30 break out with the carb-fat-protein.

A.

Astrophe, I used the link and this is what my nutritionist is recommending.

Carb Protein Fat Calories
Starch 105 21 7 560
Fruit 60 0 0 240
Skim Milk 18 12 0 135
Vegetables 30 12 0 150
Very Lean Meat 0 56 8 280
Fat 0 0 20 180
Totals 213 101 35 1545
Percent 55.15% 26.15% 20.39%

The extra 100 calories are coming from the sugar I'm putting in my coffee. (Bad habit I've recently developed.)

Anyway, I guess a good chunk of the carbs ARE coming from the fruits and vegetables...

I think what surprised me about the nutritionist is that she said I have to eat these complex carbs throughout the day in order to fuel my exercise...

And sadly, I went home afterwards and then pulled out an Excel sheet so I could do it on my own and compare it with my food today (and other days). I've discovered that sadly, I've been making the classic rookie calorie counting mistake.... bad habits... of eating high calorie food and eliminating healthy foods in order to have the junk.

After I added up my starch and fat and protein exchanges today, I realized that I had eaten all my carbs earlier in the day and that I really could only eat a protein and vegetable for dinner. So, I made myself some steak and some collard greens (stir fried) and I could still eat more fruit (I hadn't had any all day). Great. Fruit for dessert.

I came home after working out, started puttering around the house and online and I started to crave a snack and I went to the kitchen and grabbed a small serving of dark chocolate! I ate it before I realized that the chocolate was not the dessert, it should have been the apple or the tangerines or even the starfruit I have laying around!

I hate that I didn't even really think about it and I was on automatic pilot.

I'm not comfortable with the exchange plans because they are very different from calorie counting, but I think since I'm clearly "cheating" on calories by eating crap foods, then this will force me to eat my veggies and fruits first.

Interesting thoughts about carbs.
I read somewhere that it depends on what your carb sources are too. Like me for instance, I'm trying to depend on fruits and veggies to be my major carb source. I have a bowl of cereal in the morning, a low GI energy bar in the afternoon, and an occasional slice of whole wheat bread but that's mainly it for the grains category.
Keep us posted on your progress Rana

I'll definitely let you guys know how it goes. Today I made oatmeal and added a T of cranberries (dried) and put that on top of a cup of strawberries for breakfast (that's 1 starch and 2 fruit servings). I was also supposed to eat eggs with that, but I ran out of time in the morning and I didn't make them (!). Eating more in the morning is going to require some planning.

I also have fruit with me for snacks (2 more fruit servings) and a small muffin (1.5 starches, no fat because it's made with applesauce, rather than oil).

It looks like I'll be eating my protein at lunch and at dinner, along with my vegs.

Who is here this month?

StrngSrvrBird (I really tried to think of a more creative way to answer this...)

How are you?

I am great! Have been lurking on 3FC for a while, and decided to restart my weight loss journey on 01/30/11 after a trip to FL. When I go back later this year, I want to have more energy and look/feel better. I have been diagnosed with PCOS for 13 years, so losing the weight (which I have always managed to put off - figures) will really help me with symptom improvement!

How was last month?

I didn't gain any weight, so that was wonderful! Plus I went to FL to see my brother. I live in cold Upstate NY, so it was a definite treat!!

How is your PCOS management?

I have had multiple surgeries and what not for my management (as recently as Dec. 2011), however I am seeing a new doctor and we are starting anew with regards to hormonal therapy, etc. My biggest goal right now is to lose the weight and exercise. I have always hated exercise, and have since started Zumba, which has been going well, so it has been helping.

What are you going to work on in February?

Exercise, exercise, exercise! And staying on plan with my calorie in-take (as well as tracking daily). It keeps me accountable.

Good morning ladies. I decided to go vegan this week trying to shuffle things up a bit along with the change in my exercise routine. I just need to find another source of protien besides legumes, thinking about whey protien shakes? Anyone tried those before? Any brand/flavor u think is good?

Welcome on board StrngSrvRBird

Pick up a copy of "The Vegetarian Way" -- there's protein in everything. Not as much as animals-based food but there's plenty in plant-based foods. Whey is dairy so it isn't vegan. But if you are flexible about that, then dairy sources open up a lot of possibilities.

A.