Diagnosed with PCOS & Hypothyroidism --- Calorie Help!!!

So, just as my topic title reads I have been just diagnosed with PCOS and hypothyroidism.  I have just started Synthroid (Day 3) and am currently not taking any meds for the PCOS.  Everything I have read points to insulin resistance and I am attempting to change my eating habits to follow a low g.i. diet. 

My question for anyone out there that is stuggling with the same issues is how many calories should I be consumming?  I know if I was normal, lol!!  But, now it's a whole new ball game!!  Any success stories??  BTW, I'm (almost) 32, 5'10" and 240 lbs.  Please Help!!

TIA,

Alica

If you haven't done so yet, go up to the tool bar and click on "Tools", scroll down to "Calorie target".  Follow the instructions and it will tell you how many calories you need a day.

I was diagnosed with low thyroid about a year and a half ago.  I started a diet on Sept. 28th of this year.  So far I've lost 15 lbs (in 6 weeks).  You can do it even with the low thyroid as long as you take your medication.  I've been at 1200 calories a day and I'm doing great.  Oh, I didn't mention I'm 65 years old, 5'7" and get very little exercise.  I started out at 201 lbs.  This morning I was 186. 

Good luck

Thanks for the reply!  I do know where my calories should be but, everything I've read when you have PCOS is it takes a lot less calories and a lot more exercise to lose weight so, I'm wondering because of the PCOS how low I should be going -- I know not to go under 1200 and am currently trying to stay under 1800!!  My appetite is through the roof because of the PCOS so, I don't know if I could maintain 1200 for long...........

Any PCOS weight loss success stories out there??

TIA,

Alica

P.S -- Shalem - WTG on the weightloss 15 lbs. in 6 weeks in great - keep it up!!

mrsd

do you have an opportunity to visit a dietician? because you have both PCOS and hypothyroidism, I think a trained professional will help you best.

Thanks for the reply and good idea!!!  Don't go back to my dr's until Dec 14 so I will inquire then.  Was hoping to get started with some sort of plan in the meanwhile........  My outlook doesn't look good as I have yet to find many if not any success stories dealing with this diagnosis.  Feeling very overwhelmed and depressed.

mrsd

There are quite a few PCOS sufferers in this forum. I just found them by accident because I was searching for this thread. Enter 'PCOS' into the Forums search box and you'll be able to find, if not success stories, at least lots of support. Best of luck with the doctors' visit!

If you have PCOS then the Low GI Diet will help considerably as it'll damp down the natural hunger-pangs associated with reducing food intake.  I would say that you're going to need 1700-1800 per day initially.  To avoid feeling horribly hungry in the early days keep the following in mind

• Aim to get a small portion of protein and some fat at each meal.... e.g. add some nuts to a breakfast cereal or slice a boiled egg onto a salad.  Fat and protein make a meal more satisfying
• Eat regularly..... Aim to have a light meal or a small snack every 2 - 3 hours.  This helps prevent blood-sugars dropping too low which, again, will help control your appetite.
• Pack plenty of vegetables into each meal to bulk them out.... Low in cals, Low GI, very filling way to satisfy your appetite.
• Eat slowly, savour what you eat..... this enhances the feelings of 'fullness'.

Try to be as active as you can but if you really step up the exercise, increase your intake to compensate.

Should also mention an excellent book... 'Low GI Guide to Managing PCOS' by Jennie Brand-Miller.  Worth a read

Thanks for the advice gi-jane.  I don't know a lot about the gi diet so, it'll take awhile to wrap my brain around it and I'll try and find the book you suggested.

pinzywinzy - I have found some support groups after more digging around, thanks!

mrsd

My 24 year old daughter is going through the exact same things as you. She is 5'6 240lbs. She is on meds for her PCOS. She takes Metformin fr insulin resistance and just added a supplement to that because sugars where still high. She is on High blood pressure med and a cholesterol med. She can not lose weight for nothing. She works out, she has been going to a dietitian and her BP and Cholesterol have all been great now but still no weight loss. She is so frustrated she is considering surgery. She went to a consultation and doc told her he does a lot with PCOS and afterward they are able to come off all meds. Not sure how I feel about it but it his her decision and at 24 she deserves to have a life other than all this meds and obesity. I do know one thing doc told her is to eat her protein first then salad like the Europeans do and to keep starches to a minimum.

jpesicka1 ~ So, sorry to hear about your daughters conditions, big hugs for that.  I am lucky enough to not have those extremes yet but, are all in my near future if I cannot get this under control.  I haven't started any meds for the pcos yet as I am just starting thyroid meds and would like to get those ironed out first.  I am however interested in the surgery you were talking about.  What kind of surgery is it exactly?  My Mom has battled the same issues for years but not as severe and this past summer had gastric bypass and seems to have beat the "disease" so far.  I have yet to decide whether that would be something I would consider.  I would like to give it my best fighting chance first and take it from there.  Thanks for the recommendations about the protein first, I will give that a try.  All the best to you and your daughter and prayers for all of us that suffer this horrid syndrome.

mrsd

P.S ~ If I make any breakthroughs with dealing with this I will be sure to post it on CC to try and help everyone else. God Bless

She went for the lap-band because gastric by pass seemed so drastic. But trying to get insurance auth. she has to jump through hoops. I hope you can get yours under control before it gets out of control. She kept going to the doctors  for several years and did not get a diagnosis until she finally switched doctors and they ran tests. i will too keep you informed of anything her docs tell her.

mrsd- I have PCOS too, and I know it's a nightmare to lose weight! That being said, it can be done. You just have to be prepared for a long haul- and do this slowly.

I second GI Jane with the low-GI diet. I haven't followed it to a T but reducing my starchy carbs and eating lots of lean protein, veggies and 'good carbs' has got me where I am today.

I started out at 330 pounds at 6'1 and am currently at 194, it has taken me a couple of years and I still want to lose about 15-20 pounds but I know I will get there! I eat around 1400-1500 a day and exercise 3 times a week in the gym, but try to get at least 30 mins of walking a day too.

I wish you the best of luck- feel free to message me or add me as a buddy.

Sorry so long to respond everyone!

jpesicka1 ~ Thanks for the info!

laurabow  ~ WOW, thanks so much for your reply!  You are proof that that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, you are my new inspiration!!  WTG on the weight loss..... proof that this can be done and be controlled!!  I've been over weight for 10 yrs so I'm not expecting instant miracles so, if slow and steady wins the race, I'm in..... I refuse to give in and let this beast they call PCOS win, game on!!

Found the Soul Cysters forum so, I'll catch up with you gals there!!

Cheers,

mrsd

Hi. I had all the symptoms of PCOS and early stage Metabolic Syndrome. I was 225 at 5'9. Cutting all processed foods out of my diet, and eventually most animal products, really helped. I stabilized at a healthy weight of 155 after about two years. Regular exercise, particularly high intensity intervals (http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Exerc iseFitness/12641) is also really important for metabolizing the excess glucose in the blood. You can totally do this!

I don't have a definite diagnosis yet (but I've been to lots of doctors who don't believe that PCOS is real *headdesk*), but all signs point that way. I'm still working on getting appropriately worked up for it. Did you run into any issues like that? How long did it take you to get a diagnosis (if you don't mind me asking).

In the meantime, I've gone from probably around 220 (I stopped weighing myself the day I broke 200 because I couldn't handle seeing that 2 on the scale) to a low of 112 a few years ago, and currently I'm sort of stuck at 117 (I'm 5' even). My weight's been a bit of a rollercoaster over the years, but I find that I do best on a TONNE of fresh fruits and veggies, lots and lots of water, and as little processed food as I can manage.

I definitely fight with my appetite like mad, and find that I have to attack that one on two fronts. I'm less hungry when I exercise more, so I've made working out a very high priority in my life. And sometimes, I just let the hormones win, but only a little. I know what my cravings are going to be, so even if I don't know when they're going to hit, I try to keep stuff around that helps manage them - light hot chocolate or Tofutti fudge pops when I need chocolate, airpopped popcorn when I need salty crunch, either avocado or natural peanut butter when I need something higher fat etc.

Hey Gals!

ambereva ~ great info thanks and WTG on the weight loss, you're another gal I can place on my motivational/inspiration list!!

scarlettfang ~ because PCOS is something women are born with a lot of the symptoms (like I had right from my teens) go un-noticed cause we just figure it's weird/it's puberty but, all in all "normal" for us. So, I think doc's think the same not thinking there could be something wrong until something triggers our symptoms into something worth testing. Where mine really kicked into high gear was after my last pregnancy.  I no longer needed birth control pills because my dh got "fixed" and slowly my symptoms that I thought were normal before got worse and worse.  It's taken my doc 6 yrs to finally agree to test my hormones and voila my high count of male androgens coupled with all the rest of my symptoms I've been complaining about for years finally gave me a diagnosis.  So, if you have all or most of the symptoms get them to test your testosterone and if that's high then they have no choice but, to diagnose you.  I also finally got a real thyroid test done too not just the TSH test which doesn't show you the whole picture.  And voila imagine that, I'm hypothyroid!  BTW, most that have hypo also have PCOS.  Anyways, I was thrilled to be finally diagnosed cause now I know and it also proved it wasn't all in my head, lol!!  But, now that I know what PCOS is I wish I didn't know, kwim?  Although, I've gained a new tool to combat my weight, knowledge is power and it's my goal to lose it all and bring my symptoms back down to normal or should I say "normal" for me!!

P.S ~ WTG on the weight loss as well, I hope to be a success story one day too!  Thanks for the food/craving info too!!

Cheers & good luck,

mrsd

Thanks for you input. I'm thinking that maybe I'll just go in and ask specifically for my androgen levels to be checked, rather than let them decide what they want to do. I tend to ask for a lot of things to be 'tacked on' to any other lab work that I need run, and so far my doctor has been pretty good with just kinda shrugging, possibly telling me that I'm welcome to add it, but she doesn't think it's necessary, and then checking off the little box anyways. That's how I got my thyroid levels checked (I suggested that I was curious), which thankfully came back normal.

scarletfang ~ if you have a doc willing to run extra tests for you I say go for it and she if she'll test you're other hormones as well because if you don't have PCOS I'm sure the other levels could tell you something!

Good Luck and Keep me posted!

mrsd