[Kat1982]

Hi everyone,

I'm a 26 year old woman, and i've been trying to lose weight for about the last 5 years. I suffer from polycystic ovaries syndrome. My husband and I have been trying for a baby for quite a while. The consultant told me I need to lose weight first. However it is a struggle, and even though I try to exercise, and eat healthily, I cant seem to lose much weight, sometimes just a few pounds.

I'm about 15 stone.

It's really getting me down, and I wondered whether anyone here can offer any advice or support?

Many thanks for your help,

Kat.

[dixied]

What kind of eating plan are you following? Are you insulin resistant?

I've spent the afternoon surfing the soulcysters.com site, which led me to the fitcysters.com site. I've found some good advice over there from people who are going through the same thing.

[oceanblue]

I too had PCOS...i had a VERY hard time losing the weight...and very tired and losing my hair too...anyway, i found there was a VERY VERY VERY strong tie to PCOS suffering and low iodine in your body...so i started to take Modifilan which is a very pure form of brown algae...and concentrated..I got the powdered version and take about 2 tsp a day..but you can get the pills version (just over the counter online) look up modifilan.com or just search anywhere, even ebay has it....and i also take 1 to 2 TBS of coconut oil (i get this at iherb.com) and also i take a little flax oil every other day or every 2 days...you need these great healthy oils in your body to fight this, and the iodine regulates everything...and modifilan also has TONS AND TONS of vitamins/minerals...its so good......

another thing you should take regularly is chlorella and spirulina....they are so good for you also.anyway, my problem is gone now....weight comes off so fast and i feel much better.

its the iodine!! I also take a B-12 Spray under my tongue daily from Dr Mercola's site.

Hope it works...but if you could only do a few...do modifilan and the coconut oil.

Sheila

[Kat1982]

Thank you for your replies im not on a particular eating plan but have shredded wheat for breakfast sometimes, and eat low fat cheese and crackers for the rest of the day. i do eat chocolate and crisps sometimes, but only a couple of times a month.

Thanks again,

Kat

[midwife]

No fruit or veggies or lean protein?

Welcome to 3FC! Look around! A lot of us had to relearn about nutrition and how to eat. Carbs are an important part of a well balanced diet, but other foods are also important. Healthy fats & veggies & some fruit & lean proteins. Check out the South Beach forum for ideas on well balanced meals (assuming that your menu above is a typical menu).

Good luck.

[Ufi]

It's my understanding that PCOS is something you have for life, although you may be able to decrease symptoms.

I've found it helpful to concentrate more on fresh vegetables and lean protein, so less of the crackers and more things like beans.

EDITED TO ADD: I wasn't aware of a connection between PCOS and iodine. I'd appreciate any links to research you could provide.

[WarMaiden]

I don't have PCOS (at least, have never been diagnosed) but I do have insulin resistance and many of the symptoms that come along with PCOS. I also had great difficulty trying to conceive and carry my children. (Difficult to conceive and had 3 miscarriages along the way.)

What works for me in order to control my IR and the PCOS-type symptoms (long, irregular cycles; hair growth; acne; skin tags; skin discoloration) is to eliminate sugar, white rice, white flour, and other refined/simple carbohydrates which have no nutritional benefit. When I do this I lose weight easily, in part because my diet adjusts to include more lean meats, healthy fats, and green veggies. And, in part, because this helps me maintain my blood sugar and deals with the insulin resistance. Also, my outward symptoms of IR are hugely improved; no more acne, hair growth is slowed by at least half, my cycles are shorter and much more regular and I can tell my hormones are doing what they're supposed to do.

I'd recommend checking out the South Beach diet, the Insulin Resistance diet, Sugarbusters, Atkins, or similar in order to learn about ways of eating that will potentially work on your PCOS.

Good luck.

[JMAnthony65]

I have been diagnosed PCOS for over 25 years now. I managed to have one pregnancy on my own but then none for over a decade. I then found a wonderful OB/GYN who said she could help me concieve again because my numbers looked good. I informed her I did not want "a litter" of children just one more. She put me on a regime, first shots in her office then clomid. It took a year to prep my body but once I started the clomid I was pregnant in 6 weeks. By the way I have two healthy beautiful daughters (21 & 8), best advice is... have them closer together than I did if your given the chance.

[Jennifer 3FC]

Hi Kat, if you have insulin resistance, you have to knock off the crackers and chips and chocolate, etc. Eat good carbs only - pure whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The refined carbs just feed the IR and make the weight loss difficult, if not impossible. I know it's tough. Exercise is also key - much more than for the non IR individual.

Oops - edited to say that I didn't see that the chocolate and crisps were only a couple of times a month. If you are eating mainly a diet of cheese and crackers and shredded wheat though, it's still not good for you. You need vegetables and more protein, fiber and vitamins. You mentioned that you try to eat healthy and exercise, but that doesn't sound like a very confident statement. Why don't you post your exercise and food logs on the forum consistently, and see if that helps?