New & lost on a scary looking journey :(

[PurpleGeo]

Hi all. I’ve recently been clinically diagnosed with PCOS and am trying to find out as much as I can to help myself. Unfortunately my BMI is too high for me to get any help from fertility clinics or anything but I find it impossible to lose weight.. I only have to look at something and the pounds go on! Does anyone have any help or advice on diet changes I can introduce that might help? I’m desperate to help myself but don’t know where to start feels like a long and lonely journey ahead for me and it’s made me incredibly emotional, finding it hard to deal with everything at the moment. Thanks all

[LisaEB]

Exercise, if you struggle with a healthy diet, you need to move. Dance around the house, every day, walk up and down the stairs. Go on 10,000 steps a day. I believe bread and pasta should be avoided if you can. Even though potato is a carborohydrate, I still think it is better than bread or pasta for you. Don't have anything with sugar, avoid crisps. Fruit is OK, but have one or two a day. Plenty of vegetables. Drink plenty of water. No fizzy drink or alcohol. Avoid snacking. Sounds boring but if you seriously want to loose weight and give yourself the best chances for a baby, you need to look after your health.

I watch on Snapchat people losing 100-200lbs in a year and 95% have done it through exercise.

A combination of both is best. One you feel ready, maybe you could try couch to 5k..with running you really should see the pounds coming off. Look on the NHS website. Good luck!

[PurpleGeo in reply to LisaEB]

Hi Lisa, thanks so much for your reply! I’m trying to be more active in going for walks to get me moving. It’s not much but a lot more than I’m doing now. I work in an office so it’s hard to get up my step count in a day. I’m out of the door by 7.30 and not back until at least 6.30. I don’t eat much bread so that’s not a big deal but I like pasta. I’m hoping maybe wholewheat would provide a better option so I could still have a little now and then? I’m not great on fruit but I love veggies so will carry on with lots of veg. I find it difficult as I don’t have w bad diet and already eat fairly clean so I’m struggling to find what else causes me to struggle to get the weight off. I’m hoping moving more will help!

[LisaEB in reply to PurpleGeo]

I used to drive to offices everywhere and have early starts and late finishes, so totally know the struggle, and trying to pick up something healthy along the way was never easy! I believe brown pasta is better than white. You can have pasta, but really careful on portion size, I believe it shouldn't be more than a fist. I love pasta but haven't had it for over a year now. I do eat rice though. I would say try at least get 30 mins to an hour after work every day..I know you will be tired but its a good time of year to get out and about. If you really struggle in the week with work commitments, get out for a couple of hours walking at the weekend at least and try built it up to a jog or run.

Give your health and your future baby the best chances be being as healthy as you can be. Be positive!

🙂

[PurpleGeo in reply to LisaEB]

It’s such a struggle when it’s like that isn’t it! I’m happy with a small portion of pasta, that’s enough to make me feel like I’ve had something. I don’t have it too often but do enjoy it so wouldn’t like to cut it out completely if I am still able to have some. For your rice, do you have white rice or brown?

I’m hoping to do about half an hour an evening to start as my fitness levels just aren’t up there at all, but I figure it’s a start. Even if I end up walking round then garden lol.

Thanks so much for the motivation and positivity too!

[LisaEB in reply to PurpleGeo]

I tried to eat brown, but I can say it is always brown rice. I was slim for years and I think what kept me slim was walking over an hour to work and back everyday, I would even walk 30mins at lunch time. When I changed jobs and drove everywhere the pounds started piling on and I don't believe I was eating that much, to justify the weight gain...but I guess that's how alot of people feel. If I'm honest I also live 2 mins drive from mcdonalds and would go there one or two times a week..which I try not to do much now. I also was eating late, which I guess you are with your work hours. Try not to eat too late..which again I know it is hard with work. I've changed jobs now and it's much easier to get time in to do these things, but I know it feels like a luxury when the working day starts over. Keep at it, it might not show in the first week, but I promise in a month you will start seeing some progress x

[PurpleGeo in reply to LisaEB]

I try and have brown rice but just don’t enjoy it so find myself creeping back to white, just trying to keep portion sizes low. Yes I always feel like I don’t eat enough to justify it but then I guess it’s also easy to overeat when you don’t move too. I try and have a meal on the table as soon as I get it if I can, or bulk prep bits at the weekend so I can just defrost something ready for when I get home which then only takes a few minutes to reheat. Hopefully getting moving will make a positive difference x

[Emelisa in reply to PurpleGeo]

I also really like rice and pasta, the things tried are wholewheat pasta, but also pea pasta (only works with certain sauces), and for rice we've gradually reduced portion size (from 100g each to 75g to 50g but over a while, so we didn't notice the jump and didn't feel hungry), and also sometimes we use cauliflower rice instead, or other times a mix of cauliflower rice and normal rice so we still get the satisfaction of normal rice but half the calories as it's half cauliflower

[PurpleGeo in reply to Emelisa]

Pea pasta? That’s a new one! Never heard of that. Where can you buy it? I’d like to try that. And great idea on the cauliflower rice! I do use that sometimes but it doesn’t work for everything. Thanks for the tips!

[Emelisa in reply to PurpleGeo]

We just got it in sainsburys. They sell it in the bigger shops like tesco asda etc or in healthful shops. Like cauliflower rice doesn't work with all dishes- and mixing half half cauliflower and normal rice works in more dishes than just cauliflower rice

[Emelisa]

Hey purplegeo it is harder to lose weight when you have pcos and I struggled to lose weight for years but recently something clicked. What works for others might not work for you so if it doesn't work for you do try something else. Generally speaking combination of exercise and healthier eating is best way to lose weight- slowly but steadily. Finding exercise you enjoy is key - I did a dance fitness program and am still doing it 7 months in. It's fun and I'm moving. It's not about sweating loads, as long as you are moving you are expending calories, and if you enjoy it you're more likely to keep doing it. Keeping track of what you eat even the small snacks helps you realise how many calories we are consuming without noticing. The big gamechanger for me too was making healthier treats. For example I've made some peppermint date truffles, super tasty but lot healthier than regular truffles. Having something better for you to snack on but tasty really helps as if you deprive yourself of things you'll just go back to them. I've replaced my unhealthy habits with better habits but it does take time. I want to make the new habits permanent. Good luck!

[PurpleGeo in reply to Emelisa]

Hi Emelisa, thanks for replying! I’ve struggled for a long time too.. calorie counting and SW just haven’t worked for me so feeling at a loss! I don’t have a particularly unhealthy diet as it is which I find makes it harder. What dance fitness program did you do? That sounds quite fun! I’m really unfit and I’m sure moving will help. As I said above, I work in an office so moving isn’t a strong point but I’m keen to find some things I enjoy to help me move more! Those truffles sound lovely too! Good luck on your journey as well ☺️

[Emelisa in reply to PurpleGeo]

They also don't work for me, I did lose weight with SW, but it didn't stay off, and calorie counting I just find tedious and lose interest in doing it quickly as we stay off processed food so harder to account for calories in everything eat. But it does work for many people. As long as you are aware of what you are eating is the main thing, as sometimes we eat things without really being aware of it, or how many calories it is. For example my friend realised she always ate some nuts as she was waiting for the kettle to boil. The truffles were a recipe from the dance programme, the person who does it's wife loves making healthier treats and shares her recipes in easy to follow videos, which has massively helped me as I'm not a cook or baker! I've sent you the link in a pm. Definitely finding something you enjoy helps. I now cycle, run and paddleboard as well. Cycling I found Breeze Women - it's a UK initiative, where local groups take out women on organised rides, and go at the pace of the slowest rider. Running I joined a local group too. It helps having a commitment, whether it's paying money for a programme, or an organised activity. I'm losing weight slowly but surely. Although the last couple of weeks have been tougher as things have opened up!

[PurpleGeo in reply to Emelisa]

SW for me just didn’t work. Or if it came off, I couldn’t keep it off. And it was quite demoralising listening to people losing 3-4lb a week when mine would be 1lb if I was lucky and then back on the following week. Thanks for sending me the link! Will check my messages. The cycling initiative you’ve mentioned sounds good, will check that out too. I know there’s a local running group to keep but I think they’re quite seasoned lol. I know I have a LONG way to go before I’m ready for any of that. Just a daily walk is hard and tiring at the moment. I’m pleased you’re losing the weight though, well done!

[Emelisa]

Yes it is demoralising when works for some and not others. It sounds like I do a low now but when I started seriously looking at my fitness last October I was doing barely a run a week maybe a couple a month and nothing else. Building it up slowly helps. For running I found a woman who did a couch to 5k programme (you can do it for free of course but I needed the extra motivation) - I met another woman on that course who got on well with and who was same pace as me so we carried on meeting up. I have that still and another run group for intervals. I've accepted I'm the slowest runner there by a lot 😂 but doing half what they do is better than nothing 🙂 it's about finding the right thing and right group. Another group I did I didn't enjoy as the others weren't supportive. Good luck x

[PurpleGeo in reply to Emelisa]

Honestly with my fitness levels, I’d fail C25K by a long shot. I tried week 1, run 1 a while ago and thought I was going to pass out halfway through. Put me off it a bit! Need to just be realistic about how unfit I’ve got and start slowly. Marathon not a sprint for now I think. Hopefully I can find something suitable and that I enjoy! x

[Emelisa in reply to PurpleGeo]

Just remember, you can try any activity, just go slow until you build up your fitness. A run doesn't have to be a run, it can be a slow jog, in fact, that's what I do I am sooo much slower than anybody else I know, but equally, I'm out and not on the sofa, so it doesn't matter

[Emma15]

Hi! I’ve also got PCOS and from what I’ve researched, low glycemic index foods are the way to go. Basically treating yourself as if you have Diabetes is the way to deal with it as you need to avoid sugar spikes! So that’s why it’s best to choose carbs like sweet potato rather than regular and always go whole grain where you can. Hope you can find a way to deal with it!

[PurpleGeo in reply to Emma15]

Hi Emma! Thank you, I had thought trying to eat as if diabetic might be the best way as such to handle it. Looks like I just need to spend some time planning my foods and meals a bit more and some exercise. Hopefully that will make a difference x