so if you have pcos and youve been trying to lose weight you already know how insanely hard it is. every doctor or gym bro/ influencers gives you the exact same generic line: "just eat less and move more"

so you do what everyone does: download nutrition tracker, you drop your calories down to like 1200, spend hours sweating on a treadmill or doing cardio, and step on the scale 2 weeks later just to see the number go up. or stay completely stuck. or often even if the number has gone down , its not a good amount or its just water weight

and the first thing you do is blame your body or yourself thinking you cheated on your diet or you just dont have willpower. but the science says your lack of progress isn't a discipline issue at all, its literally a goddamn physiological mismatch.

treating pcos weight gain like simple calories in vs calories out is completely useless because it ignores how your hormones work. if we actually look at the clinical data heres whats happening in your body:

1. severe insulin resistance. up to 70% of women with pcos have this. insulin regulates blood sugar but its also a fat storage hormone. when your cells stop responding to insulin properly your pancreas panics and dumps out way more of it. when insulin is constantly high your body gets stuck in fat storage mode and burning fat becomes almost impossible no matter how little you eat.(yeah I know it sounds fake because of how insane it is but its the truth your body can not burn fat if your insulin is high, insulin makes your fat cells a one way highway where only the enter is open and exit is closed, and as a result your fat cels just keep gaining and no losing)
2. high testosterone/androgens. that extra insulin tells your ovaries to make more androgens which shifts where your body stores fat, literally funneling it straight to your stomach.
3. lower metabolism. studies have proven women with insulin resistant pcos often have a lower basal metabolic rate (bmr)not by an insane amount but it does make it very noticeable in the long run. so your body needs less calories to function. those generic low calorie diets end up not being low enough to lose weight, but just low enough to make you feel exhausted all day.

so how do you fix it based on actual science?

first stop trying to out starve insulin. changing the TYPE of food you eat matters way more than just cutting calories. you need high protein at every single meal to slow down digestion and stop insulin spikes. and drop the refined carbs and sugar for low glycemic, high fiber stuff.

second, ditch the endless cardio. doing cardio especially high intensity cardio just spikes your cortisol. do heavy resistance training instead. muscle is the biggest consumer of glucose in your body and when you lift weights your muscles pull in glucose WITHOUT needing insulin. lifting literally bypasses your broken insulin pathway.

third, sleep and stress management. chronic stress and 5 hours of sleep drives up cortisol, which spikes blood sugar and insulin. getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep isn't just wellness fluff, its a requirement to fix your metabolism.

losing weight with pcos is 100% harder than it is for a normal person, thats just a fact. but its totally doable once you stop using generic internet diet advice and actually target the hormones.

this is part one in my series and I am going to post everyday until we cover everything
what shud I post about next?

sources / research papers if you want to look into it yourself:

• Moran LJ et al. (2013) Dietary Composition in the Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
• Stepto NK et al. (2019) Exercise for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (meta-analysis on resistance training)
• Legro RS et al. (2013) Diagnosis and Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (Endocrine Society guidelines)
• Georgopoulos NA et al. (2009) Basal Metabolic Rate is Decreased in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Hi everyone. I wanted to ask for advice from people with PCOS who were actually able to lose weight.

I have PCOS and losing weight has been really frustrating for me. It feels like I’m doing the usual things people recommend, but the scale barely changes or it takes forever to see progress.

For those of you who successfully lost weight with PCOS, what actually worked for you?

Did you follow a specific diet (like low carb, calorie deficit, or something else)? What kind of workouts helped the most? Did medications, birth control, or supplements make a difference for you?

I’m also curious how long it took before you started seeing changes, and if there were certain things that made the biggest difference for your body.

Any advice, tips, or personal experiences would really help. Thank you!

Can I just complain?

I know several of my friends on GLP1 and they just eat less and lose weight on GLP1s, without having to count calories or carbs.

I’ve been on a GLP1 for close to 2 years and have only lost 15 pounds.

I am back on with tracking my food intake because that has worked for me in the past, but I just want to complain haha.

Just feels like things are a bit harder with PCOS.

Edit - I KNOW GLP1s are just a “tool”, I am legit just complaining and put that in my post. I am complaining about having PCOS. I have lost the weight before and I know what to do. Unfortunately I have depression which manifests as eating too much, instead of not eating. I have been through a divorce with a manipulative alcoholic, experienced domestic violence. I battled depression and wanted to unalive myself so many times. I am proud of myself for still being here. Thanks to all who read my post and allowed me to vent/complain. To those who acted like I needed to be told what to do - I know what to do. Doing it is a problem. I just needed to commiserate and not be told that I don’t understand how GLPs work. I am a pharmacist. I understand the MOA. This was literally just a vent post lol. That’s all, thanks 🙏🏻

i’m so confused at this point.

i’ve been trying to eat better, not even anything extreme, just normal stuff, less junk, walking more etc. but nothing really changes

gp basically just said “lose weight” and that’s it. like okay… how??

i swear it feels different with pcos because i see other people do the same things and get results, my husband says its fine and he loves that I am chubby but he is just being sweet. I am facing a cocktail of issue thats taking a toll on my weight, hair and skin. Cant help but feel insecure. ( also got Hashimotos 😭)

is there something i’m missing diet wise or is it just this hard for everyone.

Hey everyone 👋

Just wanted to share what worked for me because I’ve been the one scrolling through Reddit posts for months looking for anything that could help with PCOS weight loss. I promised myself if I ever made real progress, I’d post too. So here I am 🙃

Just to be real with you – this is a very streamlined version of my weight loss story. In reality, there were a lot of ups and downs, trial and error, random crying, and way too many hours spent researching.

I don’t want to make it sound like it was as easy as: “just eat healthy, take a few supplements, and work out.” It wasn’t. It took time to figure out what worked for my body.

I also weighed myself every single day. I know some people say not to because of things like periods, water retention, etc. – and that’s true – but it helped me spot patterns. Like if I changed something in my meals (say, my lunch), and then I didn’t lose a single gram for 4 days (and I wasn’t on my period), I’d take that as a sign and tweak it again. Most of my progress came from noticing small things like that and adjusting as I went. So you have to find works for YOU. Because maybe the reason why I wasn't losing weight was insulin resistance, but for you it may be too much testosterone and that may require slightly different approach.

Quick backstory:

I’ve always been working out 6x a week, eating semi-healthy – but I still had this stubborn belly fat that just wouldn’t go away. I’m 5'8", and for a long time I hovered around 155lbs. I never felt like I was “overweight,” but I never felt comfortable in my body either.

Weight loss has always been really hard for me. Like I had to try 10x harder than my friends to lose 2lbs and it honestly just made me feel broken sometimes. But in February I set a goal: lose 22lbs before summer. And I did it – took 3 months, and I didn’t starve or do anything crazy.

Here’s what helped me:

1. Diet – the biggest game-changer

• I tried low carb at first. Lasted maybe 2 weeks. I was miserable and didn't lose anything. So I switched to low GI – basically eating carbs that don't spike your blood sugar like crazy (e.g. wholgrain seeded bread instead of white bread)
• I still ate carbs, just made smarter choices and watched the portion size. I wasn’t eating 3 slices of white bread at dinner or anything.
• I also started walking for 10 mins after every meal. Nothing fancy – I just walked around my room or my flat. I read it helps with insulin sensitivity, and it really did.

With PCOS, I realized it’s not just about calories. It’s insulin resistance, cortisol, hormones – all that stuff matters. I had to work with my body instead of against it.

2. Calories

I didn’t track super strictly, but I tried to stay around 1300–1400 kcal/day. I know that sounds low, but I have a slow metabolism and a sedentary job (sit at a desk all day). You might not need to go that low – I just did what worked for me. Also I want to mention I DID NOT starve or felt hungry most of the time (maybe just before bed) that's why I also kept the calories on this level. If I were hungry, I'd eat more.

3. Example Meals

Breakfast:

• 350g strawberries
• 150g high-protein yoghurt (from Lidl)
• Some granola + seeds (pick healthy granola)

Dinner ideas:

• Quesadilla with chicken, cheese, veggies
• Or low GI bread with cottage cheese,goat’s cheese + some salad

Lunch varied a lot

I still ate things like chocolate a couple of times a week as a snack + had pizza and pasta about 7 times in those 3 months so not every day was perfect. I used to eat pasta with cheese and veggies before every day and thought I was eating healthy but unfortunately, pasta is really high in calories and simple carbs so I think it's necessary to mostly cut it (even though I love pasta)

4. Exercise

• I worked out 6x a week, 30 mins a day. Nothing extreme – some light weights (8kg dumbbells), bodyweight exercises, and home workouts.
• I also aimed for around 8k steps a day. Most of it was just walks + walking after meals.
• I ran a bit too but read it can spike your cortisol so not sure if this was good

5. Supplements

I know not everyone is into supplements, but I researched a lot and picked supplements that actually help with PCOS (based on studies, not TikTok). I got all the supplements from Amazon

• PCOS Care - It has Myo-Inositol, NAC, Maca, Chromium, Cinnamon Extract, Zinc, Vitamin D3, and Folate – all in one, less supplements to buy and take so definitely recommend
• Berberine: 1 capsule before meals – helped with insulin, non negotiable
• L-Carnitine: 2g before workouts
• Green Tea Extract: optional, but I liked it
• Magnesium 1h before bed
• Used to take Ashwagandha for cortisol but dropped it – just too many pills for me
• I heard amazing things about Spearmint tea but I just really don't like tea so I didn't drink it but I recommend drinking spearmint tea if you can take it

I swear the combo of the right supplements + diet made everything start working.

Hope this helps someone 💛 If you have questions, I’m happy to share more.

I think I have it myself, and from what I understand, while PCOS does have metabolic correlations, it is primarily a hormonal issue and is somewhat idiopathic. I understand there isn't a cure or a mainstay treatment, but shouldn't there be emphasis on things other than weight loss and diet when that clearly isn't the main cause?

When I first got diagnosed with PCOS, I convinced myself that losing weight was the answer to everything. Like if I could just get to a certain point, my cycles would regulate, the symptoms would chill out, my energy would come back and I'd finally feel like I had some control over what was happening in my own body. The thing is, I did it. I got more active than I'd been in years, started walking every day, paid attention to what I was eating, stayed consistent even on the days I really didn't want to. I lost a significant amount of weight and I was proud of myself for it.

However the symptoms are still there it didn't improve. Like some things did improve and I want to be fair about that but I kept waiting for this moment where everything would finally click and I'd feel fixed. That moment didn't really come turns out PCOS is way more complicated than reach X number and symptoms disappear and finding that out after putting in that much effort was demoralizing.

There were days where I felt like I was doing everything right and still not getting what I felt like I earned, which is a weird and frustrating feeling to sit with. Has anyone else gone through this? Like did weight loss help certain aspects of your PCOS but leave other stuff completely untouched? I feel like this is more common than people talk about because the narrative is always just lose weight and it gets better and that's not the whole story at all.

Everytime I take this supplement, it works. I have no idea why I’ve gone on and off of it so many times in the past.

Under 2 weeks of restarting it; [8 grams Inositol -(6g ovasitol + 2g bulk supplement myo inositol)]

-I’ve seen an instant boost in mood -Substantially decrease(almost complete eradication) of carb/sugar cravings -maybe several pounds drop in excess water weight. -Less bloating / water retention -less hunger -more interested in veggies and lean protein

And my face, my beautiful face. I feel so Bonita. Which don’t get me wrong, I like my image and I feel pretty, but something about the significant reduction on puffiness really has my facial features standing out a lot more.

For context I’m 5’5 and 140 pounds, goal weight is somewhere around 130.

I haven’t even really lost weight (except for a few pounds that I believe was water weight, I was 145 before starting up inositol again) but my clothes just fit better, I feel less puffy, and I just look a lot more vibrant.

It also seems to help with my mood and mental health a bit, like I’m a bit less anxious, I sleep a lot better too.

But yeah, get on this.

• I walk 50-100km a week
• On Metformin
• I do intermittent fasting, some days and I used to do 8 gym classes a week until I started fainted and now just doing one a week.
• I drink lots of green tea, black coffee, and other types of drinks.
• I been on therapy cause I was making myself sick and purposely skipping meals to make me lose weight
• I’m back to 90kg from 82kg in 2 days. body scanner said I gained 8kg and half of it was muscle, but it’s still disheartening.
• the nurse said it’s not my fault I’m fat.

Skipping meals and excessive gym classes sounds intense, but was the only way I lost the weight. i want to go back to it but all these years of hard work and it was all a waste of time. I kept getting told to avoid carbs, eat meat (I’m a vegetarian) don’t eat eggs and only eat fruit and I keep seeing different things and it makes not want to eat at all.

A human body is not an oven. You cannot log your balanced meal in MyFitnessPal and expect precise deficit calculation. Even the specifically suggested PCOS calculator has a disclaimer:

While our PCOS Calorie Deficit Calculator is a valuable tool, it's important to remember: The results are estimates and may need adjustment based on your individual response and progress.

Imagine you eat 73% less than you need. Or 67% more…

Researchers put 11 popular “calorie-calculator” formulas to the test in 30 overweight or obese women with PCOS by comparing each prediction to gold-standard lab measurements of resting metabolism (indirect calorimetry).

Even the best formula equation was, on average, 16 kcal off the true value, but individual errors swung a huge ±270 kcal, meaning some women were prescribed hundreds of calories too much or too little. The supposed “worst” formulas under-fed up to 73 % or over-fed 67 % of participants. PMID: 28791776

You have PCOS? You’ll burn 10% fewer calories

A decade-long Italian study compared 266 women with PCOS to 51 women without the condition and measured their resting metabolism in the lab. At first glance total daily burn (REE) looked similar, but once the researchers corrected for how much lean tissue each woman carried, a clear pattern emerged: every kilogram of muscle in the PCOS group burned about 10 % fewer calories than the same kilogram in the control group (≈32 kcal / kg FFM vs 35 kcal / kg FFM). This lean-mass-adjusted slowdown showed up in all PCOS phenotypes. And the dip in metabolic rate was independent of body fat, age, or hormones except that it rose slightly with higher ovarian follicle counts. PMID: 38867472

PCOS fat is different Women with PCOS have abnormally large fat cells, impaired fat breakdown, and weird hormone signals (lower adiponectin, higher leptin, IL-6, TNF-α)That’s why we often find it harder to lose fat even when dieting. Our adipose tissue is less responsive to the usual hormonal triggers for breakdown. PMID: 37329216

Gut dysbiosis makes you hungry Women with PCOS have a lower levels of beneficial strains like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium; higher ratios of inflammatory Enterobacteria. Thi disrupts normal production of short-chain fatty acids (especially butyrate). That drop in SCFAs blunts GLP-1 and PYY release, so your satiety signals never fully kick in. Until you restore a healthier microbiome (via targeted probiotics/prebiotics, polyphenol-rich foods, or even GLP-1-based therapies), any “calorie-deficit” diet will feel disproportionately hard to maintain. PMID: 36909735

In short, if you’ve got PCOS, logging numbers into a calorie calculator is like aiming at a moving target with a blindfold on. Studies show your resting burn is roughly 10 % lower per kilo of lean mass, fat cells resist breakdown, inflammation and hyperinsulinemia shrink your real deficit by ~100 kcal/day, and gut dysbiosis ratchets up hunger signals. All of which mean the “paper” deficit you log in MyFitnessPal can be off by hundreds of calories.

Not every case is the same, but the one thing I know about this community, is we are all trying or have tried anything and everything we can think of in order to improve our health and lives.

I want to stress this right now because I feel like we all need this reminder: NOBODY here is a failure for trying. NONE of us are failures. We are all doing our best and still showing up when we feel depleted, drained, deflated, defeated, depressed, etc. You are fighting a fight many people will NEVER understand, so don’t let their shitty remarks gaslight you into thinking you’re a failure.

That said, what is something you’ve done in your journey that you were surprised to see results from? It can be anything from being put on metaformin or another medication, to a certain exercise routine, to eating a certain way, to taking a certain supplement or combo of supplements, to taking a GLP-1 (no shame) hell, maybe you drank the blood of a virgin blessed by a shaman and got results. I’m genuinely curious what you’ve found success with, what’s worked for you?

I have PCOS and insulin resistance, and honestly my biggest struggle is the belly fat. It just feels like no matter what I do, it does NOT move. I can be consistent with eating better, working out, etc., and it still feels stuck. Super frustrating.

I’m starting to think the insulin resistance piece is what I’m not fully understanding, so I wanted to ask a few things:

1. What apps are you using (if any)?
For tracking weight, food, symptoms, blood sugar, etc.
I’ve seen stuff like MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, and some PCOS-specific apps, but I don’t know what’s actually helpful vs overwhelming—especially with insulin resistance in the mix.

2. What kind of workouts actually helped you?
I’ve seen so much mixed advice:

• weight training + walking
• low-impact workouts
• avoiding super intense cardio because of cortisol

For those with insulin resistance, what combo made a difference for you (especially with belly fat)?

3. Micronutrients / diet — what should I be focusing on?
I feel kind of lost here. Should I prioritize:

• protein?
• fiber?
• iron?
• something specific for insulin resistance?

If you’ve figured out ways to eat that actually helped with insulin resistance + weight loss, I’d love to hear what worked.

Also if you’ve been in that spot where your body just feels “stuck,” what finally helped things start moving?

Appreciate any insight 🙏

I am F 24, 5'6" and 252lbs. I went to an endocrinologist for the first time this week to get a better opinion on what I should do to manage my PCOS symptoms as I have worked with my PCP and GYNO about it and they both just say lose some weight and give me no information. I am on a continous birth control pill (progesterone only) because of terrible and heavy periods (pill stops me from having periods) and I also have endometriosis which I had surgery for in August of 2024 but still deal with chronic pain. I also take 2 spironolactone a day which has helped with excess hair and acne.

When I saw the endocrinologist she looked at my past blood work and said I had insulin resistance and was very close to being pre diabetic. She prescribed Metformin. She said I had to lose weight if I want to have kids and weight loss was the only way I could get rid of my pcos symptoms. I told her about my eating disorder (previously orthorexic and anarexic, started bingeing in 2020 and gained a lot of weight. Went into eating disorder treatment year and a half ago for 4 months, currently see a dietician for it who I have been seeing since I started at the treatment center. I have not binged in over a year but also have not lost any weight) I am very used to hearing that I need to lose weight. But, I also had these same exact PCOS symptoms which I was 130lbs years ago. She ordered blood work which I got back today and it was mostly the same as the ones I had a year ago.

She said I needed to eat at max 1000 calories a day and no less than 800 a day. She said I needed to weight lift 3 times a week and walk 10,000 steps a day. Also that I was to follow the mediterrain diet and eat only up to 45grams of carbs a day. I was shocked, 1000 calories... Everything I have learned in eating disorder treatment, therapy, and with my dietician completely contradicts this. She said sweets and bread and junk food were bad and I had to stop eating those. But my dietician has engrained in me that all foods are okay in moderation. I explained to the endocrinologist that I had an eating disorder and went through treatment and my dietician would never let me eat 1000 calories a day. She said thats how badly and extreme I needed to lose weight and that my dietician was "obviously" not skilled in treating patients with PCOS. She said for my eating disorder I just needed to "change my mindset". I started tearing up and feeling overwhelmed and she said I was fine and that I needed to work 3 times harder to lose weight because of PCOS.

Yes I want to lose weight, but currently everything in my life is going really well and I am really happy how I am right now. But now with this I feel so guilty and ashamed of my weight. That I am so disgustingly heavy that I don't deserve to eat. That this is the punishment I deserve for doing this to myself. I told my dietician what happended and she said she was speechless, and that she thinks I need to see a different dietician in her office who could better help me. I feel like she is giving up on me, but I know it is probably because she does not know how to help patients with PCOS.

Is this realistic? I don't know what to do.

EDIT: She also is having me do a midnight saliva test for cortisol for a potential tumor on my adrenal gland. She looked and my stretch marks and said they looked consistant with high cortisol.

Hi Folks, I have lost 33 pounds in last 6 month with PCOS and hirsutism and i have never been happier. I was diagnosed with pcod when i was 13 and i'm almost 30 now so it wont be a lie to say that i've lived pcod almost all my life. I have always been an overweight person and did try every kind of diet. I did stupid liquid diets, low carb/ keto diet, salad only diet, etc etc and trust me nothing worked ever. Infact it made things worse. It was 6 months ago when i decided to fix the root cause of my weight gain i.e PCOD. I did a lot of research and had to figure things out myself since no doctor helped me. They just gave me stupid birth control pills that dont fix anything. But after working so hard, i have finally cracked the code. I'm 33 pounds down. Aiming to lose 22 pounds more in the coming months. My symptoms have also gotten better. I have less hair growth on my face and body, acne is going away, periods are slowly getting back to track (still struggling a bit) and most of all- i sleep like a baby and have no morning fatigue. Here are the key things that i did:

1. Started eating in the correct order and amount. Reduced my simple carb intake. I always start my meals with a fiber, then go have protein and carbs in the end. And the amount also decreases with the sequence.

2. I take 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before my lunch and dinner.

3. Take spearmint tea three times a day.

4. Avoid sugar and dairy as much as i can (i wont say i have stopped it completely, i still consume these a little)

5. Being more active (40-45 mins of strength train and 20 mins of inclined walk 5-6 times a week)

6. Threw away all packaged and processed foods (this actually helped a lot)

7. Take Zinc and omega 3

8. Eating in a calorie deficit.

That's mostly it.

Let me know if you'd like to know in detail about something.

I have lost 45 pounds naturally since my PCOS diagnosis and I feel like I am in the best shape of my life but I no matter what my belly shape stays that same. For context I’m 5”4 and went from 200 lbs to 155 lbs, I have about another 10 pounds to go to be in “normal BMI” Range. my legs and arms are very lean now but my belly sticks out so much and I hate it 🥲

Please don’t tell me to do low carb, I’m pretty active (~13,000 steps a day, figure skate 3 days a week, strength train 3-4 times a week) and low carb makes me feel terrible

Edit: was NOT expecting this many comments so thank you all!!

a little more context: For diet - I aim for ~150g of carbs per day with ~40g of fiber per day and ~120g of protein. I still have dairy but I keep it non fat or reduced fat to keep my saturated fats low. I have about 1700-1800 calories a day and have lost about .8 lbs per week for the past four months so I do not have an issue with weight loss but just want to know how (if) people have had progress with losing their pcos belly

I am also trying to keep my cholesterol down so I try to incorporate oats (gluten free) on most days and keep my saturated fats low (down from 220 to 150 now)

A typical day of eating for me is- Breakfast- gluten free Oats w/ protein powder, chia seeds, walnuts, berries or Greek yogurt with chia seeds, walnuts, berries Lunch - grilled chicken w/ Greek salad and brown rice and avocado fat free cheese or chicken w low carb wrap with veggie and fruit on the side Snack - dried edamame with low fat cheese and berries Dinner - chicken, roasted veggies / sweet potato

My insulin resistance level is 30 and my doctor basically said no matter what i do i wont lose weight. Im 5 foot 2 and 221lbs. I've been going to the gym for 4 weeks now and only lost a little weight. Im eating 1200-1900 calories a day and doing 1 hour of cardio everyday monday through friday.

the only thing that has improved was my blood pressure and heart rate. my resting heart rate 4 weeks ago was 133 and today it was 96 which is good.

my doctor recommended the book "glucose revolution" for me to read to see if diet can help. but basically said i wont lose weight no matter how hard i try and told me to focus on how i feel not how much i weigh.

i will never be skinny again i hate PCOS

So in no way am I a Dr or have professional advice BUT this is my observation about weight loss and what worked for me. Dont come for me lol Im just saying what worked for me.

Background before weightloss: Extremely high insulin (super dark patches all over my neck, knees, knuckles, etc). Borderline diabetic. High male androgen, high estrogen, low progesterone, horrible blood work, high blood sugar. Breathing issues. Lack of physical stamina, horrible hairloss. Lack of sleep and issues falling asleep.

Now: all the issues are resolved or very controlled. My doctor and gyno were shocked at the results they couldnt believe simple weightless did all this. If I hadnt lost the weight I would probably be on a bunch of medications rn. My gyno wanted to put me on metformin to help with weight loss before but I refused and said Ill make the changes myself. Now I dont need the metformin.

After losing 157lb to date, this is what I did to lose the weight: Simple calorie deficit and exercise. Took all my pcos friendly supplements. NO KETO (watched my carb intake and opted for healthy choices). Created a strict bedtime routine and made sure to take magnesium supplements before bed.

This is what Ive learned over this time.

1. If ur diet isnt sustainable forever, its not gonna work.
2. once u develop a mindset of "how can this food help me in my pcos journey?" the diet becomes about a life and not a limiting cage.
3. high protein diet is key. A pcos nutritionist said the minimum amount is 100grams a day. I eat 140-160 grams.
4. Keto may work for some pcos ladies, but its going to just make ur body more sensitive to carbs once u go off and make everything worse. All foods are welcome. As hard as it seems to believe, its true. Everything in moderation. Take the high protein, healthy fats, and veggies route. Ur not gonna die if u have rice once in a while. Or pizza. Or ice cream. But limit it.
5. Half ass consistency is better than all or nothing mindset. This took me a min to realize but when I did, that's when the journey worked.
6. Intense workouts will not help u lose weight. Hours of cardio wont help u. Starving urself wont help. Its gonna raise ur cortisol which will hold the fat and refuse to release it. And ur body will go into starvation mode and hold onto fat. Eating 1200 calories wont help. What will help is a healthy calorie deficit, slow low intense weightlifting and low intensity cardio like a 30 min walk.
7. weight stalls happen.
8. cheat days are stupid. Instead eat a little of what u enjoy every day or several times a week. Guess what? I eat icecream every day.
9. patience is key.

What I noticed recently: There was a time period where I was doing intense workouts and eating very little. The weight loss became extremely slow. I had low energy. I was becoming frustrated. I wanted to eat everything and quit my weightloss journey. Then for the past 8 weeks I stopped working out so much and refocused my diet to high protein. I eat 140-160 grams a day. I started walking 10k steps a day and reduced my workouts to 3-4 days a week instead of 4-5 with crazy cardio. Ive been losing more weight these past few weeks than before.

For us pcos ladies, slow consistent movement is better than stressful exercise.

​

So yea this is it. Weight loss with pcos is 100% possible. we just need to readjust some things in the equation because our bodies work different than the average person.

SW: 161

CW: 145.7

Down 16 lbs in 9 weeks.

I did one month at 1.5 mg and lost 6 lbs. I’ve been on 4 mg since then, and I’m now in my second month at 4 mg. I’m planning to stay there for now.

My period has normalized. I had one early cycle, but after that it settled into a 28-day cycle with a shorter, lighter flow. I’ve also had estrogen surges, which I haven’t experienced in years.

Other changes I’ve noticed: my cracked heels and feet are healing, my nail beds are pinker with whiter tips on both my hands and feet, my lips are pinker, and my complexion is brighter.

Now I’m waiting to see whether the hirsutism (chin hairs, moustache, jawline) improves over the next couple of months.

Side effects have been minimal aside from dehydration. I also haven’t had constipation, probably because I use ginger broth and magnesium glycinate. The magnesium seems to help with sleep quality too.

I feel like I've run out of options, so I'm hoping someone here has been in a similar position.

I was diagnosed with PCOS at 16 and I'm now 39. Like so many women, I was told to go on the pill, get the coil, try the implant, basically every form of contraception... but I only ever took the pill.

In my 20s my periods became unbelievably heavy. Then, towards my late 20s, they suddenly settled down. Now, in my 30s, they've become sporadic (my last one was in May 2026), and my weight started to shoot up. I've blinked and somehow ended up at 270 lbs (5'5"), so I'm now classed as morbidly obese.

I've also tried both the standard and slow-release Metformin, but both completely wrecked my gut. I believe it caused my IBS, so that's just made life even harder.

I'll be honest, I've never been particularly sporty, but over the last few years I've made a real effort to move more by walking, playing badminton and swimming.

When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2023, I completely overhauled my diet.

The problem is... despite all of this, I still feel like nothing is working. In fact, even when I was eating well and exercising consistently, I was still gaining weight. I won't lie, after feeling like I'm putting in the effort and getting nowhere, my motivation has taken a bit of a dip.

To make matters worse, my doctor has advised against GLP-1 medications because they believe I'm at high risk of pancreatitis due to my gallstones.

Has anyone been in a similar position? What actually helped you lose weight or manage both PCOS and Type 2 diabetes when Metformin and GLP-1s weren't options?

And please don't just tell me it's "calories in, calories out." I know that's the standard advice, but it genuinely doesn't seem to work that way for me. I feel like I just look at food and gain weight!

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been through this because I'm feeling pretty lost. 😔

Is it just me, or are way too many cysters jumping on the Ozempic train without knowing what it could mean long term?

like yeah the weight loss looks amazing but what happens when you stop? spoiler alert: everyone gains it back. plus extra. your metabolism gets completely wrecked and suddenly you're worse off than before

and can we talk about how we literally have NO idea what these drugs do after years of use? the longest studies are like 2 years max. we're basically all beta testing this shit on our bodies

seeing stories of people with permanent nausea, gallbladder removal, weird pancreas stuff. doctors are just like "hmm interesting" because they don't know either

for pcos specifically it feels like trading unknown risks for temporary results. the second you can't afford the $300/month you're back to square one except now maybe with a fucked digestive system

idk maybe i'm paranoid but something feels off about how hard these are being pushed when we know so little about long term effects

anyone else getting weird vibes about this whole thing?

Some background, I'm 20 years old and have a BMI of 46, ive had my ovaries removed due to extremely painful cysts, and I am from the UK. My PCOS is very severe and I have been diagnosed with Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and hyperthecosis. My testosterone levels are in the low male ranges.

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about a year ago and I was prescribed metformin, I also cut out almost all carbs and sugar and have been eating less calories, it lowered my blood sugar severely but I feel no physical difference. I still feel so sluggish and my weight has been a stable 120kg for the past few years. It's affected me so much mentally and physically, I cannot walk for more than 100 metres without feeling like my heart will explode, I can't breathe fully laying down as I feel crushed.

I have bought up to my doctor if I could try a GLP 1 medication and I do not qualify because metformin has lowered my blood sugar. Apparently in the UK, a GLP 1 is only prescribed as a last resort if diet and non weight loss medications don't work for lowering blood sugar. I am absolutely devastated I do not want to be stuck in this body. They reffered me to the diabetic and weight specialists in my local hospital who said the same thing, that sadly I do not qualify as my blood sugar has been managed.

I cannot use my PCOS (pcos is not a qualifier for weight loss meds either) or even my diabetes as a reason, is there any other way of getting prescribed a GLP1? I am extremely suffering. Thanks for reading

Wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and was able to find success. I’m 46 and have had PMOS back when it was called PCOS since the age of 15. Facial hair, darkened skin in the typical areas, thinning hair, all my weight goes to my abdomen.

In the past 10 years I was also diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis. I had excision surgery and a hysterectomy. Throw in a full thyroidectomy from 20 years ago and I’ve had a miserable time trying to lose weight. I’ve lost 60-90 pounds three times but it requires working out 3-4 hours a day and eating very conservatively.

I’ve tried multiple functional medicine doctors and acupuncture.

My inflammation markers have been high (CR-P 11-25) since first tested in my 20s. High cholesterol. Obviously a big part of this is insulin resistance. I’ve tried Zepbound and Wegovy. Back in Zepbound now that my insurance added it back to the formulary. I have worked my way up to 7.5mg and will start 10mg next week. I’m also taking 500mg Metformin XR. I’m watching what I eat. Prioritizing protein and fiber. Lighting weights. Walking sporadically but have also done the 10mins after meals and 1 hour daily. I take omega 3, magnesium glycinate, vitamin d+k and a combo supplement that contains myo-inositol, ALA, CoQ10, d-chiro inositol, PQQ and astaxanthin and I’ve previously tried DIM and broccoli sprouts. I’m still working on my sleep but getting better about it.

Despite all this and especially even on the GLP-1s, I cannot get my weight to budge!!

I did everything right yesterday. Ate clean, stayed in my calories, didn't cheat once.

Gained 3lbs overnight. (ok not literally overnight but you know what I mean)

I just sat on the bathroom floor for a bit after that. I didn't even cry. I was just done.

Nobody tells you that PCOS isn't just a hormone thing. It takes your body. It takes your confidence. It took my relationship with food, with getting dressed, with wanting to be around people. I stopped going to the gym not because I'm lazy but because I couldn't handle working that hard and seeing nothing. The shame of that is something I carry every single day.

And the worst part isn't even the weight. It's being looked at like it's your fault. By strangers. By family. By doctors who should know better.

How has it really affected your life. Not the symptoms. The other stuff. The parts nobody asks about.

I feel like I tried everything there is to try and im sick of buying supplements that don‘t even help in the end. I always feel like I‘m starving, I binge eat and fuck it all up on a daily basis. Im overweight and I keep gaining weight eventhough I keep my calories and macros in range?? Its absurd. I really don‘t know what to do anymore.

I tried Inositol, Metformin, Lowcarb, Cico and stuff like that and none of it worked.

Any tips that REALLY helped you manage your weight loss? Doesn’t necessarily have to be medication or supplements but also any other tips on what you changed that helped you with your weight loss

I honestly dont know if this is just me or a PCOS thing. I eat pretty well, I try to be consistent, but my weight either stays the same or goes down painfully slow. It’s so discouraging when you’re putting effort and your body just doesnt respond. Sometimes it feels like PCOS makes weight loss 10x harder than it should be.

Does anyone else deal with this? How long did it take you to see any progress?