Over 300lbs with PCOS

Hello looking for people that may have pcos, and have diet tips.  My husband and I are trying to have a baby, but i need to lose weight.  With pcos it messes up your metabolic system and just wondering if anyone has any pointers, or food choices that has helped them.

i started losing weight at my all time highest of 324 pounds.. i have hypothryoid and pcos.. and i've dropped 66 pounds so far.. this condition does not stop you from losing weight.. :)  that's the good news!  :)  if you follow your guidelines of what you should be intaking and how much you should be exercising you can do well.. in fact.. exercising and losing weight can regulate your hormones so that when you are at your goal weight the pcos symptoms might diminsih a lot or go away all together.. that's what my gyno told me.. he said that weight loss might reverse my condition.. :)  but i won't know till i'm at my goal and attempt to go off the pill to test that theory.. :)  i still have 118 pounds to lose so it will be a while.

welcome here and i really hope to hear more from you!

Thank you so much! That is so encouraging,  66lbs that is just too cool!!  I feel sometimes like it will never go away :).  I have lost 8lbs since starting this sight last month, so hopefully i can keep my motivation.  Did you eat the recomended calories on this sight or do something else? My doctor did put me on metformin, but i quit taking it and was hoping that my will power with dieting would get me regular.  Its strange, i don't know if you had any simular problems, I usually don't have my period or have huge ones.. hahah.. anyways when i do start bleeding its usually on days I don't eat very much.. my doctor seems to think im crazy but it really happens like that. who knows :)

WARNING!  do not read if you are easily grossed out i am not trying to offend anyone with my graphic descriptions.. just inform.

oh man.. don't get me started on the irregular bleeding!  let's just say i was diagnosed after a 2 month bleed where i was in the bathroom every 15-20 minutes (no sleep more than 20 minutes at a time for 2 months.. oy!)  and yeah.. my doc believed me when i told him that i usually got it after eating less and exercising more.. because that helps regulate the hormones.. he said that unless i went on the pill i'd have to live with that.. and the increased cancer risk because of the lining never shedding.  i opted for the pill.. i ovulate maybe 1-2 times a year.. so this didn't bother me much anyway..


my other doctor, not my gyno, put me on xenical and a 1200 calorie diet.. i've actually upped my intake to 1300 while on the xenical because it blocks like 100 calories (depending on the day) of fat intake and i didn't want to drop too low to be in starvation.. so i'm at 1300 and doing well.. i haven't had my blood work done yet (july) but i'm anxious to find out if my stats have changed.. because my cholestrol was high and my blood sugar was on the high end of normal.. i hope that things will be better then.. :) 

my doctor (gyno this time) said that he didn't think i'd need metformin if i could lose the weight on my own because i told him that i was put on xenical and working on losing the weight.. he said the pill should be enough to keep me regulated and be able to exercise without that nasty pcos side effect of excessive bleeding..

isn't it nice to find other people who are going through roughly the same thing? 

*edit* i meant to add that i'm going off the xenical in about 2 weeks.. :) 

PCOS sucks, big-time.  It's terrible to be trying to conceive and have this obstacle that's so hard to get rid of!  I'm lucky in that my PCOS isn't linked to my weight -- it's one less obstacle for me.  However, my cycles and hormones are still totally out of whack. 

One piece of advice I got from my endocrinologist is to stick with the metformin, especially is you're diabetic or insulin-resistant, even if you're not using it to maintain weight.  He said he wants to start me on it even tho' I'm not overweight because it might help me ovulate.  Of course you should probably talk to your own Dr. about it and figure out what'll work for you.  Here's hoping we both get preggers soon!

Ohh thats good to know , ya i started getting woried about the metformin.  Like about the side affects and stuff, but maybe i should get back on it.  I guess i started thinking about it and i weigh 336.1lbs and i really want to lose some wieght before i get pregnant.    But i guess we will just see what happens.  I have a mini goal set for my self of losing down to 285, and still got 51.9 to go from 60lbs....so im slowly working on it..   

I was about 250lbs and had gone 14 months without a period when I was diagnosed with PCOS. I didn't want to take the pill or medication for the insulin resistance it was causing, so I decided to try and deal by going on a low glycemic index diet (sort of like atkin's, but with exceptions for unrefined sugars) and exercise. Once I had lost about 25 lbs my cycle came back and has been fairly regular ever since. Now I've lost a total of 47 lbs and most of my PCOS symptoms are gone (like losing the hair on my head and growing it back in unflattering places).

So, weight loss works! I read that losing 5% of your body weight is what you should shoot for if your PCOS is weight related, and for me it was right at the 5% mark that my cycle came back. I don't think it ever actually goes away entirely, so you have to look at the changes you make as lifestyle changes, but it gets easier as you go along. Good luck future mama!

 

Hi trinaalene.

My name in Molly. While I haven't been diagnosed with PCOS, I am a type II diabetic and have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). When I started here at CC late last August, I weighed 372 pounds.  Since then, through counting calories and moderate exercise, I've lost 91 pounds and now weigh 281. (And I am off insulin shots, yay!) Not too bad for just 7 months, huh?

I just wanted to encourage you .... you can DO this!

If you want, you are welcome to join us in THIS thread (for people with starting weights over 300) ... you should get some great feedback, support and tips!

=^..^= MOLLY

I have PCOS and I've lost 9 pounds since Jan 1st - which seems insanely slow to me.  I was reading up on PCOS to find out if that was why I lost weight so slowly, and it sounds like that's why. 

I have been trying to eat like a diabetic as much as possible since diabetes runs in my family.  It turns out that that's a good thing to do for PCOS as well.  I've also been eating healthy snacks at least twice a day to keep my blood sugar up - this has been helping me a lot.  (note: I don't think that diabetics are allowed to do this especially if they are on insulin)  I also take the "diabetic health pack" which is a vitamin pack for diabetics made by nature's way.  Among other things it has chromium in it which is supposed to be good for insulin resistance. 

Most of my symptoms of PCOS have gone away (except for the cursed facial hair :P) but I am on birth control.

I don't have PCOS, but one of my very best friends does. She was told that she was not likely to have children. She lost weight by watching portions, making better choices, and working out. She met with a nutritionist and used a diet plan similar to the diabetic diet the first time she lost weight. She lost quite a bit of weight, and got pregnant. She had that baby, an amazing little boy, lost most of the weight from that pregnany, and currently, she is pregnant with her second child.

Do look into a Low GI (Glycaemic Index) Diet.  It's not actually like Atkins, as another post said, but a very healthy diet that's recommended by nutritionists and doctors for people with pre-diabetic and insulin resistant conditions such as PCOS.  There is an excellent book by Jennie Brand-Miller called 'The Low GI Guide to Managing PCOS'.  In conjunction with your prescribed medication and exercise it should help you control your condition.

My friend was finally diagnosed with PCOS after years of trying to have a baby (she is not overweight however). She was put on metformin and got pregnant shortly thereafter. She lost that baby but then got pregnant again and now has two wonderful kids. Be aggressive with your healthcare physician about finding treatments which might work for you. See an endrocrinologist if you must. Get help and take control.

Good luck!

I have PCOS and I have been struggling for years to lose weight. I take Metformin which helps, but my cycles are still not regular, I haven't ovulated in years and I really desperately want to have a baby as I'm 32 and not getting any younger. My doc said to lose 26 lbs and after a year I still haven't even done that. I lost 11 but I've gained back some. I seem to be very addicted to carbs. Anyways my doctor and I are starting to look into other medications to try to help me o but in the meantime I'm going to try to eat as healthily as I can and hopefully shed some of this pesky belly fat weight.

I to have pcos and have found I lose weight really slowly but....I do lose weight...I started in the beginning of october at 184 and am no don to 154ish...so only 30lbs in 8 months but it's still a move in the right direction!! So when it gets really frustrating just remind yourself that you might lose slower than other people but you are still loseing! I am on Metformin and ovulate every month now that I am on it. When I was struggleing to get pregnant years ago (before I was even diagnosed pcos) I used birthcontrol for a month to get myself to ovulate and get pregnant....It worked. I would deffinatly look into working closely with a nutritionist and endocrinlogist to find what works for you!!! Good luck and I know you can do it!!!

I said it was like Atkin's because of the emphasis on protein and lowered carbs. Both diets would be healthy for someone with PCOS, although many people think of the Atkin's diet as an excuse to eat a ton of fat. They, like the previous commenter, are misinformed.

Trina,

Yes, you can lose weight while having PCOS!! I have it diagnosed back in 1999.  I had trouble conceiving too i had fertility help with my first two children and then low and behold when i started taking care of (me!) i joined wwatchers and lost about 10 pounds and  i found out i was pregnant last year no fertility help whatsoever!! I was low carbing and walking an hour a day so yes it can be done.  Since i have had my baby i have lost about 37 pounds!! This was due to breastfeeding too! It helped me tremendously!! You can reach your goals if you have your mind set!! i did it!! Im still trying to lose the rest of the weight because of course i was overweight to begin with!! But my baby has given me the incentive to lose the rest of the weight!!


Clarice

I am Laura and me and my husband are trying to conceive and I have PCOS and I am about 5'4 240lbs. I have gone through the fertility treatment and I had an eptopic pregnancy. I really don't want to go through that again and really want to do it naturally. I need some good advice on either how to lose the weight with supplements, oh yeah, also I have been taking the metformin for a while and nothing happens but upset stomach. So does anyone have a suggestion on how to overcome this because I am in desperate need of some good advice from someone that has gone through the same thing I am going through.

Hi Lalahud,  I also had an upset stomach on metformin.  I switched to Glumetza and I have no problems whatsoever.  I am also here to lose weight.  So far I have lost about 60 lbs. (285 - 225 today), but unfortunently I still need to lose more, not much improvement from my PCOS symptoms.  I am trying Insulite Labs this month, so I'll let you know if that works.  Debbie

I weighed 314 due to medication I was on in Aug 08.  I started following south beach (cheat a bit though ; )), counting calories on here and trying to eat the right # of servings for good health.  My current weight is 229. 

The real trick is 2 potty break walks a day with my dog.  I also have all the yard work and house work in the summer time.  I did get a gym membership when I was small enough to comfortably fit the weight training machines.  This makes the ultimate difference in losing the weight.  All it takes is 2 30-minute appointments twice a week.  I can also throw in a yoga or water aerobics class to make the most of my travel time and expense.

You can get some really good training tips from women's fitness magazines like Shape or just schedule an appointment with a personal trainer to get acquainted with the machines. 

You can do it!  Be sure to post updates. 

I was very lucky to have a general doctor who had PCOS ... she picked up on my signs early when I was 13. I weighed about 210 at the time. 

My doctor told me to limit sugar and exercise. I ignored her and promptly put on another 10 lbs. Later that spring, I decided I was going to do it on my own and researched. I did a 1500 calorie diet and increased my exercise levels like crazy - I started walking for 40 minutes every morning and night, horse back riding daily for an hour - two hours daily. Luckily I was in middle school and had a bunch of time to devot to exercise. I lost about 65lbs that spring / summer and kept my weight at 150-155lbs through high school by exercising and eating around 2000 calories a day. 

This past year I finally decided to combat the last 15lbs. I tried very unsuccessfully to do it through diet alone this fall, abandoned the diet after 3 weeks at an uncheating 1350 calories and a loss of 1 lb. I stepped up the exercise like mad this summer and I've lost 13 / 15 on a 1600 calorie per day diet. I go to the gym and ride daily. 

From my experience losing almost 80lbs with PCOS, exercise not serious decreases in calories is the key. 

 

I'm 15 years old and was just diagnosed with PCOS about 2 months ago. My doctor said it isn't related to my weight, I have it because of genetics. Apparently, both my aunt and grandmother on my father's side had PCOS too. Thanks for the genes dad! 

I'm a little overweight, but it could be worse. At my last weigh in I'm down 142, so I'm less than 30 pounds from my goal, which is 115. I'm not even 5'0", so 115 is right in the middle of the healthy BMI range.

Luckily, I've been able to lose weight with both PCOS and the birth control pills my doctor put me on to regulate my periods working against me. I think the pill she put me on is called Yazmin....

Being 15, I can't contribute to the baby thing, but I haven't had too much trouble losing weight. I eat between 1500 and 1800 calories a day depending on my activity level, and I'm also a vegetarian. Apparently that helps regulate your weight (I didn't know that when I became one, but it's a pleasant bit of info), so you might want to try cutting back on meat a bit, or just eat lean meats.

A plant based diet has practically no fat, little sugar, and you can still get all of your protein. There's a great magazine, Vegetarian Times, that has a ton of recipes with nutrition info right there. You can also easily add meat or fish to most of the recipes if you choose.

I'm not trying to "convert" you to vegetarianism, but cutting back on meat is good way to lose weight, and be healthier. Try eating meat with only one meal a day, or eating meat every other day, whatever sounds good to you.

I have a question to, I'm still on my first pack of birth control pills, but if any of you were on them for PCOS, how long after getting on the pill did you start having regular periods again? Just throwing that out there.

Good luck with your weight loss!