PCOS Weight Loss Stories! Success stories, and before, during and after pics! - Page 6

Sunnysnaps · 02-01-2004, 03:39 AM

Hi everyone

I just want to say to everyone a big huge whopping congratulations on the fantastic results you're getting! I stopped coming to this site because it made me depressed reading about pcos problems, everything just seemed so static. But now, reading over all your amazing progresses, I've realised that though pcos will probably always be in society, it won't always be in the life of any one cyster. That's a big uplift to my soul to know - that at every moment, cysters are working themselves into health and being cured, the dynamic instead of the static!

Another thing, although I've always written down what I eat for years, I don't know how to tell WHAT it was that made me put on weight. Sweets and fats I'm sure. But when I stopped those things and exercised, the weight would stubbornly stay on. Kristy, I read about your stomach weight loss. Are you sure it was the type and duration of exercise that did it (I'd love to buy some rollerblades and start going) or was it just because you'd been being healthy for so long that your body naturally progressed to an abdominal weight loss on its own? I found at one point, that after a few weeks of diet and exercise I had suddenly bigger hips and a pear shape, where before I had been more straight, like a man. Is it timing maybe? Any thoughts on this from the other girls?

Well, I've been feeling very discouraged. I came here today because I've gotten to the point where I really feel totally INVISIBLE. I walk down the street and nobody looks at me except for my kindly old neighbour who always says hi. Guys used to look at me even when I was chubby and 70kgs. What the h***? Is it because I cut my hair short? Or is there a certain weight where you suddenly just become unattractive? The low point came last week when I was at a pub with friends and I met this guy and my friend told him I was 22 but he thought my friend had said 42 and he believed him! I'm actually 25, but I was devastated! Some people think I have kids and am in my 30s. This is very shocking, as just a couple of years ago, people would think I was still 16! My friend who is 26 and has fat under her chin like me and short hair also gets people thinking she's in her 30s. Is it the short hair and fat?

Oh, it's just so depressing. I went to yet another doc and she just told me not to even worry about the pcos stuff I've been reading; that since my last doc didn't do a GTT then that means I'm not IR (baloney); that I should write down what I eat and chart my periods; and that not necessarily all of what I read applies to me. Am I just paranoid? Should I listen to her and follow through or just go to an endo/gyno? She also said I have too much stomach and nipple hair. I was told she's a good doc and helped a pcos friend of mine but I don't know. I feel she's not communicating much with me but then I did only have my first app. with her. Should I be patient? I asked if she could put me on met and she just asked stuff like, "How do you think that would help you?" and "What are your concerns at this point? Just weight loss?" I can see her reasoning, and I gave her all my researched answers, but that's when she started telling me I've been reading too much. I don't know. Is it really such a big problem? Many cysters have changed their diet and are fine. Maybe I'm not giving it enough time. I've never given up junk food for more than a month. I don't think I can. When I try, I always fail. I have a treat and it turns into weeks of bad eating. Please help, I feel so useless, a failure, my dreams are disappearing before my eyes. My mother's clothes are too small for me and I'm SO jealous of skinny girls! Everyone feels sorry for me. Help!

Not feeling too sunny right now. Sorry for droning.

God bless you all and congrats again,

S.

daughty · 02-01-2004, 06:40 AM

{{{hugs}}} to you! I am really sorry to hear you're feeling so low about your weight. I exactly know what you mean, I was attractive to men even when I was 74 kilos but now I am 82 (down from 85 in summer) and no one wastes a look at me. Having said that I am in a relationship and I do not want the attention of other men but I still feel bad about myself, especially since I gained 10 kilos in 10 weeks (!).

I think your doctor told you a bit of cr*p! The fact that you did not have a GTT does NOT mean you are not IR - how could you know about being IR when you did not have the blood work to check it?! It simply means you did not have a GTT, nothing else. And telling you you did too much reading probably means she hasn't done her homework properly. Sorry these are my two cents but I really think you should go and see an endo or a gyno.

It is possible that exercising gave you a "pear-shape". The "pear-shape", although not fashionable, indicates the ability to give birth and a healthy hormonal state. (Note to all not pear-shaped cysters: I am not intending to say you're not able to give birth, I wish you all to be able!) I have read of several studies where it is easiest for women to conceive who have a waist-to-hip-ratio of 0,7.
Regular exercise increases insulin sensitivity and can result in healthier hormonal levels, therefore reducing your waist-to-hip-ratio. I think that ChristyZ can give you more information on this. Sadly, I have only noticed the vice-versa effect, when I gained so much weight a year ago I developed facial hair, acne etc and almost all the weight was on my belly. I have always been pear-shaped but now I have a lot of upper body fat.

OK that much information for now. If you want to change your eating habits try one step at a time. Just look up some information in this forum and ask questions, we're here to help!

lincolnshire--girl · 02-01-2004, 02:11 PM

hi

I have lost 36 lbs since 12 aug 2003.

going to slimming world every wed night and walking my 2 dogs 3 miles a day 7 days a week.

still got a way to go

good luck to you all with your weight loss

Ann

christyz · 02-01-2004, 04:35 PM

Sunny:

Quote:

Kristy, I read about your stomach weight loss. Are you sure it was the type and duration of exercise that did it (I'd love to buy some rollerblades and start going) or was it just because you'd been being healthy for so long that your body naturally progressed to an abdominal weight loss on its own? I found at one point, that after a few weeks of diet and exercise I had suddenly bigger hips and a pear shape, where before I had been more straight, like a man. Is it timing maybe? Any thoughts on this from the other girls?

It's tough to say. My own thought is that I lost a large amount of visceral fat and all the reading I have done has pointed toward large muscle group activity for sustained period of time being the number one way to lower that. Since I happened to switch to doing that around that time, I assumed that is what happened. I rollerbladed a really hefty amount from May- Oct last year (approx 300 - 350 km), so if rollerblading isn't your thing, find something you can really spend some time at...biking, running, walking. Something that uses those big leg muscles.

Don't be discouraged, Sunny! PCOS is so managable and if you find some sort of exercise that you love, the time you spend will be a great investment. All the best !

Sunnysnaps · 02-03-2004, 02:52 AM

Thanks for your replies and encouragement

It is confusing. I wish I had some definite answers. I wish I could be God for a day and KNOW what exactly is going on in my body and exactly HOW to fix it. Well, maybe I do know. This visceral fat is also something my grandmother had right up until her dementia set in and she stopped eating properly. I think she ate more wisely when she didn't have her senses about her than when she did! (Sorry if that sounds harsh).

Daughty you're right. Actually I think it is the visceral fat that has made me suddenly unattractive to the male sex, and I knew it was happening from a few years ago, I could sense it.

Because I don't know how to manipulate my sig at this point I'll tell some of my symptoms now. Apart from the visceral and lower ab fat, I have fat on my upper back and under my shoulderblades and around my waist. I still have a pear shape but not as narrow in the middle now. I get acne only when I eat certain things especially chocolate and that gives it to you anyway (and I eat ***tloads of it; I'm addicted to it). My addiction to chocs and stuff has been dictating my pcos situation. I can never seem to stick to a healthy way of eating for long. I have hairs on my breasts and neck and chest and hair on head has thinned on top. Toenails are brittle like glass, feet get cold, back sore from weight gain, periods everywhere, brain fogs, memory loss, poor concentration, eyes have dark spots here and there like I'm seeing an ant out of the corner of my eye but then it goes away, my voice has deepened (used to sing soprano so I know what my range used to be and it's gone down about half an octave; now it hurts to sing notes I used to punch out effortlessly just 3-4 years ago), I like the smell of petrol and industrial chemicals where I used to hate them a few years ago, I had my first major attraction to a member of the same sex a couple of years ago and know it was completely hormonal because was not attracted to males, felt aggressive, tough, angry, strong, muscles got very big on legs like a man's, hair on legs like a man's, libido way down and haven't fallen in love for at least 4 years or wanted to... hmmm, I could go on for days.

Suffice it to say that I have been very sc****d up. I hv

Sunnysnaps · 02-03-2004, 03:08 AM

Sorry I cut that short (or long!) my comp nearly stalled so I had to just send through what I'd done bc was NOT going to write it all again!!!

I was dx in about 2001.
Ovaries have cysts, free t up, SHBG down, progesterone off, LH down, insulin and sugar normal at fasting level, thalassaemia minor (anaemic), weight in 1997 was 63.65kg (130lbs), 1999 -70kg (143lbs), 2001 - 78kg (160lbs), 2002 - 72kg (147lbs bc of exercise and no chocs), presently 87kg (175lbs).
Longest stint doing IR and cardio: 2-3 weeks.
Longest stint doing nothing and eating badly: 4-5 months.

You can probably see why I'm in the situation I'm in. My problem is emotional. I eat when I feel trapped, and I feel trapped right now. Until I move out I can see no relief from my pcos problems. And I don't know when that will be. I'm out of hope and motivation, sometimes I can't even be bothered trying to imagine what I'd LIKE my future to be. Until I get my personal problems sorted out, my health doesn't stand a chance. I've tried about nearly a dozen times and my weight has been yo-yoing all this time: down 5 pounds, up 5 pounds, down 4 pounds, up 5 pounds, down 2 pounds, up 7 pounds, down 1 pound, up 10 pounds. It's so stupid wasting energy on it anymore. At least until I am a free person and have my own life. Sorry for prattling on. I really just need to tell it all to someone. This place is the only one where ppl understand me. Any suggestions esp from ppl who have had restrictive parents, I would love to hear them. My parents are too stuck in the past and in tradition. Well, thanks for listening.

Sunny XX

Reginia · 02-11-2004, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Maddy
cryingpa

18lbs in two months is a huge amount of weight to lose. Congratulations! There is certainly nothing slow about your weight loss!

You have done well with your weight loss. Please share some of the things that keeps you motivated.

Thereshope · 04-07-2004, 11:47 PM

I just wanted to add my success story to the list. I have lost 108 pounds since last March on a doctor supervised (mostly) liquid diet. It's called the HMR program and it's run out of a local hospital. I go every week to healthy weight management classes, see the doctor and have my blood drawn every 3 weeks (it started every other week but since my labs are excellent now they switched me).

My blood work numbers are normal for the first time in years. (I can't remember a time when my bloodwork was normal - even the first time I remember getting it tested as an adult my trigycerides were elevated - I was told at the time this was also something found in many pcos patients...) Well, cholesterol and triglycerides - normal. (Last testosterone check - it's still elevated but that was about 35 pounds ago too)

My weight is almost in the "healthy" category on the bmi chart - I have 15 pounds to lose until I get there - my goal is 150 as it's the highest I can be and still be considered healthy on the BMI. Since I started out in the MORBID category - I think this is a realistic expectation for me. I may decide I want to lose 10 more someday but I won't be in any hurry to get that done.

I just wanted to say I never thought it was possible to lose this much weight and I was really happy to find out I was WRONG! It is possible, just taking it one pound at a time. (Really one day at a time because I really look at my behavior now as to how successful I am as opposed to the scale which can be disapointing sometimes when I have been soooo good.)

I make an effort to exercise an hour every day. It's normally just a very long - very intense walk.

Cheers to all you successful folks out there. You are inspiring.

richelle · 04-10-2004, 10:22 AM

congrats gurl...and all other peeps..continue. hopefully i'll be able to post my story up in here one o these days....

nobimbo · 04-10-2004, 12:47 PM

Thereshope, sorry I just saw your post today. I want to congratulate you on such a great accomplishment!!! Thanks for sharing your success story!

Linda

tikvah · 04-14-2004, 12:38 AM

Wow, I feel very encouraged reading through these posts. A big, hearty Mazel Tov to all of you who have worked so hard and lost weight!
I found out 2 months ago that I have PCOS. I found out 2 years ago that I had Type II Diabetes. I have had all these symptoms for years and am soooo glad to find out the cause and how to overcome.
My weight loss story is still in the making, but I am higely encouraged by you all.
I have always been on the larger side, just tall, strong, athletic, and somewhat overweight. In high school (after puberty, when PCOS symptoms started showing up) I gained more weight, up to about 210 (I am 5'10"). Then when I started college, I went quickly up to 235, and then up to 260. Then one fall, I had noticeable diabetes symptoms, and lost 30 pounds in 3 months without particularly trying to. When I found out that next January that I was diabetic, and got on medicine, I gained 10 pounds in one week, I guess because my body had been starving itself. After that, the weight came back very very quickly, and I couldnt seem to control it or my blood sugar. That August, I switched to a new school, where I had a required 8 week fitness class, with required 4x/week workouts. When I started the class, I was at 258. In 8 weeks, I got down to 235, just by majorly watching what I ate and working out regularly. When the 8 week class ended, however, so did this weight loss, and in the 4 semesters since then, I got back to 250.
Since finding out about PCOS, I have tried to eat more health-consciously. A few weeks ago, I read the Insulin-Resistance diet book, and have been trying to follow that. I have been using FitDay.com to record my food daily, and though it is not totally precise (since it doesnt really know the nutritional value of the food our cafeteria serves) it is helping, if only to give me some accountability for what I put in my mouth. I have also put the gym on my schedule, though haven't been consistent in that.
Right now I am at 240 pounds. My long term goal is 175 pounds, though I wouldn't mind going lower. My goal for my graduation on May 15th is 230 pounds. After reading all these posts, I am confident that with the Lord's help and hard work on my part, I can reach this short term goal, as well as my ultimate goal. I'm just hoping the major weight loss will reverse my diabetes and PCOS symptoms, cuz I really don't want to be on BCP's much longer. Ok, I guess that's my story. Thank you all for your help and encouragement.
-Hope

Sunnysnaps · 04-21-2004, 03:58 AM

Can I just say thank you to the ladies who are posting their successes here - it really is inspiring. To Hope, you say you've just found out you've got pcos. When I was in your position, I was totally overwhelmed. You've really achieved a lot in such a short time, well done sista!

I haven't written since February. Since then, I've lost over 12 pounds. It's amazing! I just wanted to come here and share it with people, cos I'm stoked! I don't know how exactly, but when I quit the refined sugar, the weight started flying off. Is there something in that? Has anyone else experienced success just by stopping refined sugar?

I know it's probably early days. I've heard the weight comes off very quickly at first. Then it peters out I think, doesn't it? Oh well. I'm hoping the miracle will continue. I'm liking it so much! I haven't been this light in over a year!

I hope everyone here had a fantastic Easter and Passover. Don't know what else to say, just God bless you all and keep writing about your successes because I love reading them!

Love to all,
Sunny.

ReganG13 · 04-26-2004, 05:52 AM

AMAZING LADIES!!! WELL DONE...ITS so hard to do!! Keep up the good work!!!

zeozot · 05-10-2004, 04:14 PM

This seems like a now quiet thread, but I have a question. I might post this to several threads in case no one sees this one...how many of you are on the IR diet? How long does it take to start seeing results? I've been on it for 2 weeks now and am gaining weight. I don't use scales, I go by how my clothes fit, and when I tried to put on my new jeans I could barely get them over my thighs and almost didn't get the zipper done. I look 6 months pregnant. I had such high hopes for the IR diet, and I'm not even eating sugar or stuff that the book said I could have if I linked it.

Yesterday I had a half cup of milk for breakfast, then about a 2oz piece of cheese for lunch and for dinner I had seafood fettucini, heavy on the seafood and veggies, very little maybe a half cup of the noodles for supper. Had a piece of rye bread with peanut butter and a glass of milk for a late snack. Some days I eat more than this, but not much-when I do eat I usually use a small plate. I've never been much of a big eater. I've avoided all white flour whenever possible and when I have fresh orange juice I take half a cup (about 2-3 times a week) I always dilute it half with water and link it like it's pure orange juice to be on the safe side. I did have a small sip of my boyfriends Coke several days ago, but didn't want to screw up the diet so made sure I had it linked even though it couldn't have been more than a tablespoon of Coke. I am very dejected, as this seems to be just another diet I am going to gain weight on. What the h*^% is wrong with me? I told my boyfriend the other night I am going to starve plain and simple, and that should take care of the thing once and for all. I am so mad and frustrated.

christyz · 05-12-2004, 03:12 PM

Sorry things are rough for you right now. Can I ask a few questions?

First of all, do you exercise? You didn't mention it in your post, and that, for me, was a really huge aspect. It's the number one thing that we can do to help our insulin, and it's a huge benefit.

Second, Have you ever been tested for Insulin Resistance? Sometimes diet/exercise will do it alone, but for some of us (like me) those aspects alone will not control symptoms. I needed insulin sensitizing medication before things started turning around for me. My good friend KYBluegrass on this forum was also exactly like you..eating like a bird and gaining weight, and meds were the only alternative for her as well. Some people just cannot control PCOS without it, and labtests will help determine if you are one of them.

It has only been a few weeks, so things could turn around, but it sounds like you are starving yourself and that is no way to live. I would inquire about IR with your Dr and look into various options to control your symptoms.

Have a heart to heart with your Dr...you're worth it.