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Your PCOS is probably your worst enemy when battling your weight. Hormones were certainly mine. From puberty I started gaining and I bounced between 60 & 75kgs most of my adult life using a multitude of diets & exercises programs to manage it. Generally I was a low calorie eater even regularly skipping meals to limit calorie intake. I went to a dietician once who told me I wasn’t eating enough. (Never lost a pound seeing her.) Perimenopause hit and I suddenly went from 60 to 80. Then menopause and I was 91. All gained seemingly overnight. Couldn't lose except a couple of kilos on a 500 calorie a day diet and it took weeks to lose that. Nothing worked until I had surgery. When hormones come into play how many calories you eat, how much you manage the quality of the food you eat, how much activity you do, you are fighting a battle with the odds against you. One of the benefit of the surgery is that it alters your hormones (gut, metabolic, reproductive and other hormones like cortisol) to varying degrees. This is why it may help you. A lot of others on the forum with PCOS have found success with the surgery & hopefully some will respond with their experiences. But as others have mentioned you have to be mentally & emotionally ready for surgery. It’s not easy with a lot of head work involved. It takes a lot of commitment. And it is a lifelong commitment but so worth it All the best, whatever you decide to do.

I so hear you on this! I stalled around that exact same time...9-10 months post-op, and it made me question everything! I was doing all the same things too but the scale refused to move. Then out of nowhere I dropped nearly a pound one week and the scale slowly started cooperating again! The body, i learned, can be weirdly stubborn when it thinks it's protecting you. I recently read this article that really helped me understand what’s going on like why the plateau happens and how to work through it. Sharing just in case it helps you too https://slimvive.com/breaking-through-your-weight-loss-plateau/ Also I still carry most of my weight in my belly too!

i am a big proponent of food tracking...but im anal and love spreadsheets and data so its actually kinda fun for me. so i get that its not for everyone and may actually be harmful for some in terms of anxiety, et. al. BUT...if you can commit to tracking everything you put in your mouth for a week (preferably two!) you can determine exactly what your habits are instead of guessing that you are "mostly on track". you will be surprised how much we underestimate what we eat (and for this very reason i used to always OVER-estimate everything i track/tracked). hopefully this data/info you collect can help you come up with a plan for YOU. but yeah, it takes a bit of commitment and effort. if this is not for you, the simplified version of my advice would be to do something else if the thing you are doing is not working. good luck! ❤️

So tomorrow is two years from when I had my sleeve surgery, though it is only just over one year since my last procedure due to all my post of complications, and a few weeks ago I turned 50. Here is a picture of me at 40 and a picture at 50. My weight back in May 2015 was about 130kg (20st / 286lb), it went up and down in the years between to where I was 120kg before surgery and now I am between 63 & 65kg (10st/141lb) so I am now half the person I used to be. 40yrs vs 50yrs The last two weeks I have had really bad abdominal pain on and off and when it showed no signs of improvement I went to the emergency department where my bariatric surgeon had some of his team waiting for me. After CT scan and blood tests it showed my abdominal area was very inflamed but no infection thankfully so they hooked me up to painkillers and sent me home with a prescription for more pain killers (tramadol) and muscle relaxers. Yesterday I had my follow up and the surgeon has said that following a review of my results it looks like the clip that they had to place when I had my leak is now causing a reaction so I have to continue on the pain meds plus add in antibiotics for a couple of weeks. The surgeon has said the clip has to come out as it is a matter of quality of life for me going forward as he says the pain can come back any time in the future if left it. The choices he gave are that it can be done by open surgery to remove (which he says is his second choice) and his preference is to do a revision surgery to bypass. Given all the sleeve post op complications I told him that I didn’t want to go down a surgical route, especially back in the same hospital but he feels this is the best option though he did say I could of course get a second opinion. So I have done just that, I contacted one of the surgeons (a mentor of my bariatric surgeon) who I had to be transferred to when my leak would not heal (the one who had to ft the pigtail/tube in my stomach) and he has said from looking at my files he believes it can be removed without the need for surgery and can see me in two weeks time to review my case and check scans so fingers crossed he can do something endoscopic wise. I am due to get my arm lift surgery end of October so if I had to have stomach surgery in the next few months I wouldn’t then be able to get my lift. Obviously that is not a reason to decline the surgery if it is the best and only option but it would be great to get everything resolved without stomach surgery and still be able to get my arm lift.

Yes non-scale victories (NSVs) are sometimes just as important than being a healthier you. The scale is not what you should be on every day. Choose one day a week and just keep track. It is about health and wellness, not just loss of weight.

My win for today was being able to eat some pancake I am 4 weeks post op gastric sleeve.

Sometimes, it is your brain thinking you are hungry, it is called head hunger. Stop and think to yourself and ask during the pause about is this truly hunger in your stomach, or is it some other reason that is making you think you are hungry? Sometimes people eat due to boredom and if you are only a couple of weeks out from surgery, you will have to suffer through the hunger signals that your brain is putting out. Kind of like mind over matter. You don't need the matter, find something to do, like journaling and make it just go away. It is hard, very hard, but we all need to focus on the reason we are hungry, the head or the stomach. I hope you find something to keep your brain occupied, other than food.

I'm still really new at this stuff, but when your friend tells you that you need a smaller swimming suit, you need to pay attention. My boobs went flying last week, and I bought a size smaller, too big, bought another the next size smaller, fits! Is it strange and unnerving, you betcha!!!

Glad you are doing well! Same for me, almost! Losing hair, I've lost a little over 60 lbs since sleeve surgery on Dec. 2, 2024, have sagging skin, but overall, I am very glad I did it in hopes I can KEEP it off this time. I'm eating 900-1100 most days I think. And have upped my water and protein since hair has thinned. Praying it comes back like normal soon. I have recently begun working out with resistance, etc 3 days a week and 5 days a week I have a goal of 10k steps. On day 2 of this. LOL! Just need to make it habit again like I did before. It helps! They said at my already-scheduled one year visit on Dec. 2, that I should probably be around 166. But my own goal is 154. So gotta up my game!! LOL! Then they said ultimate goal should be low end 115 and high end 125 lbs. Cannot imagine being that small. Lowest I ever got to was 155 as an adult and was there about 5 minutes. LOL! Thanks for doing a check in for us December Peeps! That's my month. Birthday and Christmas all in one! And now surgiversary too!!

Sorry you're having trouble sleeping. I know that's just making recovery harder. You probably already know this, but here's the thing: being stressed out about not sleeping can just keep you from sleeping. The first step in getting past that is just to release yourself mentally from the stress/insomnia cycle. What I mean is that you have to acknowledge that you just had major surgery. Coupled with massive dietary changes and you are going through an incredibly stressful time right now. It's normal when stressed to struggle with sleep, so the best possible thing you can do is simply acknowledge that sleep may be difficult for a while and it's okay. I would also say do whatever you need to do to get control of your pain levels. You may need to try changing out your pain meds, or consider changing where/how you sleep. As an example, even though I'm normally a stomach/side sleeper, I slept on my back in a recliner for the first couple of weeks simply because it was less painful. Finally, I'd recommend researching good sleep hygiene and implementing as many of those recommendations as possible. Right now, you need all the tips and tricks you can get. Good luck.

You are not alone. And regain can be very stressful and emotional. Many experience regain over time of varying amounts. I’ve had a small regain this year able it has been very upsetting. Many things can contribute to this regain. Life in general, which can throw crap at us. Medical reasons. Emotional or mental health issues. Complacency. From what you said it seems like complacency maybe a factor for you. Unlike @learn2cook, I’m not a tracker of my food. I’m a random checker though like @learn2cook I’m also very routine and predictable in my eating (what I eat & when I eat) but it is what works for me. You may find it useful to measure and record everything I eat & drink for a couple of weeks to identify where those snacks, larger portions, calorie drinks or whatever are sneaking in. Can help to make note of why you think you snacked, or ate a little larger portion, and such too. Look over what you’ve recorded and then start to make changes. Just one or two at a time for a couple of weeks then make another change or two. Slow and steady adjustments are always easier to adopt and adapt to & are more sustainable in the long term. Checking in with a dietician can also be helpful to ensure you’re on the right path. If you think there may be an emotional factor involved, a therapist may be able to support you too. Many find a therapist very helpful. Unfortunately, managing our weight will always be a battle to some degree we just have some extra tools and knowledge to help us now than we did before our surgery. All the best.

The emotional rollercoaster after surgery can really screw up your hunger signals. Your head hunger signals go into overdrive as your head tells you to eat to make you feel better. Not helped by surges in estrogen that is released from our fat as we lose weight messing with our emotions too. Also many nerves are cut during surgery plus the swelling & inflammation @SpartanMaker mentioned distorts messages like hunger and satiety even if they actually get through. And it’s a pretty major surgery and it knocks you about. It takes time before you don’t feel tired, weak, dizzy, doughy headed, etc. It takes a good 6+ weeks to fully heal after surgery, so these mixed signals & feeling unwell will continue for a while. Generally though, if you’re craving a specific food, flavour or texture, it’s head hunger. If you’re feeling sad, anxious, frustrated, angry, bored, etc. it’s likely head hunger. In time you’ll discover real hunger signals are different. For me I feel restless like something is wrong not that I ‘feel’ hungry. Having eaten enough can feel different too. Many sneeze, or get the hiccups. Don’t eat until you feel full or until you’ve eaten all you want. It takes 20 odd minutes for the full message to get through normally & a lot longer this soon after surgery so don’t eat until you feel full - you’ve eaten too much by then. Stop when you’ve had enough, when you don’t need any more. You’ll have lots of meals (appropriate portion sizes) you simply can’t finish because you’ve had enough and don’t need any more. I still do at 6 years out. The lightheadedness could be from being dehydrated too or from your blood pressure dropping (many experience this). Are you meeting or close to meeting your daily fluid goals? Often an electrolyte drink can help. It does get easier and you will feel better. Just give yourself time.

I thought I replied to this earlier from my phone but don't see it here. So if you see it somewhere else, tell me! LOL! Thank you for the info! I will keep that in mind. Probably when these four levels are done and the last one is easy for me I'll start going to the gym again, even alone. LOL! I had been going alone. Just gets boring and I stopped. But we don't talk or even work out near each other when we go together. I just like it. He does too. Ah well. It's ok for now. I have a goal of losing more weight by my follow up appointment, one year from surgery. Dec 2 and it's already scheduled. They said I should be around 166 but my own goal is 154. One lb less than I've ever been since Jr High. LOL! Excited to get there this year! So once more weight is off of me, I really want to begin sculpting my body as much as it'll let me. I KNOW weights are the key. And I'll really need to do a challenging level and push myself but maybe that will be easier when I'm not as heavy. Things are easier when I am lighter. Pretty shoes don't hurt me feet too. Lots to look forward to! LOL! And I should be happy to lift weights every other day for an hour, compared to carrying them with me 24/7 for 48 years. :::sigh::: Thankful for all the great advice and info I have read here. I hope you all are enjoying your Monday. Mine went well and I'm home now. I also have decided I am going to hit 10k steps 5 days a week. Right now I have 7829 just from work. So it will be easy to do on work days. But I am going to rest some on weekends. Well, try to! I get our groceries and meal prep then clean the whole kitchen and fridge on Sunday and clean house and run errands on Saturdays (last few I've worked at a client's home because they are on vacation and had some special projects needing done.) But most weekends I am off so if I'm not doing an open house, etc then I'm still busy with our home and life. Walking 10k steps a day did a world of good for me when I lost weight all those others times. I feel sure the extra weight won't come back this time because I had surgery. Sooo glad I did it. I have severe osteoarthritis in my low back on the right side and degenerative disc disease in my neck and low back and often sciatica down my right leg so some days I'm in pain worse than other days. (Ha ha, my friends and I joke. The older we get the more we share what's ailing us every day. LOL!) But overall I am ok! I have many friends with diabetes and I worry for them. I'm lucky I don't. I don't even have pre-diabetes and I stay grateful for that. My dad had it. When he passed at age 73 he had had both legs amputated and had had congestive heart failure for 25 years as well as diabetes. He went many years not addressing his diet at all. He wanted to do what he wanted to do. Bless his heart. We have learned what not to do, at least. My brother is a carnivore and is doing well. Labs are great. His weight stays managed. Everyone must do what works for them. We miss Dad and wish he was still here. He taught us many positive things in life too. But we are trying hard not to go through what he did at the end. My husband had pre-diabetes, but has made it much better with diet and exercise. I am super excited to get to my first main goal weight of 154. Then I'd really love to work to get into a healthy BMI to hopefully have smooth sailing into my 60s, 70s, and beyond. My bariatric doc said lower end is 115 lbs for my height and high end is 125. I feel that the less weight that's on me, the more years I have left to live and enjoy my family and friends. Certainly worth putting in the work! 💗

Today is one week since I had the sleeve surgery. At the hospital I got very intermittent sleep with the nurses taking vitals and giving meds, but at home I am having difficulty too. I was just wondering if this is somewhat common or am I the lucky one? i do have depression and anxiety issues and take medication for it but I have been awake as late as 4am trying to just sleep. I did call my MH doc today and get an ok for a bump in my anxiety meds at bedtime and I am hoping that will help. I tend to get some increased gas pains after I lay down and just can't "shut off." My post op appointment is in a couple of days, but was looking for answers here too. THANKS!

Ohh, I didn't know you had access to a gym! I might have modified this a bit because I was trying to make sure these exercises were something you could do without equipment. Here are some suggested modifications if you are using a gym: If your gym has a hip thrust machine, feel free to use that instead of doing the glute bridge. As I mentioned, hip thrusts offer a bigger range of motion, so are an even better exercise. Push Ups are probably fine as they are, but once you get to doing 10-15 knee pushups, you might also start doing the chest press machine, or doing a bench press with dumbbells. Once you get to unsupported squats, you can start adding some weight. Some gyms have hack squat machines or leg press machines and both will work great here. Another one to consider would be a goblet squat (google it). The nice thing about this one is that it will emphasize your quadriceps a bit more, which might be good since we're hitting your glutes and hamstrings pretty hard with the hip thrusts and lunges. As to rows, feel free to skip all the ones I wrote and do a seated cable row or do something called a bent-over row with dumbbells. With leg raises, do them as listed, but if you get all the way through those, then the next logical progression is to move to hanging leg raises. These can be done on a dedicated machine (sometimes called a captain's chair). The lunge exercises are probably fine as they are, but feel free to add weight (hold some dumbbells in your hands), if you get to where the versions I listed are not enough for you. As an optional thing, if you wanted to add in one additional exercise per session, I'd do a Bicep dominated exercise one day, a Tricep dominated exercise another day, and a Calf dominated exercise the 3rd day. The actual exercise selection does not matter much, so do whatever exercise you like or whatever machine your gym has. You can even do a different one every week. Again, if you're happy without this, then skip it. it's not going to make a huge difference, because we are hitting these muscles some already. Best of luck!

Very true! Thing is I love lifting using weight machines. Especially leg day! I don't like going to the gym alone and my husband and I work opposite shifts. So it's hard to get to go together. I started my new routine this morning and excited to continue it. We swim about once a week. But rained the last time we were off together. So indoor things I can do myself is most helpful to me for now. Thanks for the advice!

Welcome. Sorry to hear you're struggling. I want to touch on a couple of things you said since the truth may be different than what you thought? First, I want to hit on this idea of a "pouch reset". There really is no such thing. Your stomach expands and contracts normally, just like a non-surgical stomach. You can't make it appreciably smaller just by eating less for a few days or weeks. Sometimes people feel like this makes a difference because it mentally helps reset what it feels like to be full. (A lot of people overeat after a few years.) If you really want to go down this road, you certainly can, but just understand it's not going to magically reset the size of your stomach. It might help reset your brain a bit, but the effect won't last long if you go back to eating too much at a time. You can get the same effect by just reducing portion sizes. Second, I want to touch on you gaining muscle from going to the gym. There are a few things to unpack here, but let's start with the fact that scales are NOT your friend and I would strongly advise you to not use the scale as the thing you use to gauge your success. Let me give you a hypothetical situation: If I could give you a magic potion that overnight made you look just like a fitness model, but it also made you weigh 300 pounds, would you take it? I don't know what your answer is, but I'd guess that like most people, you probably would in fact drink the potion. I don't have a magic potion, but doing strength training in the gym is kind of the same thing. It just takes a lot more work and time. The point here is that muscle is a lot denser than fat, so you can in theory be even heavier than you are now, but still look a lot thinner because you've changed your body composition to favor more muscle mass. Keep in mind that most people find more muscle mass more attractive (well up to a point anyway). Also, you are NEVER going to actually lose weight from doing strength training. it's not a great way to actually burn calories, so thinking you're going to go to the gym and lose fat just isn't realistic. Cardio at the gym isn't much better, so don't think that's the secret either. It will burn more calories, but the reality is a couple of things happen when you do cardio (or resistance training) at the gym: You'll be hungrier, so you tend to eat more than you would otherwise (this might be why you're snacking more). It will seem subtle and may be almost unnoticeable, but you will move less the rest of the day because your body is trying to recover from the workout. This means you don't actually burn many, if any additional calories. Said differently, your body will do everything it can to keep you right where you're at, so it is literally slowing your metabolism down to make up for the calories you burned exercising. I'm not trying to discourage you from working out. It has a LOT of health benefits, but as a way to actually lose weight, it's not so great. Now once you get to your goal weight, working out at least 5 hours a week can REALLY help you stay at your goal weight, so keep that in mind as well. The final thing I'll add here since this post is already pretty long is that the one sure-fire way to lose fat is to eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. I know that seems fairly obvious, but people think sometimes they're special, or that it doesn't apply to them. I don't know how many calories you're eating right now, and it honestly does not matter. Right now, whether you're eating 1500 calories or 3500 calories, you're eating at maintenance for you. If you want to lose fat, then you've got to eat less. The way to do that is whatever way works for you. There is no secret diet that works for everyone. All diets can work if they have you eat less than you eat now. You've got to find not only what works for you, but what is a sustainable way of eating for the long term. Crash diets almost always fail, so I wouldn't look for something that works in the short term. What you need is something that you can do for the rest of your life. Best of luck.

Welcome! I was thinking the same thing as @summerseeker. I personally would try to quit smoking now, rather than wait. A complete liquid diet for 2 weeks is hard enough without having to go through nicotine withdrawal at the same time. To be honest, it would also be safer for you. Smoking puts you at a much higher risk of complications from bariatric surgery. The sooner you quit, the better off you'll be. You do you, but that was my thought. @summerseeker is also correct regarding your post surgery diet. They're all so different, it's hard to give specific advice. I could provide what my team had me do, but that might be completely at odds with what your team wants you to do. I'd start with what your surgical team has given you, but if you have questions about it that they can't answer, feel free to ask here. Alternately, if you want to post the plan you were given, we might be able to generate ideas for you that you can try. One thing to consider: it's REALLY common for people's tastes to change after surgery. Something you like right now, may become the worst thing ever, and vice-versa. I know if you're worried about the post-surgical period, it's comforting to try to plan out what things will be like for you, but please don't try to stock up on stuff. Many of us did that and ended up with things we couldn't or wouldn't eat. Best of luck.

I am a big fan of strength training. I lift 4-5 times a week, and do a dedicated run and Pilates on the other 2 days. I do legs (heavy) twice a week, back and chest, and arms (bis, tris and shoulders). I also do 30 minutes of cardio daily after my lifts (jogging, walking , jumping rope, agility/endurance training). While I love love love lifting, it isn't for everyone, and I would highly suggest that you don't force it if you don't like it, because chances are, you won't stick to it! Do something you enjoy. You can build muscle swimming, cycling, doing aerobics, whatever, do what you love! And don't overdo it with crazy macro/calorie counting. Eat well, move your body and have fun!

Wow, congratulations on being off all your diabetes meds and insulin already at just 7 weeks out! You're so right about the liver doing its own thing overnight, I'm still learning all these quirks. My morning numbers can be all over the place even when I eat the exact same thing. It's reassuring to hear from someone who's had such amazing results with their blood sugar. I'm still on a reduced dose of Metformin but hoping to get off it completely as I continue losing weight. Can I ask what your typical breakfast looks like now? I'm always trying to find that sweet spot between getting enough protein in and not spiking my glucose.

My name is Marisa. I’m having a gastric bypass surgery on August 7th. I’m starting my liquid diet two weeks before that and quitting smoking. I’m doing this for my health. I’m 60 years old and I’m looking for some encouragement from others who have had this done. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I’m a little bit scared of the change and what I have to intake as protein to fill my daily intake. Is there anyone out there who follows a specific program? Please let me know. Thanks, Marisa.

Awesome! I am going to do these 3 times a week. Thank you so much. I hope this helps me! Amber and others have always given me good info too. And my husband just bought me some cards with instructions similar to this. He goes to the gym nearly every day and works a physical job. I just need to implement what I've been shown. I was walking and doing light weights here. But I need to commit to something more structured. I appreciate all your advice! Excited to get started! 🤩

She may have called it a DEXA scan, but it wasn't. That was definitely a BIA scanner. Here's the workout: 3 times per week, please dedicate time to do the following workout. It should take no more than 45 minutes and hopefully closer to 30. For all of the below exercises, I want you to start with the first variation of each exercise. Week 1: Do variation 1 of each exercise for 2 sets of 10 (or the max you can do if you can't do 10) In between each set, rest for ~1-3 minutes. The exact time doesn't matter that much, as long as you feel ready to begin again Week 2: Now I want you to do 3 sets of 10 or your max if you can't do 10. Week 3 (and beyond): Continue doing 3 sets, but now I want you to do the maximum number of each exercise that you can, up to 20. If it's 12. do 12. If it's 15, do 15. If you can get all the way to the point that you can do 20 of the exercise for 3 sets (a total of 60 repetitions), then stop there. Next time you do that exercise, I want you to move to the next variation listed to make it harder. Be aware that some of these may feel like big jumps, meaning you may go from being able to do 60 of version 1, to only being able to do 5 or 10 total of the next one. That's perfectly fine and to be expected. Just keep working at the new version until you can do 3 sets of 20 at that level. At that point, move on the the next version. If you get all the way through one or more of these, there are even harder variations available. Reach out and I'll give you more. That said, after doing these for 2-3 months or so, we might want to switch things up a bit? Doing the same thing over and over can get boring and we also want to fight any potential muscle imbalances by changing things up with different exercises. Be aware that you may feel sore a day or 2 after doing these exercises, especially at first. That's perfectly normal and should get a bit better over time. Here we go!: Exercise #1: Glute Bridge – Primarily works your glutes and lower back, as well as various smaller hip muscles How to progress: Standard Glute Bridge -- Both feet on Floor Single Leg Glute Bridge -- Do a single leg at a time with the other leg held straight out. Be sure to work each leg! Weighted Glute Bridge -- Time to add weight across your pelvis. How much is up to you and you can also progress here by adding more weight. Dumbbells work, but short of that, it can really be anything. Sandbag, milk jug, small child get creative! Hip Thrust. This is a very similar exercise, but allows a higher range of motion, so actually works your glutes even better. Ideally you'd also add heavier weight than you were using for the glute bridge Exercise #2: Push Up – Primarily a chest workout, however it also works the arms, shoulders, core and upper back as well. How to progress: Wall Push Ups -- It's what it sounds like, do a push up against the wall. Start by standing just over arms length away from the wall. You can change the difficulty a bit by moving further away Elevated Push Ups -- Another push up motion, but now you're using something lower to support yourself. You can also gradually move to lower and lower surfaces. For example, start with a kitchen counter, then progress to a coffee table Knee Push Ups -- Move to the ground in a basic push up position, but on your knees Regular Push Ups Exercise #3: Squat – Good leg exercise that hits the quads, hamstrings & glutes How to progress: Box Squat -- This is basically squatting down to sit on a box or chair, but DO NOT use your hands to get up or down. Ideally, the chair/box will be about the height where your legs are parallel to the ground Supported Squat -- No more box. Now you'll hang on to something for balance. Again, try to shoot for getting your upper legs parallel to the floor. Also try not to use the support to aid you in standing back up. It should be there mostly for balance Deep Supported Squat -- Now it's time to go as deep as you can, ideally with your butt hitting your calves Unsupported Squat. Time to let go of the support and do a proper squat Exercise #4: Row – Primarily a back exercise, but also can work the arms to some extent, especially the forearms. How to progress: Wall Pull -- It might be a little challenging to find a place to do this, but the idea is you'll find something sturdy like a stair rail, or something firmly attached to the wall that you can pull against. When you did the push ups against the wall, you stood further away. Here, I want you to start by standing maybe a foot or so closer to the wall so that you're leaning back when your arms are fully extended. Wall pull with a towel -- We're going to increase the difficulty by using a hand towel wrapped around your stair rail or object. You'll hold onto either end of the towel. This will allow you to lean further back. If needed, you can progress even more by moving to a bath towel instead of a hand towel. Inverted Row with Legs Bent -- Now things get even more complicated. Ideally to do this you'd have something like a suspension trainer, but it's possible to do this with a heavy wooden or metal rod suspended between 2 sturdy chairs or kitchen counters. Some city parks may also have a low bar that would be ideal for this, but you might have to look around? Inverted Row -- Same as above, but now you keep your legs straight NOTE: It may not be easy for you to find a way to do the inverted rows. If you're struggling, another option might be a "Plank Row", but this will require dumbbells. Simply progress this by adding more weight. If you go this route, you may want to go easy on the Leg Raises below or you may torch your core muscles.) Exercise #5: Lunge – Another leg exercise, but these are done one leg at a time. This will continue to work your legs, will help with balance and will engage your core as well. How to progress: Supported Rear Lunge -- I suggest just googling all these as they are easy to do, but harder to describe. In this one, find something to hang onto for support. Rear Lunge Front Foot Elevated Rear Lunge Bulgarian Split Squat Exercise #6: Leg Raise – Primarily a core workout How to progress: Lying Knee Raise -- Another one I suggest googling. These are all done from the floor Lying Knee Raise to Straight Leg Lower -- the idea here is you’ll raise your legs with your knees bent, but then straighten out your legs and slowly lower them down. Lying Leg Raise Seated Knee Tuck Good luck!

As you probably know, PCOS can affect metabolism. This means you may be getting a double whammy from PCOS and your height that really pushes your metabolic rate down. As I mentioned earlier, without having an expensive metabolic test done, we can't know for sure how many calories per day you burn on average. If I had to guess, I think it could be as low as about 1000 to 1200 calories per day for your Basal Metabolic Rate. This is basically the amount your body burns just keeping you alive. If we add in a bit more to account for the fact we all burn some additional calories (even if we're mostly sedentary), then that could put you around 1300 to 1500 calories per day. If you're eating ~1000 calories a day, that means at best, you'd lose about 1 pound a week, but it could easily be closer to 1 pound every 12 days or so. If you do the math (I did ), then this would put you losing right about 2.5 pounds per month or 10 pounds in 4 months, which is right where you're at. Now for the record, I didn't factor in anything for the fact that as a DS patient, you are actually also benefiting from reduced absorption. These are all made up numbers anyway, so don't get too caught up in the hard numbers here. Remember: Even if you think you're super accurate in logging food, variation in caloric content from one piece of food to the next means your calorie counts may or may not be that accurate. Don't trust manufacturer calorie counts as accurate either. They can be as much as 10% or more off. We don't actually know how many calories you burn in a day on average. My guesses are just that, guesses. Bottom line, you've got a few things working against you here, but as long as you continue to follow your surgeon's plans, there's no reason you can't lose the excess weight. It's just going to take you longer than most people. I know that sucks, but it is what it is. Knowledge is power, so hopefully you'll come away from this with a little more knowledge. That should give you a little more power over your unique situation. All the best.