I've been hanging around these boards here for a while now, some of you may recognize me. Normally I post in the 300+ support group because I weighed about 355 at my highest.

I was diagnosed with PCOS about six months ago, and was told that the only way to really control the symptoms was to lose weight. I'm down with this, I WANT to lose weight, I want to live a healthy normal life.

I have a scale that is hard to read, but from what I can tell, I've lost about 15 pounds in the past month or so. However I dont think I've lost anything during these past two weeks.

Everyone says that having PCOS makes it harder to lose weight; I've perused articles and googled the crap out of it, but I still don't know WHY it's harder to lose weight with PCOS (I guess since I'm a nerd I want to know HOW more than WHY, you know? The biological reasoning for our hormonal imbalance causing us to not be able to lose weight as fast)

How do we combat this? Should we exercise more than the normal person does? Eat less refined carbs? I will do anything to lose this weight now, and I just wanted to know if I'm going about this all the right way.

Thanks you guys!!

Melissa

Hello MissMeliss!

I have been diagnosed with PCOS for about 3 years,and managed to lose about 70lbs. once But..hehehe...somehow it found it's way back to me ! When I lost those 70lbs, for some reason, I really didn't find it all that hard! GEEZE!! Why can't I find that motivation now! I know I HAVE to lose this weight, but now it seems to be so hard!!!!


I think one reason women with PCOS have a harder time losing weight, or so I have read, and the doctor that first diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes told me, is because we (usually) have a higher/very high levels of insulin in our bloodstream, which increase our appetite , and which makes us (me at least) want to eat constantly. And are usually insulin resistant, which makes it really really hard for our bodies to use the insulin. I think this is why sometimes when people are started on insulin lowering drugs like Glucophage(metformin), which I take btw (and have for about 5 years, on and off ), seem to have an easier time losing weight. It does wonders for me. I also do so much better when I exercise everday, exercise increases our muscles ability to use insulin, which inturn lowers the amount of insulin in our bloodstream, decreasing appetite!

I hope I have helped a little bit, I'm so tired, it's untelling what I've just typed! LOL! I learned that this is one of the hardest things I've ever HAD to do, and I HAVE to do it!

Hope you are having an awesome night, I am really tired, long night at work! So good luck to you, if you find any good info, pass it this way!!

Good Nite !!

KimNKY

What I have found is that cutting out all of the white stuff & excercise makes a WORLD of difference! Even if I hadn't lost a single ounce, I would still eat this way because I no longer get that sluggish feeling after a meal. Believe it or not, it totally hadn't occured to me that the way I was feeling after a meal (& especially dessert ) was due to my blood sugar skyrocketing. Thoug a friend & I are on the same diet, she isnt diabetic & doesnt have to take insulin & has lost 20 lbs so far on SOuth Beach with 30 mins cardio daily. I am also on South Beach but I do 20mins yoga, 20 mins cardio & have only lost 8 lbs