What different steps do we need to take having PCOS to help us lose the weight...seeing that we process foods different from others?

I feel your pain. My Endo. doctor told me to stay as far away from sugars as possible because as with PCOS comes insulin resistant. I have been banded now for 4 days and for the first time in 5 years I have lost weight and that is so far since my 1 week before diet I have lost alost 20 pounds. It can be done. Just remember we have slow metabolisms, so less is always more.

i am not sure if this is helpful or not- i am scheduled to be banded in september- my surgeon and my endo both told me that i needed to nothing special - as the weight came off - and it will come off- my symptoms would slowly subside- and the goal would be to be off all my meds within a year- i hope they are right- only time will tell

The band diet is high in protein, low in carbs which is perfect for someone with PCOS. It is not protein that causes problems, it is the carbs due to the insulin resistance. The weight should come off.

I ate low GI, went vegetarian, and started running. Within 6 months I was off all my meds for my type II, and my hormones were normal.

I didn't do anything special, I just ate well and exercised. And the weight just came off.

Just my 2 cents :thumbup:

I have had PCOS since I was 19 years old. I was banded on May 27, and as of today my weight lost has been incredible, not to mention that the symptoms from PCOS had been slowing down.

My mood is stable now, my hair growth has disminuished a lot I haven't waxed my face in 8 weeks...so is great and the most incredible achivement is that I think I am ovulating for first time in the last 17 years.

I stayed away from sugars, with the band is diffciult to eat carbs, so it helps.. I haven't started my exercise routine...ooops...but soon I will be.

This surgery is the light at the end of the tunnel for PCOS suffers. Hang in there, there is hope.

Regards

Vicky

What different steps do we need to take having PCOS to help us lose the weight...seeing that we process foods different from others?

My endo actually recommended this surgery to me. That was the day I made up my mind. She said that insulin resistant makes you store more fat, which makes your body create more insulin, which creates more fat and so on and so on. She said the best thing for me to do was get banded, follow a lower carb diet, and make sure to exercise. She said MANY of her PCOS patients have been banded and followed this and had great success! I'm hoping I'm the next one, as I'm getting banded this month! :cool2:

Hey all - I have the PCOS too and asked my doctor that very question. I have struggled so much to lose weight for so long and barely make a dent in the weight. My endo kept telling me that the PCOS makes it VERY hard to lose the weight, etc. So I was worried that even with the surgery, the PCOS would make losing weight harder.

The doctor told me that the band makes losing weight much easier AND does amazing things with improving the symptoms of PCOS. And there is nothing special that you have to do. Not only does the band help with weight loss, and the diet of the bandster (Protein and veggies with little carbs) is another big help, but apparently, there are other reasons why the band helps PCOS patients so much that they are only beginning to study and understand. Doctors have known that weight loss helps alleviate PCOS, but they have recently found that patients with weight loss surgery have MORE improvement of symptoms than patients who lost the same amount of weight in the same amount of time using traditional diet and exercise programs. They don't know why that is the case.

My doctor gave me a print out of a study showing that and I found the same thing on the internet - here is the link:

The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Associated with Morbid Obesity May Resolve after Weight Loss Induced by Bariatric Surgery -- Escobar-Morreale et al. 90 (12): 6364 -- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

As a matter of fact, long term, patients with PCOS who had the weight loss surgery not only had significant reduction of symptoms, but they ended up having so few symptoms that if they went to the doctor they would no longer qualify for a PCOS diagnosis.

Thought that might help. Not only did I find the information interesting, it was VERY reassuring. Good Luck!!! :w00t:

Lets not forget that it is *not* the band that helps with PCOS symptoms. It's a little silicone band. On it's own, it does nothing. But by eating a balanced diet, in smaller portions, and exercising, you lose weight, and *that* helps the symptoms.

And it is still up to you to eat healthy foods. The band will not stop you from eating chocolate, drinking soda and high calorie soft foods. That is down to you. That will help with the regulation of blood sugars, and put you on a level paying feild with the rest of the population.

(you is a general *you* and not aimed at anyone. I just see a lot of people saying that the band helps with the symptoms. It doesn't it's weight loss that does)

Just my 2 cents :w00t:

I have had PCOS since I was 19 years old. I was banded on May 27, and as of today my weight lost has been incredible, not to mention that the symptoms from PCOS had been slowing down.

My mood is stable now, my hair growth has disminuished a lot I haven't waxed my face in 8 weeks...so is great and the most incredible achivement is that I think I am ovulating for first time in the last 17 years.

I stayed away from sugars, with the band is diffciult to eat carbs, so it helps.. I haven't started my exercise routine...ooops...but soon I will be.

This surgery is the light at the end of the tunnel for PCOS suffers. Hang in there, there is hope.

Regards

Vicky

Oh please tell me the facial hair slows down with weight loss??? That would be so great...I am so sick of waxing and plucking lol! My doctor said the PCOS symptoms will definitely subside with weightloss which was one of the factors in my decision to do this along with the weightloss itself.

Okay, I just wanted to clarify a few things abut my earlier post....

When I said that you had to do nothing special after being banded, I did NOT mean that you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. Obviously you have to diet, exercise, follow your doctor's orders, etc. What I meant was that my doctor told me you didn't have to do anything special or different with regards to the PCOS. That there is no special diet for people with the band AND PCOS. That the normal diet advised for people who are banded will provide the same benefits and results for people with PCOS.

And while I have PCOS, I don't have a problem with blood sugar. My blood sugar is fine and so I have no idea one way or the other as to how the band will affect that aspect of your life.

Finally, I have struggled with weight for a long time despite following doctor ordered diets. Even without eating chocolate, soda, junk food, etc. I have had terrible problems with losing weight. After seeing a nutritionist and following her specific plan with no results, my endo suggested that this surgery may have huge benefits for me. She pointed me to the study (which I gave a link to in my earlier post) showing that even when people eat properly and exercise and lose weight, while they do show an improvement in symptoms, patients with weight loss surgery (the study specifically mentions bypass, but the endo said that the band results were similar) showed significantly more improvement even though everything else was exactly the same. Time, diet, exercise, weight loss, etc.

So what I meant was not that, "hey this is a magic surgery" or anything like that - I would never want anyone to think that is what I mean. Not only would it be unfair to people starting this path, but it would also be minimizing the hard work done by successful banders.

What I AM trying to say is that for people with PCOS who have struggled very hard with no positive results and are worried it will continue after the lapband surgery, here is a little hope my doctor gave me, and I am passing onto you, that this surgery can be particularly helpful to you. Good Luck Everyone! :biggrin2:

I was just pointing out, that at the end of the day *we* do the work. The band is a tool you can use to *aid* weight loss. It's not going to stop you putting Cookies, chips, coke and other crap in your mouth. YOU have to do that.

The band is not a magic willpower machine. Lots of people can out eat the band, and not lose, or even gain weight.

I worked hard to get where I am. Despite PCOS, IR and later Type II, I got to goal, and have stayed there for over 2 years. And while my band helped, to say that it was the only reason I lost is laughable. I worked my ass off. I ate a low GI diet (NOT low carb, no carb or Atkins / South Beach style) with as many whole foods as I could manage, and exercised daily.

It's simple, but really hard work.

I am not trying to get on anyone's case here. But reality is, despite PCOS weight loss is do-able. And even with a band, you DO have to eat right and exercise. The band is NOT going to do all the work. Not by a long shot.

/rant

My endo told me that the main prob of PCOS is the insulin resistance. The side effects were the only thing I was noticing, but didn't realize the greater cause. The more fat you have, the more insulin resistant you are, which creates more fat, which spikes insulin and so on and so on. So when you lose weight, you're LESS insulin resistant. Also the low carb diet allows your body to make less insulin in the first place. My ENDO pretty much TOLD me to get banded, as the best way to STOP PCOS in it's tracks. My sister has it too, and was banded 3yrs ago and no longer has ANY symptoms. I'm hoping that works for me too!

I dunno what steps you could take to help with the loss but I do know there is a social group for bandsters with PCOS.

I am now concerned that you say that because every diet that I read about that are high protein/low carbs state that these are the unhealthiest types of diet. So how is this helping us...it only appears to be hurting us.

What Are the Health Risks Associated With High Protein, Low Carb Diets?

http://women.webmd.com/guide/high-protein-low-carbohydrate-diets

High protein diets can cause a number of health problems, including:

• Kidney failure. Consuming too much protein puts a strain on the kidneys, which can make a person susceptible to kidney disease.
  
• High cholesterol. It is well known that high protein diets (consisting of red meat, whole dairy products, and other high fat foods) are linked to high cholesterol. Studies have linked high cholesterol levels to an increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke and cancer.
  
• Osteoporosis and kidney stones. High protein diets have also been shown to cause people to excrete more Calcium than normal through their urine. Over a prolonged period of time, this can increase a person's risk of osteoporosis and kidney stones.
  
• Cancer. One of the reasons high protein diets increase the risks of certain health problems is because of the avoidance of carbohydrate-containing foods and the Vitamins, minerals, Fiber and anti-oxidants they contain. It is therefore important to obtain your protein from a diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Not only are your needs for protein being met, but you are also helping to reduce your risk of developing cancer.
  
• Unhealthy metabolic state (ketosis). Low carb diets can cause your body to go into a dangerous metabolic state called ketosis since your body burns fat instead of glucose for energy. During ketosis, the body forms substances known as ketones, which can cause organs to fail and result in gout, kidney stones, or kidney failure. Ketones can also dull a person's appetite, cause nausea and bad breath. Ketosis can be prevented by eating at least 100 grams of carbohydrates a day.
  

Don't stress. Not everyone with PCOS who is banded eats a low carb / high Protein diet.

Some of us do really well just eating a balanced diet, and just swapping high GI foods for their low GI versions.