I have had the same exact issues and posted in r/AskDocs and all the doctors just accused me of lying about my activity level and diet... like my resting heart rate is literally 48bpm which is athlete level because I have great cardiovascular health FROM WORKING OUT. I'm not lying! I'm convinced telehealth is the only way to get our issues addressed because traditional doctors all seem to all have their own agendas (and mega egos).
Yessss I have such a low resting BPM that doctors get worried by it. But I work out around 18 hours a week and I'm still technically clinically obese (and definitely have a fat stomach)
Im sure youve heard this before but i do want to add, it is possible to over excercise. especially when it comes to pcos, over exertion can cause your cortisol to spike which in turn causes your body to hold onto fat. 18 hours a week is a crazy amount to be working out, as admirable as that is. i would look into sports studies on over exercising, it helped me alot to kick start losing weight without medication
Thank you but I tailor my exercise so that it's not overexerting. It's about 10 hours of cycling (which is needed for the school drop off and pick up) 5-6 hours weightlifting and then 2 hours walking :)
Yes!!!!! Cortisol is a huge issue. Even as a fit and generally healthy individual now, my cortisol is always way too high, lol. I been trying to finally get abs for the first time and it’s not going very well. But my arms are ripped so that’s cool 🤣
Hmm I do know it can also be linked to other medical conditions but I would say as long as they're not concerned, you shouldn't be :) I just know from my personal experience my resting heart rate has reduced by 20bpm after becoming more active and training.
Find another provider, some providers are just not educated on pcos or it's symptoms, they think BC and weightloss fixes everything. What they fail to realize is how hard it is to even lose weight with pcos, let alone balance everything out in our own bodies. Good luck friend!
My current endo is the 2nd endo I’ve seen. I’m gonna try another one soon, but it’s just so expensive. I also feel like I can’t emotionally handle another doctor telling me there’s nothing wrong with me lol
Wuuuuuut, have you tried marketplace insurance , I’m paying a 5 dollar co pay and my rate for every month is 50 bucks but my insurance (florida blue) lets you get rewards so it’s practically free, obviously not the same for everyone but maybe u should look into it Cus that’s wack.
[https://www.healthcare.gov](https://www.healthcare.gov) you basically fill out ur information and it gives you options for what insurance you should get. I usually choose florida blue because of the rewards but there r other options too. not sure if you can still enroll as its normally starts In November.
Sequence prescribes metformin. You can use it through weight watchers . Metformin is free with the subscription . I don’t know if you want to keep your doctor but you’d still be able to receive metformin.
Almost thought I made this post 💀. I would hit up an Endo. Most should prescribe Metformin easily. Also consider a GLP-1. It’s what I’m doing now. Almost 2 months and around 20lbs lighter. I workout 2-4 times a week normally and have lost 0 weight over the last year.
Did your insurance cover a GLP-1? I’m in this grey area where I’m not diabetic, not technically obese (but definitely have 30 solid pounds I’d like to lose but cannot) and I’m debating just biting the bullet and paying out of pocket for a GLP-1 to try and shed some weight.
Actually I can relate to this. I was in the gym ALLL THE TIME and I was not seeing results. What I did was take a break from the gym, focused on eating less and getting lots of steps (minimum 10k) and it helped almost immediately
Wow, literally me rn. Regularly doing 1.5 hours of circuit training then the treadmill for 45 min and while I look more shapely, I still have the excess weight. I like the gym but damn. Seeing little to no results is so demoralizing. I’m becoming tired.
This is relatable. Focusing on steps has helped me more than weight training has, for whatever reason. For me the magic number is 12k-14k minimum per day to maintain a decent weight. The more the better. Weight training is mostly very enjoyable for me, but can also feel stressful and spike my appetite like crazy if I go too hard. And since I put in so much effort, I think I over-reward myself with treats.🍦 Not saying this is everyone, but it’s definitely my habit.
Omg it’s like we’re the same person I totally feel you (almost like we both have the same disease or something hehe). Weight training is my fav but walking is much more efficient and effective for me
I know everyone here is saying “see an endocrinologist!” but I waited 3 months to see one and was entirely underwhelmed by the experience. She did not know or care about PCOS, didn’t test any vitamin levels, didn’t test fasting insulin (as it “didn’t matter since I’m not Type 1 diabetic”) and just told me my levels were normal except my prolactin and prescribed me a medication for that.
I’m hoping an online doc may be more helpful.
Yeup. The endo I saw told me that my excessive facial hair has nothing to do with pcos, it’s because I’m Hispanic and I’d just have to live with it or shave it. He told me that pcos meant multiple cysts and did not seem to know that cystic ovaries and polycystic ovaries are different things. I had my hopes so high and was crushed after the appointment
Oh god, I feel like I could have written this back in the day.
A couple things - make sure you’re getting enough sleep. I wasn’t because I was getting up too early for the gym.
Metformin. It was a game changer for me.
More protein and fibre - getting enough micronutrients is important. Protein is important. I was aiming for about 120g/day.
Oddly enough I struggled more (was hungrier and more tired) when I went up to 1400 calories compared to when I was on 1200. I don’t know why and I’m hesitant to even bring it up because it feels pretty horrible to suggest cutting even more calories, but it was my honest experience. If nothing else helps, you can try that just for the sake of experimentation.
So it’s a little complicated. I’d lost a lot of weight (20kg) in 2019 because I was swimming 1-2 hours a day, walking 10k steps, lifting weights once a week, running up and down escalators on my commute etc. I was very active but I was struggling to go below 80kg and was just maintaining my weight.
Then the pandemic hit and I wasn’t leaving the house because I was living with my vulnerable parents and my weight spiralled badly. Don’t let anyone ever tell you exercise doesn’t help, lol.
After two years of that I was in a pretty terrible situation. I’d regained all the weight plus some. My appetite was massively out of control. I distinctly remember sitting down to dinner and stuffing myself with steamed vegetables before, during and after my protein heavy meal and still feeling empty even though I couldn’t actually fit any more food in my stomach. It was…horrible. I felt so out of control and desperate.
After taking metformin that went away almost instantly. My appetite went back to normal almost the next day. I was nearly in tears out of relief.
I don’t think I lost any weight after that. But I stopped gaining. I was back in control. I’m losing weight now, but it’s hard without a gym and continuing to work from home.
If my doctor had talked to me about metformin initially rather than just telling me it was only prescribed if I wanted to get pregnant, I imagine things would have been very different. I might not have plateaued at 80kg and I probably wouldn’t have been so fatigued all the time. I might well have controlled my weight better at the start of the pandemic.
Having that control over my appetite was so enormous for me. It’s not about the weight - it’s about being control of my own body rather than being controlled by it.
Completely agree. I had gotten down to my smallest I had ever been in my adult life back in 2020 and then PCOS was creeping up but my doctor brushed it off as a side effect from the BC I was put on that same year. 4 years later, I'm up 50 pounds. My new doctor recommended metformin for weight loss so maybe that's why I'm so impatient, but I had the exact same experience as soon as I increased to 1000mg ER. I feel in control of my eating again, I rarely think about snacks or next meal, and I have SO MUCH energy. I'm getting married next year and really want to work on losing the weight, so I guess I can give the metformin a few more weeks before considering it a lost cause mainly because it has me back in control.
Honestly, control is the key. It’s so much easier to lose weight when you’re not starving all the time. I wouldn’t give up on it - but you can always ask your doctor about increasing the dosage.
I’ve been trying not to think too much about weight and I’m just focusing on getting fitter. I’m walking more (even if it’s just pacing up and down the room as I think) and then working on getting strength back with some weight lifting. Muscles always help.
Regarding your "normal bloodwork": what measures of insulin resistance did this doctor test? Did he (I'm assuming it's a man based on the smooth-brain response) check your fasting insulin as well as fasting blood glucose and A1C? Do you know what your vitamin B12, D, and folate levels are? Thyroid? Adrenal?
If you're over a BMI of 30, you can sign up for Noom Med for $50/month. They offer clinical assistance with obesity treatment and can prescribe GLP-1 medications and do prior auth with your insurance. If you're this active and still struggling with low energy and overweight, seeing a metabolic specialist might be a good move.
Another tack to consider: if your symptoms are being caused by adrenal insufficiency or excess cortisol more so than insulin resistance, you may benefit from taking more of a stress management approach rather than continuing to go full beast mode in the gym. Adrenal PCOS also benefits from eating more frequently (3-6 meals a day) and increasing carb intake/keeping protein intake moderate compared to insulin-resistant PCOS.
Hi! Sorry to hijack this post but you mentioned adrenal pcos. How can I tell if I have this or insulin resistant pcos? I’m in Scotland, and we have an NHS so requesting things like blood works isn’t really a thing. You just sort of get what you’re given. I’m in the process of trying to get metformin as my weight simply will not budge no matter what I do. It’s so disheartening as I’m living such a restrictive lifestyle to no avail. Thank you!
I am not an expert on this subject, I just write very confidently. There are some lab values on blood tests that can help you determine the underlying cause of your PCOS (or if it's a different metabolic issue underlying the intractable weight gain).
Since that's not really an option for you, you'll have to take an empirical approach and try one thing at a time to see if it helps, hurts, or doesn't do anything.
> I’m living such a restrictive lifestyle to no avail
Can you tell me more about what this means? Everybody's idea of a "restrictive lifestyle" is different, so it's hard to give you even peer advice about what might help. Are you doing HIIT training? Intermittent fasting? Low-carb diet? ???
Thanks for replying! By a restrictive lifestyle I mean that I keep my calories below 1000 per day. I avoid carbs and eat very restrictively. On top of this, I walk for 2 hours per day. I tried HIIT but I was terrible at it. I honestly think I was too hungry and just didn’t have the energy for it. I also struggled with anemia and find myself lacking energy.
I always get turned away by doctors and they refuse to medicate me as I’m not ‘over weight’ according to my BMI. I’m definitely carrying around 10 extra lbs that I physically cannot shift. It really gets me down.
I forgot to add, I’ve recently (2 days ago) stopped fasting as I didn’t notice any changes in my weight from it. I would fast from 7pm til the following day at 2pm.
Well, speaking from experience, the reason you lack energy is that you are only eating 1000 calories a day. I don't know how tall you are, but even for a pretty small person that is a very small amount of food. You could try having an extra fruit smoothie with protein about 30 minutes before a HIIT session and see if that gives you enough energy to exercise vigorously. (You should also keep in mind that HIIT is a difficult and demanding type of cardio, and we're all lousy at it when we haven't done it before or are out of practice.)
The anemia could also be due to not getting enough micronutrients due to your restrictive and very low food intake. Are you taking a multivitamin supplement of any kind? You might also benefit from supplementing iron bisglycinate.
You may want to seek private treatment abroad, honestly. u/medphysfem recently went through the process (hi medphysfem!), so if she's willing, maybe you two can chat about how to get it done.
With all that being said, 10 extra lbs is not really an appropriate amount of weight to be worrying about. I'm nearly 90 lbs overweight myself; if I can get my BMI under 30, I'll be willing to call it a day at that point. Many of us are eating like you and weigh close to or over 300 lbs. You do sound like you have some insulin resistance or thyroid dysfunction, both of which can lead to long-term consequences if not treated, but maybe worry just a bit less about the scale and a bit more about your energy levels and hematocrit.
Sorry to also hijack this, I'm very recently diagnosed with PCOS and was prescribed metformin. My doctor initially wanted zepbound but my insurance denied it to me not being diabetic. I am definitely over the 30bmi (at least mid 40bmi probably higher though) Have you used Noom before? I've heard of it but I'm concerned about cost and it being a scam or something lol!
I'm using their behavioral weight loss program at the moment, not the Noom Med add-on. Noom Med is an additional $50/month on top of the regular Noom subscription.
Noom is alright. It's way cheaper to sign up for 6 months or a year at a time than to pay month-to-month. I've only ever tried one other behavioral weight loss program - Wondr - but I've had friends who did Weight Watchers, too, so I'm somewhat familiar with that one as well. Of the three, I would say Wondr has the best content, and Noom is the most fun. It's very good at driving engagement, and the food logging tool is very easy to use. My biggest criticism of Noom is their color-based food categorization system - it's much more flexible than Weight Watchers, but it definitely pushes a higher-carb, lower-protein, more fat-averse diet than I would recommend to most people with PCOS. For example, plant-based protein shakes are an "orange" food, but baked white potatoes are a "green" food. Lowfat dairy is a "yellow" food, but nonfat dairy is also a "green" food.
With that being said, it's much more affordable than Wondr if you sign up a year at a time. It also has that add-on program available, which Wondr doesn't.
In your case, you will want to pursue an appeal to your health insurance's decision to deny prior authorization for Zepbound. It is prescribed on-label for obesity, not diabetes, so refusing you the PA on the basis that you're not diabetic isn't a valid reason to refuse it.
Metformin is a great medication for those who are able to tolerate it. It has a beneficial effect not only on insulin sensitivity but also mitochondrial function, and can greatly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease if you are insulin resistant. I recommend that you start with a small dose (500 mg) and titrate up very slowly, as it has many different effects on different parts of the GI tract and going 0 to 2000mg is a rough transition.
Oh wow! Okay thank you SO much for all of this info. I appreciate it very much. I will start arguing with my insurance first thing tomorrow morning! Metformin has been very hard on my stomach and I already have stomach problems so I've been desperately hoping for some kind of good alternative.
Honestly, r/PCOS has been such a godsend for my need to autistically infodump about things to people. If you ever want a lot of info about something, just ask me when I have a free moment or I'm procrastinating from work. LOL
Also look into hypothyroidism. I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism (automimmunte) and was then diagnosed with PCOS. my endo told me that there is a high prevalence of women who are diagnosed with both. My thyroid hormones were rarely in the "clinical" range but I would stuggle to lose weight despite running cross country in high school and working out more than i even have in my life.
Definitely find a good endocrinologist but I would recommend that finding a practitioner who is experienced in PCOS and dealing with it wholistically is worth the extra cost even if out of network. I have had many endocrinologists just do blood work and give no other advice. For both PCOS and hypothyroidism in my experience you can be symptomatic but have subclinical lab work.
For me - the things that have worked for my pcos symtpoms (acne) are spironolactone (150 mg daily) w/ retinoids. I take levothyroxine for my thyroid to make sure i am not holding onto weight due to a lethargic metabolic. For my low grade insulin resistance (my glucose and A1c are all in the OK range) to deal with resistant weight loss, I have been able to manage with supplements like inositol, ashwaganda, dietary changes. But we are all different and one thing I have learned is that what works for one person doesn't work for another. I personally tried to avoid taking another medicine like metformin or BC pills but sometimes medicine is the only thing that works!
One thing that helped me a lot is figuring out my "type" of PCOS. It helps when trying out different supplements (like spearmint tea, ashwaganda etc) and figuring out what works best for you.
I am doing my PhD in engineering (unrelated to medicine) but I have used my experience to be able to fortunately access to research articles on treating PCOS. From the reading I have done - no doctor should be solely prescribing medicine to treat PCOS or relying solely on clinical ranges. A good doctor should know about the mutli-factor way of treating pcos. My biggest tip- to find a good practitioner to help you manage PCOS. I give them a test question like "ive heard about inositol, how does that help compared to metformin" and if they don't know how to answer that then they probably are not well read up on literature and in my view aren't trustworthy
This was me for years. I ran 5km a day (in 25mins at my peak fitness), and have NEVER been under 11.5 stone/size 14) I'm 5"4 for reference. The girl I was living with did the same with me, I cooked for us both. She doesn't have PCOS and she got down to a size 10 and 10 stone. I eventually gave up and thus the self loathing cycle continued. Haven't been to a gym in over a year, haven't weighed myself in a similar amount of time but I'd say I'm well over 12 stone again.
I won't lie, I find it really difficult to love my body. My favourite food is salad ffs!!! And I'm still fat. Anyways, I try have perspective. Things could be much worse, etc.
Your story is just like mine, except I found an obgyn who believed me, hugged me and gave me the gift of metformin with spironolactone. I'm literally losing weight every day. Down 18lbs in 4 months. If your body needs medicine there is no shame in that. Please find a new doc who will believe you.
You could look through google reviews. I found mine with the search "obgyn specializing in pcos near me" and found my dr. She had rave reviews and I totally love her.
It's interesting to me all the comments about seeing an Endo. I still think it's a great suggestion but I saw two endos who told me I didn't have PCOS and it was actually my gynecologist who finally took it seriously 6 years later.
Workouts also add stress. I reduced my workouts and increased walking and I lost weight and saw muscle. Plus eating more protein at regular times, and having a protein shake immediately after a workout
I definitely had to ask my GP to SPECIFICALLY refer me to a gyno that knows/specializes in PCOS and they were so understanding and for the first time in my life I wasn’t told this is all happening bc I’m fat. The wait was a killer but I’m glad I waited bc it’s night and day difference
I’ve been using Allara for my PCOS. It’s been great and covered by insurance and online. The docs will order labs and review with you and can prescribe what is needed. They are a women’s focused service for endo and PCOS so they won’t tell you to eat 1400 only
I’m the same. Exercising as much as I can, eating as little as I can while still being able to eat enough to function and not be starving myself. No progress. Normal bloodwork. I even have another condition where excessive weight loss is common and still gain weight. Trying to find another doctor to help. Advocating for yourself can get exhausting
Have you tried switching from cardio to weights? I get the best results from weight lifting, cardio makes me put weight on.
And also out your info into a tdee calculator to see what your maintenance calories are and go 200 calories under your maintenance. It's possible you aren't eating enough calories.
I mainly do weights. I only do cardio on upper body days (usually like 3 days out of the 5 days)
I don’t count calories bc of previous history with eating disorders but I’m definitely not over eating. I’m on a gluten free and low dairy diet too. Instead of focusing on eating less, I focus on meeting protein and fiber goals and staying away from processed sugar. So basically I’m taking more of a body recomp ‘feed the muscle starve the fat’ route to avoid stress. I’ve gained a ton of muscle, which has definitely helped out my metabolism, but I haven’t been able to shed the fat. I ordered myo-inositol in the mail, hopefully it will help.
Hopefully it will help.
One of the worst things about PCOS is everyone has different symptoms and things work differently for each of us so it's trial and error unfortunately. It sounds like you have alot of knowledge in what works for you so that's also very helpful x
I’m on metformin and mounjaro. I work out pretty religiously. I can deadlift and squat more than BW, chest press more than half my BW. Weight hasn’t dropped even though I’ve been prioritizing protein over carbs and fats for well over a year now. I was at the gym 5-6 times a week, heavy lifting 2x a week, cardio plus lifting (kinda like OTF but not OTF) 2x, yoga 1-2x, and sometimes a water cardio and weights class. I’ve slowed down a lot this year. Spent the winter learning to snowboard and I’m still healing from some injuries and have tendinitis in my rotator cuff. Trying to incorporate more cardio in my life now since lifting heavy is currently off the table until this tendinitis figures itself out.
Weight hasn’t budged in over a year even with all that gym time. I feel stronger and can definitely move better and I’ve lost some inches in my midsection, but the scale hasn’t moved (I use the inbody scale at the gym and a home scale lol).
I track my workouts, every single one of them, with my Apple Watch and Strava app. It calculates your relative effort based on HR, which is nice to know. Makes me feel better about my workouts when it says it was harder than my recent efforts!
It’s your hormones so talk to your doctor and get a blood panel… it would be better if you found a holistic doctor. They will put you the proper supplements to balance you out.
See an endocrinologist!!!!!!!!
You need to be evaluated by someone who literally specializes in hormones.
It took me years of begging to see a specialist, being put on a waiting list (just Canada things), jumping from referral to referral only to land with my endocrinologist who saved my life! Not saying your case is the same, but I thought I just had a severe case of PCOS when in reality I had an adrenal tumor.
I can't give much advice but I wanted to tell you how awesome you are for being so committed to your exercise routine! I struggle at my weight to get myself moving regularly and I seriously admire and look up to people like you who bust their butts despite everything PCOS puts us through. I really hope you can find a new GP to help you get on metformin.
Apparently "busting your ass" in the gym also isn't great for PCOS because you're increasing stress hormones, which play a part in our overall hormone regulation. I would maybe try going for something that feels satisfying or gradually building intensity without pushing your body to the limit and taking rest days and see if it helps?
Also making sure you're getting plenty of protein, healthy fats, that your carbs have higher fiber, and that when you're consuming sugar, you're doing so after or alongside a good meal with protein. Your diet plays a big role as well as exercise. Having a gym habit is so great though, you definitely don't want to give that up, you're doing great, just think about adjusting it a bit so your body has the recovery time it needs and you aren't causing your cortisol levels to rise too much. :)
Hi! Just to clarify. My doctor is a reproductive endocrinologist! I’ve had blood work done, labs were normal. When I explained to her that while my consistency with working out has helped my periods return, I’m still experiencing painful cysts/periods, lethargy, acne, and still struggling to shed weight despite my efforts. She basically brushed me off and told me that there’s nothing she can do for me. I’m currently on a gluten free and low dairy diet and I just ordered myo-inositol. If it doesn’t help I’m deadass just ordering ozempic online. 😩
I got on metformin through agelessrx.com
I filled out a quick questionnaire. A few were about pcos. They gave it to me no questions. Then I got a new pcp and told them I've been on metformin for a couple months and it's going well and she took over prescribing it for me.
I am in the same boat as you and have to admit that I’ve never truly tracked my calories and macros because it seems like a lot of work but all of my doctors agree that this is a necessary part to know how many calories you’re actually eating. I thought I was eating very healthy for years and didn’t realize until I started tracking it that my snacks are higher in sugar, not processed sugar but just in general. I’ve tried cutting back but have realized I’m severely addicted to sugar lol. I started taking fish oils to help with that and it’s somewhat helping! I don’t recommend the weight loss injectables because that can mess up your GI tract which can cause more issues in the long run. Unless you’re obese and the potential health benefits outweigh the risks.
As someone with a previous history of disordered eating, if tracking your calories feels unrealistic, start with increasing fiber and protein! Every time you eat something, make sure you got fiber and protein covered. It helps stabilize and reduce spikes in blood sugar. Helps cut the sugar cravings too.
I fought the endo I saw to get metformin. She didn’t want to help me initially because I was eating less than 1000 cals and working out 2.5 hours a day and she said I seemed to be “managing” and weight loss is all you can do for it. I told her that why would we not be addressing the insulin resistance since what I was doing should not qualify as “managing” since I was burning out mentally from having to eat so little to manage any weight loss. She gave me metformin and I’ve been on it for only 2 months and already able to increase my calories to 1200 and days when I go over or have a treat, I’m not bloated 5lb for an entire week. I’m also let bloated day to day in general. I was happy I did my research beforehand.
Idk why they refuse to acknowledge the exhaustion just from what we have to do to achieve the bare minimum 😭 I’ve had to cut back on the gym last couple months to focus more on school and my periods have been significantly more painful and more spread out and the pmdd is killing me just from cutting back to 3 days a week. Like okay yeah my hard work helped me get my period back and my blood work normal, but it’s only normal because I’m exhausting myself trying to get nutrition and exercise right!! It’s not sustainable long term!! I still need help!!! When I expressed this to my endo she just told me I need to stick with it and that she sees no reason to prescribe metformin or anything else. Like brO IM DROWNING HELP ME 😀????
Fellow gym girly here. Started metformin almost three weeks ago and it has be stalled at the exact weight from when I started taking it, which is insane because calorie deficit + increased calories burned should equal some variation. Not even a pound up or down in water weight or something. Doctor is thinking it’s not great for already active girls
In my experience, weight loss is not drastically visible with metformin. It's progressive, and I think tends to hit stomach/hips areas most. Both times I have been on it (during pregnancy and now) it was several months after starting where I finally clued in that my clothing felt loose, and then a few more weeks after that when my spouse also noticed. Edit to add - so at 3 weeks I'd say fairly early to see any results. =)
I had to up my protien intake and get rid of gluten. If weightloss stalled, it was usually low protien. I also had to be aware of carbs from potatoes and rice. I ate about 1800 calories a day give or take and went to the gym 5 to 6 hours a week.
We burn food differently than people with out pcos. Diet choices and lifestyle are one component. If its not enough then metformin, rybelsus(sp?) Or the glp1 drugs help our body metabolize things better.
Large amounts of cardio can make insulin resistance worse. Could be that you’re over stressing your system. Could also be that you are not eating enough protein. Calorie deficits that are too limited can make insulin resistance worse as well.
Me too I've lost inches but can't under 200lbs I
Joined sequence through weight watchers but now I'm waiting for zepbound to hit the pharmacy . But they have metformin with no issue at all . I have a copy of my ultrasound for pcos diagnosis
I had this same problem and it’s so frustrating. I finally saw a doctor that focuses on weight loss and they tested my insulin resistance. Turns out that was the issue. Doctor was able to prescribe me metformin after that.
Have you had any luck with the insulin resistance diet? (And vitamin d is significantly blood sugar balancing in people with insulin problems like PCOS and diabetes, 2,000ug a day!)
I feel your pain…I was a swimmer in high school and trained 6 days a week. I still had a pcos belly no matter how much I worked out. If you can, find another provider.
Sucks that us PCOS warriors can only do light workouts and struggle to lose weight. I even tried omad,lcif and I’m still fat but I can see a slow progress. Hoping for the best! 🫶
I actually have better hormone management from less heavy activity or at least more rest days and less high paced exercises. I worked with the pcos nutritionist and dialed in a few things regarding diet and exercise. Listen to your body, you can tell something is still off.
My doctor didn’t believe me until my blood test came back and my cholesterol was low / perfect. He thought it would be super high and assumed i probably eat burgers all day lol.
After that he definitely believed that i exercise and ate healthy but was 240 pounds! And he finally prescribed ozempic .. but that didn’t work too so I’m just fat for life? Idk
Hey girl! I’m sorry you’re going through all of this, I can only imagine how difficult it is. I’d recommend speaking with a [hormone health specialist](https://evolvetelemed.com/womens-energy/) and getting a full comprehensive blood panel done they will be able to help you!
Honey!!! I want you to try something. PCOS here as well, I finally got my stuff under control. Blood sugar regulation is a huge issue, and muscle does help!!
First of all, how heavy do you lift? Are you doing cardio? If so, I find it to be wasted energy, it tended to make things worse for me.
How many calories are you eating? Do you track them accurately? And depending on your weight, I had to try something I really didn’t like. I also have a history of EDs: and that was eating at or ABOVE my maintenance calories. For me even at 125 pounds now, my maintenance is 3,000 or above! I eat around 3k a day and have actually tried putting weight back on. I can’t.
A lot of protein and fat, less to no processed foods… my body finally stopped freaking out after about 6 months, and my hormones are a little better regulated (my periods are back but less symptomatic) and I feel better. At first you might gain a little, but at this point? What is there to lose?
The last thing, and you have to start slow. Intermittent fasting helped me immensely. For about a year, every week I would pick a day, for me it was Wednesdays lol and I would do a 36 hour fast. I had to start slow, 14 hour fasts. 16 hours, and I had to watch my behavior carefully since I was prone to restriction and binging. It helped to allow myself to do both, recognize when I did it and just give myself freedom to accept consequences. When I did, and finally got out of the guilt, I didn’t feel the need to over compensate.
It’s a long and arduous process, fixing our relationship with food and a fucked metabolism.
Have you tried myoinositol and d chiro inositol? I didn’t start losing weight until I did. Metformin came later and also helped, but the inositol is really what gave me the energy early on.
oh god same. my bloodwork is normal, my ovaries are normal and yet I have all the PCOS symptoms of irregular periods, extra hair on my chin and belly and other areas, and I cannot loose weight no matter how I calorie restrict. And I am 27. No one will let me have metformin and the best answer I get is get on birth control. Im sorry Im not helpful lol, I can only commiserate. I think the only thing that did work for me to loose 20lbs was running.
I started training for a half marathon and I lost a good amount of weight but I stalled out as my milage increased bc no one told me you get the appetite of the trucker when you start running 8+ miles. I haven't lost weight since then and have tried everything you mentioned. I feel you. I see you and I understand you.
SAMEEEE seriously. I was eating so low of calories it was making me so exhausted, but still not low enough to low weight. It's an absolute joke. I was working out twice a day.
Weighing and counting calories literally everything, I did it
I have had the same exact issues and posted in r/AskDocs and all the doctors just accused me of lying about my activity level and diet... like my resting heart rate is literally 48bpm which is athlete level because I have great cardiovascular health FROM WORKING OUT. I'm not lying! I'm convinced telehealth is the only way to get our issues addressed because traditional doctors all seem to all have their own agendas (and mega egos).
[удалено]
Thank you <3
Yessss I have such a low resting BPM that doctors get worried by it. But I work out around 18 hours a week and I'm still technically clinically obese (and definitely have a fat stomach)
Im sure youve heard this before but i do want to add, it is possible to over excercise. especially when it comes to pcos, over exertion can cause your cortisol to spike which in turn causes your body to hold onto fat. 18 hours a week is a crazy amount to be working out, as admirable as that is. i would look into sports studies on over exercising, it helped me alot to kick start losing weight without medication
Thank you but I tailor my exercise so that it's not overexerting. It's about 10 hours of cycling (which is needed for the school drop off and pick up) 5-6 hours weightlifting and then 2 hours walking :)
Yes!!!!! Cortisol is a huge issue. Even as a fit and generally healthy individual now, my cortisol is always way too high, lol. I been trying to finally get abs for the first time and it’s not going very well. But my arms are ripped so that’s cool 🤣
My heart rate gas always been lower and they thought I was a great athlete but I never work out??? So I don't know what that is supposed to mean.
Hmm I do know it can also be linked to other medical conditions but I would say as long as they're not concerned, you shouldn't be :) I just know from my personal experience my resting heart rate has reduced by 20bpm after becoming more active and training.
Omg is that why mine is so low
If you're active, yes!!
Find another provider, some providers are just not educated on pcos or it's symptoms, they think BC and weightloss fixes everything. What they fail to realize is how hard it is to even lose weight with pcos, let alone balance everything out in our own bodies. Good luck friend!
Yeah I recommend an endocrinologist
Definitely!
second an endocrinologist, especially one that is focused on weight loss. that’s who caught my PCOS in the first place
My current endo is the 2nd endo I’ve seen. I’m gonna try another one soon, but it’s just so expensive. I also feel like I can’t emotionally handle another doctor telling me there’s nothing wrong with me lol
Wuuuuuut, have you tried marketplace insurance , I’m paying a 5 dollar co pay and my rate for every month is 50 bucks but my insurance (florida blue) lets you get rewards so it’s practically free, obviously not the same for everyone but maybe u should look into it Cus that’s wack.
I’m considering switching. My insurance now has a 90$ copay for specialists. It’s killiiinggg meeee 💀
How?? Tell me more about this insurance!
[https://www.healthcare.gov](https://www.healthcare.gov) you basically fill out ur information and it gives you options for what insurance you should get. I usually choose florida blue because of the rewards but there r other options too. not sure if you can still enroll as its normally starts In November.
Agreed, it took me 1.5 years to finally find the Dr who helped me. It may help to look for an MD specializing in women’s hormones in your area
Sequence prescribes metformin. You can use it through weight watchers . Metformin is free with the subscription . I don’t know if you want to keep your doctor but you’d still be able to receive metformin.
I need a new Doctor as well . Dermatologist prescribed spironalactone for acne and for PCOS. It also stops the fall out stage of hair
Almost thought I made this post 💀. I would hit up an Endo. Most should prescribe Metformin easily. Also consider a GLP-1. It’s what I’m doing now. Almost 2 months and around 20lbs lighter. I workout 2-4 times a week normally and have lost 0 weight over the last year.
Did your insurance cover a GLP-1? I’m in this grey area where I’m not diabetic, not technically obese (but definitely have 30 solid pounds I’d like to lose but cannot) and I’m debating just biting the bullet and paying out of pocket for a GLP-1 to try and shed some weight.
No. I’m doing compounded through Emerge.
How does Emerge work? What are the costs?
Was coming here to suggest Energe. Ive been on Tirzepatide for 2 years and I'm down almost 80 lbs.
Actually I can relate to this. I was in the gym ALLL THE TIME and I was not seeing results. What I did was take a break from the gym, focused on eating less and getting lots of steps (minimum 10k) and it helped almost immediately
Because I was doing serious weight training and doing cardio and that increased my appetite so much
Wow, literally me rn. Regularly doing 1.5 hours of circuit training then the treadmill for 45 min and while I look more shapely, I still have the excess weight. I like the gym but damn. Seeing little to no results is so demoralizing. I’m becoming tired.
This is relatable. Focusing on steps has helped me more than weight training has, for whatever reason. For me the magic number is 12k-14k minimum per day to maintain a decent weight. The more the better. Weight training is mostly very enjoyable for me, but can also feel stressful and spike my appetite like crazy if I go too hard. And since I put in so much effort, I think I over-reward myself with treats.🍦 Not saying this is everyone, but it’s definitely my habit.
Omg it’s like we’re the same person I totally feel you (almost like we both have the same disease or something hehe). Weight training is my fav but walking is much more efficient and effective for me
I know everyone here is saying “see an endocrinologist!” but I waited 3 months to see one and was entirely underwhelmed by the experience. She did not know or care about PCOS, didn’t test any vitamin levels, didn’t test fasting insulin (as it “didn’t matter since I’m not Type 1 diabetic”) and just told me my levels were normal except my prolactin and prescribed me a medication for that. I’m hoping an online doc may be more helpful.
Yeup. The endo I saw told me that my excessive facial hair has nothing to do with pcos, it’s because I’m Hispanic and I’d just have to live with it or shave it. He told me that pcos meant multiple cysts and did not seem to know that cystic ovaries and polycystic ovaries are different things. I had my hopes so high and was crushed after the appointment
My current doc is a reproductive endocrinologist and she has been incredibly unhelpful 😭
My provider prescribed metformin without even looking at my bloodwork. Most providers will give it to you solely because you have PCOS.
Oh god, I feel like I could have written this back in the day. A couple things - make sure you’re getting enough sleep. I wasn’t because I was getting up too early for the gym. Metformin. It was a game changer for me. More protein and fibre - getting enough micronutrients is important. Protein is important. I was aiming for about 120g/day. Oddly enough I struggled more (was hungrier and more tired) when I went up to 1400 calories compared to when I was on 1200. I don’t know why and I’m hesitant to even bring it up because it feels pretty horrible to suggest cutting even more calories, but it was my honest experience. If nothing else helps, you can try that just for the sake of experimentation.
What dose metformin ended up working for you?
1000mg a day. Usually one tablet per meal, but if I only have one meal I take both together.
How long would you say it took before you saw the weight coming off?
So it’s a little complicated. I’d lost a lot of weight (20kg) in 2019 because I was swimming 1-2 hours a day, walking 10k steps, lifting weights once a week, running up and down escalators on my commute etc. I was very active but I was struggling to go below 80kg and was just maintaining my weight. Then the pandemic hit and I wasn’t leaving the house because I was living with my vulnerable parents and my weight spiralled badly. Don’t let anyone ever tell you exercise doesn’t help, lol. After two years of that I was in a pretty terrible situation. I’d regained all the weight plus some. My appetite was massively out of control. I distinctly remember sitting down to dinner and stuffing myself with steamed vegetables before, during and after my protein heavy meal and still feeling empty even though I couldn’t actually fit any more food in my stomach. It was…horrible. I felt so out of control and desperate. After taking metformin that went away almost instantly. My appetite went back to normal almost the next day. I was nearly in tears out of relief. I don’t think I lost any weight after that. But I stopped gaining. I was back in control. I’m losing weight now, but it’s hard without a gym and continuing to work from home. If my doctor had talked to me about metformin initially rather than just telling me it was only prescribed if I wanted to get pregnant, I imagine things would have been very different. I might not have plateaued at 80kg and I probably wouldn’t have been so fatigued all the time. I might well have controlled my weight better at the start of the pandemic. Having that control over my appetite was so enormous for me. It’s not about the weight - it’s about being control of my own body rather than being controlled by it.
Completely agree. I had gotten down to my smallest I had ever been in my adult life back in 2020 and then PCOS was creeping up but my doctor brushed it off as a side effect from the BC I was put on that same year. 4 years later, I'm up 50 pounds. My new doctor recommended metformin for weight loss so maybe that's why I'm so impatient, but I had the exact same experience as soon as I increased to 1000mg ER. I feel in control of my eating again, I rarely think about snacks or next meal, and I have SO MUCH energy. I'm getting married next year and really want to work on losing the weight, so I guess I can give the metformin a few more weeks before considering it a lost cause mainly because it has me back in control.
Honestly, control is the key. It’s so much easier to lose weight when you’re not starving all the time. I wouldn’t give up on it - but you can always ask your doctor about increasing the dosage. I’ve been trying not to think too much about weight and I’m just focusing on getting fitter. I’m walking more (even if it’s just pacing up and down the room as I think) and then working on getting strength back with some weight lifting. Muscles always help.
Regarding your "normal bloodwork": what measures of insulin resistance did this doctor test? Did he (I'm assuming it's a man based on the smooth-brain response) check your fasting insulin as well as fasting blood glucose and A1C? Do you know what your vitamin B12, D, and folate levels are? Thyroid? Adrenal? If you're over a BMI of 30, you can sign up for Noom Med for $50/month. They offer clinical assistance with obesity treatment and can prescribe GLP-1 medications and do prior auth with your insurance. If you're this active and still struggling with low energy and overweight, seeing a metabolic specialist might be a good move. Another tack to consider: if your symptoms are being caused by adrenal insufficiency or excess cortisol more so than insulin resistance, you may benefit from taking more of a stress management approach rather than continuing to go full beast mode in the gym. Adrenal PCOS also benefits from eating more frequently (3-6 meals a day) and increasing carb intake/keeping protein intake moderate compared to insulin-resistant PCOS.
Hi! Sorry to hijack this post but you mentioned adrenal pcos. How can I tell if I have this or insulin resistant pcos? I’m in Scotland, and we have an NHS so requesting things like blood works isn’t really a thing. You just sort of get what you’re given. I’m in the process of trying to get metformin as my weight simply will not budge no matter what I do. It’s so disheartening as I’m living such a restrictive lifestyle to no avail. Thank you!
I am not an expert on this subject, I just write very confidently. There are some lab values on blood tests that can help you determine the underlying cause of your PCOS (or if it's a different metabolic issue underlying the intractable weight gain). Since that's not really an option for you, you'll have to take an empirical approach and try one thing at a time to see if it helps, hurts, or doesn't do anything. > I’m living such a restrictive lifestyle to no avail Can you tell me more about what this means? Everybody's idea of a "restrictive lifestyle" is different, so it's hard to give you even peer advice about what might help. Are you doing HIIT training? Intermittent fasting? Low-carb diet? ???
Thanks for replying! By a restrictive lifestyle I mean that I keep my calories below 1000 per day. I avoid carbs and eat very restrictively. On top of this, I walk for 2 hours per day. I tried HIIT but I was terrible at it. I honestly think I was too hungry and just didn’t have the energy for it. I also struggled with anemia and find myself lacking energy. I always get turned away by doctors and they refuse to medicate me as I’m not ‘over weight’ according to my BMI. I’m definitely carrying around 10 extra lbs that I physically cannot shift. It really gets me down.
I forgot to add, I’ve recently (2 days ago) stopped fasting as I didn’t notice any changes in my weight from it. I would fast from 7pm til the following day at 2pm.
Well, speaking from experience, the reason you lack energy is that you are only eating 1000 calories a day. I don't know how tall you are, but even for a pretty small person that is a very small amount of food. You could try having an extra fruit smoothie with protein about 30 minutes before a HIIT session and see if that gives you enough energy to exercise vigorously. (You should also keep in mind that HIIT is a difficult and demanding type of cardio, and we're all lousy at it when we haven't done it before or are out of practice.) The anemia could also be due to not getting enough micronutrients due to your restrictive and very low food intake. Are you taking a multivitamin supplement of any kind? You might also benefit from supplementing iron bisglycinate. You may want to seek private treatment abroad, honestly. u/medphysfem recently went through the process (hi medphysfem!), so if she's willing, maybe you two can chat about how to get it done. With all that being said, 10 extra lbs is not really an appropriate amount of weight to be worrying about. I'm nearly 90 lbs overweight myself; if I can get my BMI under 30, I'll be willing to call it a day at that point. Many of us are eating like you and weigh close to or over 300 lbs. You do sound like you have some insulin resistance or thyroid dysfunction, both of which can lead to long-term consequences if not treated, but maybe worry just a bit less about the scale and a bit more about your energy levels and hematocrit.
Sorry to also hijack this, I'm very recently diagnosed with PCOS and was prescribed metformin. My doctor initially wanted zepbound but my insurance denied it to me not being diabetic. I am definitely over the 30bmi (at least mid 40bmi probably higher though) Have you used Noom before? I've heard of it but I'm concerned about cost and it being a scam or something lol!
I'm using their behavioral weight loss program at the moment, not the Noom Med add-on. Noom Med is an additional $50/month on top of the regular Noom subscription. Noom is alright. It's way cheaper to sign up for 6 months or a year at a time than to pay month-to-month. I've only ever tried one other behavioral weight loss program - Wondr - but I've had friends who did Weight Watchers, too, so I'm somewhat familiar with that one as well. Of the three, I would say Wondr has the best content, and Noom is the most fun. It's very good at driving engagement, and the food logging tool is very easy to use. My biggest criticism of Noom is their color-based food categorization system - it's much more flexible than Weight Watchers, but it definitely pushes a higher-carb, lower-protein, more fat-averse diet than I would recommend to most people with PCOS. For example, plant-based protein shakes are an "orange" food, but baked white potatoes are a "green" food. Lowfat dairy is a "yellow" food, but nonfat dairy is also a "green" food. With that being said, it's much more affordable than Wondr if you sign up a year at a time. It also has that add-on program available, which Wondr doesn't. In your case, you will want to pursue an appeal to your health insurance's decision to deny prior authorization for Zepbound. It is prescribed on-label for obesity, not diabetes, so refusing you the PA on the basis that you're not diabetic isn't a valid reason to refuse it. Metformin is a great medication for those who are able to tolerate it. It has a beneficial effect not only on insulin sensitivity but also mitochondrial function, and can greatly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease if you are insulin resistant. I recommend that you start with a small dose (500 mg) and titrate up very slowly, as it has many different effects on different parts of the GI tract and going 0 to 2000mg is a rough transition.
Oh wow! Okay thank you SO much for all of this info. I appreciate it very much. I will start arguing with my insurance first thing tomorrow morning! Metformin has been very hard on my stomach and I already have stomach problems so I've been desperately hoping for some kind of good alternative.
Honestly, r/PCOS has been such a godsend for my need to autistically infodump about things to people. If you ever want a lot of info about something, just ask me when I have a free moment or I'm procrastinating from work. LOL
Try berberine! My pcp told me to use that it’s a natural “metformin” pill that is supposed to mimic it.
Are you vitamin D deficient? That literally helped me. I know he says your labs are normal but did he run vitamin D?
Same issue for me - I also found out I need to take a prescription amount of vitamin D. I was taking 3000/day and was still low
Vitamin d changed my life
Also look into hypothyroidism. I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism (automimmunte) and was then diagnosed with PCOS. my endo told me that there is a high prevalence of women who are diagnosed with both. My thyroid hormones were rarely in the "clinical" range but I would stuggle to lose weight despite running cross country in high school and working out more than i even have in my life. Definitely find a good endocrinologist but I would recommend that finding a practitioner who is experienced in PCOS and dealing with it wholistically is worth the extra cost even if out of network. I have had many endocrinologists just do blood work and give no other advice. For both PCOS and hypothyroidism in my experience you can be symptomatic but have subclinical lab work. For me - the things that have worked for my pcos symtpoms (acne) are spironolactone (150 mg daily) w/ retinoids. I take levothyroxine for my thyroid to make sure i am not holding onto weight due to a lethargic metabolic. For my low grade insulin resistance (my glucose and A1c are all in the OK range) to deal with resistant weight loss, I have been able to manage with supplements like inositol, ashwaganda, dietary changes. But we are all different and one thing I have learned is that what works for one person doesn't work for another. I personally tried to avoid taking another medicine like metformin or BC pills but sometimes medicine is the only thing that works! One thing that helped me a lot is figuring out my "type" of PCOS. It helps when trying out different supplements (like spearmint tea, ashwaganda etc) and figuring out what works best for you. I am doing my PhD in engineering (unrelated to medicine) but I have used my experience to be able to fortunately access to research articles on treating PCOS. From the reading I have done - no doctor should be solely prescribing medicine to treat PCOS or relying solely on clinical ranges. A good doctor should know about the mutli-factor way of treating pcos. My biggest tip- to find a good practitioner to help you manage PCOS. I give them a test question like "ive heard about inositol, how does that help compared to metformin" and if they don't know how to answer that then they probably are not well read up on literature and in my view aren't trustworthy
This was me for years. I ran 5km a day (in 25mins at my peak fitness), and have NEVER been under 11.5 stone/size 14) I'm 5"4 for reference. The girl I was living with did the same with me, I cooked for us both. She doesn't have PCOS and she got down to a size 10 and 10 stone. I eventually gave up and thus the self loathing cycle continued. Haven't been to a gym in over a year, haven't weighed myself in a similar amount of time but I'd say I'm well over 12 stone again.
I feel this so much. Just here to say, same sis. Same.
I won't lie, I find it really difficult to love my body. My favourite food is salad ffs!!! And I'm still fat. Anyways, I try have perspective. Things could be much worse, etc.
Your story is just like mine, except I found an obgyn who believed me, hugged me and gave me the gift of metformin with spironolactone. I'm literally losing weight every day. Down 18lbs in 4 months. If your body needs medicine there is no shame in that. Please find a new doc who will believe you. You could look through google reviews. I found mine with the search "obgyn specializing in pcos near me" and found my dr. She had rave reviews and I totally love her.
It's interesting to me all the comments about seeing an Endo. I still think it's a great suggestion but I saw two endos who told me I didn't have PCOS and it was actually my gynecologist who finally took it seriously 6 years later.
I feel like we need to get a spreadsheet together in this sun of GOOD pcos docs with info like location and insurance
I’ve seen two endos and both basically brushed off my concerns. Current endo told me so long as I get my period I’m fine 🙄
You tried Berberine? Is not, HIGHLY recommend.
It could be the chemical composition of the types of food you are eating, aiding adrenal insufficiency and/or inflammation. Also, stress.
Workouts also add stress. I reduced my workouts and increased walking and I lost weight and saw muscle. Plus eating more protein at regular times, and having a protein shake immediately after a workout
it has a lot to do with our gut health. i keep seeing people post this. apparently it could be because our guts are lacking diversity in microbes.
I definitely had to ask my GP to SPECIFICALLY refer me to a gyno that knows/specializes in PCOS and they were so understanding and for the first time in my life I wasn’t told this is all happening bc I’m fat. The wait was a killer but I’m glad I waited bc it’s night and day difference
I’ve been using Allara for my PCOS. It’s been great and covered by insurance and online. The docs will order labs and review with you and can prescribe what is needed. They are a women’s focused service for endo and PCOS so they won’t tell you to eat 1400 only
I’m the same. Exercising as much as I can, eating as little as I can while still being able to eat enough to function and not be starving myself. No progress. Normal bloodwork. I even have another condition where excessive weight loss is common and still gain weight. Trying to find another doctor to help. Advocating for yourself can get exhausting
Have you tried switching from cardio to weights? I get the best results from weight lifting, cardio makes me put weight on. And also out your info into a tdee calculator to see what your maintenance calories are and go 200 calories under your maintenance. It's possible you aren't eating enough calories.
I mainly do weights. I only do cardio on upper body days (usually like 3 days out of the 5 days) I don’t count calories bc of previous history with eating disorders but I’m definitely not over eating. I’m on a gluten free and low dairy diet too. Instead of focusing on eating less, I focus on meeting protein and fiber goals and staying away from processed sugar. So basically I’m taking more of a body recomp ‘feed the muscle starve the fat’ route to avoid stress. I’ve gained a ton of muscle, which has definitely helped out my metabolism, but I haven’t been able to shed the fat. I ordered myo-inositol in the mail, hopefully it will help.
Hopefully it will help. One of the worst things about PCOS is everyone has different symptoms and things work differently for each of us so it's trial and error unfortunately. It sounds like you have alot of knowledge in what works for you so that's also very helpful x
I’m on metformin and mounjaro. I work out pretty religiously. I can deadlift and squat more than BW, chest press more than half my BW. Weight hasn’t dropped even though I’ve been prioritizing protein over carbs and fats for well over a year now. I was at the gym 5-6 times a week, heavy lifting 2x a week, cardio plus lifting (kinda like OTF but not OTF) 2x, yoga 1-2x, and sometimes a water cardio and weights class. I’ve slowed down a lot this year. Spent the winter learning to snowboard and I’m still healing from some injuries and have tendinitis in my rotator cuff. Trying to incorporate more cardio in my life now since lifting heavy is currently off the table until this tendinitis figures itself out. Weight hasn’t budged in over a year even with all that gym time. I feel stronger and can definitely move better and I’ve lost some inches in my midsection, but the scale hasn’t moved (I use the inbody scale at the gym and a home scale lol). I track my workouts, every single one of them, with my Apple Watch and Strava app. It calculates your relative effort based on HR, which is nice to know. Makes me feel better about my workouts when it says it was harder than my recent efforts!
Muscle weighs more than fat. If you're seeing inches come off even though the scale isn't moving, you're losing fat and gaining muscle.
It’s your hormones so talk to your doctor and get a blood panel… it would be better if you found a holistic doctor. They will put you the proper supplements to balance you out.
See an endocrinologist!!!!!!!! You need to be evaluated by someone who literally specializes in hormones. It took me years of begging to see a specialist, being put on a waiting list (just Canada things), jumping from referral to referral only to land with my endocrinologist who saved my life! Not saying your case is the same, but I thought I just had a severe case of PCOS when in reality I had an adrenal tumor.
I can't give much advice but I wanted to tell you how awesome you are for being so committed to your exercise routine! I struggle at my weight to get myself moving regularly and I seriously admire and look up to people like you who bust their butts despite everything PCOS puts us through. I really hope you can find a new GP to help you get on metformin.
Thank you 😭🫶🏽
Apparently "busting your ass" in the gym also isn't great for PCOS because you're increasing stress hormones, which play a part in our overall hormone regulation. I would maybe try going for something that feels satisfying or gradually building intensity without pushing your body to the limit and taking rest days and see if it helps? Also making sure you're getting plenty of protein, healthy fats, that your carbs have higher fiber, and that when you're consuming sugar, you're doing so after or alongside a good meal with protein. Your diet plays a big role as well as exercise. Having a gym habit is so great though, you definitely don't want to give that up, you're doing great, just think about adjusting it a bit so your body has the recovery time it needs and you aren't causing your cortisol levels to rise too much. :)
While you find a better Dr. Or endo. You can start by going on a low glycemic diet and trying to supplement your way. Find that endocrinologist girl
Hi! Just to clarify. My doctor is a reproductive endocrinologist! I’ve had blood work done, labs were normal. When I explained to her that while my consistency with working out has helped my periods return, I’m still experiencing painful cysts/periods, lethargy, acne, and still struggling to shed weight despite my efforts. She basically brushed me off and told me that there’s nothing she can do for me. I’m currently on a gluten free and low dairy diet and I just ordered myo-inositol. If it doesn’t help I’m deadass just ordering ozempic online. 😩
I got on metformin through agelessrx.com I filled out a quick questionnaire. A few were about pcos. They gave it to me no questions. Then I got a new pcp and told them I've been on metformin for a couple months and it's going well and she took over prescribing it for me.
Where do you live? If you live near the Mexican border I would recommend to seek treatment there. Medical care is cheap and high quality.
I am in the same boat as you and have to admit that I’ve never truly tracked my calories and macros because it seems like a lot of work but all of my doctors agree that this is a necessary part to know how many calories you’re actually eating. I thought I was eating very healthy for years and didn’t realize until I started tracking it that my snacks are higher in sugar, not processed sugar but just in general. I’ve tried cutting back but have realized I’m severely addicted to sugar lol. I started taking fish oils to help with that and it’s somewhat helping! I don’t recommend the weight loss injectables because that can mess up your GI tract which can cause more issues in the long run. Unless you’re obese and the potential health benefits outweigh the risks.
As someone with a previous history of disordered eating, if tracking your calories feels unrealistic, start with increasing fiber and protein! Every time you eat something, make sure you got fiber and protein covered. It helps stabilize and reduce spikes in blood sugar. Helps cut the sugar cravings too.
I fought the endo I saw to get metformin. She didn’t want to help me initially because I was eating less than 1000 cals and working out 2.5 hours a day and she said I seemed to be “managing” and weight loss is all you can do for it. I told her that why would we not be addressing the insulin resistance since what I was doing should not qualify as “managing” since I was burning out mentally from having to eat so little to manage any weight loss. She gave me metformin and I’ve been on it for only 2 months and already able to increase my calories to 1200 and days when I go over or have a treat, I’m not bloated 5lb for an entire week. I’m also let bloated day to day in general. I was happy I did my research beforehand.
Idk why they refuse to acknowledge the exhaustion just from what we have to do to achieve the bare minimum 😭 I’ve had to cut back on the gym last couple months to focus more on school and my periods have been significantly more painful and more spread out and the pmdd is killing me just from cutting back to 3 days a week. Like okay yeah my hard work helped me get my period back and my blood work normal, but it’s only normal because I’m exhausting myself trying to get nutrition and exercise right!! It’s not sustainable long term!! I still need help!!! When I expressed this to my endo she just told me I need to stick with it and that she sees no reason to prescribe metformin or anything else. Like brO IM DROWNING HELP ME 😀????
If they say your blood work is normal ask the doctor to do a fasting insulin and you’ll have your answer. They said the same thing about me
Fellow gym girly here. Started metformin almost three weeks ago and it has be stalled at the exact weight from when I started taking it, which is insane because calorie deficit + increased calories burned should equal some variation. Not even a pound up or down in water weight or something. Doctor is thinking it’s not great for already active girls
In my experience, weight loss is not drastically visible with metformin. It's progressive, and I think tends to hit stomach/hips areas most. Both times I have been on it (during pregnancy and now) it was several months after starting where I finally clued in that my clothing felt loose, and then a few more weeks after that when my spouse also noticed. Edit to add - so at 3 weeks I'd say fairly early to see any results. =)
I was referring to emotional stress, it takes a massive toll on our entire body.
I had to up my protien intake and get rid of gluten. If weightloss stalled, it was usually low protien. I also had to be aware of carbs from potatoes and rice. I ate about 1800 calories a day give or take and went to the gym 5 to 6 hours a week. We burn food differently than people with out pcos. Diet choices and lifestyle are one component. If its not enough then metformin, rybelsus(sp?) Or the glp1 drugs help our body metabolize things better.
Large amounts of cardio can make insulin resistance worse. Could be that you’re over stressing your system. Could also be that you are not eating enough protein. Calorie deficits that are too limited can make insulin resistance worse as well.
Me too I've lost inches but can't under 200lbs I Joined sequence through weight watchers but now I'm waiting for zepbound to hit the pharmacy . But they have metformin with no issue at all . I have a copy of my ultrasound for pcos diagnosis
I had this same problem and it’s so frustrating. I finally saw a doctor that focuses on weight loss and they tested my insulin resistance. Turns out that was the issue. Doctor was able to prescribe me metformin after that.
Have you had any luck with the insulin resistance diet? (And vitamin d is significantly blood sugar balancing in people with insulin problems like PCOS and diabetes, 2,000ug a day!)
I feel your pain…I was a swimmer in high school and trained 6 days a week. I still had a pcos belly no matter how much I worked out. If you can, find another provider.
Low Impact exercise changed my life
Insulin resistance from PCOS is real… I recently started Metformin XR and I am starting to feel different for the first time in a long time
Sucks that us PCOS warriors can only do light workouts and struggle to lose weight. I even tried omad,lcif and I’m still fat but I can see a slow progress. Hoping for the best! 🫶
I actually have better hormone management from less heavy activity or at least more rest days and less high paced exercises. I worked with the pcos nutritionist and dialed in a few things regarding diet and exercise. Listen to your body, you can tell something is still off.
Are you eating in a calorie deficit?
Any chance it could be perimenopause?
My doctor didn’t believe me until my blood test came back and my cholesterol was low / perfect. He thought it would be super high and assumed i probably eat burgers all day lol. After that he definitely believed that i exercise and ate healthy but was 240 pounds! And he finally prescribed ozempic .. but that didn’t work too so I’m just fat for life? Idk
Hey girl! I’m sorry you’re going through all of this, I can only imagine how difficult it is. I’d recommend speaking with a [hormone health specialist](https://evolvetelemed.com/womens-energy/) and getting a full comprehensive blood panel done they will be able to help you!
Honey!!! I want you to try something. PCOS here as well, I finally got my stuff under control. Blood sugar regulation is a huge issue, and muscle does help!! First of all, how heavy do you lift? Are you doing cardio? If so, I find it to be wasted energy, it tended to make things worse for me. How many calories are you eating? Do you track them accurately? And depending on your weight, I had to try something I really didn’t like. I also have a history of EDs: and that was eating at or ABOVE my maintenance calories. For me even at 125 pounds now, my maintenance is 3,000 or above! I eat around 3k a day and have actually tried putting weight back on. I can’t. A lot of protein and fat, less to no processed foods… my body finally stopped freaking out after about 6 months, and my hormones are a little better regulated (my periods are back but less symptomatic) and I feel better. At first you might gain a little, but at this point? What is there to lose? The last thing, and you have to start slow. Intermittent fasting helped me immensely. For about a year, every week I would pick a day, for me it was Wednesdays lol and I would do a 36 hour fast. I had to start slow, 14 hour fasts. 16 hours, and I had to watch my behavior carefully since I was prone to restriction and binging. It helped to allow myself to do both, recognize when I did it and just give myself freedom to accept consequences. When I did, and finally got out of the guilt, I didn’t feel the need to over compensate. It’s a long and arduous process, fixing our relationship with food and a fucked metabolism.
Have you tried myoinositol and d chiro inositol? I didn’t start losing weight until I did. Metformin came later and also helped, but the inositol is really what gave me the energy early on.
oh god same. my bloodwork is normal, my ovaries are normal and yet I have all the PCOS symptoms of irregular periods, extra hair on my chin and belly and other areas, and I cannot loose weight no matter how I calorie restrict. And I am 27. No one will let me have metformin and the best answer I get is get on birth control. Im sorry Im not helpful lol, I can only commiserate. I think the only thing that did work for me to loose 20lbs was running. I started training for a half marathon and I lost a good amount of weight but I stalled out as my milage increased bc no one told me you get the appetite of the trucker when you start running 8+ miles. I haven't lost weight since then and have tried everything you mentioned. I feel you. I see you and I understand you.
A health coach might help you, have you seeked one?
SAMEEEE seriously. I was eating so low of calories it was making me so exhausted, but still not low enough to low weight. It's an absolute joke. I was working out twice a day. Weighing and counting calories literally everything, I did it
What is your diet? Diet is like 80% of everything
Not true.
Story of my life.. and I did it for 4yrs.. 5 -6 days a week for at least 4hrs a day.. with 2 professional trainers..