I'm Not Losing Weight - Help!

I bought your book last year.

I have been doing cardio since Sept-- 4 or 5 times a wk, 1hr a day. I added resistance in Nov-- 3 times a wk, upper and lower body.

After 6 mos I had not lost a single pound.

My blood pressure didn't even drop as much as it usually does when I faithfully walk (the cardio).

I battled plantar fasciitis the whole time too--pain going up into shin splints and then into my hip too.

I AM DISCOURAGED.

Do you think it's just my insulin resistance overriding my physical efforts? I am desperate enough I am considering asking for glucophage at an MDs! :(

(as an aside, my fasciitis 6 mo-flareup finally quit recently and I am now not in PAIN when I walk and I can increase my speed some too YAY)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor's comments: It's normal to have times of discouragement or disappointment. But I have to say that is not a good enough reason to give up.

No matter how difficult and challenging our situation, we have to relentlessly pursue our good health practices. PCOS is a chronic disorder that is partly genetic. This genetic tendency can be controlled to some extent through diet and exercise. So eating a healthy diet and being as physically active as possible is something you'll need to do for the rest of your life.

The key is to "do what you can" and "do your best".

Many of us have injuries or disabilities that impose constraints on what we do (including me!). Plantar fasciitis can be a painful, chronic problem. When we have these injuries, they have to be given time to heal. Meanwhile, we can think of other ways to be physically active that don't require stressing the injured foot. Swimming or bicycling are examples.

As for the difficulty in losing weight, there are a number of factors besides what you eat and how much you exercise, including insulin resistance and an under-performing thyroid gland. You may wish to get a fasting insulin test and a thyroid function test to see if you have metabolic problems in these areas.

If you have hypothyroidism, it is very difficult to lose any weight.

Of course, you can favorably influence insulin resistance by following the diet described in the PCOS diet book. Are you following that diet? If you reduce insulin resistance, you start to dismantle the fat-building process that is going on inside your body.

I can't emphasize enough how important diet is. If you eat the wrong foods, you will manufacture fat. For example, in a recent newsletter, we discussed how high fructose corn syrup can force you to build up fat.

I might suggest that you not focus on losing weight. Focus on being a healthy person.

You may also want to start monitoring your waist circumference. If you have insulin resistance, you may have a larger-than-normal tummy. If your belly is getting smaller in spite of your weight remaining the same, you are making major progress.

Finally, be patient with yourself. Getting healthy and staying healthy is a life-long process. Each women is unique; some make progress faster (or slower) than others. So don't compare yourself to others.

If you don't get the results you wanted in six months, take stock of the situation. There were some reasons why that didn't happen. See if you can identify anything that you can do differently that would produce a different result.

If lab tests and clinical observation have confirmed that you have insulin resistance and if you want to take a pharmaceutical, metformin can be helpful. It has benefits but you'll also want to be aware of its side effects, such as an induced vitamin B12 deficiency.

E-Books to Help You Manage PCOS