PCOS Message Board - View Single Post - PCOS Weight Loss Stories! Success stories, and before, during and after pics!

taah · 09-14-2003, 05:13 AM

This is my PCOS and Weightloss story together. I wrote it after I was dx and then have updated it.

PCOS STORY>>>> SEC EDITION
My struggle began years ago. I am 26yrs old, I was recently dx with PCOS. I have had symptoms since I was 13 and been trying to convince doctors for years but no one wanted to listen to me. I started gaining weight as a teenager and no matter what I did I could not seem to lose the weight. I was very active and did not eat that much but I kept gaining weight. I also started getting hair on my chin then on my neck and sideburns and finally had to begin shaving, then it was showing on my stomach. I started getting skin tags all over my body and dark patches on my thighs, I was not having periods, and I was not feeling very much like a woman. I knew something was wrong but didn't know what. Every time I went to a doctor I was always told to lose weight. I tried and I told them to please tell me how, I tried everything they said and nothing worked, but they basically called me a liar, said I was eating to much. There was one point in time when I actually stopped eating because of this and became very sick and weak but it was the only way I could lose any weight. All of this caused me to fall into a deep depression and stay there most of my life, I married when I was sixteen and ended up in divorce 8yrs later was never happy in that marriage, just thought I could not get anyone else. I was on a path to destruction, my syptoms kept getting worse and nothing was helping. Every so often I would get the courage up to try a new doc but then the same thing would happen, they would just tell me I was to fat and to lose weight and I would cry, the last one yelled at me to stop crying, and then abusively gave me a pap smear and hurt me so bad I left and never went back. I went on a down spiral and I was seeing a thearpist at that time. I wanted to commit suicide. I felt it was all hopeless and I was tired of dealing with it all and tired of the pain. I finally met a man that changed my life and has been a life saver for me. He showed me I am worth saving and that I am a beautiful person, although, I must admit, this was a very tough task he undertook. I did not want to accept what he was telling me for a long time, but he was patient with me and loved me enough to keep trying. I am so thankful he did. He is very supportive for me and told me if we had to travel the world we would find a doctor to listen to me. We were married sept 14, 01. He saved my life. I finally did find a doctor that listened and dx me with PCOS and we are now working to get this under control. I have suffered through two miscarriages and years of infertility. I am currently not ovualting and wonder if I will ever concieve a child, I however , have come to terms with this and know that no matter what happens I still have a wonderful life ahead of me. I struggle with all the problems and issues of PCOS everyday, but I know that I will overcome this. I have started the Insulin Resistance Diet, for the first time in my life I have lost weight and am keeping it off. I have lost over 30lbs in 3mths and feel so much better. I am getting healthier and starting to enjoy life more. I had scheduled the gastric bypass in July, I felt that was my last option on losing weight. However, after being dx with PCOS and IR and understand more about my condition, I decided to try the Insulin Resistance Diet. I gave myself one last chance out of surgery. I told myself that if I had lost any weight between April and July that I would continue on the diet and not do the surgery. I was only talking maybe 10lbs at the time, never did I expect to see such great results. I have more energy now more than ever, I am losing weight, I am not as angry or depressed. I plan to keep this up for the rest of my life and continue to reach my goal. I believe the greatest thing that has helped me has been to let go of the guilt and to realize this is a medical condition. Now that I know what needs to be done to help myself, I am doing it. I have no reason to feel guilt or shame, and I refuse to let anyone make me feel that way, including myself. I am researching all my options to see what is best for me. Atleast I know I am not crazy anymore. I am sure alot of you can relate to my story, that is why I want to be able to share this so other women will know they are not alone. Lets keep the awareness alive. I want other women to learn to accept themselves as they are, love yourselfs and have confidence to do anything you wish. I finally realized this and now I am so much happier and feel like so much has been lifted from my shoulders. I have gained confidence in myself to finally attend the University of Alabama Birmingham. I will be Majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Chemistry and then on to a Masters in Forensics. I know I will be successful in anything I do. I have fought the battle with PCOS for years and its has not beaten me , I refuse to give up. I deserve more out of life than just mere existince.

TERRA

Update...Since writing this story, I have lost 166lbs in 2yrs. I lost about 150lbs in one year on the IR DIET. Then in Oct. 2002 I went off track for some reason. I knew it worked but for some reason I just stopped caring. From Oct.2002 till Aug 2003 I had only lost 10lbs because I was not careful anymore. I went back on the IR DIET on Aug 27, 2003 and I just weighed yesterday and I have lost 10.5lbs since restarting. So I have actually now lost 170.5lbs. The 166 was before my weigh in yesterday. I am not through yet. I was a very large woman and it will take some time before things are right again. I have started excersising more and going to the gym. I know this is the way I have to eat for the rest of my life if I want to have a life. If I can do this anyone can.

Sorry this is so long, I am sure I told you more than you ever wanted to know.