It's true: Power 90 helps belly shrink!

Dubby · 10-24-2003, 01:11 AM

Hi everyone,

A little bit of history first, and then I'll tell you about Power 90--I feel so inspired by my progress (it's been SOOOO hard for me as a PCOS-er to lose weight in the past). I feel like I sound like a commercial or something, but I really wanted to share my story.

This is my first post on SoulCysters, though I've been lurking for months. I've been so inspired by all of your stories. Anyway, I was diagnosed last spring and spent many miserable months adjusting to Metformin, slowly working from one pill a day up to three (my current dose). I'm sure you're familiar with the story: I spent more time with the toilet than with my family! I'm also on BCP (Alesse) and Spironolactone. I lost about 16 pounds with just a combination of metformin and less refined carbs (very little to no pasta, bread, white rice, etc.).

But I know that I can only be on metformin for so long and that it's not a weight loss drug, so I've been wanting to get my weight under control so I can naturally keep my blood numbers under control, too. So in the spring I ordered Power 90, a fitness program you can get off the TV or online (at Beachbody.com). I was suspicious but figured I had to do *something* and there was no way I was going to the local gym. I'm a professor and dread seeing my hard-body students at the gym.

I couldn't get my butt in gear to start P90 until last month, partially because I was just too lazy and partially b/c I was, I think, scared of making the commitment to exercise. Well, I only wish I'd started sooner! I feel so great--the exercises are very hard (three days of cardio per week, including abs, and three days of weights/resistance training per week). I sweat like I've never sweat before and feel sore. But I also feel great!

As for the RESULTS: I've been using P90 for 35 days now. I've only lost 7 pounds, but I know I've lost fat pounds and gained muscle pounds, so the transformation is more noticeable than you'd think. I've gone from a tight 22 to a loose-ish 20 in only five weeks, and I can actually see some muscles popping out.

But the best part: I AM ACTUALLY STARTING TO SEE A WAIST!!! I'm 29 years old and I don't think I've seen a waist since I was in college! You know how it is with PCOS: I have big shoulders and upper body, smallish hips, and OHHH the belly. But I swear to God, it's shrinking before my eyes. My fiance has been amazed and impressed, and one of my friends said today that she didn't recognize me from behind because the shape of my body has changed so much.

I still have tons of work to go (and believe me, these workouts are *hard*) but I wanted to share my story. I know we're all always searching for something to shrink our middles. If my waist keeps shrinking I don't think I'll recognize myself!!!

Good luck to all of you sisters. I love this PCOS board!

Dubby · 10-24-2003, 01:24 AM

one more thing--

Just wanted to say the beachbody.com people push supplements as part of Power 90, but I don't take them and I'm still getting results. No need to add *more* pills every day!!

StarMaiden · 10-24-2003, 02:29 PM

Way to go! Your excitement really shines through in your post.

Exercise is apparently a most marvelous thing! And I agree, dump the supplements, it's the hard work that's sculpting your new bod!

Arrrrrrrrgh, these tummies. Sometimes I think if I could just shave it off, I'd love the figure I'd have left...even overweight!

christyz · 10-24-2003, 03:03 PM

Congrats! For me, inline skating has done wonders for my PCOS belly (size 18 to an 8), and I feel curvy again. That inspires such great confidence, doesn't it?

I needed to clarify one comment though. You said: "...I know that I can only be on metformin for so long...". I have lowered my body weight by over 25% and My Dr plans to keep me on Met for life. Insulin Resistance is not miraculously cured in all of us when we lose weight. Some women see a definite improvement with weight reduction, but IR isn't neccessarily gone...there are plenty of thin cysters that have IR. In some IR can be managed through diet and exercise, but in some in cannot. It may be a short-term option for some women, but not for all. It's been taken safely long term by diabetics for decades. Provided you don't fit any of the risk factors for lactic acidosis, and are regularly monitored for liver/kidney and vit B problems, met is a fine option for long term insulin management.

All the best!

Dubby · 10-24-2003, 08:51 PM

Thanks for all of your encouragement, ladies!

My MD told me that since Met is so hard on the body, it would be best to be Met-free if possible. She said 2-3 years is tops for non-diabetics. (I've read lots of opinions on either side of this debate online ... ) Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll be able to control my #s "naturally" but suppose it's highly possible I may have to stay on Met. Hey, I'll do whatever's necessary!

Re: the rollerblading, that's great--I tried it and ended up flat on my butt so many times that I figured another exercise would be better for me (especially after my glasses went flying off once and I had to search through the Illinois prairie for 1/2 an hour to find them ... ha ha)

Dubby · 10-24-2003, 08:52 PM

P.S. I'm also not technically IR ... thankfully!

christyz · 10-26-2003, 01:19 PM

Quote:

My MD told me that since Met is so hard on the body

I totally respect your decision to manage your symptoms off met...kudos to you. But I think you need to try to be careful of blanket statements like this on Met, particularly if you haven't been on it. I'm not niave enough to think Met is right for everyone but Met has been completely harmless to my liver, kidneys etc in the last 27 months. I have extensive labwork drawn every 6 months and my immune system, enzymes etc have been perfect. It is far *less* hard on my body than having out of whack insulin levels long term.

All the best in your journey!

Maddy · 10-26-2003, 01:39 PM

Congratulations on the weight loss Dubby! It sounds like you've worked hard for it!

Do you think the difference you are noticing in your belly is down to doing more cardio, therefore losing weight, or do you think the specific stomach exercises are helping a lot?

I love working out at home and I'm always on the lookout to add to my collection

Dubby · 10-26-2003, 02:01 PM

Quote:

But I think you need to try to be careful of blanket statements like this on Met, particularly if you haven't been on it

Actually, I *am* on met 3X/day (as I stated in my first post) and have been for months. Because I do know that everyone's body is different, I tried *not* to make a blanket statement:

Quote:

My MD told me that since Met is so hard on the body, it would be best to be Met-free if possible. She said 2-3 years is tops for non-diabetics. (I've read lots of opinions on either side of this debate online ... ) Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll be able to control my #s "naturally" but suppose it's highly possible I may have to stay on Met. Hey, I'll do whatever's necessary!

I've been amazed at the improvement in my lab #s since I started met, and as I said, I'm willing to stay on met past 2-3 years if necessary. I simply expressed my hope that I won't have to. I personally don't enjoy getting my blood drawn (every three months for me) and having diarrhea every day (it's never stopped since I started met).

In the nine months I've been visiting this site, I've read hundreds of posts about how hard it can be to take met (and about how many people can't take it at all b/c it wrecks them so badly), so I didn't see the harm in mentioning its difficulties. However, I think it's important that we on this board try to monitor each other to ensure that misinformation isn't spread around, so I appreciate your message.

All best.

Maddy · 10-26-2003, 02:13 PM

There are pros and cons to any medication, whatever condition it is prescribed for.

As long as you know what those pros and cons are and take any necessary supplements/precautions then obviously, you have to decide for yourself how you feel about taking medications long term.

I found this article on PCOS and Metformin interesting and it covers the benefits of Metformin and also tackles the side effects that come with it and suggests some vitamin supplementation to take against the possible health risks:

http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/gl...rmin-pcos.html

edited because the link didn't work (duh! I spelt glucophage wrong)

Dubby · 10-26-2003, 02:13 PM

Hi Maddy,

I'm sure the cardio has a lot to do with it. The cardio workouts are 3 times a week and they're hard. They include power yoga, leg lifts, jumping jacks, kickboxing, punching, and more. I'm sure they burn a lot of calories. Actually, even the weight-lifting days (what they call "sculpt") get my heart rate way up.

But I do think it's more than just the cardio--the program seems designed to shape the middle of the body. A lot of the exercises (certain leg lifts, the power yoga, kickboxing and punching) specifically target the abdominal region. However, the beachbody people, like pretty much every fitness pro I've ever heard, are very specific about there being no such thing as "spot toning." In other words, they say that if you want to lose fat in a problem area, you have to lose fat overall. Doesn't it just figure that we pretty much all lose fat in those trouble areas last?

I'm not a fitness expert, so I can't say which part of the program (cardio or weights) is more instrumental in shrinking my middle. I can just say that I'm happy about it! I'm up to 10 lbs. lost now in 5 1/2 weeks of Power 90 (26 total since being diagnosed with POCS) and my waist is even more pronounced than it was a week ago. Honestly, I don't even think I knew exactly where my waist was supposed to be until it showed up! ha ha!

Also: I have a very small living room, and it's big enough for my fiance and me to do P90 together. You just need enough room to fully stretch your whole body out in every direction and to do two lunges forward. Other than that, you just need free weights or resistance bands.

The beachbody.com site has a promo for the program on its home page, but it doesn't say much about specific exercises. If you'd like a more detailed list of the exercises, let me know.

Take care!

Dubby · 10-26-2003, 02:15 PM

Perfect timing on that link, Maddy! I was just wondering about supplements.

Maddy · 10-26-2003, 02:24 PM

Sorrrry, the link wasn't working, (I had spelled glucophage wrong duh) but I have edited it and it is working now

I shall go have a look at the pack! It sounds like it tackles exercise in quite a few different ways! thanks for the info!