pcos and weight gain. avoidable?

Becoming Sarah · 10-18-2005, 12:44 PM

i'm sure this question has been raised a million times - but what is it about PCOS that causes weight gain? is it the insulin resistance? the unbalanced hormone levels? what if pcos is caught early when a person is not overweight, and they go on BCPs, androgen-blockers, and/or metformin? can the weight gain be avoided?

Jenika21 · 10-18-2005, 12:53 PM

I am not sure why PCOS causes alot of women to gain weight. Its not true for everyone though. Apparently 40%-50% of Cysters are thin (I am), but I'm not sure if it avoidable in the fluffier cysters or not.

Chula · 10-18-2005, 12:54 PM

It's caused by the irregular insulin levels in your body is what I heard...

Becoming Sarah · 10-18-2005, 01:00 PM

that's what makes the most sense to me. because that is something that would directly effect fat storage and metabolism. i suspsect that i am IR (even though i don't test as abnormal). i notice a strong connection with what i eat and the symptoms worsening. i am a recovering anorexic though, so going on any sort of restrictive diet for PCOS (i.e. low-carb, IR diet) is not an option for me right now because i find it triggering. i am enjoying eating whatever i want (for once!!). i wish my doctor would prescribe me metformin though so i could see if it would help me process carbohydrates and sugar more efficiently. but my doctor insists i must test as IR to take it.

PollySis · 10-18-2005, 08:53 PM

I don't know the medical ins and outs, but I was also a very slim cyster until I had kids, then something or other went haywire! After my third child was born, I dieted my way back to 2 sizes above my pre-baby size, and now after my 5th baby (so much for subfertility!) I'm struggling my way slowly back down again, but it would be totally impossibly to return to my *original* size, I'm sure.

As for insulin, I have no clue as when I was skinny I ate ridiculous amounts of sugary foods with no ill effects whatsoever. That said, I walked and cycled absolutely everywhere during those years. So I suspect if you keep your exercise levels as high as you can bear - maybe you'll keep the weight gain (and its chemical cause?) at bay?

However careful you are to avoid weight gain, it seems some life events can trigger it. I didn't eat healthily at all when I was skinny and still stayed thin and definitely had PCOS then as my symptoms (not diagnosed til 1990) were certainly in place by 1978. So you can feasibly break all the rules and stay slim as I did, but knowing what I now know about PCOS, I think the best thing the slimmer cysters can do to stay slim is to take their diet and exercise in hand anyway!