Happy May Day!

Round up for May!

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

(The old thread is here. )

A.

Who is here this month?

I am! Barely, but I am here.

How are you?

Eh. Super-stressed out. Worried about my weight. Wondering if I am simply not meant to be a lower weight.

How was last month?

I was sick for two weeks and traveled a whole bunch... so it was good and bad!

I gained another couple of pounds and now I can say I'm 10 lbs up!

I don't know what's going on.

How is your PCOS management last month?

Good! Supplements in check, period is coming, food is low carb. Trying intuitive eating/low carb/Paleo (my own mix of things).

What are you going to work on in May?

Trying to get past the first half without any weight gain and will focus on weight loss in the second half. Stress will be around for at least another 2 weeks.

Who is here this month?
I am!

How are you?/ How was your last month
I'm good at the moment! I am still struggling with my anxiety but after a few particular stressful days, I'm in the lull after the panic. Plus, I'm full of condeine (which I'll explain brow!)

These past few weeks have been full. 2 weeks ago I hurt my back at the gym, and have since discovered that I have a problem with the muscles in my back. Basically they alternate from being strong to weak. Apparently it's a common long-term study problem (lol). So I've struggled with exercise. It did induce some over-indulgence on the food front. After getting back on the scales to see a 3kg gain! I spent last week focusing on eating right and under my calories, and I did see that number drop by 2kg, so it was all water.
Yesterday I had all four wisdom teeth removed (bad timing because it's in the middle of a busy semester at uni). I had an IV sedation. Beforehand I told the sedition guy that I had a history of panic attacks when taking sedition type relaxants (like Valium) and he kind of brushed it off. Well guess what, I had a panic attack while they were sedating me. Not fun. My blood pressure dropped significantly and they had to call my mum in the room to calm me down.
But besides that, the procedure went well, my recovery seems to be on track. Some swelling, no bruising, lots of anti-inflamitaries, antibiotics and codeine.

Sorry for being absent - between uni, various misadventures, my computer was mucking up. A trip to the Genius Bar the other day seems to have fixed it. And I brought plan tickets for my European holiday in Nov/Dec! I'm officially broke, and desperately need to earn some money for food and accommodation, but flights are booked, and my best friend and I are off to London, Paris, Bavaria and Salzburg at the end of the year. It's a graduation present from myself!

How is your PCOS management last month?

Not great, but I'm getting back on track. I just got my period today, and the week before I had two days were I was depressed, and significant anxiety. But it seems to have faded (maybe it's the medication though, lol). Aside from that and acne, it feels like a normal period, and it's 2 days early not 2 weeks late, so I think things are beginning to settle down.

What are you going to work on in May?

Focusing on my food intake, remaining calm and building the muscles in my back. The back stuff will take around 3 to 4 months to fix, but I'm okay with taking things slow and doing this.

Hoping to lose 4 kilos this month, from last weeks high. So far seem to have lost 2 (water), so I might aim for 5. I'm currently on a liquid/soft diet, so I'm taking advantage of this.

Hope everyone is well! Sorry for that long ramble!



--

Rana - Hey! How is the intuitive eating going? How are you doing it? I always seems to become an excuse to indulge for me.

Stress, I am learning, is not good for weightloss. My fluctuations are crazy at the moment. I'm glad to hear your period of stress and busy-ness is coming to a stop soon!

Hi Meeeel!

I'm still working on it. But I am talking to myself a lot - for example, last night we had a gathering at a friend's house and I was starving after work. I would just eat a snack and then have dinner with them, which would automatically put me over the calories at that point. I told myself that I was about to eat, so I didn't NEED the snack. I could just have dinner when I got there.

And I drank water and walked away from the snack.

For me, intuitive eating has been an excuse to eat whatever because my body doesn't give normal signals of satiety or hunger because of my IR -- I couldn't tell the difference (and sometimes it's till hard).

I've been aware when I eat too much (but I still do it, I need to figure out why -- I know why, but I don't know why I don't stop... I do it because I'm "afraid" that I won't get that food again which is totally ridiculous because I can/will).

I don't know. I don't think this is a way to lose weight (or maybe it is, over the long term) but I am doing it to also get a better relationship with food and my body.

Rana - IE is the ultimate for me. I also have weird hunger signals. I get the urge to eat, as in just the urge to chew and consume something. And I get hungry sick, which generally signals a sugar drop for me. So, I don't have that normal, oh I am hungry. Just an emotional need and then the light headed sick feeling that means I'm over hungry.

Good on you for walking away from the snack! Small steps equal great long term victories!


check in weighed myself today. After consuming 800-900 daily on my liquid and mush diet, I'm back down to my low of 3 weeks ago, during TOM too! Another bonus, TOM seems to be normal thus month! Woohoo!
Just hopin that I don't let myself go crazy as my mouth begins to heal

Eldercare has my hands tied... but I will check back longer when I can. Just wanted to give others an encouraging "Keep going!"

A.

Who is here this month?
I'm new. I just found out that I have PCOS, which is a side effect of a medication that I was on during my teenage years for epilepsy.... As they say, the drug's side effects are often worse than the ailment itself. I'm trying to learn about PCOS and how to deal with it, while staying fit.

How are you?
I'm doing okay. Now that I'm on supplements and medication things are going better. Any tips on vitamins would be greatly appreciated.

How was last month?
Rough. I found out about PCOS at the beginning of last month/end of March. I started a low carb diet, new meds etc.

How is your PCOS management last month?
I think it's been pretty good. I'm diligent about taking my meds/supplements and working on eating better.

What are you going to work on in May?
Getting in more exercise, and cutting down my carbs some more.

•Who is here this month?

My name is Candace and I've recently (finally) discovered that I have PCOS. I have been frustrated for about 15 years of dieting, exercising, crying, banging my head against the wall, etc. A new doctor finally asked the right questions and performed the right tests. Now I'm on Spiro & Metformin...hoping this is going to aid me in weight loss.

•How are you?

I am hopeful.

•How was last month?
Last month was meds only. I have been getting in the habit of taking them every day. I'm not a very religious pill taker so it has been a bit of a challenge for me.

•How is your PCOS management last month?
Feeling a little better...lost about 5-7 lbs but I assume it was just water weight.

•What are you going to work on in May?
I've signed up for 8 Pilates classes (2x/week) and I'm working on my diet. I could really use some friends to motivate me and keep me educated on PCOS. I'm trying to add in the right supplements and get on a more low carb/high protein type diet.

I'm really struggling!

I have had a hard time getting my calories down. I'm hungry. I am unmotivated.

I wish I had someone here, next to me to talk to me about my choices as I make them. Maybe I need to go to therapy or something.

The issue is not IR/PCOS... the 10 lbs I gained in the last five months have gone to hips/thighs and all around, rather than the belly.

*sigh*

I'm scared I can't get it under control again...

Hang in there, Rana.

When I was first letting go of wheat again (and still when I need it) I wore a red bead bracelet I made. I had also used letter beads to spell "NO*WHEAT" in the center of the bracelet. I work it on my fork hand and you know what? The red warning on my arm helped me stay on track enough to lose the wheat enough to improve my labs!

I offer it as a suggestion -- maybe you could make one for yourself?

WTG, Cancrush! Your attitude is great and now that you have your dx and pilates plan you can kick bootay!

Seizethe day: Welcome! Sorry things were rough last month. Hope this one is going better. You can do it!

Meeel4121 -- glad TOM arrived. How's your back and mouth healing up? I hope it is all going ok!

MY CHECK IN

Things here are a mixture. I'm eating out too much and coping with eldercare dx and new treatments. I am doing other things that are good for me -- tai chi for instance. Helping with the stress AND workout but I'm not good right now at checking in as often as I would like. I did talk to some friends to see if they want to be workout buddies and two seem interested so hopefully I'll be able to get improvements made on my exercise stick-to-it-iveness.

Mostly though... I'm worried about eldercare issues like meds and money and who knows what all. Sigh.
A.

Who is here this month?
My name is Rhiannon and I've known that I've had PCOS since the start of this year. Back in 2009, I had a laparoscopy and the gynocologist never diagnosed it...considering I was there to find out why my periods were so sore. Now I know!

How are you?
PCOS-wise, my symptoms are mounting up to full. First it starts at ovulation with slight pain, then my tummy bloats by 2 cm (about an inch) and is especially prominent at the top part of my belly under my ribs, then about 2 weeks before my period start I feel that my period has started...to cut a long pain list short, I'll be in for more pain a few days beforehand.

How was last month?
The same as this month, though, I think my symptoms are getting worse with my weight loss. I'm getting more pimples this month and I think it's coming early again...

How is your PCOS management last month?
Just grin and bear it!

What are you going to work on in May?
I'm going to work on light exercise when my period starts rather than taking a week off because it's too sore.

Hi Rana,

I dont post here much, but I would still come in every once in a while to check on your progress since we both were around 165lbs and I just could not lose weight even with starvation diet (yeah, I tried everything). I was diagonsed as IR a couple of months back and I have only begun losing weight after starting treatment for IR. I just wanted to tell you to hang in there, and things will get better.

Thanks guys.

Two days when my calories have been in check and my carbs at 100 g or less.

I am craving more carbs. I'm trying to tell myself it's okay, I can have the cravings, I just can't satisfy them, not yet.

I appreciate the encouragement. It really helps. I just don't know why it's gotten so hard for me right now.

Hello everybody!!!

My name is Kaitlyn and I am new to this website but I'm hoping it is just what I need! I am re-starting my weight-loss regimen and looking for a little support. I am so sick of hearing the "you're not fat" and "curves are beautiful" and all that garbage. (Don't get me wrong, curves ARE beautiful, but I am not curvy, I am overweight, I know this I recognize it and I am ready to do something about it!)

I was diagnosed with PCOS/hypothyroidism/insulin resistance about 2-3 years ago. This was right after I had had a crazy surge of weight loss fever and went on a strict diet and was running something like 4 miles a day and DID NOT LOSE A POUND. I knew something was wrong and lo and behold PCOS! After that I just kind of lost heart and I figured this is what it was always going to be like, but with social media nowadays it really is amazing for me to see that I am not alone and all of my fellow "cysters" feel the same pain and if you guys can change your lives, then why can't I! (run-on sentence I know but I was just so excited! lol) Anybody want to be weight-loss buddies and help a newbie out? Lovely to meet everyone!

Thanks, astrophe.

I like the bracelet idea. My doctor is pushing me to keep my carbs super low and it's been really hard (I'm already at 40 this morning ).

I might steal the idea