POS/PCOS and weight loss

J

Jody

New member
I'm having a dickens of a time understanding why I'm not losing any weight and, despite eating next to nothing, and exercising strenuously every day, am usually gaining weight.


So, I've started this thread to share with other POS/PCOS women. I have no answers...just solidarity.


Heck...I'm not even convinced the POS is the lynchpin. But I'm going to investigate this avenue, and see where it leads because the more I learn, the more I find in common with other POS sufferers.


I wouldn't even be online, if my strategy of eating less and exercising more actually worked. I'd just be doing that, and enjoying the results. It was only after two months of significant calorie cutting and exercising produced only weight GAIN that I started to look for answers.


About me: I'm a 45-year-old female, 5'4", and was diagnosed with POS in my 20s. Other than not ovulating very often, the condition has been irrelevant to me, most of my life. I've rarely given it a second thought. I was quite slim in my teens and 20s. I never weighed over 100lbs until my 30s, at which point I gained 20-25lbs, and stayed at that weight until my late 30s. Only then did I really start to put on weight, and found it impossible to lose weight. Despite eating next to nothing, and exercising, I'm gaining weight. In fact, I was quite ill, a few years ago, and didn't eat anything for seven days, due to bouts of vomiting. If I didn't lose weight after 7 days of starving, I don't know what will work.


Yesterday, for example, I missed most of my meals because I got a late start on my workout, and had a bunch of errands to do. I did an hour on the treadmill, 30 min's of ballet, 100 crunches, and stretching. I grabbed a coffee while out, and then ate a banana when I got home in late afternoon. I made a vegetable and brown rice dish for dinner. Last night, I did 20 minutes of yoga, as well. I got up this morning and had a moderate workout, plus weights. I weighed myself in the usual way, before getting in the shower. I'd gained half a pound.


That's kind of what I'm talking about. ...Not that one day is indicative. But I had a cup of coffee, a banana, and some vegetables and brown rice yesterday, including a decent amount of exercise, yet I gained half a pound. I'm 1.2lbs heavier today than when I started cutting calories and exercising every day, two months ago.


I recently learned about the link between POS and insulin resistance. As a result, I've been reading a lot about insulin sensitivity/resistance, in general, in the hopes of figuring out if there's some way that information can help me slim down.


I then searched the Internet for information specifically about POS and insulin resistance, as it relates to weight loss.


I can tell you "cysters," it was really something to read ALL the stories echoing my experience. I read paragraph after paragraph of POS women stating how they are eating next to nothing...even starving themselves, and working out like maniacs, and actually gaining weight!


...Sounds familiar...


The painful part for all of us has been the accusations we're lying, or deluding ourselves about what we're eating, or how much we're exercising. Many times, men, and just generally those who don't have this problem, keep harping on the "calories in/calories out" mantra...even though that is a bit oversimplified, even for those with no hormonal issues (thyroid, insulin, etc.). I have been keeping a food and activity journal. When I share the entries, I'm then accused of misrepresenting the truth. I can't win. There doesn't seem to be much interest in considering anything beyond calories in/calories out. The consensus seems to be, if you aren't losing weight, it's because you're lying about how much you're eating and/or exercising.


It was refreshing to find so many other POS women had the same experiences.


When i first went online with my problem (prior to linking it, possibly, to POS), I found myself defending my situation, knowing it would be unhealthy to eat less than the "meals" consisting of 5 almonds and a half glass of tomato juice, or a plate of spinach with a sprinkling of pumpkin & sesame seeds and a splash of balsamic vinegar, and a small glass of grapefruit juice chaser. And I am exercising a fair amount (1-2 hours/day), although I suppose I could exercise more(?).


Even in those POS communities, I'd find the odd non-POS person sharing their oh, so helpful advice to exercise more and eat less...oh, and keep a food diary. (...even though pretty much everyone had already said they've been doing all that, and more.)


I don't have any solutions, as of yet. I did read that a cinnamon supplement can substitute for a pharmaceutical insulin sensitizer. I'm not much of a pill-taker, but I'm going to add that to my diet, and see if it helps, over the next little while. According to one online POS community, the magic number is 3,000mg/day. So, I'm willing to give that a try...for a little while.


If I do find a combination of factors that works for me, I'll post that information here, for other POS cysters.

?

If you have had success overcoming POS-related weight loss resistance, please share your story. If you're still struggling, please share that information, too. You can help others who are baffled as to why cutting calories and exercising more has led to weight gain.


Best of luck, ladies.
 
I just wanted to check back in, to let other PCOS/POS women know that, so far, the cinnamon experiment is cautiously positive.


As indicated above, I started trying to lose weight two months ago, by significantly cutting calories and exercising 1-2 hours every day. Bafflingly, that led to weight gain. ...Not much weight...1-5lbs...but always above my starting weight.


It's only been a week...so...it's all laughably premature to conclude anything. But here are the results to date:


When I started taking 3 x 500mg cinnamon capsules twice a day (3,000mg total), last Thursday, I weighed 163lbs.


Friday I weighed 161.3.


Saturday 160.3.


Sunday 160.1


Monday 159.9


Tuesday 159.7


Today 159.4


You see...it's tiny amounts each day, and it's only been a week, but I'm finally below my starting weight from two months go. In total, I've lost 3.6lbs since last Thursday, doing nothing different except adding the cinnamon supplement.


I'll wait another couple of weeks before posting again, and see if the trend continues.


If you are a PCOS/POS woman who's used cinnamon as an insulin sensitizer, please let me know how it worked for you. What was your dose? Did you lose weight? Did you stop taking it and, if so, we're you able to maintain your weight?
 
It's still early days, but my results are undeniable. Cinnamon has worked for me, so far.



From the day after I started taking cinnamon, my diet graph has been near free fall, in a steady, daily loss. (Even holding my iPad in portrait orientation, I quickly couldn't see both my starting weight and that day's weight, on the screen at the same time. I had to scroll. I eventually started a new graph, with whole pounds, rather than the previous graph's tenths of a pound.)



I'm averaging about 2.5lbs lost per week since starting the cinnamon supplement and, indeed, it's been 4 weeks and I've lost 10lbs.



Now, before anyone starts getting all excited, like they can just eat cinnamon and lose weight, let me specify that I have not seen any evidence simply consuming cinnamon will result in weight loss.



Firstly, my research suggested that cinnamon was merely an insulin sensitizer. Those who aren't insulin resistant may see no benefit at all from taking cinnamon supplements.



Secondly, even among insulin resistant individuals, the study results I read indicated that consuming cinnamon did not lead to weight loss, per se. Cinnamon merely improved insulin sensitivity and fasting glucose levels for insulin resistant individuals. In short, eat cinnamon and more calories than you burn, and you'll gain weight.



I've come across many fascinating curiosities in my research, from the study which first observed that eating apple pie led to improved fasting glucose levels in some (then, later, researchers narrowing it down to the cinnamon in the apple pie), to the possible genetic link between a man's premature balding and his daughter's PCOS.



With my weight loss graph in a steady, downward trajectory, I can imagine being in the low 140s, or even 130s by year's end. ...And cinnamon has made it possible. Diet and exercise are responsible for the actual weight loss, but cinnamon has made that possible. (see original post and my introduction thread, for more details about my previous inability to lose weight)
 
You're very welcome, Jackson30. ;-)


I came back today for another update. I'm now in the 140s, so my goal of possibly being in the 130s by year's end may be doable.


I have changed a few things, given my success. I'm even more calorie conscious, and work out just that much harder, most days (plus, I'm also getting fitter, as time goes by, so my workouts have to change accordingly). Since I usually have a net loss of at least a tenth of a pound or two each day, it can be fun to try for just a little more. My diet & activity journal comes in handy, by reviewing those days with the best successes, and trying to determine what exactly I did differently, that day....and replicating that.


I did drop the cinnamon dose down to 2g/2,000mg per day for about 3 or 4 days, just to see what would happen. The results are completely unscientific, of course, and could just be a coincidence, but my weight loss all but halted for those few days. So, I went back to 3g/day. I will, however, try reducing the dosage again, in the future. Ideally, I'd like to no longer need it, or be down to just 1g/day.
 
Your story is inspirational Jody! I love how scientific you are in your pursuit of weight loss! Now I'm going to work on finding what works for me! Thanks for sharing!
 
Thank you, Issakova. I hope other PCOS women will find their way to my story (if it helps them), while just generally emphasizing that being being my own advocate (rather than relying on others, or just accepting what others tell me) is what made the difference.


I learned about the link between my weight loss troubles, PCOS, and insulin resistance, and how that leads to weight gain and/or an inability to lose weight, for many. I learned about insulin sensitizers, and that cinnamon was a relatively innocuous, but effective, one. No one suggested my weight loss troubles might be related to insulin resistance, or asked if I had a medical condition such as PCOS. No doctor ever told me about it, either. I had to learn these things on my own.


Funny enough, I don't have typical PCOS symptoms. When I was diagnosed, I had the inovulatory dysfunction (the main symptom of PCOS), and large pores. That's it. And, ironically, my inovulatory dysfunction halted 5-6 years ago WHEN MY WEIGHT PROBLEMS BEGAN. (Kind of funny that my weight issues started when the main symptom of PCOS stopped.) It's confounding!


I do have many of the metabolic symptoms of Grave's Disease (a form of hyperthyroidism). But there's nothing to suggest I actually have a thyroid problem, now that I'm losing weight. I have not had my thyroid tested, though. At my age, I suppose it's something I should do.


As for the other PCOS traits, I'm pretty much the opposite. I have lots of healthy head hair, but I'm essentially hairless everywhere else. I have a VERY womanly figure, rather than the more masculine physiques of typical PCOS women. I have never had any skin discoloration, or any of the other symptoms.


Yet, my inability to lose weight is a common trait of PCOS (no one ever told me that, either), and it was other PCOS women who were generous enough to share their experiences online. That's how I learned about cinnamon, and even a dosage to try. I wish I could personally thank all those women. That's the information I needed to solve my dilemma.
 
Jody,


Your story has given me hope I have not felt since being diagnosed with PCOS! I have read your other posts warning that cinnamon may not work unless it is combating insulin resistance, but I have been struggling to lose weight for over two years and have been distraught over the lack of results. My goal is to lose 40 lbs. in the next 4 months, averaging 2.5 lbs. per week, so when I googled 'lose 2.5 lbs per week with pcos' and your posts came up, I nearly cried with happiness.


I am going to buy the cinnamon this week and will post my results. Thank you so much for giving hope to yet another 'cyster'!


-Amie
 
Jody, I am also wondering when you take the cinnamon capsules? With a meal, in the morning, at different times of day? Thanks! -Amie
 
Most PCOS is caused because of a hormonal imbalance, most of the time you just need to balance your hormones which is very easy when you get blood samples of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and DHEA. I was diagnosed with PCOS but I don't believe I have it. I had estrogen dominance and weight never came off until I started taking maca and vitex and now my hormones are normal and weight if finally coming off. Get your blood tested and ask a natural doctor how to balance your hormones. I wouldn't suggest birth control from what I hear most of the time it makes matter worse.
 
I am 18 and am diagnosed with PCOS as well. I went to a doctor in January this year, she prescribed me some medicines and they were not necessarily for weight loss but to restore the hormonal balance. I had my last cycle in January and till now I didnt had it, so went to a doctor and I am back to the same medicines.


When I started having medicines in January, there was some weight loss after having those medicines for 2 weeks. My old pair of jeans fit in well, I was happy cuz the sloth I am, I lost weight just through medicines and without any exercises. Once the medicine dose was over, I started gaining weight slowly and now, I am approximately the same I was in January.

I did some 7-8 hormone tests during the January session and the result was okay, except for prolactin, which is higher. I'll get a prolactin test done and update its result here. The testosterone, though was not catergorised as high, was near to the limit for high category as well.


Doctor says I am a good candidate for diabetes since my paternal grand father, my father and mother, are diabetic as well. Mum used to take insulin injections earlier, not anymore. She also said that I could be infertile or have serious problems conceiving later. She even suggested me to marry and have children by 25 :D and that I have good chances of having diabetes.


My father also takes cinnamon powder with water everyday. Is it the same like cinnamon supplement ? Cinnamon is very easily available here, so if taking it along with maintaining a good diet and exercise is beneficial in my case, then I can take it in its powdered form.
 
Hi,

I got diagnosed with PCOS recently, and overweight by a lot so I need to get started losing because even though i'm only 22, I want to have kids within the next few years and that just wont happen easily if my weights not under control.


How's everyone else, if anyone else trying to lose weight? I researched all sorts of things like weightwatchers, ashy bines and don't have a lot of money so they are out of the question, but I came across a facebook page called ditch the diet which i've been using recently and well I enjoy it there. plenty of support and more a lifestyle change than a diet. So far I''ve lost 10 kilos, what about everyone else?


If anyone else needs help I would highly recommend ditch the diet, you can find them on facebook or just google, they are helping me cope mentally and physically =)
 
The best posting on PCOS that I ever saw when I was active on this forum is as follows...

amandarobertson said:
I suffer from PCOS but still reached my weight loss goal last year. Here are my "Top 10 Tips" to help you in 2008.

Health club memberships will be at an all-time high. The promotional flyer I got from the local gym in the mail today went straight into the trash. I am vowing never to pay another year of “fat tax,” those fifty-plus dollars a month many of us agree to pay for a one-year membership that most will probably use for a few weeks. Of course, I believe in exercise as part of any weight-loss program, but it doesn’t require a gym or any expensive torture contraptions.

I’m sure sign-ups on ediets.com will soar. I’ve tried most of the more popular diets they offer: Atkins, Slim-Fast Optima, etc. -- the results never went beyond losing five or so pounds. Atkins is just so hard! And I consider a Slim-Fast shake desert, not a meal! But after years of trial and error and much reading on the subject, I have at last found a healthy, balanced diet that doesn’t require any special shakes or the banishing of carbs.

I also tried numerous supplements. Hoodia, which I took religiously for four weeks, had absolutely no impact on curbing my appetite, along with a few others containing stimulants that made me feel like I was having a heart attack. But don’t get me wrong; I do feel that the RIGHT supplements can have a dramatic impact on weight loss.

I believe the underlying cause of PCOS is insulin resistance. And I believe this because as soon as I started to treat my insulin resistance. I saw a dramatic improvement in my skin and in my hair: less acne, more hair. And I also reached my weight loss goal of losing 45 pounds over the course of last year. I am 5’9” and now weigh a healthy 150 pounds.

Because of insulin resistance, many women with PCOS have a much harder time losing weight. Here is why: Insulin is the hormone responsible for allowing glucose, or blood sugar, to be absorbed by the cells of the body, where it is converted to energy. If you are insulin resistant, your cells react sluggishly to insulin. When you eat a meal -- whether it's steak, fish or vegetables -- the body breaks it down into glucose, a usable energy form. When you are insulin resistant, extra glucose remains in the blood stream, until it is finally sent to the liver and converted to excess body fat.

These are my Top 10 Tips to Weight Loss with PCOS.

1. Gradually cut down on refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, white pasta and most sweets) and replace them with healthy sources of carbohydrates (whole grain bread, brown rice and whole wheat pasta). Refined carbs have been processed so that most of the fiber and nutrients are stripped away. This causes the body to quickly convert them into glucose. Whole grains still contain the fiber that will allow your body to digest the food more slowly, keeping you blood sugar levels from spiking and help to correct insulin resistance. I found that I was able to lose weight by eating roughly 70 grams of healthy carbohydrates per day.

2. Avoid all hydrogenated fats. Look at labels. If the product contains ingredients like hydrogenated vegetable oil, don’t buy it. Look for products that are free of hydrogenated oils and trans fat.

3. Moderate your intake of saturated fats. Saturated fat can mostly be found in animal products like: bacon, red meat and cheese.

4. Incorporate healthy fats into your diet: instead of cooking with vegetable oil use olive oil. Add nuts and avocados into your salad. They are excellent sources of Omega-3, the heart-healthy fat.

5. Have lean protein at every meal. This will help to control glucose spikes. Servings should be 3-4 oz, about the size of a deck of cards. Try turkey, poultry, veggie burgers, and lean cuts of pork and beef.

6. Avoid starchy vegetables like carrots, beets, corn and potatoes. They naturally contain higher amounts of sugar that can cause glucose levels to rise. Opt for vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and zucchini, which are low in sugar and high in fiber.

7. Buy whole foods. This means if it comes in a box, it’s probably not good for you. Prepackaged food is full of preservatives, chemicals and sodium which can actually make PCOS symptoms worse.

8. Start an exercise program you can stick with. I began with walking 10 minutes a day, 3 days per week. Now I have worked my way up to jogging for 30 minutes, 5 days per week. Find an activity you enjoy whether it’s walking, rollerblading, hiking or swimming, and gradually increase your workout session lengths and the number of days per week you do them.

9. Begin taking supplements. (Insulite Labs PCOS System offers the best combination of supplements for women with PCOS that I've found.)

10. Take it slow! Losing more than half a pound per week is too fast and you will probably just gain it back.
Click to expand...

I liked the posting so much that I pasted it into my diary so that I could easily refer to it.
Many aspects of the posting were things that I discovered too.
 
For women who are suffering with POS/PCOS, weight loss is a serious challenge. even taking correct balanced diet and healthy food women considerably gain a lot of weight. even the leanest women would gain weight. However, a low-sugar/carb diet is a great option to keep this situation under control. I recommend you try that and hope it works.
 
I must admit that I endorse most things in the quote that I posted above.

These were all things that I discovered when I lowered my weight from 294 pounds to 126 pounds while posting regularly on this forum.

I maintained 126 quite happily for a couple of years - but have gained a little weight in recent stressful times which I am currently addressing.
 
well done Omega,,,losing 168 lbs is a true hard work...considering you have a PCOS. you did a superb great job! i am more amazed to know that you are able to maintain your weight. little gains are fine..as long as you know how to go back on track again.
 
Thanks CallMeMaybeOney.

I have about 30 pounds that I would like to lose to get me back down to my goal.

I maintained fine for the first few years (with a lot of hard work) - but have just had two very stressful years.

In the first year my husband needed five operations... When I that my husband weighed over 400 pounds and had a BMI of over 62 when the first emergency operation was required you will understand how very worried I was and how stressful this all was...

Then last year we had to relocate over 300 miles...

It all ended up being very stressful and I am sure that people will not be surprised that I gained weight...

At the end of the year I decided that enough was enough and that I really needed to get serious about sorting it out or I could end up with having to do it all again. I hadn't posted on this forum for about three years but suddenly started posting again (and gave a few of the old timers a shock by my reappearance)...
 
wanted to ask how your weight loss was progressing? and if you have seen any improvement in body fat distribution, hormone and insulin resistance, also if needed i have studied nutriton in depth and also unfornately have pcos, can assist you with diet
 
Sorry to hear that you have PCOS too. How are you going?

Since you have PCOS and have studied nutrition in depth - I am curious to know what you are eating...

I basically axed starchy carbs from my diet quite a long time ago... No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes... I am not currently having cereal as I find it a major temptation to overeat.

I axed cheese too...

No junk - although I do have sugar free sweets...

I have at least 1 ounce of water for every 2 pounds that I weigh... At the minute I am in a challenge which dictates that I currently have at least 3 litres of water...

I do allow myself a little diet cola - but the quantities are severely limited because of the level of water consumption... You rarely feel like drinking much if you have already had at least 3 litres water...

I have a sweet tooth - and strive for a high protein high calcium diet - so have pretty much the same thing for breakfast, lunch and supper... Basically I have 250g Total 0% Greek yoghurt with fruit at each of these meals. It might sound boring but it tastes nice and is satisfying. It takes minimum preparation time and hits great protein and calcium stats...

I then have a main meal which tends to be a lean protein cooked in a healthy way plus veg.

My weight is not currently going down much - but I think that I may be making muscle at the minute. I am doing a lot of exercise (although it is principally cardio based - it is led by a qualified personal trainer and does involve core work). I am told that I look thinner and clothes fasten which did not fasten a few weeks ago when I was theoretically the same weight.

I am carrying all my surplus weight around my tummy.
When I was at goal I was measured for UK Biobank and had taken my percent bodyfat down to 21.7%. At that time I was 50 years old and that was considered to be unusually low. A definite element of my weight was the loose skin that I carried around my tummy and boobs...

All the fat seems to be in my tummy area. I am actually quite boney elsewhere... My narrow back combined with loose skin at my boobs mean that my bra size is 32JJ - a rediculous size... the 32 has not risen from when I was at goal - and the boob increase is negligible (up from 32J)...

My tummy looks embarrassingly fat... It doesnt look any thinner to me - but other people tell me that I do look thinner. I know that I tried on my UK size 12 jeans (I believe that is US size 10) a few weeks ago and they did not look close to fastening... I tried them on yesterday and they fastened...
 
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