Hey everyone. I am fairly certain I have insulin resistance w/ PCOS, though I've never been officially diagnosed nor treated. I control my symptoms pretty well through diet alone, but I've really "hit the wall" lately.

Even though I am very good about watching my food intake (I journal in fitday, weigh and measure almost everything), and I don't eat more than 1250 calories & 50 carbs daily on average, fat loss has come almost screeching to a halt. The problem is I am still a bit overweight. Worse, my PCOS is still not totally under control and my blood sugars are not totally stable. The only way I seem to be able to get the scale to move is by restricting energy intake to ridiculously low unsustainable levels.
Another problem is that my body composition has changed. I am much more "ruler" figured now than I was before, the tummy fat isn't going at the same rate as the fat on my hips and butt... another symptom of IR.

Because I have reason to believe that diet alone isn't completely effective in controlling my IR symptoms, I am giving serious thought to meeting with an endo and getting on insulin sensitizing medicine like metformin/glucophage. I was hoping you could share with me your experiences. Did metformin make a big difference? Did it help you lose weight (in absence of an additional conscious effort to further restrict)? Did it make a big difference in so far as giving you energy, keeping your sugars balanced, and improving PCOS symptoms?

See my issue is that I *really* don't like the idea of being on synthetic meds unless I know they are really really going to help. On the other hand, if others who have my problems find the meds really helped them, then I will take them. Thank you in advance .

It has always been my understanding that when you get the weight under control...the PCOS symptoms are supposed to fall into place. Or at least that's what the doctors are always preaching. Just lose weight, just lose weight-seems to be the mantra.

However I recall losing weight and still having symptoms still also. Like the missed periods. Hirsutism is not reversible from what I have read...it can be slowed but basically laser/electrolysis could help that. Now for the insulin resistance I'm told that the Metformin/Glucophage is the best.

I've been taking it for 6 months. Will it help you lose more weight..........???
It seems like everyone is different and it can take awhile before it kicks in so I'm told. I'm still struggling with trying to take weight off and I am on it. However I have had my periods like clockwork since taking Met (not sure if I'm ovulating).

It seems like I've read 1001 things that Gluc can do for PCOSers....maybe I'm just the screwball that has tried LC on and off that nothing will help....


In other words I don't think it has really helped ME lose any weight, but maybe some others may have different opinions.

My doc told me that even with a low carb diet I am not getting the full benefit of it due to insulin resistance. She told me that the glucophage will help me get the weight off and make my body more sensitive to insulin.

I also HATE the idea of medications and she insisted that I would only have to take the glucophage for a few months and then I could go off of it.

I finally agreed to the glucophage but it made me horribly ill! I found it all but impossible to exercise while on it.

Part of me really wants to take it, since I am struggling to get any weight off and I have plenty more to go!

I tried taking it once in a while but that didnt seem to have any effect.

My doc suggested that I can start taking a pill every other day and work my way up to 500mg twice a day.

I have yet to go 3 full days taking it twice a day, I can say that whenever I take it I lose all interest in food and have a difficult time forcing food down. I also need to take one in the morning and one in the evening. If I take them too close together I get sick.

I would love to control my PCOS through diet only and it has worked wonders for me. The hirsutism has improved, I am ovulating on my own regularly, my hair is growing in thicker and my hypoglycemia is gone.

I am trying the met again and hopefully I built up enough of a tolerance to it this time. I really need help getting the weight off. As much as I hate drugs, I think a few months on it may help me.

Good luck and I hope it helps you. You have done an amazing job!

Hi Itsthewoo

Thanks for a very informative post and congratulations on your weight loss! You and I seem to be about the same weight, and my goal is the same as yours. Since I am new at this LCing, could you give me some tips on how you lost that weight in just two months?? Perhaps an example of what you ate in a typical day?

Thanks!

Hey Wooo,

I have no experience with the meds, since I refuse them. What I do have is my personal experience controlling this through diet.

Carb level realy affects me since my body tends to overproduce insulin. I need to keep my carbs lower than you and NOT spread them through out the day. For me, spreading out the carbs creats a constant stream of insulin overproduction thus creating the PCOS symptoms. Having them concentrated at meals, and at no more than 10 grams has helped. Only a few rushes a day rather than a constant stream. I figure the less time my body is reacting (secreating insullin), the less time insullin has to affect the other hormone balances. I now have my periods exactly 30 days apart compaired to every 3 or 4 sometimes more months pre LC.

Furthermore, when I eat my carbs snacky style (grazing), somtimes I am late a day or two. It really does affect me. I have to stick to protein an fat and no more than 2-3 grams for a snack.

HTH

i'm not sure if you are a coffee drinker, but another thing you could try is to stop coffee. the caffeine raises cortisol levels which spike insulin.

good job on getting the weight off woo

Hi Reve...
Well when I was 160 lbs, I basically stayed around 30-40 carbs, and my average calories were probably 1250. So I basically controlled carbs and calories and that's how I lost it. The actual numbers might be different for you, but I htink if you control carbs and calories you should be able to lose at a rate you desire.

I dont know about anyone else but it seems really hard for me to stay on atkins every month. The unbalanced hormones make me crazy! I'm still learning more and more about the condition. I never knew there were so many contributing factors. The mood swings are the worst. I've been on glucophage for about 2 years. (500 mg)3 times a day.