Hi I'm writing to connect to people with similar issues as mine. I'm 30 yr old single who's been having pcos in the last 8 years but in the last two years, my symptoms have gotten worse. I have more facial hair and new once are sprouting every now and then. I especially hate the scars they leave below my jawline after ingrown hairs are plucked. I have mood swings and a huge belly. My skin has also gotten the worse. All these have made me feel less of a woman. To make things worse, I recently had a breakup which of course has made me feel more worthless.
In the last one year I've been trying to exercise regularly and eat healthy. I've only managed to lose slightly under two stones of weight. It's quite frustrating because if not for the PCOS, I would have seen greater weight loss results. I also get easily tired and worn out before the end of the day.
Is there anyone out there who could relate to my situation and probably give me some advice about simple diet plan and exercise plan. Feel free to reply with anything even if you are only going to tell me your problems. It's time I listen more
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fatgirlwantsalife
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Hi, I am really sorry to hear about the hard time you have been having. You have done really well to lose 2 stone and you should be proud. I don't know anything about your condition but I know other people in here do talk about it so I know you are not alone. Good luck!🤞
Hi there fatgirlwantsalife I wasn't fully aware of what pcos was and just decided to look it up because some of the things u mentioned with regards to facial hair I have. I was totally shocked because it seems that many of this relates to me. I have epilepsy which I know is not connected but this is really bad as I have about 13 seizures on average every month although this varies and have always struggled and never been able to get pregnant, facial hair, irregular periods and mood problems. I do also have the problems with being obese and have always struggled with losing weight but am finally starting to properly get somewhere with this. I have found that I have been able to get better inspiration and more information on here that has properly helped. Never before did anywhere tell me that I should always make sure I find out that I am eating enough in a day because eating less makes u put weight on, as your body then believes u r trying to starve yourself and turns anything u have into body fat instead. I am now eating more and losing weight I love it. I don't know for sure I have pcos but I will now look into this.
Hi HubbysMissMouse I'm really sorry to hear about your health conditions. I'm not sure if seizures can be related to PCOS but PCOS is mainly caused by hormonal imbalances. I have also understood from my own research online that sugar(in any form) is the main enemy of pcos symptoms getting worse because of insulin resistance. Although I know this fact, my body still craves for sugar. I can only control my intake but cannot get away from it. Well I agree with you on the point where eating less can make it harder for you to lose weight. You may already know this that the secret to maintain or lose weight is eating smaller portions of food every 2-3hours so that your blood sugar level doesn't fluctuate much. Instead of eating 3 large main meals, you can break them down into 5-6 small meals/healthy snacks so you can keep yourself satiated all the time. I really hope you can find all the solutions you're looking for to improve your health
I have a disability that makes losing weight more difficult (mobility issues, use a wheelchair outside of the house). I was just going to ask whether you might want to consider reading about the 8 week Blood Sugar Diet? It cuts out all the processed carbs and processed foods for 8 weeks (plus you stick to 800 calories a day only). It seems impossible, but it really does seem to suit people with conditions such as PCOS, fibromyalgia, etc. It also reduced blood sugar levels - for anyone who is at high risk of diabetes. I did it for 7 weeks and lost 13lbs and I don't have much left to lose now. Let me know if you would like some links!
I'm a newbie. Very over weight. You have lost 2st. Way to go girl!⭐ Keep eating healthy & move around as much as you can. I hope that you get a lot of support from the group. Kind regards G56.
Hey thank you! Welcome to weight loss journey I remember my first attempt to exercise was a boot camp session. I felt so unfit. I was the biggest and most unfit of them all but boot camp taught me to be bold and push myself harder. It's okay if youre huffing and puffing more than the rest of the fit people. They all started somewhere too! I stopped going to boot camp as it became more expensive and signed up to conventional gym. I do go off track on and off even till today. But the key is to always come back to it no matter how far you have strayed away from your fitness goals. I wish all the very best to you achieving your fitness goals
I know that there are other members that suffer with PCOS, so I hope they'll be able to help you with your specific problems. There is also another community on the site, where you'll probably find lots of empathy and support
Take a look at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), read the Welcome Newbie thread, then move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you
Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news
Have a look at the 12 week plan, as many people have been successful following it. Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate
We run daily weigh-in's and you'd be very welcome to join us. The threads can always be found in the Events section, to the right of the home page, bottom on a mobile.
We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too
It's only left for me to wish you well on your journey
If you look on my profile there a post called PCOS pickamix. I have PCOS (diagnosed at 16) I am losing weight but my symptoms are not quite the same as yours. I think a lot of it is trial and error to be very honest. For me a low gi diet and making sure I get enough protein defo helps. Also strength building workouts because the more muscle you have the easier the symptoms are to manage. If I don't get enough I feel it quick my skin starts to go nuts and I feel like crap. But as I say it's what fits you. Trail and error. You'll find your groove and once you do there will be no stopping you. Even with all the PCOS going on for you I have to say I truly believe that more than 50% of succeeding with this journey is to do with where you head is at! Know that you are beautiful and your body is amazing! Love it. Own it! You can do anything if you just believe you can get there x x x
Life doesn't start when you lose weight it starts the moment you allow it to!
Thanks luv! I take your words for it especially strength training. I do feel the same but sometimes it's hard to stay motivated. Just have to reach out to like-minded people as you to stay on track
Despite the daily frustration encountered by such a condition, rest assured, all is not lost, since the associated symptoms can be managed and controlled through diet and regular exercise.
As you’ve no doubt guessed, I don’t suffer from PCOS. However, I’m married to a wonderful woman who does and, much like you, she’s struggled with the symptoms for much of her adult life, not least the struggle to lose weight.
In the early years, I witnessed her tears of frustration over the fact that nothing appeared to work.
Although I’d always been interested in nutrition, largely due to my sporting interests, my wife’s diagnosis a few years back proved to be my catalyst for beginning to examine nutrition in closer detail.
With regard to PCOS, I quickly discovered that increased presence of sugar in the diet not only increased the secretion of insulin, the increased secretion of insulin stimulated the production of androgens (testosterone), further exacerbating symptoms from which she suffered.
Perhaps more than most, the elimination of simple/refined sugars is imperative to your chances of over-coming the struggle to lose (and then maintain) weight with such a condition.
Although it’ll no doubt be a life-long condition from which you’ll suffer (the same goes for my wife) it doesn’t mean that some of the symptoms cannot be overcome.
When she chooses to apply herself (she’s currently lost 22 lbs over the past 4 months), my wife does lose weight through consumption of foods that are high in fibre, in addition to undertaking regular exercise (which includes HIIT) and keeping protein intake relatively high.
As such, when considering carbohydrates, aim to avoid the consumption of cakes, sweets and pastries, in addition to white varieties of bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.
Instead, seek to include quinoa, oats, lentils and beans (kidney/pinto,etc), while also opting for non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, spinach, peppers, lettuce and cauliflower, alongside fruit, such as apples, grapes, cherries and plums.
It wouldn’t hurt to consult the Glycemic Index, to obtain a greater idea of the kind of foods that are low upon the GI scale, since a low GI diet is far more beneficial to your cause. Those foods with a GI of 60 or above should only be enjoyed occasionally.
Although considered healthy by many, a baked potato measures in at 82 on the GI scale (food for thought).
Fat can and should still be eaten. Ensure that it’s obtained from fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, in addition to virgin olive oil, for example, while aiming to limit consumption of fatty/processed sources of meat.
Although, it’s considered a MCT, coconut oil is still a saturated fat, so it ought to be consumed in moderation. However, as I’m sure you’re aware, it’s fantastic for maintaining the health and condition of hair, skin and nails, so begin/continue to apply it.
As for protein, provided that it’s obtained from lean meat, fish, eggs and whey powder, it’s difficult to go wrong. Just ensure that it constitutes 30-35% of total calorie intake, ensuring that existing muscle mass is maintained as weight is lost.
Regardless of the diet plan followed, the most important thing you can do is to gain an appreciation of your numbers, allowing weight to be lost.
Without knowing how/if you've calculated intake, allowing weight to be lost, it wouldn’t hurt to obtain BMR and TDEE, by way of the Miflin St. Jeor method, to see how the figures compare.
As for gym activity, on the assumption that you’ve developed a decent base level of fitness, the inclusion of HIIT will help to ensure that calories are burned both during and after the activity, in addition to raising insulin sensitivity levels for up to 48 hours afterwards.
While in deficit, HIIT is something that should only be undertaken twice a week.
However, by including two 20-25 minute sessions, whereby the heart’s anaerobic pathway is routinely exercised for up to 60s at a time, followed by a short period of rest, the uptake of glucose and fat will be far greater than compared to maintaining a set speed.
Even if HIIT is currently beyond you, by introducing cardio intervals, whereby intensity is repeatedly increased by 1-2 levels for 60-90s, followed by recovery at a reduced rate for 60s, you'll be improving the uptake of glucose and fat throughout, while also ensuring that insulin sensitivity remains raised for up to 24 hours afterwards.
Sorry to hear of your pcos. So everything you achieve is despite that. Its a long story, but my problem is low self motivation, probably I have ptsd, following loss of 2 people who were very important to me at I was to them, but at the moment I'm at the stage of texting on here which helps, I'm sticking to food plan, I'm on week 5, and really struggling to do 45 mins daily exercise, I'm use to doing yoga type/ touch your toes, press up exercises, which keep me pain free re my lungs and joints. I have 5 stone to lose, lost 11 lbs. Im starting to feel physically better for not (binger) over eating, its hard and its slow for me, I weigh Wednesday, (m also going through a phase (3 months) easily bored I'm aware of this lost interest in housework, reading, knitting, getting 'out there', its a daily battle at the moment, jIm going to do my exercises now, have not done for several days, I need to bite the bullet, because I'm capable of doing it, which I am grateful for but you wouldn't know it, I'm trying to find my sense of humour again, good luck to you.
I suffer from PCOS, starting with excruciatingly painful periods and unexplained weight gain as a teenager.
It wasn't until I was trying to conceive that it was picked up. Thankfully fertility drugs solved that problem, but not the weight one, so I do feel your pain quite literally. However that's not to say you can't lose weight, although I struggle, I have lost a significant amount.
You've had some great advice already. This forum is amazing and you will receive some of the most honest and heartfelt support here. Remember we are always here for you, just take it easy and baby steps. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Good luck ☘
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