PCOS and Weight Loss

by Morgann
(Fremont, CA, U.S.A.)

Hi everyone,

My name is Morgann and I am 21 years old going on 22 in June. I remember once reading about PCOS when I was about 18 and thinking "That's what I have!!" Of course, I have a few of the signs of PCOS -- absent period, infertility, hirsutism on my face and abdomen, acne, obesity, the works.

Ever since I had my first period at the age of eleven, they have always been either irregular or absent... Mainly absent. Whenever I've been to the Ob/Gyn all they would ever tell me with every pap smear is "Oh you need to lose weight. It's your hormones that are imbalanced and causing you to have irregular periods. Here's a prescription for Yasmin." In turn I have been on and off the pill since I was 14 years old.

I had recently gone to the gyno for an annual pap smear and when they found out that I hadn't had my period for over a year it was like absolute panic. (As if I had never mentioned it before.) Well why else would you put a 14 year old on the pill huh? DUH!!

Anywho, they ordered a battery of tests on me to be done the next day. I needed blood tests and external/internal ultrasounds of my ovaries. Long story short there was absolutely nothing they could find in my blood that was off kilter and nothing they could find on my ovaries. So why am I not having my period if everything seems normal? So of course they put me right back on the stupid pill.

I decided to do a little more research on PCOS in seeing that the doctors couldn't provide me with a viable answer to my problems..

I learned that you can have PCOS without any sign or symptom of cysts, which was a surprise to me but the fact that I didn't ovulate is what really struck me to try to help myself.

Don't get me wrong, I am way too young to have kids but I was very upset in the fact that I didn't even have the option. I thought well if the doctors aren't gonna help me, then what do I gotta do?

I learned that weight loss is the number one thing to help the situation. Even a 10% body weight loss might return your menstrual cycle... So I decided to join Weight Watchers Flex plan.

I'm happy to report that in 14 weeks I've lost a total of 31 lbs and have been getting my period for 2 months now! I'm hoping that the more I lose the more the symptoms of PCOS will subside namely my acne and hirsutism. Weight Watchers is changing not only my health but my outlook on life.

Good luck to all you ladies struggling with this condition. My prayers go out to you. Thanks for reading my story.

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Weight Loss Book
by: PCOS Editor

Timothy Ferris is a well-known marketer and popularized the "four hour" work week concept.

With all due respect, and not having read the book, I doubt Mr. Ferris knows the first thing about weight loss in the context of PCOS.

He is a marketer, not a health expert.

I'm glad his program worked for you -- so far. However, as you probably know, permanent weight loss is extremely difficult to achieve for many overweight women who have PCOS.

A typical weight loss diet for the average person will probably be less successful if you have PCOS. Why? Because your genetics and metabolism are different.

Listen, there are hundreds if not thousands of weight loss diets out there. Why would Ferris's be any better than all the others? I'll bet if you analyze it carefully, there will be absolutely nothing new or revolutionary in this diet as compared to the hundreds of other diets.

What most people do is hop from one diet to another. The reason they hop from one diet to another is that they fail to permanently lose any significant weight. This approach will not solve PCOS-related weight issues.

A more effective approach is to look into a diet that is formulated specifically for the needs of women with PCOS.

As for the "cheating" once a week, frankly, some women cannot get away with it. It also depends on what foods you are cheating with.

The concept of not exercising is very, very bad advice. It is absolutely imperative that women with PCOS be physically active and have a regular exercise program.

Bottom line: There is no pain-free, simple, easy, magical way to lose weight. So let's stop kidding ourselves. Mr. Ferris is apparently offering a painless, easy, effective way to lose weight fast. That is exactly what all the other weight loss diet books offer.

I recommend none of you succumb to the incredible hype involved in most of these diets.

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Easy Weight loss
by: Anonymous

If you have never heard of the book "The 4-Hour Body" I would look into it. It's a book about body building and or weight loss. It does not follow the traditional way of losing weight and funny enough it works. The interesting thing about it is that even though the first week or so you feel like you are suffering from not eating carbs or sweets, it eventually changes...your taste buds change. You start not wanting the food you once ate..it ends up tasting weird.This is because your taste buds are returning to normal. You get one cheat day a week to eat whatever you like also, which is a plus. But the best part is, because you cut out all the bad foods most of the time, you will feel better and lose weight. The diet does not require you to exercise either, but if you do decide to, there are simple exercises that the book says are the best ones to do. Timothy Ferris, author of the book, spent his own money finding out how to lose weight and found it. He is also hilarious and the read itself is worth your while. I myself have lost 17 in two months just eating the right foods, cheating once a week, and doing absolutely no exercise. You can lose five pounds in one week, and I don't mean water weight, I mean actual weight. I feel great also. I highly recommend it. I have the same problem from weight gain from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and this book helps me keep my weight in check and me feeling better.

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PCOS
by: Jenny Garnsey

Wow! I had the same problem. I had problems for a long time.. same stuff as you and finally got health insurance about 4 years back. I wanted to find out why I wasn't having my periods and what the heck was wrong with my skin. My doctor ordered a bunch of blood tests and I went to "Physicians to Women" down here in FL for my GYN. Great group of people. My reg doc told me she thought I had Cushings disease. I only saw a few of those symptoms that looked familiar to me. It was my GYN that told me about PCOS, and eventually I was given the diagnoses after they looked over my blood tests. At the time my huband and I had been married for almost 2 years and wanted to have a baby. They said its going to be hard, but we'll get you there. So thinking possatively (sp) My husband and I made up a nursery and got baby stuff together while my GYN put me on birth control to jump start my periods, took me off for a month then put me on clomid. Did the clomid for 3 cycles and each time upped the dosage. After the 3rd time, he said I'd have to see a fertility doctor at IVF. Oh lord did I get upset. I couldn't afford that. Thats insane. We went for the free consultation and after that, we didn't go back. Adoption seems the cheaper way to go about growing a family. I do admit, however, that I really do want to have that experience of being pregnant. Yes, morning sickness and all. I want it and Pray for it. I want the whole shabang. I have found that weight loss would help my problem as well as others that have sprung up because of my PCOS weight gain problems. I weigh 255 lbs and I'm only 5'5". Its so bad that my ankle keeps spinging itself because its not made to handle the weight. My legs are mostly in shape, so I look like I'm pregnant or diabetic. Which in a way, I am. PCOS is like being a diabetic. Now I have spinal problems in my back and my weight makes it worse.
My hope, is that this year, with help from family and friends, that I'll be able to loose the weight and be at least as healthy as I was at age 19. I'm turning 27 on March 4th.. thats less than a month away. I want to feel healthier again. I weighed around 189 lbs at age 19, but my legs were all muscle, I was very strong, and my back didn't have issues. I have a great Chriopractor. All I need is to raise the money to get healthy again.

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