I have PCOS and find it hard to lose weight. I already take blood sugar meds, walk and watch what I eat.?
364170
I too have PCOS and from personal experience I've found that anything less than 750mg/day of Glucophage doesn't help.  I also have to do 240 minutes of cardio each and every week.  Again, anything less won't help.\n\nI also HIGHLY recommend a diet called SugarBusters.  It was made specifically for women with PCOS.  It is wonderful and helped me lose 25 pounds over a year!\n\nCheck out this site for more support: http://www.pcosupport.org/\n\nGood Luck!
72807
I too have pcos. Luckily i have now had 2 children.\nI recommend you going to a website where i get all my information & is very informative on everything from doctor's to infertility, birth control pills, & treatments. I wish you much luck! And i truly hope that you find all the info you need!
86551
Ask yourself what your issue is - do you eat too much? eat when  your sad, angry, depressed, or bored? Or do you not exercise enough, or maybe both? And then decide what you're going to do about it, a step at a time....like this week, try to eat more vegetables, less carbohydrates, and try to take some 15-20 minutes walks. Most Americans have a problem with sugar, not fat, so try to eat less sugary things. Next week, increase the walking time, and try to eat healthier. I use a great website to keep track of what I eat - and am sometimes surprised at how it adds up - it's called www.fitday.com, adn it's free. I'm trying to lose weight too, and so I wish you luck. If you don't think you're eating too much, you may want to go to the doctor to be checked for diabetes or thyroid problems.
231806
I would highly disagree with the first response you received regarding Gastric Bypass as a solution to your diabetes and high blood pressure.  Non-surgical routes such dietary and exercise interventions are your first step toward normalizing your condition. \n\nOne important ingredient in stabilizing diabetes is to limit the type of carbs you ingest.  Stick to complex carbohydrates only and avoid all simple carbs. With simple carbs; sugar, honey, syrup, etc. the body converts these foods quickly causing your blood sugar to spike so it's important to avoid them. Complex carbs like brown rice, oatmeal, beans, etc. take longer to convert so your blood sugar doesn't spike as dramatically.  The key is to limit the spike by sticking to carboyhydrates that breakdown slowly.  Practice portion control. That's where most diabetics get into trouble. A large meal will more likely cause your blood sugar levels to go to high, so stick to smaller frequent meals throughout the day.\n\nThe right meal plan will simulataneosuly help you improve your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers and also help keep your weight on track. Whether you need to lose weight or stay where you are, your meal plan can help.  Think meal plan and not necessarily diet.  A healthy meal plan will prevent diabetes from escalating and reduce the risk for complications such as heart disease and stroke. Healthy eating includes eating a wide variety of foods including vegetables, whole grains, fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans, and lean meats, poultry and fish. There is no one perfect food or diet so including a variety of different foods and watching portion sizes is key to a healthy diet. Also, make sure your choices from each food group provide the highest quality nutrients you can find. In other words, pick foods rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber over those that are processed.\n\nI can't emphasize enough how important it is for you to maintain a daily exercise regimen to stabilize your blood sugar.  Please seek the advice of an exercise specialist or certified personal trainer for the correct program for your individual needs.\n\nAn onsite visit with a naturopathic doctor or registered dietician can help keep your diet on track.\n\nHere's a great link on Diabetes and Diet\nhttp://preventdisease.com/home/tips39.shtml
1070056
id suggest walking more than a mile, because that wont do too much... if youre really serious about losing weight, then walk a little bit more than a mile, but also watch what you eat.
117932
first off, do NOT take anything anyone says here as medical advice.  You need to talk to a doctor.  Diabetes is serious and it is unique in each person.\n\ndepending on what type you have, you might be able to adjust your diet, exercise more, or make other lifestyle adjustments.  But, seek a doctor's advice first.
82768
There are alot of people that make alot of money selling the products you see on TV. There is one basic principal you can't escape. You need to reduce your calorie intake and exercise to burn the excess calories as well as to increase your metabolism. \n\nYou need to change your eating and exercise habits, which basically means a lifestyle change. Anything you do that is temporary will only give you temporary results. \n\nIt will be hard at first. But you should take it slow and steady. I had to lose weight when I found out I had diabetes. I found it very healpful to write down everything I ate each day. It sounds like a pain but it's worth it. You will give more thought to what you put in your mouth. Also, do you find yourself eating because you are bored, upset, etc? Try to get involved in something new to occupy your time. \n\nIn the end it's you that put on the weight and you that will have to get it off. It's good to have family and friends that are supportive, but you must take responsibility for the condition you are in. \n\nYou didn't get to the weight you are in a short time, so don't look for instant results. If you are consistant in your eating and exercise habits, you should look to loose 2 or three pounds a week. Much more than that could be bad for you.
387516
Really you should talk to your doctor to find out what he recommends.  No drug is going to do the work for you, you still need to change diet and exercise habits, but there are plenty of drugs or supplements that can really help.  The very first thing I would recommend is getting on a multi-vitamin, and there are some that are formulated to help promote weight loss.  Next I would think about what your biggest struggles are.  If you are eating all the wrong foods, no drug in the world will help.  However, if you eat fairly healthy (you get plenty of fruits and vegetables and not a lot of fat) and you find that you just have a hard time curbing your appetite, you may want to go toward an appetite suppressant.  I have found Dexatrim to work fairly well, and they are cheap.  Just go for the "no-caffeine" formula.  If however, you find that even when you eat right, and avoid over eating, you still seem to gain weight (or not loose any), I would go with something that boosts your metabolism like Hydroxycut (sp?).  \n\nAgain, even before taking something over the counter, you need to ask your doctor.  This is especially important if you are taking any medications, or if you are seriously obese.  \n\nI would also recommend Weight Watchers.  They are very affordable (much more affordable than most drugs), and they really work well.  They also allow you to eat whatever you want, you just control the portions, while you also learn to make healthier choices.  I have lost about 17 pounds in 5 weeks with them so far.
76668
Yes. \n1. Reduce sugar intake. Intake of sugar will cause an insulin reaction that will lower your blood sugar.  This will cause you to feel hungry and want to eat again. If you then choose a sugary or starchy food, you've started the cycle over again.\n\nTry eating vegetables, cheeses, meats and other low carb options.  When you want to snack, stay away from sugary items.  Stay away from Soft drinks! Stay away from sugar substitutes.  Sometimes your insulin system mistakes these for sugar.\n\n2.  Eat small frequent meals.  Eat about enough to curb your hunger for about 2-3 hours.  Then eat again when your hunger comes back.  You'll find that the total calories you consume will be much lower than if you ate a few big meals.  I reccomend 5-6 small meals per day.\n\n3.  Drink lots of water.  Sometimes your brain will confuse it's signals and you will find yourself eating when you are actually dehydrated.  64-96 ounces per day works great.  That's A LOT, but start small and work up to it.\n\nGood luck and God Bless!
581712
I have PCOS (it used to be called stein leventhal syndrome) it is hereditary and every woman who has it has different symptoms and experiences so medications are on a case by case basis. There is a strong link to insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) so a diet that minimizes bad carbs is helpful. I have had difficultly in the past but I am about to have baby number 4 and I got my insulin resistance under control with diet and exercise - I still have weight problems but my blood work has improved. Talk with a reproductive endocrinologist for more detailed information. I hope this all helps.
158396
Diet and exercize, a 10% loss in weight can actually turn around insulin resistance and diabetes. But don't stop there it is something that you have to do the rest of your life. As far as diet portion sizes are very important and eat your veggies and fiber. I have seen this work with people I love.
421972
I had this same problem, and weighed over 330 lbs.  Best thing to do is go off sugar (processed and starch) to the point your pancreas no longer has to work overtime to produce insulin.  I suggest reading the book "Sugar Busters" by 3 New Orleans doctors.  This book was written for diabetics, to help keep their sugar levels in check and help them get away from so much dependency on insulin shots.  These doctors are diabetic specialists, and what they say in the book makes more sense than anything else I've read!  I've now lost about 170 lbs., and feel wonderful and look better than I have most of my life!  Read the book, it tells how your body works, and why, and afterwards you're going to say to yourself (I did!)..."NOW I KNOW why I'm the way I am!"  The link below takes you to a site where you can order the book online.  And good luck!  \n\nAnd Delta Burke, one of the stars of the television series "Designing Women" found out she was a diabetic, and went on this exact diet (lifestyle eating change) and lost weight AND brought her dependency of insulin way down!
744433
you should cut as much sugar as possible. another thing is carbs, you have to watch them because when your body processes them it turns them into sugar. avoid soft drinks also. those have huge amounts of sugar in them.\n\nbasically if you exercise and watch those things you will be okay and probably lose weight as well. i lost 60 pounds after finding out i was diabetic and starting watching my food intake and left the soda alone.
325694
I do know that PCOS may make difficult for you to conceive, but it doesn't mean that you can't ever have children.\n\nThe disorder runs in my family, and I was told by my doctor that the best bet would be to stay on birth control pills until the time comes when I am ready to try to get pregnant. The hormones in the pills are supposed to slow the progress/development of the symptoms.\n\nYour doctor can do a symptom checklist to see if you fit the requirements for PCOS. If you do, or even if you don't, it might be a good idea to talk with your doctor about birth control hormone therapy.
814510
Ask you doctor about Byetta.  Its a fairly new drug out for diabetics.  It has other uses like it helps you lose weight also.  I'm not diabetic but my doctor recommended it to me last week for weight issues.  I've read as much as I could find about it and I got the insert from my pharmacy tonight.  I think I'm going to try it as soon as I call my doctor next week and get the script.\n\n4 miles in 45 min is a lot.  You are exercising yourself to death at that rate.  You should be losing weight.  Whats up with that?  Do you have another doc that you can see?  What about your gyno with the missed period thing?  I felt a lot better by just going on Yasmin and having a period.  I don't know why.  It just made me feel normal again, like everything was back to working order.  \n\nI feel pretty yucky right now after Halloween, I might as well have eaten a chocolate cow, because that's how I feel with all my kids candy laying around that I've chomped on here and there.
499725
Yes it is.  I have PCOS and have been taking Glucophage XR (Metamorphin is the generic) for years now.  I take 2000mg/day.  \n\nTo explain what Glucophage does, I need to help you understand what PCOS is.  Women with PCOS are almost always insulin resistant, which means that their bodies try to compensate by “overproducing” insulin.  (Insulin resistance can be detected by a blood test of fasting serum levels of glucose and insulin.)\n\nHigh insulin levels produce excess male hormones by increasing androgen production by the ovaries leading to more and more PCOS symptoms. Androgens are male hormones such as testosterone.  High insulin levels also increase the production of LH by the pituitary gland.  The high LH in turn leads to an even higher level of male hormones.  In several recent studies, Glucophage has shown effectiveness in inducing ovulation in some women with PCOS by lowering both LH and male hormone levels.\n\nNow, having said that, note that the major symptom of PCOS is high insulin levels.  The goal is to decrease them.  And what do carbs do?  They raise your insulin level.  So, the best diet...one actually created for PCOS sufferers is SugarBusters.  It's wonderful and helped me, along with Glucophage, to lose about 20-30lbs.\n\nIf you have PCOS you may or may not have trouble getting pregnant.  I have two kids and never had a problem getting pregnant.  My mother and father only have me and it took them six years.  Everyone is different.  I would tell you just not to give up.\n\nYes, it is safe to get pregnant while taking the drug.  It's in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is unlikely to harm an unborn baby.  However, you should still talk to your doctor if you are pregnant.  Also, it does pass to the breast milk, so make sure you talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.\n\nNow, the heavy bleeding.  The only thing that will stop the heavy bleeding is keeping your insulin levels down month over month so your male hormones decrease and your female hormones increase, thus inducing a monthly period.  The bleeding is heavy because when you do have a period, it's likely several periods in one.  When I go a few months without a period, my doctor prescribes a hormone pill that I take for a week that starts my period.\n\nThe most important thing to do is to take the Glucophage/Metamorphin every single day.  When you first start taking it, it can cause some bad cramps and bad poopies, so you might ask about taking the XR/ER version, which is an extended release version.  That helps get rid of those symptoms.  \n\nAlso, it's important to exercise.  I found that I need about 240 minutes of cardio every week for it to make a difference.  Do your best to get as close to possible as that.  And also strength train.  Muscle burns more calories than fat.  \n\nHope this helps.  Good Luck!
674326
Avoid sugary foods like soda, cookies, candy bars, etc., these kind of foods will only spur your cravings to greater frequencies.  If you must have something sweet, eat fruit; your body processes natural sugar without converting it to fat, and you need fruit anyway.  Stay away from fruit drinks as they contain alot of extra processed sugar.\n\nTry drinking tea if you can't drink just plain water (or put a slice of lemon in - more fruit).  If you don't like tea or coffee, try the water and lemon/lime trick, but DON'T add any sugar.\n\nMaybe you need a "going to the gym" buddy - can you ask your best maid to go with you or one of your bridesmaids?  This could be a great way to add some unique memories for your wedding preparations.\n\nIf you want to regulate your diet, be consistent with meal times and don't skip meals.  Pick veggies like carrots, celery sticks, or green pepper to satisfy that need to snack and eat something crunchy.  This will get more veggies into your diet too.\n\nI'm hypoglycemic (I can't skip meals - kind of the opposite of diabetes), so if I start a headache from not eating, a little bit of cheese (like a cheese stick) or milk will tide me over until mealtime.\n\nGood luck and congratulations!