Thursday, January 22, 2009

How to lose weight with PCOS? -

I m 19, I have PCOS, and I m overweight. I ve tried dieting, exercising, no carbs, and nothing is working.The last thing I want to do is to turn to anorexia, but there isn t much left to do.I was wondering if getting a hysterectomy would actually help at all, or would I still have the same problems?There s a small possibility for me to actually have children, and if my body can begin to act normally by getting a hysterectomy, I will get one, if possible.

PCOS is a tough one. It can affect all your other hormone functions, as it id also affected by hormone inbalance, vicious cycle. I too have that problem. But a hysterectomy won t solve it, as that will really screw your hormones and make weight loss harder. A hysterectomy will also kill your chances of children...they take out your uterus and ovaries. PCOS is poly cystic ovarian syndrome...not really anything with uterus, which is what hysterectomies are for.PCOS can affect blood sugar levels, so avoid processed sugars. Talk toy your doctor about your options. She can help you get on a diet/ fitness plan that may work for you, as that is really the only cure for PCOS besides surgery.You need more than just a diet, you need a lifestyle diet . permanent change.Whole grainsHigh FiberLow sugarlots of veggieslow caloriesdrink lots of waterGood cardio exerciseavoid fruit juice as it is high in sugar, and eat the actual fruits.

Ask your doctor to help you put together a good plan. There are many sensible things you can do that will make a tremendous difference over the long term if you need to lose weight. It can be done in a healthy way. This is what has worked for me.Keeping a food journal really does help. It will give you a much better sense of how much you are eating, and when, and why.Make a few additional small changes - walk everywhere, always use stairs instead of elevators, walk on escalators, get up and move around at least once an hour if your work or your life in general is sedentary, walk every day, use a pedometer. Walking 10,000 steps a day is a really good idea. Build up to a long brisk walk everyday, or most days. Be more active and watch less TV and spend less time on the computer. Buy one piece of exercise equipment to have at home and be strict with yourself about using it. Sometimes you can find mini-steppers or exercise bikes at second hand stores and thrift stores for just a few dollars.Start a weight lifting routine. Join a gym. Possibly you can find one that has someone who specializes in weight lifting programs for beginners. Weight lifting will increase your metabolism as well as improve posture and appearance overall. Even if you can t get to the gym you can work out at home using things around the house. Invest in a good weight training book. The Dummies series actually has a good one. In terms of diet, cut out or reduce things like junk food, pop, fat, fast food. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish. Particularly if you choose a vegetarian lifestyle include natural peanut butter, hummus, dried fruit and nuts. Pay close attention to getting the nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Make your portion sizes smaller. Use a smaller plate - in our society we have become accustomed to thinking that we need a large plate of food at every meal, and we don t. About quarter of your plate of food should be protein and at least half of it should be veggies. Learn to count calories. At your current weight and activity level, you may possibly need about 2000 calories or more to maintain your current weight. So you will lose weight at a reasonable and healthy rate if you cut back to about 1600 or 1700 calories a day. Eat small amounts frequently, rather than three large meals. Never skip breakfast. Include some protein in your breakfast. It will help get you through the day.Drink plenty of water, at least 8 big glasses of water a day, and more if it is very hot, if you sweat a lot, or if you are exercising intensely, and eliminate fruit juices. Fruit juices have too many calories, so get your vitamins from fresh fruit, not the juice. You will begin to see changes in your body. Check out websites about nutrition, exercise, weight training, etc. Here are a few helpful links.http://www.nutrawatch.com/http://www.caloriesperhour.com/http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_ea��http://www.wikihow.com/Lose-Weight-the-H��http://weightloss.about.com/cs/fitness/a��http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/fe��