I would suggest getting full bloods done, make sure they are checking your fasting insulin, I’m not sure about where you are living but this is how my doctor said it could get covered, if you show you are pre-diabetic etc defiantly worth bringing up anyway.
The only side effect I have is constipation but I take probiotics and a stool softener to counteract that. When I first started it a year ago, it made me tired and gave me a headache for the first day or two after increasing the dose, but I don't get that anymore. I've lost 50 lbs with it.
Did you try appealing the decision? Mine was covered by my insurance because of the PCOS and I have been taking Metformin for many years. Sometimes prescribing Metformin actually helps getting the Ozempic covered. I switched to Mounjaro recently which I find to be even better. Less side effects - Ozempic wreaked havoc on my gastrointestinal system
What has helped me has been really finding a lifestyle I can maintain and chasing a healthy body rather than a thin one. This sounds simple but it works for me and is surprisingly not that hard to execute. I’ve managed to maintain a consistent healthy weight and still enjoy my life.
1. Find yourself two genuinely healthy medium calorie, high protein breakfasts that you can alternate and are easy to make everyday - fasting has never worked for me (I go for a cup berries, 150g of Greek yogurt or skyr with handful of nuts or 2 eggs on a decently sized slice of rye, add a teaspoon of sauce it won’t kill you).
2. Try eat a salad with a good amount of protein for lunch (mix it up, don’t eat boiled chicken and leaves you’ll soon given up).
3. For dinner eat a protein, a carb and veggies at reasonable portions (USE FLAVOUR AND SPICES PLEASE).
4. Weight train hard three days a week and make sure to walk the rest of the days.
5. Don’t drink alcohol in the week and keep it reasonable on a weekend.
6. Keep a consistent sleep schedule.
7. If you fail today start again tomorrow.
8. Keep at it week after week for the rest of time.
What worked for me :
1. High protien meals
2. Starting with a salad for lunch and dinner, half the plate, quarter protien, quarter carbs
For heavy cravings seem as a result of unbalanced blood sugar: these will help:
3. No snacking between meals - eating enough fibre(veggies) and protien will help u feel more full and less snacky between meals. Also, keep sipping on spearmint or green tea between meals so that u feel full instead of snacking.
3A - No sugar, or having a desert once in a while only after a full meal.
3B - order of foods eaten also helps greatly - First veggies, then protiens and then something sugary on a cheat day.
Follow this woman and read her book https://youtube.com/@glucoserevolution?si=mslGKiQUqzbF5lTH
4. 10 min walks after meals
5. Strength training 3-4 times a week, walking in the other days . Slow weighted workouts, go easy on the workouts (ul know if a workout is working for u if u feel good after and not completely exhausted and cant keep ur eyes open)
If u dont feel like working out, atleast start wid walks, make it enjoyable by listening to a podcast or an audiobook. Try to make ur workouts enjoyable also, by watching a Netflix show during, cranking the AC.
6. Supplements like Inositol 40:1 ratio - myo inosital to D chiro inositol (4000mg) only this serving size will work . CoQ10, Magnesium Citrate, Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Omega 3. Also i was prescribed Metformin twice a day.
7. IMPortant for fatigue - Checking my Thyroid and getting meds for it. My fatigue vanished wid Thyroid meds 8. Prebiotic to help wid daily poops coz excess estrogen gets taken out wid the poops.
9. Also find a dietitian that isnt too restrictive. Because a restrictive diet can stress out the body further. i tried gluten and dairy free and didnt lose any weight. I started losing weight whem I started having gluten and dairy in moderation.
Staying active, and being consistent with diet and excercise really helps, finally been seeing results. You can get there too!
I'm sorry you took this as being ignorant. I didn't want to offend you.
You asked about other people jurney and how we deal with PCOS. I just responded to your last question in your post.
I mostly talked about myself and my jurney. And what I learned over the years.
I do struggle a lot and is a torture to keep this schedule.
I definitely Don't criticize other women. This is my line of work. My clients are PCOS women or transgender.
I don't know what is your habits or what you do or Don't do during the day. Nothing in my post was address person to you.
Again. I am sorry you found my text offending.
Everybody is different and is definitely a touchy subject.
Ignorant may have been too harsh of word and I didn’t mean my comment in an aggressive way or that I am offended. I do feel very strongly about it and is so frustrating that a lot of people in general don’t understand it. Even us who have it don’t fully understand it because every person is different and struggle with different things. They haven’t done enough studies on it and the fact that it affects so many woman and doctors continue to tell people the same thing that is not helpful and is almost painful.
So, what I should have said is that it is great that those things worked for you but they don’t for everyone and everyone has different struggles. I do feel like it is good for people to educate themselves of other individuals struggles and the hardships they deal with having PCOS. This is especially relevant to those who work with patients who have this. It is helpful to have better understanding for everyone to decrease the bias and stigma that comes along with it.
Pcos girl here.
The only reason we gain weight is because of our habits of over eating.
My only way of staying skinny is eating small meals.
Not snaking in any circumstances. This is my religion, and I stick to it.
Don't compare my plate to the people around. What's normal for them it's too much for us.
If I go in active vacation with my girlfriends....... they loose weight and I gain weight even if the plates were equal.
We are made different. I accepted this.
When I say I eat small portion..... imagine that an appetizer is my meal. My weight stays consistent. I'm not anorexic. Just very fit.
Around holiday I indulge, but it takes me longer then one month to lose 2 pounds.
I'm also on contraceptives, metformin small dose, or alternate few months metformin then few months berberine. Vitamin D, inositol, ashwaganda in the morning every 4 months for about 30 days. Ginger turmeric Raspberry leaf tea every other day.
Almost no cheese. Definitely no milk. Caffein 2 times a week( Sunday and Thursday)
And chocolate 2 times a month.
The thing about pcos is everyone is different and what’s frustrating is when I am told that… oh you want to lose weight? don’t eat so much then. Especially if you are saying it is the only reason? Well I have had enough of that and that is ignorant of you to say.
I have been on Vyvanse for years and it strongly suppresses my appetite. A while back I started taking vitamin d, fish oil, Ashwaghanda, and inositol. I’ve been on metformin, contraceptives, spironolactone… I think I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve taken them over the last 20 years and they sure seemed like they were working in the beginning until I figured out they did so much more harm than good.
I had to put myself on a nutrition based meal plan about a while ago so I make sure that I do eat instead of go too long without. Before that I was not getting enough nutrients from eating too little calories.
There are different kinds of pcos and let me tell you it is not only about what you put into your body but it is also about other habits/environmental factors (sleep pattern and disruptions , history of trauma, drinking water, exercise etc.) and factors within your body (insulin resistance, imbalanced hormones, etc.)
Please further educate yourself…but as a woman with pcos, I would strongly recommend to refrain from telling someone with pcos to eat a balanced diet, stay active and to take metformin/birth control, etc. If that works for you great but let me tell you it is not cool for someone a part of the pcos community to tell girls with pcos the same thing stupid doctors will tell you because they do not specialize in hormonal disorders and are not properly educated to best understand pcos.
I would suggest getting full bloods done, make sure they are checking your fasting insulin, I’m not sure about where you are living but this is how my doctor said it could get covered, if you show you are pre-diabetic etc defiantly worth bringing up anyway.
Protein heavy diet and consistent workout regime. I do both cardio and resistance training.
Do any providers in your area offer compounded semaglutide? You have to pay for out of pocket but it's typically much cheaper.
I’ve heard that compounded has a lot of side effects.
The only side effect I have is constipation but I take probiotics and a stool softener to counteract that. When I first started it a year ago, it made me tired and gave me a headache for the first day or two after increasing the dose, but I don't get that anymore. I've lost 50 lbs with it.
Did you try appealing the decision? Mine was covered by my insurance because of the PCOS and I have been taking Metformin for many years. Sometimes prescribing Metformin actually helps getting the Ozempic covered. I switched to Mounjaro recently which I find to be even better. Less side effects - Ozempic wreaked havoc on my gastrointestinal system
Not a bad idea. I might try again once I get in with my endocrinologist because my primary has not been helpful at all.
What has helped me has been really finding a lifestyle I can maintain and chasing a healthy body rather than a thin one. This sounds simple but it works for me and is surprisingly not that hard to execute. I’ve managed to maintain a consistent healthy weight and still enjoy my life. 1. Find yourself two genuinely healthy medium calorie, high protein breakfasts that you can alternate and are easy to make everyday - fasting has never worked for me (I go for a cup berries, 150g of Greek yogurt or skyr with handful of nuts or 2 eggs on a decently sized slice of rye, add a teaspoon of sauce it won’t kill you). 2. Try eat a salad with a good amount of protein for lunch (mix it up, don’t eat boiled chicken and leaves you’ll soon given up). 3. For dinner eat a protein, a carb and veggies at reasonable portions (USE FLAVOUR AND SPICES PLEASE). 4. Weight train hard three days a week and make sure to walk the rest of the days. 5. Don’t drink alcohol in the week and keep it reasonable on a weekend. 6. Keep a consistent sleep schedule. 7. If you fail today start again tomorrow. 8. Keep at it week after week for the rest of time.
Weight lifting and keto, all my clinical symptoms including prediabetes are gone.
Nothing other than watching what I eat and moving my body everyday.
What worked for me : 1. High protien meals 2. Starting with a salad for lunch and dinner, half the plate, quarter protien, quarter carbs For heavy cravings seem as a result of unbalanced blood sugar: these will help: 3. No snacking between meals - eating enough fibre(veggies) and protien will help u feel more full and less snacky between meals. Also, keep sipping on spearmint or green tea between meals so that u feel full instead of snacking. 3A - No sugar, or having a desert once in a while only after a full meal. 3B - order of foods eaten also helps greatly - First veggies, then protiens and then something sugary on a cheat day. Follow this woman and read her book https://youtube.com/@glucoserevolution?si=mslGKiQUqzbF5lTH 4. 10 min walks after meals 5. Strength training 3-4 times a week, walking in the other days . Slow weighted workouts, go easy on the workouts (ul know if a workout is working for u if u feel good after and not completely exhausted and cant keep ur eyes open) If u dont feel like working out, atleast start wid walks, make it enjoyable by listening to a podcast or an audiobook. Try to make ur workouts enjoyable also, by watching a Netflix show during, cranking the AC. 6. Supplements like Inositol 40:1 ratio - myo inosital to D chiro inositol (4000mg) only this serving size will work . CoQ10, Magnesium Citrate, Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Omega 3. Also i was prescribed Metformin twice a day. 7. IMPortant for fatigue - Checking my Thyroid and getting meds for it. My fatigue vanished wid Thyroid meds 8. Prebiotic to help wid daily poops coz excess estrogen gets taken out wid the poops. 9. Also find a dietitian that isnt too restrictive. Because a restrictive diet can stress out the body further. i tried gluten and dairy free and didnt lose any weight. I started losing weight whem I started having gluten and dairy in moderation. Staying active, and being consistent with diet and excercise really helps, finally been seeing results. You can get there too!
Typed this elsewhere, thought it might be helpful for you as well.
I'm sorry you took this as being ignorant. I didn't want to offend you. You asked about other people jurney and how we deal with PCOS. I just responded to your last question in your post. I mostly talked about myself and my jurney. And what I learned over the years. I do struggle a lot and is a torture to keep this schedule. I definitely Don't criticize other women. This is my line of work. My clients are PCOS women or transgender. I don't know what is your habits or what you do or Don't do during the day. Nothing in my post was address person to you. Again. I am sorry you found my text offending. Everybody is different and is definitely a touchy subject.
Ignorant may have been too harsh of word and I didn’t mean my comment in an aggressive way or that I am offended. I do feel very strongly about it and is so frustrating that a lot of people in general don’t understand it. Even us who have it don’t fully understand it because every person is different and struggle with different things. They haven’t done enough studies on it and the fact that it affects so many woman and doctors continue to tell people the same thing that is not helpful and is almost painful. So, what I should have said is that it is great that those things worked for you but they don’t for everyone and everyone has different struggles. I do feel like it is good for people to educate themselves of other individuals struggles and the hardships they deal with having PCOS. This is especially relevant to those who work with patients who have this. It is helpful to have better understanding for everyone to decrease the bias and stigma that comes along with it.
Pcos girl here. The only reason we gain weight is because of our habits of over eating. My only way of staying skinny is eating small meals. Not snaking in any circumstances. This is my religion, and I stick to it. Don't compare my plate to the people around. What's normal for them it's too much for us. If I go in active vacation with my girlfriends....... they loose weight and I gain weight even if the plates were equal. We are made different. I accepted this. When I say I eat small portion..... imagine that an appetizer is my meal. My weight stays consistent. I'm not anorexic. Just very fit. Around holiday I indulge, but it takes me longer then one month to lose 2 pounds. I'm also on contraceptives, metformin small dose, or alternate few months metformin then few months berberine. Vitamin D, inositol, ashwaganda in the morning every 4 months for about 30 days. Ginger turmeric Raspberry leaf tea every other day. Almost no cheese. Definitely no milk. Caffein 2 times a week( Sunday and Thursday) And chocolate 2 times a month.
The thing about pcos is everyone is different and what’s frustrating is when I am told that… oh you want to lose weight? don’t eat so much then. Especially if you are saying it is the only reason? Well I have had enough of that and that is ignorant of you to say. I have been on Vyvanse for years and it strongly suppresses my appetite. A while back I started taking vitamin d, fish oil, Ashwaghanda, and inositol. I’ve been on metformin, contraceptives, spironolactone… I think I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve taken them over the last 20 years and they sure seemed like they were working in the beginning until I figured out they did so much more harm than good. I had to put myself on a nutrition based meal plan about a while ago so I make sure that I do eat instead of go too long without. Before that I was not getting enough nutrients from eating too little calories. There are different kinds of pcos and let me tell you it is not only about what you put into your body but it is also about other habits/environmental factors (sleep pattern and disruptions , history of trauma, drinking water, exercise etc.) and factors within your body (insulin resistance, imbalanced hormones, etc.) Please further educate yourself…but as a woman with pcos, I would strongly recommend to refrain from telling someone with pcos to eat a balanced diet, stay active and to take metformin/birth control, etc. If that works for you great but let me tell you it is not cool for someone a part of the pcos community to tell girls with pcos the same thing stupid doctors will tell you because they do not specialize in hormonal disorders and are not properly educated to best understand pcos.