Anyone else have PCOS or insulin resistance? Any weight gain issues??? I need advice!

starryeyedtiger

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Geesh you guys i'm like a cow! I swear i've gained soo much weight lately
I have PCOS (polycyctic ovarian syndrom) which can cause insulin resistancee/etc (i'm still learning a lot about it, i really don't understand everything!). Anyways, so yea i went from having a cute little tiny waist to being a beached whale in less than a few months- without any changes to my diet really. I've been watching my sugar intake, using a lot of whole wheat products, i don't eat a ton of fast food (i make most of what we eat here and use lactaid milk/etc, try to stay away from most dairy). But still, i'm having issues
It's insane! I went to a dietician a few months ago to figure out a good food guide for my GI issues, and she did more harm than good
I'm starting to wonder what on earth i should be doing??? No matter how healthy i eat or how much i work out, i can't get my weight to a normal range for me- my PCOS symptoms have really gone crazy lately too. It's really frusterating- i want to be as healthy as possible for me, especially since we are planning to start a family soon after we're married (once again pcos causes infertility problems- so my chances of concieving are better if i'm at my ideal weight). So yea, any ideas??? Anyone else have PCOS or know anyone and anything that's helped them?? I'm definitely wanting to get my tinsy little waist back! Especially with my wedding comming up soon
I have been making just about everything i eat the past few months- sweet things included- i watch how much sugar i add and use lactaid milk/etc and make even my desserts as healthy as possible. Same for our dinners- everything i cook i stick to light/healthy recipes.

Any ideas or recommendations??? I'm trying to keep an eye on my carbs/sugar intake and eat 5 small/healthy meals a day and work out...but no matter what i'm doing- nothing has really helped. Since i started working out again (i wasn't able to for a while from health issues) i've lost 10lbs....but still i want to get back to my ideal weight/health ya know! This is frusterating!
I'm not expecting a quick fix or overnight miracle- but there has to be something that can help with all of this -it's rediculious!
 

MoochNNoodles

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I wish I had good advice for you. I'm deffinately no expert on weight loss. I do remember someone else on here talking about having POCS though. It's been a few months since I remember reading that thread. I hope you can figure something out. I know weight gain is frustrating.
 

lunasmom

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I don't know anyone with this syndrom, however a friend of mine went on a Macro/Vegan diet. She's lost a ton of weight from being on it.

Have you tried googling for some recipes and trying them out? Do you drink water regularly?
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

I wish I had good advice for you. I'm deffinately no expert on weight loss. I do remember someone else on here talking about having POCS though. It's been a few months since I remember reading that thread. I hope you can figure something out. I know weight gain is frustrating.
Thanks for trying though hon i appreciate it
The weight gain is definitely frusterating for me- i've always been tiny- i was a 00 before all this
That and i'm short/petite, so having extra weight on me is not a good thing, especially not if we're wanting to have kids soon- there's a big chance i'll need fertility drugs/etc- and those can cause weight gain as well, so i really want to try and get it all under control now


Originally Posted by lunasmom

I don't know anyone with this syndrom, however a friend of mine went on a Macro/Vegan diet. She's lost a ton of weight from being on it.

Have you tried googling for some recipes and trying them out? Do you drink water regularly?
I can't do a vegetarian/vegan diet as i have a few other GI issues going on- so i have to have a good balanced daily intake otherwise my system goes nuts! I do cut out a lot of dairy and sugars though. I can't use a lot of sugar alternatives like Splenda or Stavia as they make me insanely sick for some reason
So i do just use regular sugar for things- but VERY VERY sparingly. I have tried out a lot of diabetic recipes lately that are yummy, but they're really not helping much
I don't drink soft drinks at all (haven't had them since i was in the 6th grade
) I only drink water, tea on occassion, and sugar free juice. I drink TONS of water though-i'm always thirsty.


I did recently start looking around at some of the PCOS websites online and have found some useful info, but nothing really helpfull about the random weight gain issue. I was hoping to find a support group in my area but so far haven't found one!
 

theimp98

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insulin resistance can progress to full type 2 diabetes. with the issue your having nikki, it may take longer to lose the weight, slowly is much better to faster when it comes to losing,

I think you may want to check your surger levels in the morning, right after you wake up, just to make sure your not moving into the type 2 thing. always thristy is not a good sign, my friend.
really check your levels in morning.

HUG
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by theimp98

insulin resistance can progress to full type 2 diabetes. with the issue your having nikki, it may take longer to lose the weight, slowly is much better to faster when it comes to losing,

I think you may want to check your surger levels in the morning, right after you wake up, just to make sure your not moving into the type 2 thing.

HUG
I know this will sound dumb, but i'm really trying to learn- how do i check my sugar levels? Do i need one of the OTC blood sugar testing kits?


Oh yea- i have Gastroparesis too- so yea my chances of getting type 2 are pretty high according to my GI doctor. It's kind of scarry! I'm trying to do EVERYTHING i can right now to prevent it, but nothing's really helping. I'm not sure if i should be seeing a diabetes specialist or an endo. doc for the PCOS?

Any idea what a normal blood sugar level is first thing in the morning? Or does it vary from person to person?
 

theimp98

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i sent you a pm, fasting surger levels should be 80-120 when you wake up or after fasting as the doc says.
 

pat

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I know what you are dealing with - I was mis-diagnosed with PCOS and so was on support lists for this for a couple of years, and do have insulin resistence.

My suggestions are that you check out this site: (I may have suggested this one before) and this is their nutrition page specifically:
http://www.pcosupport.org/living/nutrition/index.php

and I will email you (tomorrow) a recent review of a book that I intend to get, by someone I respect re why the food pyramids pushed over the years are a big fat lie.

I have always done best (and my pre-diabetes responds to this very well) with a balanced carb/lower carb diet - no artificial sweeteners, no complex carbs except at one meal a day. I'll give you some more links when I email you.

I can only tell you that I'll never forget reading on one list I was on, of a gal who worked out daily, rode her bike for a lotta miles each week, and still could not lose weight...it didn't have to do with number of calories in and calories expended, it had to to with how her body processed the kind of foods she was eating.

You can get a handle on this, it's just a question of finding the best way of eating for you.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by theimp98

i sent you a pm, fasting surger levels should be 80-120 when you wake up or after fasting as the doc says.
Thankyou Bruce!
I think i will be buying a testing kit soon.

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

I know what you are dealing with - I was mis-diagnosed with PCOS and so was on support lists for this for a couple of years, and do have insulin resistence.

My suggestions are that you check out this site: (I may have suggested this one before) and this is their nutrition page specifically:
http://www.pcosupport.org/living/nutrition/index.php

and I will email you (tomorrow) a recent review of a book that I intend to get, by someone I respect re why the food pyramids pushed over the years are a big fat lie.

I have always done best (and my pre-diabetes responds to this very well) with a balanced carb/lower carb diet - no artificial sweeteners, no complex carbs except at one meal a day. I'll give you some more links when I email you.

I can only tell you that I'll never forget reading on one list I was on, of a gal who worked out daily, rode her bike for a lotta miles each week, and still could not lose weight...it didn't have to do with number of calories in and calories expended, it had to to with how her body processed the kind of foods she was eating.

You can get a handle on this, it's just a question of finding the best way of eating for you.
Thankyou soo much hon, and thankyou for the pm
I really appreciate it! I go to that link almost daily (the pcos site) and have found some helpfull info, but i am still desperate to find more. I am going to look into getting the book you pm'd be about soon, hopefully i can learn more!

I am desperate to try and get this under control. This is really a miserable condition to be living in, espcially when i'm trying soo hard to NOT be having these issues! I am willing to do whatever is necessary food wise to live a healthy/ happy life!
It's worth it to me to do whatever i can to relieve some of the symptoms- they're horrible
 

carolpetunia

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You do have insurance, right? Please, get a referral to an endocrinologist who can do a full workup and determine exactly where you stand in the continuum. This is such a complex area, and the science is advancing so rapidly, that you really need a specialist to manage your situation.

Now would be a really good time to do that, too -- to get everything under control before you get too deep into wedding stress, because stress can cause all your systems to go haywire. You need a solid handle on everything now, so you can cope with the next several months.

Good luck, hon!
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

You do have insurance, right? Please, get a referral to an endocrinologist who can do a full workup and determine exactly where you stand in the continuum. This is such a complex area, and the science is advancing so rapidly, that you really need a specialist to manage your situation.

Now would be a really good time to do that, too -- to get everything under control before you get too deep into wedding stress, because stress can cause all your systems to go haywire. You need a solid handle on everything now, so you can cope with the next several months.

Good luck, hon!
Right now I only have short term insurance. My plan i'd had for years went out on my birthday. I have short term for a few months until Colin and I get married- they have riders on me right now and won't cover pre-existing conditions. When I go on Colin's insurance, I will have riders on pre-existing conditions or a year
It also does not cover fertility treatments/etc should we need it so i may look into getting supplemental. Yea so in addition to the PCOS, the wedding and everthing else- my insurance changing has been horrible lately, so i really can't get into a specialist without pay a ton of money for a while. At this point though, i may just consider paying out of pocket for what the insurance won't cover- this is no way to live.

I did just stumble across several support groups for PCOS on Facebook (i won't post a link as we're not supposed to.) I'm hoping to find out some more info, etc from some of the ladies on there too! Whatever helps, i'm game!
 

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I wish my memory was better.
But I halfway remember one of the shows one discovery health channel where a woman was diagnosed with PCOS, when it turned out it was something slightly different causing her problems.
I remember the show mostly cause you had mentioned having PCOS.

The doctor on the show was supposed to be one of the top experts in that area, the specialist people went to for tough cases. And as usual... I can't remember her name.
 

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Yes, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can result in weight gain; usually mostly around the mid section. Unfortunately because there is no cure for it there is no cure for the weight gain side effect either. At least not wholely.

Are you sure you haven't changed your diet? You say you don't eat a lot of junk food, but you have made a number of posts about baking desserts etc. That combined with even a little bit less activity than you usually do will pack on the pounds too.

Here is a link that gives you lots of information on PCOS, including the side effects.

http://www.4women.gov/faq/pcos.htm#e

It's actually a very common syndrome for women. Some statistics indicate about 10% of women have it and most don't even know they do. However the statistics are actually much higher than that.

You can also sign up with this site below if you want to speak to other women who have it too. I have it but I don't dwell on it. It's not life threatening and actually in some ways I consider it to be a blessing because I am not plagued by monthly periods.


http://www.pcosupport.org/


If you are experiencing large amounts of weight gain around the middle area of your body, it's entirely possible that you have a cortisol level. A blood test can determine that and there are pills that can be taken to manage that too.
 

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Have you looked into taking cinnamon? I mean using it as a medication, daily.

We have a mare who is insulin resistant, also has hormonal problems and has ad to be short cycled to rupture multiple follicle ovaries.

From studies done on humans, the equine researcher who is the IR/cushings guru had us start using cinnamon, as well as precisely balanced minerals. We have to test the hay and make sure the sugar content is below 10% then we have to balance all the minerals. Then she gets 1 teaspoon cinnamon per 250 pounds bodyweight.

This has resulted in her being able to actually eat more and she has lost 200 pounds. She was morbidly obese for a horse.

The similarities between humans and horses with IR are quite amazing. I just "googled" cinnamon and Insulin resistance and lots of informative sites come up.

This one is titled PCOS coach .com

http://pcoscoach.com/Herbs_for_pcos_cinnamon.html
 

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I'm pre-pre PCOS (hard to explain) and was on steroids for something else over a year - I feel your pain!

Any Sugar Busters kind of diet is the only thing that works for me AT ALL, but it is still slow. I live in a diabetes kind of mindset, and research diets from that standpoint.

Nutra system's plan for diabetics also worked for me, lost about 8lbs a mn, which is ASTOUNDING for me, but it was pricey and with other issues I didnt keep going. I'm considering going back when some other of my issues are more under control.

Sorry for you....
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Yes, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can result in weight gain; usually mostly around the mid section. Unfortunately because there is no cure for it there is no cure for the weight gain side effect either. At least not wholely.

Are you sure you haven't changed your diet? You say you don't eat a lot of junk food, but you have made a number of posts about baking desserts etc. That combined with even a little bit less activity than you usually do will pack on the pounds too.

Here is a link that gives you lots of information on PCOS, including the side effects.

http://www.4women.gov/faq/pcos.htm#e

It's actually a very common syndrome for women. Some statistics indicate about 10% of women have it and most don't even know they do. However the statistics are actually much higher than that.

You can also sign up with this site below if you want to speak to other women who have it too. I have it but I don't dwell on it. It's not life threatening and actually in some ways I consider it to be a blessing because I am not plagued by monthly periods.


http://www.pcosupport.org/


If you are experiencing large amounts of weight gain around the middle area of your body, it's entirely possible that you have a cortisol level. A blood test can determine that and there are pills that can be taken to manage that too.
Thankyou Linda! I appreciate your help
(and the links!- i already frequent the second site a bit, but i will defintiely check out the first one!)The weight gain is definitely at my mid section. I'm so petite that i just look pregnant becuase that's where i gain all my weight
As far as my posts about desserts (yes, i'm a baking/cooking junkie
) BUT, i make just about everything we eat myself so i can substitue ingredients for good ones and only use the things i can have in it that won't make me sick/etc....so they're definitely healthier. I use a lot of recipes from diabetic cookbooks too.


I do think that part of the problem is i've been buying everything in low/no sugar and working out thinking that should help, but not seeing any improvements really. Tonight Colin and I read through a few sights, both trying to read up and learn about it (there's soo much we don't understand, and it gets upsetting not knowing why such and such is happening). From what i understand now, it's not just the sugar intake i have to watch- it's the carbs....and that i will be the first to admit- i hadn't been watching as closely as the sugars. So now that i understand a bit more of what i should look for- i will start to keep that in mind!
I really feel like i should be getting a more professional opinion on setting up a healthy diet plan for myself to get this under control, as i have other GI issues (Gastroparesis, IBS, GERD, Lactose Intolerance) - so what i could eat for one issue, aggervtes the other- so i'm really not sure WHAT i should avoid/etc. After Colin and I talked about it though- i think i'm going to go to Weight Watchers at least for a little while to try and get this all sorted out and get on track


PCOS can definitely lead to life threatening issues if it's not kept in check- pcos related obeasity can cause a higher risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, high LDL, type 2 diabetes. PCOS may not kill itself, but the related issues definitely can if it's not kept in checked/managed repsonsibly.

Another thing that concerns me is that i want children. My doctors told me my chances may not be soo great at my last visit -they did another ultrasound, and my ovaries look pretty bad from what they said. She also told me my chances for a miscarriage my be increased as well. So for me- i definitely want to kick this thing in the butt and do what i need to do to stay in great shape/ lead a normal happy life with as few symptoms as possible. That's why i'm soo frusterated/ desperate to figure out what i need to be doing to get it under control.

Originally Posted by kittymonsters

Have you looked into taking cinnamon? I mean using it as a medication, daily.

We have a mare who is insulin resistant, also has hormonal problems and has ad to be short cycled to rupture multiple follicle ovaries.

From studies done on humans, the equine researcher who is the IR/cushings guru had us start using cinnamon, as well as precisely balanced minerals. We have to test the hay and make sure the sugar content is below 10% then we have to balance all the minerals. Then she gets 1 teaspoon cinnamon per 250 pounds bodyweight.

This has resulted in her being able to actually eat more and she has lost 200 pounds. She was morbidly obese for a horse.

The similarities between humans and horses with IR are quite amazing. I just "googled" cinnamon and Insulin resistance and lots of informative sites come up.

This one is titled PCOS coach .com

http://pcoscoach.com/Herbs_for_pcos_cinnamon.html
Thankyou for the info! I haven't really looked into using cinnamon just yet as i want to check with my doctor first before i add supplements/etc- but i am definitely going to ask about it!

Originally Posted by CDubbie

I'm pre-pre PCOS (hard to explain) and was on steroids for something else over a year - I feel your pain!

Any Sugar Busters kind of diet is the only thing that works for me AT ALL, but it is still slow. I live in a diabetes kind of mindset, and research diets from that standpoint.

Nutra system's plan for diabetics also worked for me, lost about 8lbs a mn, which is ASTOUNDING for me, but it was pricey and with other issues I didnt keep going. I'm considering going back when some other of my issues are more under control.

Sorry for you....
Thanks for the help!
Is sugar busters a book?
 

cdubbie

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Yes, Sugarbusters is a diet book (I cant remember if it is one or two words).
It is about cutting back on sugar - in all its forms.

With PCOS I have to avoid most carbs that aren't vegetables or fruit - any grainy ones really, no matter how whole grain. I cheat all the time to be honest, but I *should* be eating a more meditarrean diet w/o any kind of bread/rice/pasta products (if possible). Problem is, life is so boring with a cracker now and then :sigh
 
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