Hello annalea!

I am still in the process of being diagnosed with PCOS. I get rechecked in February, but I can definitely relate to what you are saying. I have been overweight most of my life. For a brief time (maybe 4 years tops) I was thin. I lived on diet pills which is how I did it (I DO NOT recommend this, once off the pills, I gained back twice what I lost!!) When I lost the weight, my uncle said to me "How does it feel to finally be part of the real world?" I guess when I was overweight (nowhere near as big as I am now), I was living in a fake world? I'd hate to see what he has to say now. I recently lost 20 lbs, but again, I would not suggest doing it as I did. Still I am 117lbs away from "living in the real world" again. I know how hard it is to deal with weight. I also know how different I was treated when I was thin and how I am treated now that I am so overweight. It's really sad. I would say a good way to start is to alter your diet as best as you can to find what works for you. Limited carbs, limited calories, it's a life style change, not a quick fix. Whatever choice you make, you need to stick with it. Trust me, I know how hard that is.

I can also relate to the feeling so down. I feel manly and I desperately want to feel feminine. I am starting to bald in the front, get wirey hair on my face and my skin is breaking out like a teenaged boy. I am pretty sure they will find that I do, in fact, have PCOS. I can only hope that the birth control will help.

Hang in there. You are strong and beautiful. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. There are some wonderful women in this group who can offer you some great support. I am always here to listen if you need to vent as well. *HUGS*

Thank you so much for your response! I am sorry family has said those things to you. The real world? What does that even mean? I feel like when I was skinner I did get looked at differently even by my own parents. I am about 30 pounds from my weight goal. I am going to start really trying, but again its so hard!

I am sorry you have go through all of this too :( I feel you on not feeling like a woman. Most of my weight is in my stomach so I feel like I look like I have a beer belly. I work with children and they are very honest, I have gotten asked if I was pregnant!

Have you talked to your doctor about the medication called Spironolactone? I have noticed some of my symptoms have gotten better.

And you are beautiful also! We can do this together!!! And I am also always here for you! *HUGS!!!*

haha I wish I knew what it meant. I guess overweight people are not part of the REAL human race. They're like aliens or something. Oh well. I don't stay angry. Ignorance is bliss.

I am sorry you are going through what you're going through as well. Kids are blunt yes, I hear what you are saying. I have a 5 year old lol. He's pretty good about not saying anything about weight though. Then again he's around all different sizes of people. I just don't want him to be embarrassed by me ever. 30lbs is going to be rough, but you can do it!! Make goals, but realistic goals. I weighed myself this morning and I am down 28lbs!! I know that the last 7lbs were lost from stress and being sick, but i am gonna run with it. It's still 7lbs lol. I have not gotten to talk to my doctor about any medications yet. She just prescribed the birth control and said that should help with regulating my period and my skin and that she'll check back in February. I also read that with PCOS there's like a 50% chance you can get Diabetes and I am TERRIFIED of that!! So I am going to ask her to give me a diabetes test.

Thank you for your support! It is greatly appreciated! :) We WILL get through this!! *hugs*

Hey Annalea! Nice to meet you! I feel your pain! I am CONSTANTLY on an emotional roller coaster. I have been used to it for so long that I have learned to cope with it and tell myself that what I am feeling is not real, and I will get over myself soon. Lol most of the time it works!

I have been gradually gaining weight for a couple years. I also used to drink a lot of soda (with rum lol) so I assumed most of the weight was from that until I found out about PCOS. I had NO clue what that was and what kind of effects it would have on my mind and body. My doctor is a real piece of work and treated me like it wasn't a big deal and I just need to stay on my medicine and I will be fine. Thank GOD I found this website. Like Kate said, there are really some great and informative women on here. They helped me and I hope (with my own advice as well) they can help you too!

I am about 40 pounds from my weight goal, and started getting back on my diet routine. I got money for Christmas so I am able to buy the elliptical I was dying for! My Mom is pretty supportive now, but my Dad is the problem. He constantly makes comments about how much better I would look if I lost the weight. He doesn't realize that I am trying. He doesn't realize how bad it makes me feel that my own father (Who shouldn't care about appearances) can make such hurtful comments. Either way I don't think anyone should make comments about someone's weight but when family does it, I feel like it hurts worse!

It may take some time, but you WILL reach your goal. Sometimes when I get so down and depressed I don't want to do anything but lounge around and be fat and lazy. (LOL) But eventually I snap out of it and want to work out. Either way you are STILL beautiful and you will lose the weight over time. I think after a while of accepting and understanding PCOS it gets easier to cope and work harder towards the goal.

You know what they say about the harder you work the sweeter the victory is? That's how I feel about girls like us. Normal girls can work out and lose weight and feel great. Girls like us have to work twice as hard to look like the others which proves strength and dedication. And the victory is ALWAYS sweeter! =D

It took me a while to take everything negative and turn it into positive. You will too! If you ever want to talk I am here for you!!! =D

Crystal

Thank you both so much for your support. Crystal I hear you about your dad. I feel like my dad looks at me different. I can tell he feels better about how my older sister looks (who is super skinny) vs. me.

I also understand about feeling lazy! There are some days I just want to sit on the couch watch tv and eat a bag of chips. Crystal what do you do for diet?

I also agree that we have to work harder then most people do. I have a friend who has worked really hard and has lost a ton of weight! I am sure if I worked that hard I would lose weight but I feel like its easier for her then it would be for me. I don't think people understand how much I(we) crave carbs! Sugar isn't too bad but I do crave it around the time I'm on my period and when I'm on it. But its the carbs that get me! I just wish the weight would just come off without me having to do anything! lol.

I work all day with kids from 830-530 so when I get home from work I just want to sit on my butt and not go to the gym. But I know that I just have to go even if I am tired and grumpy.

I am very lucky that I have boyfriend who has been dealing with me and all my break downs. I feel like he has been the one person that has been there for me. (Besides the ladies here of course)

I do have another question for you ladies( and I am sorry if its too personal or TMI lol) but sometimes I go 3-6 months with no period. Do you go through that as well? And when you have a period is heavy and you feel horrible? I was having some bleeding but it was very light and now I have a "normal" period and its been really heavy and I feel horrible. Thankfully I work at a school so I have been on break and I don't have to go back til the 2nd. What do you guys do when your on your period to make you feel better?

Thank you guys for your support. And I am here for both of you always! We are strong beautiful women and we can do this!! *Hugs to you both*

Love,
Andrea

Hi, I haven't been on here in a long time, but logging in today felt right. I am 37 I had my first cyst when I was 11. In my twenties I was told I i i had PCOS and would never have kids, well I have 4. I also struggled with my weight still am and facial hair( that's worse than the weight). I recently about 6 months ago started the Atkins plan( means eating no sugar and carbs) I urge you to try it.. I lost 40 pounds in total and still working to get the last 20 off.. It is not easy to stick to the Atkins plan but really it's not a diet it's a total change in your eating lifestyle. But it truly works. Good luck and I hope you find happiness all through the new year.

No problem! I have been cheating on my diet as of recently due to the holidays but I am going right back on it. I try to not look at it as a diet but more of a lifestyle change. Anytime I feel like I want something I am not supposed to have I keep telling myself why I shouldn't have it. Why I chose to eat healthy.

I ordered a couple books from the library on PCOS and try to eat a lot of veggies and fruits. I was never used to eating healthy stuff so the first week my insides were all messed up! TMI but the bathroom was my best friend. Once my body got used to eating all that stuff I felt AMAZING. I was sleeping better. I was feeling better. I really do believe eating healthy actually makes you feel better! When I eat a lot of carbs or sugars I always feel lazy and blah. I can only imagine how it feels to eat healthy AND work out too! And I am like that around my period too! All I want is sugar, chocolate ice cream, and greasy stuff! Lol!

I'm happy you have a guy who is supportive. I have noticed that having someone of the opposite sex support you and have your back makes the bad feelings subside! And it's always a great motivation to stay on a good routine!

As far as the period question goes, I didn't get a period for almost a year. I was afraid to go to the doctor because I went a bunch of times before and they never said anything! They just said to stay on a diet and workout because it was stress. Then I changed insurances and found a new GYN that diagnosed me with PCOS. She has me on Medroxyprogesterone. I take it 2 times a day (morning and night) for the first five days of every month. Unfortunately, if I don't take this medication I won't get a period. Or so she says. I am going to see an Endocrinologist soon to get a second opinion on what I should do. My GYN is an idiot, and always rushes me out of the door, There is no long term plan with her!

I hope things get easier for you! And Merry Christmas/Happy New Years!! *hugs* !! =)

Thank you everyone for your comments and advice :) I will look into the Atkins diet. I have about 3 books on PCOS(I just got a 4th one off of amazon) I have talked to my aunt about PCOS because she has it at well, and she gave me some good advice about my diet. I feel like I start a diet I am good for about a week, then I am back to my old ways. Its so hard to just stick to the diet. But I am going to try really hard. And hopefully I can stick to it! Thanks again ladies for your advice. Happy new years!

No problem! You got this! It's SO hard for me to stay on a diet as well. I got as far as 3 weeks and then I cheated. Plus I wasn't exercising so I didn't lose a pound! I'm such an idiot. Lol But, today I started my diet again and I'm expecting my elliptical soon so I am gonna start working my ass off! Haha!

Hi Annalea,

You're not the only one that feels like this. I thin there are so many of us out there that feel this way. It is really hard for us to cope with having PCOS and being overweight. I've always had my mom and sister tell me when I'm gaining weight (like I don't notice). I've also been losing my hair and have facial hair and it's also very frustrating when people point it out.

I found out about 2 years ago that I had PCOS and doctor put me on Metformin and Spirinolactone. He told me the Metformin would help with the weight loss. Well initially I was getting nauseous all of the time and really couldn't eat. I don't know if it was a side effect of the meds. I ended up losing about 10 lbs from being sick. When I started feeling better I was worried of gaining back the 10 lbs (and more). In the past every time I lost weight, I gained it all back and more. I tarted jogging on the treadmill. I DON'T jog at all do t first it was hard to jog for 3 minutes without feeling like I was going to die. My mission was to get past 3 minutes. When I finally did, my mission was to get to 5 min. Then 7 minutes. Every couple of days I started getting excited about being able to jog a little bit more. I started to have more energy. Next thing I know, I got to 10, 15, 20 minutes. Then I was up to 3 miles!!!!! I couldn't believe it. People were constantly complimenting me because I was losing weight and I had way more energy. Going to the gym somehow was a stress release and trust me, I'm soooooo not the gym kind. I lost a total of close to 40 lbs. I still wanted to lose about 20 more.

Well I got busy at work and stopped goingbtonthe gym because I beame lazy. I didn't gain the weight back because I lost it by working out. Unfortunately last month (week after Thanksgiving) my mom passed away unexpectedly . Im an emotional eater so lately every time I am sad I eat. With everything going on I also was not taking my medicine as I should of. Now I am scared of getting on the scale because I know I have gained at least 15 lbs in only a month. I know that I need to start jogging again. It will make me feel better plus it hold help me lose the weight again.

One of the things that I liked jogging was that I had control over it. I don't have control over losing the weight, but I do control of when I get in the treadmill. Rather than say "I want to lose 2 lbs this week" I say "I want to get on the treadmill 3 times this week". The pounds come off once you are consistent. Trust me, I am sooooo not the workout type and am very proud of myself for being able to jog 3 miles at one point in mt life. Now I have to start from scratch again. I feel like passin out just by going up the stairs with groceries. But my mentality is that if I did it before from scratch, I can do it again.

Not everyone will understand the side effects that we go through with PCOS. It is pretty embarrassing as a female to be balding and have facial hair. Best thing to do is to stay positive and talk about it, especially with people with similar issues. That's why I think this forum is great. I'm not sure how old your are, but I know there are a lot of young girls are scared (or women that have recently been diagnosed). We should stick together and know that with treatment and exercise we can live healthy lives.

I still worry if I will be able to have children, but right now I want to focus on my treatment an feeling good.

Take care!!!