pcos_chick

I wish I had done it years ago!

155 since March 16th, 2011

Thanks for the update. Love love love seeing the year plus updates.

Looks like I"m low in Iron. What is everyone taking? I see that Celebrate makes a Iron + C I've heard SlowFE is great too. Thanks!

Hormones! No doubt.

Yay! I'm a year out and still irregular but I do have it! (pre-op I would have it maybe once a year...)

Instead of registering for gifts... which seems more formal... Have them create an Amazon Wish List.... Then you can distribute the list on the sly... This way folks won't feel obligated to get gifts but if they were so moved they could pick stuff the couple could really use.

Ladies... where are you shopping these days? How would you describe the stores you shop at? Now that I'm out of plus sized clothes I'm realizing that i know nothing about the many different places to shop at! I hit the usual suspects like Old Navy, Target, JcPenny's... But I'm sure I'm missing some good resources for clothes. So... where is everyone shopping and finding things? I'd love to get a list going.

Its very common... I found that the best thing to do was to exercise. Just like with cramps or other hormone related moods exercise seems to even things out.

I'm sure you've heard the old adage, " The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." I really really hesitate to give advice because here on the boards we really get such a small view into each others lives and few of us are experts at much beyond ourselves. But it seems like you have acknowledge that the real issue (real being a horrid word... perhaps underlying would be better).... the real issue is something mental or at least a chemical issue that effects you mentally (and then indirectly, physically.) My suggestion is to put a hold on any 'physical' solutions. You've already applied the best possible physical solution to the physical part of the issue - you got surgery and its working! You've dropped 90 lbs. That is amazing. Medifast will be there for a while. I think you feel rushed because of this one year anniversary date looming. Its just a date. It doesn't mean anything. The generalization that once you hit one year your weight loss stabilizes is just a generalization. Its not a hard line. You want something else to consume your life? Something positive? Something to be passionate about that doesn't involve obsessing about the mirror or scale? Medifast won't give that to you. Size 8 or twenty more pounds gone or what ever the magical number is doesn't give you peace or self worth or harmony with your body, mind and hormones. And at 48, if you could have solved this problem on your own... you would have by now. I'm not trying to be harsh. Its obvious based on the history you've shared, the posts you've made and what we all know of this struggle that you are a strong, intelligent, capable person. Now its time to ask for some help. Not the form of a diet but in the form of getting some of these mental issues addressed. Like me, I truly feel you have been undeserved by the medical community, who for must of your life have likely not acknowledged the complexity of obesity. I don't mean to project here and I certainly don't mean to paint you as any kind of victim but be your own advocate now. Seek out the professionals that can help you. I'm talking Endo docs, and nutritionists and mental health folks that understand the bigger picture here where your hormones and weight and issues have banded together against you. I think you are highlighting a serious issue here that a number of folks struggle with. And sadly, even here it doesn't get much spotlight.

This is a pretty interesting discussion - maybe more so for me because I am just a few weeks from my one year as well. There is one thing in this thread that I don't see folks talking about much and that's the mental aspects of all of this. I was 250lbs and over 30 years old before anyone even mentioned PCOS to me. After being diagnosed I did the same thing any other obsessive person would do and educated myself about PCOS (or metabolic syndrome or syndrome X) to the point of absurdity. Every book, web posting, story about PCOS made me more and more angry. I am a poster child for PCOS. Textbook symptoms and have been since puberty. But I was fat so surely the entirely of my life and my problem was the cupcakes I must have been forcing down my gaping maw. Am I angry? You F'in bet I am. Was I underserved by our medical community? Horribly. And the reality to this is that there is mental baggage as a result. All of us here are on the road to gaining some understanding the delicate balance that represents our metabolism, our cravings, our hunger and our weight. Will we ever fully understand it? I hope so but what a daunting task when everyone's body chemistry is different. What I hear in Crosswind's post (on top of a clear understanding of how her body works) is anger and pain. Why aren't we normal? Why can't we just eat without the cravings, and fat and obsessing etc. It sounds like you have figured out where you want to go with regards to an action plan. I don't know anything about medifast so can't speak to it. I do however want to suggest that you find an outlet for the emotional weight you are carrying. Our body's work against us. I don't know why and the explanations seem interesting right up to the point where you realize that the explanation doesn't really help you lose those extra pounds. I think its ok to be angry and sad and upset and worried and all those emotions we go through as a result of our weight and weight loss. I really hope its ok because I have a boat load of my own. And I really do believe that this is as important to treat or address as any other comorbidity related to obesity. Do you really want to be a size 8 or are you really trying to get to the quality of life you think you'll have when you hit that milestone? If its the latter then its time to work with someone to figure out what you think that magic number will bring to your life.

Electric blankets are the only thing keeping me sane!!! Heating pads work too!

I know this is a little off topic but... just learn to pee standing... its pretty easy and hands down one of the best things I ever learned how to do! See Finger Method here: http://www.wikihow.com/Urinate-Standing-up-As-a-Female I learned for two specific reasons; one, I race sail boats and going down below to pee vs peeing off the back of the boat like the guys was annoying and two, chicks have this really annoying 'hover' tendency which means toilet seats in public bathrooms are often pissed on and wet! Standing is the way to do it!

So I've always been a huge fan of baths! I can literally sit for hours reading in tub! Now that I've lost a lot of weight I'm noticing strange thing... After spending some time in my ridiculous garden tub when I go to get out of the water there is a.... well a 'draining effect' if you follow my meaning... an amount of water dribbles out. It never seemed to happen before I lost the weight. Is this a normal thing? Its not bothersome... just another interesting thing to get used to.

Hell yes!

^^^^^ THIS!

I log my food using Livestrong - My plate. I generally stick to low carb (between 50-100 carbs a day). I ride my horse 4 days a week. And generally speaking I follow the guidelines for VSG (I'm always amazed at the folks that don't do this!!! I have two friends that have had bypass and regained all of their weight and profess confusion about why they failed with cans of diet coke in their hands.) Use the tool!

I'm actually having periods now. At 342 they were pretty non existent. We had plenty of fertility issues but we've two little ones now and we're done but if we wanted more I'm sure we'd have zero issues now. My skin pigmentation issues seem to be getting better as well. The biggest issue with my PCOS was insulin resistance and constant hunger - that's 100% gone. I feel like a normal person!

I'm another PCOS VSG'er. Having the surgery was hands down the best decision I've ever made. I've always been active, always ate what I thought was healthy foods.... always overweight. Getting diagnosed with PCOS was as enlightening as it was enraging. How was it possible that I went YEARS without being diagnosed? I am still very angry that I was just told to diet... that my problem was JUST what I put in my mouth. I accept 100% responsibility for over eating. But for so much of the medical community to deny and turn a blind eye to PCOS is shameful. I'm very sorry to hear your husband doesn't support you. Its clearly a lack of understanding PCOS and very likely fears on his part. Have you check out soulcysters? (google it!) The resources there for PCOS and metabolic syndrome folks is amazing. Get him educated!!! Take him to endocrinology doctors and nutritionists! Get some couples therapy! You deserve to be supported. For you he should be willing to learn!

Well... just stepped on the scale 4 times and each time it kept insisting that I'm 200lbs. I told to stop kidding me but it will not recant! When I started this journey at 342lbs I was hoping to see 240lbs... the 'recommended' weight for my height seemed like a joke.. and now I'm 15 little pounds away. I can't even begin to describe how happy I am right now. I'm so very grateful for everything that I have in my life! I feel great! Today I want to thank the stars, gods, surgeons, friends, family... this awesome community. *happy dance*

I know there were a number of folks who posted in their top ten lists that they wanted to ride horses again.... I started riding again over the summer. I'm still losing and was careful to select a mount that could handle my weight (almost 140lbs gone but still 'heavy' for a rider.) Getting back into it has not been easy... while there are some elements that are like riding a bike my strength and muscles have a long way to go. If you are thinking about riding and want to get back out there... well... DO IT! Its amazing and very fun and so very rewarding.

March 16, 2011 132lbs.

I'm 8 months out and struggling with the cold too! And I live in Dallas.... getting weird looks wearing a winter coat when its 70 degrees outside! I think it really takes a while for the body to get used to not having as much insulation... not to mention it takes alot less energy to move around after such signifigant weight loss. We just aren't burning as much. The hair loss is really about hormones... we store a ton of hormones in fat... and as it burns away those hormones are re-released into our systems. The hair loss is about the same as you see after having a baby and occurs for the same reason. At 8 months my hair is now growing back in. Lots of funny little tufts of hair .... most folks don't notice but of course I'm hyper aware of them! But they are growing quick. And as someone else said.... all of this is totally worth it.

Like so many before have said.... Your sleeve is a tool - they do surgery on our stomachs, not our brains!!! It sounds like you are getting back on track. My only other suggestion is to get into the doctors and get blood work done. Its great that you are hitting the B12 and even better that its helping BUT there could be other issues too! Lacking B1 or other hormone issues (thyroid) could be really hitting you hard. Have your doctor check them out and make sure that you don't need some other supplements!

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/27/hunger-hormones-linked-to-weight-regain-study-says/ Not surprising but its interesting to see studies on this - makes me really glad to have had my fundus removed! Especially with PCOS!