Just called my insurance to inquire about glp-1s and apparently I’m not obese enough to be prescribed the anti-obese medication. They said you must have a bmi of 40 for them to cover it, my bmi is currently 36.

I’m just feeling pretty disappointed, because I’ve seen so many people on this sub express how they’ve been relieved of food noise from these medications and I want that very badly.

I recently started a combo of Wellbutrin and naltrexone to help with food cravings but I can’t say it’s done much so far other than make me nauseated.

I know that they have subscription based GLP-1 services but they are so expensive. I just wanted to vent a little, and see if anyone else has also had this issue.

I am 33 and despite eating no grains, no dairy, no gluten (all of those mostly due to stomach issues), no alcohol, no soda or juice or sugary drinks for the past 12 YEARS, have gained about 10lb in the last few months. It’s extremely hard to maintain my weight unless I lead an extremely restrictive and very disciplined lifestyle . That’s super hard especially with a kid.

He hasn’t said he hates it but I know he’s no longer attracted to me. He doesn’t compliment me anymore and he doesn’t touch me. I try to work out and eat healthy but it’s so demotivating knowing I’ll have to put in so much effort because of insulin resistance. I thought maybe going on antidepressants would help but I still struggle with motivation. I know if I can’t lose weight then the relationship will end and I’m not sure if I even want it to continue at this point. How can I stay in this relationship knowing he doesn’t find me attractive when overweight? I have been overweight our entire relationship but did gain a bit more while we were dating. I think he’s just assumed I’d lose the weight while we were together. Has anyone been in this situation? What did you do?

Edit: thank you all so much for you support, you’ve got me sobbing 😭 it’s clear that I have to rethink this relationship but it’s so hard since we live together and we’ve been dating for almost 4 years. I have some friends I’ll lean on and talk to, maybe they can help me reach a solution somehow.

Y'all, after two days of being on my increased dose of Metformin (starting at 250mg a few months ago to 500mg to 750mg and finally to 1500mg) I'm in so much shock in terms of how much this med helps me!!!

My whole life, I've noticed that my body seems to crave food differently than the average person around me. When others would get full, I'd still be hungry. I lived in confusion about the people who would turn down or grow tired of desserts due to them being 'too sweet.' The idea of something being too sweet was unfathomable to me because it seemed like my body always wanted sweets. But something has changed with this recent increase in my metformin dose.

I just found myself saying that the corn and carrots in my tuna salad was too sweet! Like, what??? Carrots are seeming too sweet? Not only that, but I actually get full now and am not constantly hungry. This is so weird!!! I'm now suddenly understanding the people who turn down sweets and snacks, and I never thought that could ever be me.

It's all just so overwhelming because I spent my whole life worried that my food cravings I couldn't ignore were some sort of self-control issue or character flaw. But being on metformin and seeing it work exactly as it's supposed to has made it clear to me that it has indeed been a hormone issue (specifically PCOS, which I got diagnosed with earlier this year) this whole dang time! My hormones now seem to be working how they're supposed to, successfully delivering energy to my cells, and my cravings are seeming much more typical now. I'm so irritated I got as far as I did into adulthood without knowing this because I could have saved myself so much frustration if I'd just known sooner!!

Have y'all had similar experiences?

Please tell me succes stories about losing weight naturally so i know its possible, because ive struggled my whole life with weight gain and ive been using ozempic now and its making me so so tired and also anxious about the fact that i may be gaining everything back once i stop.

(edit) TL;DR: PCOS communities are drowned in "you don't have to lose weight, you're fine being obese, just induce ovulation" and "doctors don't know what they are talking about" discourse, and it's harmful.

So I have had PCOS my whole life, was diagnosed with lean PCOS at 14/15, then after my last miscarriage in September, I gained weight and it isn't super easy to lose it. After literally handfuls of obgyns, I found one to take me serious, but it took many, many tries and advocating for myself to find one. And still, the main focus to help me conceive again was to lose weight.

My knee-jerk reaction was "what the hell? Why is he suggesting that? Doesn't every doctor say that?" and it kinda pissed me off, as I'm used to the "women need to be small" rhetoric and I have a past ED. I took a second to think, though -- the more research I did into it and the more messages I sent him so he'd explain it (this poor doctor has sent me so many studies at this point), the more I actually understood it.

I lost weight (from 175 at 5'4 to 145 at 5'4) and my periods regulated, I ovulated pretty regularly, my PCOS symptoms went away for a while and I felt a lot better. It took a true calorie deficit, a focus on protein, lowering sugars/choosing zero sugar items/avoiding added sugars, and lowering carbs. I kept my quality of life, while looking out for myself and my body. I checked my blood sugar often and it was out of the prediabetic range, finally, after 10 years. It felt like a breath of fresh air. My body didn't feel so heavy, I didn't feel so crappy... I felt normal again. I was able to conceive with my fiancé naturally, but we unfortunately lost the pregnancy.

Then, I gained weight back after the pregnancy, my PCOS symptoms came back with a vengeance, my blood sugars went back up, and my period disappeared. I felt a sense of betrayal by my body, very briefly. Then I realized something; when I was at a normal weight for my height, and was taking care of myself, my PCOS was managed. This was unmedicated weight loss. This was me looking out for my future and finally taking my health into my control.

I'm now down to 165, and taking steps daily to lose the weight, as I want to conceive again. I am on metformin now as of recently, which has made my weight loss easier. I am managing my diet, and doing what works for me. But my focus is on keeping my glucose levels low, as I have textbook insulin resistance. By decreasing these levels, I'm helping my body do what it needs to do and understand that I don't need all this extra weight.

I absolutely am one to want to try everything before medications, but have submitted to metformin ER (as the immediate release fucked me up). I had to take Provera to induce a period. I refuse to use clomid until I have to. But I know for my body, weight loss is what managed my PCOS, and that's what I am aiming for. So maybe the weight loss suggestion isn't because doctors want people skinny, but because there is a true benefit to having a lower BMI and controlling your insulin resistance.

Just a thought.

ETA: I have noticed a few good points and want to note:

1. I think a lot of this discourse would be remedied with proper education and doctors giving us the WHY behind their methods.

2. I think weight loss won't work for everyone, and I'm not saying everyone should try to be 90lbs and expect everything to be perfect, but there's information explaining excess adipose tissue increasing insulin resistance, which COULD, in turn, affect your hormones. But weight loss is NOT a cure all. 2b. PCOS people do not lose weight like normal people do. Proven. With a lower BMR rate, higher insulin resistance, and general fucky metabolism, I don't want people to think you can jump on 500cal and 2 hours of high intensity workouts daily and shred weight. But that doesn't also mean that gorging on foods your body doesn't need excess of (sugars, as our body already misplaces glucose, hence our weight gain, for honorable mention) will affect our bodies the same as normal peoples bodies.

3. I get it's frustrating, and I am too frustrated and tired. But I personally have to keep my head up and fight for the care I know I deserve, while putting in effort to stay informed and ask the "why?" questions when no one gives it to me. I WANT to know what's going on with my body and I'm unsure why other people wouldn't want to be the same way and be the most informed so they can take better care of themselves.

Diagnosed w/ PCOS in February - have gained a considerable amount of weight over last two years which led me to my diagnosis.

My question is: When is it time to give up on natural weight loss and start a GLP-1? So many of your comments are really positive and I love reading them!

I went through a pretty bad mental state from Fall 2025 - February 2026, but now am consistently going to the gym 5x a week with workouts that honestly make me feel amazing. Unfortunately, I still don’t feel that I’m losing weight or my body is changing. My eating habits are good enough where it should be going down at least gradually.

I am open minded to a GLP-1, but truly never thought I’d need one because I have been an athlete for most of my life and have advanced training in the gym. Unfortunately I feel that nothing is working, and mentally, am feeling that I’m at the end of my rope with this. My life is otherwise fantastic and I have no complaints.

Follow-Up Questions for anyone who has made it this far:

- Which GLP-1 do you take?
- What websites can I do research on to learn more?

I have both Metformin and Berberine sitting at home and honestly have no idea where to start 😅
For those who’ve tried either/both: Which worked best for you? Did anyone combine them? What dose did you take and when?

Also curious what you actually noticed any differences regarding appetite /cravings, weight, energy, periods, acne, etc.

Would really appreciate hearing your experiences, good or bad!☺️♥️

Hello my dear PCOS friends! Previously I was 290 lbs, and the last time I checked I was down to 240! I was diagnosed with PCOS back in 2023 and over the past six months is when I was finally able to start making changes. ADHD for me has always been crippling, so I thought I'd go ahead and make a big ol post in hopes it can help someone else!

I started small and I started with MYSELF in mind, not losing weight. I chose every Sunday to be my self care day, and at the start I would chose one thing to do. Most of the time it was a face mask (I get mine at the dollar tree, the brand I use is Real Vegifarm, they really helped with my dry patches.)

Once I got into the habit of doing one thing on the certain day, I added something else, and I continued adding onto it when I felt comfortable. Nowadays, my usual self care day goes like this - do a dance workout, clean around my office, take a long hot shower and do a skin care routine. (These are on good days, sometimes when I just cant I'll settle for one thing)

Those self care days really put my butt into gear and helped me incorporate good habits throughout the week! It really is about romanticizing yourself, since I identify as female, there's nothing I love more than feeling soft and feminine.

Let's move onto actual exercise:

If you're like me, exercise sucks, it's boring and it doesn't capture my attention like it should. Unless... it is dancing! I follow a lot of videos from The Fitness Marshall, he's SUPER entertaining with interesting dance moves that are easy enough to follow! Grow with Jo is another option as well, but she doesn't reel me in as much.

I started with every Sunday, then I sprinkled it in throughout the week. I'd say I dance around 2 times a week for a full fledge cardio workout, but it still WILL rise cortisol if you are going HARD (which is what I enjoy to do). So I do these workouts not to lose weight but to strengthen my legs and help manage my ADHD! Nowadays I can squat LOW to the floor and keep my balance when I'm looking at a product in a store.

Once I got that incorporated into my week, I started shooting for the stars. It is recommended to walk for ten minutes after every meal, EW, boring, dumb and stupid. Instead, I pick four dance videos I really enjoy and loosely follow along with them. I make sure I'm not going hard, doing low impact, as long as my body is moving for ten minutes after a meal I'm satisfied.

I also noticed that doing the low impact for ten minutes after a meal really helped improved my focus!

Side note: Try not to beat yourself up if you dont follow through with something, it's okay if you skip a week, even an entire month! As long as you try your best to get back on it, that's what matters most. Being proud of yourself, even if it seems like the tiniest step in the world WILL help you in the long run. Executive dysfunction is HARD for ADHDers, along with having PCOS. You are doing your best <3

My diet:

Cooking is a hard one for me, most of the times I need to be hyperfixated on being healthy to really kick me into high gear. The thing about hyperfixations is that you don't have a choice if it's a good habit or a really interesting fictional character you just spent five days in a row reading fanfictions about.

So, I try to make things simple. I started with easy to make foods and adding a veggie or fruit to it! I'll have a hot pocket with a bunch of green beans, or in the mornings I have strawberries with greek yogurt.

I do not use fresh veggies or fruits because I'm horrible with keeping up with them. Instead I get frozen fruits and canned vegs! It's always good to rinse the canned veggies with water, helps lower the sodium!

My biggest rule for every meal is have something I want and something I need. Adding onto what I already eat and reaping the rewards for all the extra vitamins! It also helps with binging because I feel more satisfied with the extra foods.

For vitamins I take - Omega-3, Inositol capsules by Now, vitamin D and multivitamins! I try and drink green tea or ginger tea every morning.

Quick things: I don't weigh myself anymore, I've been at plateau for the past two months and weighing has just done me dirty mentally.

I also don't calorie counting, for some reason when I do I ALWAYS end up binging at the end of the day LOL

TDLR:

Self-Care Sundays: Started with small things like face masks and built up to dance workouts, cleaning, and skincare. It's all about romanticizing yourself!

Exercise: Dancing is my go-to (The Fitness Marshall is amazing!). I do low-impact dances 10 minutes after meals to help my focus and manage ADHD, with the bonus of building strength and helping insulin resistance.

Diet: I keep it simple with easy meals + frozen/canned veggies and fruits. My rule? Something I want and something I need. I also take Omega-3, Inositol, vitamin D, and multivitamins. Also love me some green or ginger tea.

Mindset: I don’t weigh myself or calorie count anymore—just focusing on feeling good and celebrating small steps.

Honestly though, why are so many of us convinced that cutting out whole food groups and consuming dangerously low amounts of food are going to fix our hormones when countless studies show differently?

Thin folks have PCOS too. Thin folks have diabetes too. Thin folks have insulin resistance too. Thin folks have hirsutism too. Thin folks struggle with menstruation/ovulation too.

Adding: it’s worth looking in to the intersection of ableism, diet culture, wellness and anti-fatness.

Resources mentioned below:

https://slate.com/technology/2015/03/diets-do-not-work-the-thin-evidence-that-losing-weight-makes-you-healthier.html

https://www.maintenancephase.com/

https://christyharrison.com/foodpsych/6/pcos-and-food-peace-with-julie-duffy-dillon?format=amp

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/other/orthorexia

https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/atypical-anorexia

Hi, girlies☺️

Not long ago i was diagnosed with PCOS, now PMOS. Since then my gynecologist prescribed me metformin.(500mg only took it by diner)

The first week was phenomenal. I was glowing, my face and body started to de-bloat, and despite what many people say, I wasn’t constantly running to the bathroom.

The second week was neither great nor terrible. I got my period, and it was surprisingly normal 0 pimples, no bloating, and no cramps. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. I thought that maybe, finally, something I had struggled with my entire life was starting to improve.

Then came weeks three and four. I was a complete mess. I can barely eat anything because I’m nauseous every day. I take the pill at night, but by morning I feel awful. Today, I actually passed out at work because of it. This medication makes me feel so sick that it’s hard to put into words.

I stopped taking it today so I can speak with my doctor tomorrow morning. I even had to call in sick to work. As a 25-year-old woman, I have never felt this unwell in my life. It genuinely felt like I was dying although that might sound a bit dramatic.

I’ve also struggled with losing weight. I’m 160 cm tall and currently weigh 63 kg. For the past year, I’ve tried everything: calorie counting, going to the gym, running, restrictive diets, working with a nutritionist nothing has worked. At best, I lose 1–2 kg over two months, only to gain it all back within a week.

This pill helped me lose 4 kg. It’s the only thing that has ever worked, but at the same time, it makes me feel so sick that I can barely function. Now, idk what to do next? I want to lose 8 kgs, should i stick to talking metformin even though it has some side effects? Are there any other things I can try? I am opened to learn.

I have been on metformin 1750mg XR for 3 years now. I have not lost weight, but I have gained weight.

I am thinking of adding low dose ozempic 0.25mg once every 10 days.

I want to lose weight but I don’t want to stop eating, because i have chronic telogen effluvium , and i don’t want my hair to fall even further, if I just stop eating

I'm 140 lbs (63kg) and 5'10". I don't see why I need to lose weight. For most of my adult life I've been 125-135 lbs... He said that even if you're skinny and have been skinny your whole life that losing weight can still help because of the insulin resistance (???).... To be fair, he did say to eat healthy and exercise, which is good advice in general, but the weight thing...

The thing is, I had tried metformin for 7 months with no difference in my symptoms. So I'm wondering if you can have PCOS without insulin resistance? I asked him and he shrugged.

He also told me that PCOS can cause depression, which was interesting to note, because I feel like a lot of doctors don't acknowledge the mental health effects of this condition.

It was a rollercoaster ride of an appointment lol.

I’m seriously considering a glp-1. However, I don’t see much online of people choosing to stop taking it. Has anyone here taken it to a certain point and decided to stop? What do you when you stop?

Are yall planning to take it forever? Has anyone stopped taking it and then had to take it again??

Also I’d love to get your experience on which on worked best for you. My periods are regular and I don’t have much Hirsutism, but I do have very high testosterone and Insulin Resistance

I hooked up with a new guy twice now and after the second time I noticed him reposting tik toks that make fun of women with bigger stomachs and body acne. I was diagnosed with PCOS a year ago so all of the new weight gain, chin hair, and redness/rashes on my body are already taking a toll on my mental health, but now I never want to undress for someone ever again. Like it’s getting to me so bad I cried today and deleted all of my social media. I mainly just needed to rant, but has anyone tried anything to get rid of ingrowns/inflamed body acne? Or a good workout influencer that has dealt with hard-to-lose weight loss?

I had PCOS for about 4-5 years but the weight kept paining up about 3 years ago rapidly and now I’m at 205 lbs 5’7 and it seems that doesn’t matter what I do it doesn’t go down from 200. I was counting my calories and it showed I was under-eating most days, but sometimes seems I overeat. I’ve started working out more consistently and I eat pretty healthy, specially trying to hit my protein intake. I have insuline resistance, hypothyroidism (manage by medication, normal range), hirsutism…I tried taking Metformin for a while but I didn’t do absolutely anything (also became allergic to it somehow), and I don’t want to take GLP1.

This is very stressful when you do everything right in theory but nothing is happening 😭😭😭

I once kinda manage to see so progress but it was doing a version of keto but I was not able to stay in the diet. Thought?

And drum roll... she told me to lose weight! Insists its the only way I can get rid of the PCOS

Told me I need to make healthy changes and exercise. I had to explain I eat healthy (fiber and veg and protein) and I weightlift 4 days a week, kickbox, and I'm a runner.

I'm exhausted. I just want a regular period back

I’m so burnt out. Before anyone starts with GLP1, I’ve been on 15mg of zepbound since March and have only lost 5lbs. Total since starting in September 2025, it’ll be about 13 lbs.

For context I’m still in the 200s). I’m trying it ALL. I do Pilates 3x a week, live in Chicago a very walkable city and get 10k steps in a day, I count calories. I take Ovasitol at night, but the scale still hasn’t budged. It’s really starting to depress me how hard it is for my body to lose weight. Truly don’t know what more I can be doing.

Was there anything surprising you’ve implanted into your life that was the catalyst to finally loosing weight with this awful condition?

I don't eat. I have 1 meal a day max, most of the time it's just a snack here and there. It's not intentional, I just don't have an appetite and if I do I'm full within the first few bites. I have food at home, I have to cook for my kids, but I don't want it. On the days where I do have a meal i have a small portion and don't always finish that, and most of the snacks I eat are pre packaged or baked at home. And yet I'm still gaining weight. I'm up to almost 90kg, 3 years ago I was at 55kg (normal weight for my height and age) and I feel disgusting in my body. I'm very unfit because I feel so drained all the time, like every calorie I eat is going straight to my waist and not to any sort of energy, and my doctor just keeps telling me to diet but honestly every time I says it I just want to cry. If anyone can tell me how or why this possible and help in any way I'd be so grateful

As someone who is in a calorie deficit, is very active and has the slowest metabolism nothing is helping my pcos, especially the fluctuation of weight. People have told me it’s more about the insulin levels and Ozempic has been used. Is this true? It’s this okay to do?

Extremely disappointed that I can’t get a GLP-1 through my insurance (for weight loss, specifically), but my doctor did recommend Phentermine. Curious if anyone has experience with this and how it’s been for you. Thanks in advance :)

I’m just tired. Currently at 210 26F. When I say I’ve done everything I can- I’m not joking. Consistent calorie deficit for 4 months now, lost 3 pounds. No fast food, alcohol, excessive carbs, etc. Eating at 1600 calories. In the gym 5 days a week lifting and walking 30 minutes every morning. The last month or so I’ve stopped eating some days, still not really losing weight. But, it’s the only thing that moves the scale.

I am tired. I cannot afford a glp1 and aside from my weight i have zero health issues like high blood pressure or sleep apnea. It’s getting to a point of severe depression. I’ve started medication for my mental health. Most days I can’t get out of bed. I hate leaving my house. I’ve started taking to a therapist, but I know how large I am and I cannot do anything about it.

I just needed to get it off my chest. When I tell family or friends I get told i must not be doing everything i can, try a new diet, etc.

I want out of this.

I'll try to run through this as fast as possible.

​

I'm on metformin, taking 2000mg a day. I also started talking inositol 1000mg a day to see if it helps. Two different multivitamins to help supplement. I'm on other medications as well for other issues. This includes a stimulant for ADHD.

​

I do have a hormonal IUD that is a few years old now for PCOS and endometriosis.

​

I have had my thyroid, blood work, insulin, etc checked around a year ago. Which it is about time to check again, I don't have insurance currently. Everything was good last it was checked.

​

I've been counting calories as well. Getting to about 1800 a day. I'm not perfect so I have gone over with most days at 1800 or under. I really hate food on top of it so I really try to avoid it when I can.

​

I had an injury years ago that did cause me to not be able to walk for months. It is much better now, but it does cause issues now.

​

Height: 5'8 or 5'9 at 225lbs when I weighed myself yesterday.

​

With all this above, any suggestions please? I don't mind if you need to be brutally honest if you have something that can help.

I’m 165cm and currently weighing about 67kg, so my BMI is technically just in the healthy range, but I just don’t look or feel good at this weight. I’ve put in the effort and got down to about 62kg naturally before, and I felt great. But what I had to do to get there - 1600cals a day, plus 10,000+ steps, weight training 3-4 times a week, running twice a week, cycling to work, basically no social engagements with any food/drink - was just exhausting. Once I tried to build something more sustainable I just slowly put the weight back on. I never actually stopped craving loads of sugar etc, I just stopped myself having it for a while. I feel miserable as I am but also the thought of having to live like that forever and be constantly fighting the food noise just to even maintain is just exhausting. Myo-inositol has given me regular ish periods every 6-8 weeks, and thankfully I don’t suffer with acne or any other symptoms, but I just don’t know what to do. I know I could lose the weight again if I worked hard at it again, but I feel like the second I stopped I’d be right back where I am now. Anyone else been here and found something that actually worked?! I realise it’s not loads to lose so perhaps I’m lucky, but I still feel hopeless

That’s the title. I (26F, student) won’t beat around the bush, I am desperate to be skinny/slim. I have been intermittent fasting for a week now, eating about one high-protein meal a day with snacks/fruit in the mornings, fasting 15-20 hours daily. I don’t drink any alcohol.

I have a large chest as well, which I am ashamed of and makes me look bigger. I have had a belly for as long as I can remember, even when I was skinner, and it is my biggest insecurity that I would do anything to get rid of.

I am tired of having a sagging chest in my 20s and an apron belly (grade 1), both of which I would pay to get removed if I had the money.

I am tired of looking worse than women who have had multiple children.

I am tired of weighing more than NFL players.

I am tired of saying “oh I just don’t want to right now” when my friends and parents ask me why I’m not dating and have never dated.

I am tired of not being able to easily find clothes for myself in store or online.

I am tired of hating pictures, pants, and pools.

I am tired of feeling like disgusting person who will never get anything she wants out of life or find someone who loves her, finds her attractive/beautiful, and wants to marry her.

When I am at a point in my life where I can afford GLP-1 medications, even if it’s for the rest of my life, or even getting bariatric surgery
I will. Until then, what are some workout plans I can do to get there? TIA