consistent weight gains

[Brenna]

I was diagnosed with pcos when I was 15 years old. I now have 3 children at 26, they're 5, 4 and 4. I went to an endo who said there was nothing wrong with me and that everything was normal. When my daughters were one or two, I started aggressively exercising, I had just lost 21 inches by the GI diet, with walking & t-tapp. then 20# out of no where. and they kept coming and now i;m like 6-7 # above my top pregnancy weight.

thankfully, i'm not gaining weight, I might have even lost one or two.

but any advice would be great. what do you guys think about books on hormonal weight gain - like the Schwarzbein Principle and Mastering Leptin.

I was also wondering if fatigue, lack of sleep, could affect my weight loss journey.

also, is caffeine bad for women with pcos?

[drheather]

I was diagnosed with pcos when I was 15 years old. I now have 3 children at 26, they're 5, 4 and 4. I went to an endo who said there was nothing wrong with me and that everything was normal. When my daughters were one or two, I started aggressively exercising, I had just lost 21 inches by the GI diet, with walking & t-tapp. then 20# out of no where. and they kept coming and now i;m like 6-7 # above my top pregnancy weight.

thankfully, i'm not gaining weight, I might have even lost one or two.

but any advice would be great. what do you guys think about books on hormonal weight gain - like the Schwarzbein Principle and Mastering Leptin.

I was also wondering if fatigue, lack of sleep, could affect my weight loss journey.

also, is caffeine bad for women with pcos?

Hello Brenna,

It is hard to say what is going on and why you are struggling now. Many women can see a change in their symptoms. Has your doctor looked at fasting insulin, fasting glucose, FSH, LH, testosterone, etc.? Are you having other symptoms of PCOS come up for you (acne, irregular periods, excess facial and body hair, etc)? Has your doctor ruled out a thyroid issue?

Also, have you changed your exercise program? Have you maintained a low GI diet?

Hormones certainly can impact your ability to lose or maintain weight. In addition, lack of sleep and stress can also affect your attempts.

However, if you were diagnosed with PCOS, it may be that you are still struggling with insulin resistance. I would recommend continuing the low GI food choices and also focus on reducing carbs as well. Diet should focus on lean protein, plenty of green vegetables, and healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, etc). Your doctor can perform the tests needed to see what may be impacting your ability to lose weight.

Our focus is on insulin resistance and the accompanying disorders. We emphasize a lower carbohydrate diet, exercise and supplements to target insulin resistance, and the other hormonal imbalances we see with PCOS. However, stress reduction, healthy sleep patterns are very important as well.

If all things are in place and you still struggle, then further evaluation should be done or considered.

I hope that this helps some. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.