Does anyone else feel ridiculous eating low carb? I still have my whole grain English muffins and have brown rice at times but I feel self-conscious that I am eating a fad diet long gone past. I am in decent shape, should exercise more (sigh) but no matter how well I eat, or how may sit ups I do I have this belly...like a half basketball sticking out. Ugh. I know it is often a PCOS side effect and on BC I keep my symptoms pretty together but the weight. Ahhhhhhh. I fight such a battle to stay "normal." My husband is stick thin and could live on donuts, hot dogs, and beer with no visible side-effects. He is supportive and will eat whatever I cook (thank GOD) but watching him enjoy a frosty beer and dive into the pretzels is hard. He already accommodates so much I can't ask him not to eat ANY carb loaded food in front of me. I already was fighting with weight in my 20's, and it all made sense when was diagnosed with PCOS...periods every 5 months or so, awful cramps, bikini line gone wild. But after 30, combining PCOS with the regular metabolism slow-down everyone has is driving me crazy. Every year I get slowly better in what I eat, how much, increasing how much I work out but my body only slowly gains more and more bulk. It just makes me sad at times to know that this is a battle which will never end, unless I succumb and end up miserable and diabetic like ALL older members on my dad's side. But I won't give in!!! I can't, right?

So nice to know you are all here. Sad to know we all have this but really, it could be worse. We have the choices to fight PCOS and it leaves us with the string bodies we need to getting moving and stay healthy-ish. But does it have to be so omnipresent in our lives and so ANNOYING?

I have PCOS and endometreosis and had no idea it effected weight gain? How does it effect weight gain? Though I am obese and I've basically ate healthy all my life but I had no idea PCOS caused weight issues other than hormone problems. I don't even get my period. I think eating at my deficit of 500-600 has been working for me but we'll see. I'm on the depo shot to control my hormones and endometreosis pain for a few years and various other birth controls in the past (since I was 13) which made me gain weight or didn't stop the pain. Depo shot increases appetite but I've been on it now for almost 3 years and I think my body is over the whole eat-the-entire-kitchen-stage. I exercise 3 times a week and eat completely healthy (no binging or cheating AT ALL!) and I've lost 10 pounds since starting...so I think we can do it.

Hello CPTbunny,

Well done to you on your weight loss!

Like you, I also have PCOS and Endometreosis - not a fun combination at all is it?! I have really struggled my weight for years and was put on the pill at 15. I even tried metformin which a lot of the others girls have mentioned in earlier posts - but it didn't work for me at all - just resulted in a lot of stomach problems - which really made meal times very unenjoyable!

I am eating pretty healthly trying to keep under 1300 calories a day and am going to the gym between 3-6 times a week and so far only two pounds lost :-(

Have you had to really cut down your carbs for that weight loss?

Original Post by caitlinsteele:

Does anyone else feel ridiculous eating low carb? I still have my whole grain English muffins and have brown rice at times but I feel self-conscious that I am eating a fad diet long gone past.

 Don't feel ridiculous!  You aren't low carb you're SMART carb.

The first time I was diagnosed with possible PCOS I was 17 (I'm now 37).  I did nothing about it, even though I did not have a period on my own in my entire 20s.  I've been through diabetes, hair loss and even a massive heart attack at the age of 35.  I've only recently gotten my health act together - HW 315 CW 265.

I have a long way to go but I've learned a few things including that the absolute worst carbohydrate for us is SUGAR.  Avoid it and all the things that are really sugar masquarading as something else (white rice, white flour - basically anything white and alcohol).  I've found that my weight loss is steadier and more significant if I do this.  (eating tons of fiber and speading meals out over 5-6 instead of 3 helps too.  It even helps with missing bad carbs.)

I agree that soulcysters is a great website.

i have pcos and have been losing doing a smart carb plan as well.  starting weight was in the 320s, current weight is 259 lbs.  i'm 26.  i work out quite a bit.  40% of my diet includes carbs -- but they are carbs from fruits, veggies, dairy, lentils, high protein super k cereal, some whole grain breads, and brown rice once in a while (about 2x a week).