Have PCOS and Lost Weight -- But Can't Get Rid of the Final 20 Pounds

by Heather

Hi. I've had PCOS for close to 12 years. I managed to lose about 40 lbs. over the course of 3 years, with metformin.

I've kept it off but I still have about 20lbs before I'm in the "normal weight range".

I'm no longer on metformin because my doctor said I'm in the leaner category and metformin would do more harm than good at this point.

I have hypothyroidism and recently diagnosed with hypoglycemia.

I take inositol, NAC, chromium, milk thistle, magnesium, manganese, all the B's, D +K, probiotics, biotin...probably some I'm forgetting.

My question is how can I get this last 20lbs off?

I do yoga, walk at an incline for 30min about 4 times a week. I eat between 1200-1500 calories. I'm low carb (under 100) high protein/moderate fat (Paleo).

I'm maintaining, which I suppose is better than gaining but I lose the same 10lbs back and forth (I'm 5ft and always between 150-160).

Am I always going to have insulin issues? It would help to not have to eat so frequently. It would also help to have more energy from carbs but neither of those are an option with my PCOS & hypoglycemia.

Help! Please!

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Some ideas to help weight loss and PCOS
by: PCOS Editor

What you describe is one of the toughest aspects of PCOS. You're doing "all the right things" but you still can't get rid of those final pounds of body fat.

This hormonal and metabolic disorder is complex with a lot of variability among individuals. There are some things that work for everyone -- and some things that work for some but not others.

So I can only give you a few ideas and you can try them.

1) Do you know what your vitamin D level is? If not, get a blood test and find out. If the value is below 50, I suggest you increase your vitamin D dosage. Do what is necessary to get your vitamin D level above 50.

2) You cannot lose the fat weight until your thyroid function is optimized. Perhaps your type or dosage of thyroid hormone needs to be adjusted?

Try to find out what is causing your hypothyroidism. Could it be that you have autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease)? Or Wilson's syndrome? Or you could have heavy metal toxicity, which can adversely affect thyroid function.

If Hashimoto's, you would want to avoid all gluten foods since they are associated with increased autoimmune activity.

If Wilson's, one thing you can do is reduce stress since chronic stress is associated with this disorder.

3) Are you taking fish oil concentrate? I highly recommend it. Chronic inflammation is a driver of obesity and weight gain. A lot of inflammation is caused by pathogenic bacteria in the gut. Fish oil has been shown to help rebalance your gut bacteria so that less inflammation is created. Fish oil is a perfect complement to the probiotics you're taking.

4) Berberine extract also has a beneficial effect on microorganisms in the gut. And, it has been shown to help women who have polycystic ovary syndrome.

5) Have you tried high-intensity interval training (HIIT)? Yoga and walking is excellent, but HIIT exceptionally good at help with weight issues. HIIT stresses and builds up muscle tissue, where fat burned. The more muscle cells you have, and the more active they are, the more fat you can burn off. CrossFit is one example of HIIT exercise. There are plenty of others. There are also a number of book on the subject. You might look into it.

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