Hey Everyone! I have PCOS and am so happy I found this place! I have a long ways to go.

Cheers all, Sue

Welcome to 3FC, Sue! You have a great attitude. What diet plan are you going to follow?

Hi Jennifer!

I went to my first Weight Watcher's Meeting tonight.

My Doc put me on Glucophage ER--500mg this week--move up from there. CW is 219.4lbs, I am 5'2", and 31yrs old. I am just so glad that there is actually a name (PCOS/IR) for what is going on with my body! (Thought I was going crazy!!) Hopefully I will get to 130lbs asap.

I love this web site--tons of great info on PCOS.

Warm Regards, Sue

Good luck on WW! You should check out the WW boards here, lots of good info there as well.

Hey Sue -

How is that Glucophage XR coming along for you? I too was so happy when i found out there was an actual name for what was going on with my body.

Melissa

HI Melissa,

How are you? Glucophage is doing good. Not sick or anything. I joined weight watchers and tomorrow is my first way in! I really don't like to pay somebody to weigh me---but I know that this will help make me accountable to exercise everyday. Take care! Sue

Good luck on WW, Sue! Have you ever done that program before?

HI Jennifer,

First time doing Weight Watchers. I pre-paid for 10 weeks!!! Yes, that is commitment. I need all this weight to come off. You know wishing it away doesn't work very well!!

Blood work came back today. So....I have high cholesterol (251) and high LDL (145)---doctor wants me to "exercise and eat right" and come back in 3 months. (I didn't actually talk to him--his nurse left a message on my answering machine.) Should I try to get on something (cholesterol meds) or find another doctor--or is his instruction good?

The reading I have done in the last weeks says to eat low carb for PCOS---but is low carb good way to eat with high cholesterol?

Thank you in advance for you time and advice---I really do appreciate it!
Sincerely, Sue

Well the doctor knows better than I do. Actually, with your blood work, I'd definitely try weight loss before cholesterol meds. Statin drugs can have some miserable side effects and really reduce quality of life in some people. You need to exercise to drop your LDL. Exercise has the most positive effect on that particular set of lipids. Weight loss and eating right should help with total cholesterol.

To low carb or not - low carb is debatable. Many low carbers show a great decrease in cholesterol when starting on a low carb diet, but weight loss by other means shows a drop as well. I've seen studies going both directions, so I'd just stick with what your doctor prefers, and if he doesn't have a preference, I'd do on the diet that makes YOU feel good, and that you can STICK to. Just losing the weight will be a big help, and it sounds like you are good with getting bloodwork done, so you'll be able to see if bloodwork goes awry before it's too late.

You will like WW! It's a solid system, and over all has some of the best sucess rates of any diet plan. If you find you are not losing weight after really trying your best and sticking to plan, then you might want to consider CORE or going to a lower carb or diabetic plan that is more compatible with insulin resistance. (I'm assuming you are since you're on Gluc).

Your doctor is right, you should try exercise first. My husband is only 10-15 lbs overweight, but his cholesterol was at 281 last time it was tested. The doctor told him to exercise and eat right to lower cholesterol. If that did not work after 6 months, then my husband should go back to get medicine.

Hi Jennifer and KathrynRose,

Both of you are sooooo informed and helpful. I have been following WW-my first weigh in I was down 3.2lbs!!!!!!!!!!! Down to 216.2lbs!

Let's have a healthy week! Sue

My endo advised me to use oats or oat bran in my food everyday. I put a tablespoon full of it in my yogurt or smoothie, put lots of oats in any soup I make, sometimes cook it into steamed brown rice. In addition to the other diet considerations it has really helped to reduce my cholesterol.

My first post here, I was diagnosed with PCOS over a year ago, now trying to lose weight. I am at high risk for heart disease, so its time. I am 26, 300+, have already lost 6 pounds. I have about 120 to go. My life is changing big time too, going to school full time, going to work part time, need to join a gym. Pretty much here to look for support, advice and the occasional *** kicking.

Hi Ladies - I've been on Glucophage for three months, and have just finished my first month of clomid. I'm fighting PCOS in order to get pregnant, however, after researching the disease I realize there are many facets of my life that have been affected by this condition. Throughout my life I've weighed as much as 230, and as little as 125. I'd like to get this under control. Is anyone else having trouble with mental clarity, low level depression? Also, anyone else trying to get pregnant? I have a son who is almost 5 and am desperate to conceive again - I'm kind of tired of people telling me to be happy with what I have.

Thanks, Jen

Jen,

I think the mental clarity-thing is real, and I've heard/read very few doctors believe it. Do you notice days that you just can't focus or think, but a moment later you're back to normal? My scariest moment with this was when I started my new job and had to fill out paperwork. I sat there, looking at the box that said "Social Security Number" for what felt like forever. In the end, I had to leave it blank and go back to it later. This might not sound so bad, but I'm an engineer and a numbers freak and I've known my ssn since I got my card when I was 8. I'm the person who doesn't have any of her friends programmed into her cell phone because I memorize all of my friends' and family member's numbers. Anyhow, it freaked me out.

Another thing that is scary - there is a new study out just last month linking the brain's inability to use sugar in the blood properly with Alzheimer's. They say there is no link yet between Alzheimer's and diabetes, but in Alzheimer's patients they see that the brain wasn't using the sugar properly. Of course, I don't have much info, and this is probably enough to be dangerous, but it freaked me out because there is IR AND Alz. in my family, but nobody ever mentioned that connection before. I'm trying to remember, every time I want that sweet or bread, that I REALLY MUST keep my cool and stay on my low-carb diet so I can let my body get back to normal again (hopefully.)

Hope this wasn't TMI , but I do believe these things are related. Somtimes if I'm flipping out, I just try to remember that sometimes my body and hormones are the reason why I'm acting crazy, and that really it's not bad. I tell myself that soon the situation will be fine, and usually it is. Chin up.

Mofo, good luck, and stick with it! You can do it!


-Jen