2013 to 2015! I started my journey one year ago in July 2014.
Pcos makes it hard, but I’m fighting it every single damn day and I’m never going to stop.
These photos are really emotional for me because the two from 2013 represent a time in my life when I wasn’t unhappy, but I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin either. I had accepted that my body would just gain weight indefinitely because of pcos and felt lacking in control. Skip forward to the photos taken last saturday before a wedding reception and you’re looking at someone with a whole new outlook on life. I finally feel in control. I felt so self conscious last night but also SO confident at the same time.
These photos represent my health to me. My hormone levels have dropped to within healthy ranges (I’m just flawed by what an achievement that is, overtime i think about it), my periods are back and regular like clockwork, my acne is gone and my moods are much more stable.
It’s taken and is taking a lot of hard work, and for anyone in a similar position to the one I was in before the weight finally started to shift, I just want to say, ‘Don’t give in’.
It sounds so cliche! Sorry! But it’s really true.
No slogan has ever been more fitting than Nikes ‘Just do it’ because that’s all you really need to do. Now, I know first hand that you can be doing lots of exercise, eating well and still not loosing weight, I know it because I was there, for years. But the whole point of ‘just do it’ is to persist. Persisting pays off, try new things, try new diets, find what works for you.
I hope you’re enjoying the start of 2015! I cannot believe how fast it has come around!
Now then, NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!
I make a habit of not making any resolutions because words are often meaningless without actions and actions really make the difference! I love the idea of joining a gym and going every day but that’s just not practical for me at the moment, and I hate gyms. I prefer my exercise to not intrude too much on my day, so cycling to a place I need to be has always been my preferred workout method!
My Plan
Last year I was 1 stone 5 pounds heavier than I am now. This time next year, I will be 2 stone lighter than I am now. That’s not up for debate in my mind, and I see it as fact. I’m on a weight loss journey and well, slow and steady does win the race!
I never stopped counting my calories using ‘Myfitnesspal’ app but christmas and new year just feels like a tougher time to control everything, and I may have had the odd biscuit or couple of Cadbury Roses here and there which I didn’t log in my app. (Ooooops!) But, right back on it now, all the Roses and goodies are gone! I’m only cheating myself if I cheat my calorie app!
I’m sitting at my desk right now eating tomato soup for my lunch which is souper tasty…(apparently it’s lame jokes o’clock)✌️
So bring it on 2015, I’m ready! 😁
I’m always worried about what i’m eating because my job means I sit behind a desk all day. I’ve found a place to park just outside the city which means I can park for free and cycle in to work! (4 miles a day) Which will make a huge difference to me and hopefully my now stagnant weight loss will kick back into gear again!!!
Think about what you want to achieve or what you want to improve on this year, but never cease to forget what you’ve already achieved, because quite often, it’s really quite spectacular. ✌️
(Also, I stopped taking my pill this month as a bit of an experiment! I’ll let you know how that works out for me)
Last Monday (17th November), I started my first proper full time job! I was a teensy bit worried about how I would cope being out of the house every day and actually getting up before 10am every day too! (Student Life has spoilt me for too many years) However, as I write this post, I can confidently say, that I feel like i’ve landed on my little feet! The office is so well decorated, it’s such a relaxed atmosphere and I’m working with such lovely people!
Another bit of news this week is that I did my weigh in yesterday and I’ve lost another 4 pounds!!!!! Woohoo! So that brings my total weight loss to a beautiful – 1 STONE and 7 POUNDS!!!!! (21 Ibs / one and a half dress sizes)! I’m absolutely over the moon! (I’m not cycling every day as i’m now commuting so i’ve been rambling around in the woods last weekend (shown below haha) and I’m looking at gyms near to my work)
ANYWAY, I’m especially over the moon because I know that that is a 4.73% weight loss! Just loosing 10% can greatly reduce the side effects of PCOS and can drastically improve the condition and i’m half way there now to that golden 10% mark and it’s only another 12 pounds weight loss to go to get to that mark!!!! (Though i’m aiming for a total loss of 54 pounds so just another 32 to go now and that will be over 20%)
It’s so important not to lose sight of your goals. I know that i’m doing this, not just for me, but for my future. I want to enhance my chances of conceiving children one day too and I think that’s a positive attitude to have.
Remember what you want to gain from life and never stop working towards it.
What i’ve learnt lately, is that if you work hard enough, then you see the changes and you reap the rewards. Even if the changes you make are very small, they can produce big results!
Have a very beautiful week and I hope you’re all doing well.
P.S Sorry i’ve not been very verbal lately, I was having a few health complications, and received a mis-diagnosis which resulted in my going to MIU at the hospital to be seen, where I was tested properly and told I had a kidney infection which has been treated with Antibiotics and I feel 100% better and back to myself. SO i’ll be back blogging frequently now!
P.S Sorry i’ve not been very verbal lately, I was having a few health complications, and received a mis-diagnosis which resulted in my going to MIU at the hospital to be seen, where I was tested properly and told I had a kidney infection which has been treated with Antibiotics and I feel 100% better and back to myself. SO i’ll be back blogging frequently now!
…my birthday 6 days ago, and I’ve had an absolutely lovely few days 😀
I ate and drank too much and Sunday was my first day back to my usual schedule and calorie counting!
Life’s too short not to enjoy it whenever you like and for me, that meant having three deserts and eating a fiorentina pizza!!!! (I also had a fair bit of wine and sambuca) so you see, my point is, I fell off my calorie counting wagon, but it doesn’t mean I’m not picking myself up and putting myself back on!
Sunday, I swam and biked, Monday I biked, Tuesday I biked and again today I went biking! It’s been great getting back to normality! Three days a year is hardly going overboard!
My point is, in a roundabout way is to enjoy life. Do whatever makes you happy and healthy! Don’t feel guilty if you’re dieting and you break it for a couple of days! I love counting my calories and biking, it’s what works for me! But that’s not to say it’s what works for someone else!
I had a doctors appointment yesterday, just to pick up a repeat prescription for ‘Yasmin’ my contraceptive pill which keeps my periods ticking over properly, and I was weighed, and compared to my last Doctors weigh in, I am 18 pounds lighter than I was in April! I’ve been having a ‘weekly weigh-in’ every week so I know how much i’m loosing, it’s just nice to have it on Doctors records. My point is, don’t give in aiming for something you can’t stop thinking about!
On a complete tangent, I want to speak about something I saw this week on ‘Tumblr’ which really annoyed me. Someone posted a photo saying ‘Have periods like a normal person…LOL Nope’ and it really got me thinking about the use of the word ‘Normal’. So here is a mini rant type thing which I hope you take as promotion for self-esteem!
I disagree with the use of ‘normal’ in reference to most things, (mental health/weight/etc) but it seems to crop up a lot in regard to having Pcos!
Mostly because I don’t want anyone to feel they don’t conform to ‘normal’! Pcos sucks, there’s no two ways about that! But there’s no way we are not ‘normal’ and no-one determines what ‘normal’ even is anyway! Don’t think of yourselves as being any less than absolute survivors and fighters of this endocrine disorder! If people were ‘normal’ or whatever society means by ‘normal’ then the world would be a very dull place! ’Normal’ doesn’t even look like a real word to me anymore hahaha!
I want to start by introducing myself. My names Katherine and i’m a few days away from turning 22 years old from the East Midlands in England, I was diagnosed with PCOS three years ago but have been experiencing symptoms for the last nine.
I’m a lifelong vegetarian who has always been very health and nutrition conscious, even more so since my diagnosis! I am currently on a weight loss mission and have lost 13 pounds so far with an overall aim of 52 in total, so there’s still 39 to go, it feels good and i’m proud of how far i’ve come in the last 3 months.
Today, I want to talk about how important I believe it is to have a healthy mind as well as a healthy body when managing PCOS. I’ve compiled a list of what I deem ‘Important things to remember’ when dealing with PCOS. Let’s be realistic!
Stay Positive, mind & body!
You’re allowed to lie on the sofa eating chocolate and watching rubbish tele even if you’re watching your calorie intake! (trust me, the occasional sofa day works wonders for the monthly blues)
Find an exercise regime which works for you! Don’t be forced into an expensive membership if its not what you want (I’ve been there too), the world is your gym, find what works for your body!
You’re the best at being you! No one else can do a better job of being as wonderful as you! You are one of a kind, a unique, wonderful and powerful being who can accomplish anything! (Never accept that you ‘can’t’, aim for whatever the hell you want and embrace it!)
Focus on what you love about yourself, see those little details which build up the fabric of who you are.
This is your only body, it is yours to keep forever, and you’re not going to get another one, embrace it, and get the most joy you can out of it.
Relax, take it steady! Everyone needs some down time!
Growing up, it was always hard for me to watch the different kinds of food I’d consume and be able to not only keep weight off, but whatever weight I did lose, be able to maintain it. Growing up in an Italian household didn’t help—every Sunday was a feast. A spread of antipasto, followed by spaghetti, meatballs, sausage, bresaola, veal cutlets, along with a crisp salad with crunchy romaine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, fennel and oil/vinegar dressing. (Salad’s healthy right!) It was difficult to steer clear of the carbs, watch my calories and to eat smaller portions especially with all of mom and grandmas delicious homemade food, always in front of me. When I finally woke up and smelled the coffee after having struggled with PCOS for a while, I started a program called Medifast. After signing up for Medifast (and indicating much food you need; weekly/monthly/etc.), they mail you a huge box full of their prepackaged snacks, brownies, cookies, bars, shakes, soups, etc. It went like this—It was a 5 and 1 plan–per day, you’d eat 5 of their meals and 1 lean and green meal prepared by you, which consisted of a certain portion of meat, chicken, fish, plus 2-2/12 cups of veggies prepared any way your heart desires. I did the program for about 3 months and with exercise, lost a total of 15lbs. I was impressed with myself…even at holidays/get together’s I stuck with it and instead of ordering what I normally would at a restaurant, I would order a healthy dish like chicken with grilled veggies, a steak with a baked potato no butter or sour cream…totally boring…but I was committed, and above all, proud of myself. After being on the plan for 3 months, I decided it was a little pricy, so I began to maintain my weight by counting calories, exercise, cutting out breads/starchy foods and just focus more on healthy choices like picking up a handful of grapes instead of a few pieces of cheese, or not finishing the left over potato salad in the fridge, but instead, cutting up a celery stalk and dipping it in a little peanut butter. It became part of life to me, and every time I fell off, I picked myself back up and worked twice as hard. I couldn’t believe it. I lost an additional 5lbs, a whopping total of 20lbs. I swear, I wanted to cry every time I saw the numbers on the scale go down. It gave me, someone who has PCOS the hope that you really can accomplish anything you set your mind to. The goal is to be determined, motivated and you have to believe in yourself.
So, I was able to stick with it up until last July where I fell and fractured my tailbone. Holy Moly, it was the worst pain I’ve ever had. The pain lasted a real long time and really wasn’t able to do much for months, especially exercise. That was a huge down fall for me. It got me depressed(in addition to the medication side effects), unmotivated and unhappy because I felt lazy and felt like a fat blob because I gained some of my weight back. Plus, my endocrinologist upped my Metformin shortly after that so it felt like a double whammy to me. (My experiences with Metformin, even the extended release, are terrible…but we’ll talk about that at a later date)
As I mentioned in my earlier blog–my self-improving goal is to lose 10-15lbs by Christmas. I want to feel healthy again like I used to. By starting this blog, I think it’s motivating me even more and more and I’m excited to start the journey by counting calories, cutting out carbs/starchy foods and drinking MUCH more water. It’s something that every woman with PCOS should stick with, including myself.
In the next couple of blogs I’m going to track my daily fitness as well as the meals I eat, and attach some of my recipes for you all. I think it would be a motivation for not only me, but for all my fellow cysters!
“Take a deep breath, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again”. –Frank Sinatra
Before Medifast and After:
(Please excuse the before face as I was either crying or overwhelmed with joy because my brother was getting married)
The beginning of a new school year, the start of fall, a new football season (Go Giants!), pumpkin lattes, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin everything! Yeah—September is a great month! And better yet…it’s PCOS Awareness Month! Since it’s the start of all new activities, why not make it a fresh start for ourselves?
Our schedules may be hectic, working 9-5, cooking dinner, getting the kids washed up and ready for school for the next morning. There are really never enough hours in the day to get everything done, and with all the hustle and bustle we tend to neglect our healthy lifestyles (because it’s just been easier to throw some burgers and hot dogs on the grill). Although I do love a good hot dog over the summer with ketchup, mustard and sauerkraut, YUM, healthy choices are extremely important to have, especially for us women with PCOS.
We should all come up with some sort of self-improving goal, whether it be l o n g term or short term, big goal or small goal. We should do something for ourselves, for our health, for our bodies. For example; losing five pounds, enjoying a brisk walk after dinner, or even skipping out on desert (yes—that means giving up “Buy One Get One Free Wednesdays” at Carvel). When we start seeing changes, we start feeling happy, when we start feeling happy, we start feeling motivated, when we start feeling motivated we become determined not to give up. Don’t give up. We all know the struggle and we all know how hard it is with PCOS to stay on track, but that’s why we’re all here. We cysters know what each and every one of us are going through because all of us have PCOS. We’re all here for support and that’s one of my goals—to support, to guide, to mentor.
Along with my goal to be a supporter and uploading PCOS related recipes and fitness plans for us all to stay on track with, I think that my new “Self-Improving September Resolution” is to lose 10-15lbs by the holidays (‘cuz lord knows I’m not missing out on my traditional Italian Christmas feast!). This summer was difficult to stay focused and I have to admit I fudged up. Between BBQs, and beer, and get together’s with family and friends, I didn’t really have much time for anything, especially myself. I neglected a lot of my healthy life style like running, staying under 1200 calories a day, and even my sit-ups and burpees. I gained a little weight, and really need to get back into the swing of things. I think that this September allows for a much needed fresh start for myself and for everyone, and a time to make some necessary changes…Especially for us PCOSers!
This is a before and after picture of me from when I was first diagnosed with PCOS, until just last year. This is my motivation for Self Improving September. If I can do it, we all can do it…together!
What’s your September Resolution?!
“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s Necessary.” – Mandy Hale
I’m a soon to be 26 year old gal from Long Island who enjoys taking day trips to the city that never sleeps, and the wineries out east, loving life and living it to the absolute fullest. I’m a former Taco-Bell addict and a definite TV junkie. I learned I couldn’t have both so I decided to say goodbye to the bean burritos and soft shell tacos. (I mean come on, who would want to give up seeing McDreamy on Greys Anatomy ;))
Back in 2009, three words changed my life forever. “You have PCOS”. It explained a lot at the time. The excessive hair growth that always kept coming back after having numerous trials of laser hair removal, along with the weight that was so hard to lose. (I don’t know what’s worse, trying to lose weight or losing my hair…oh, and don’t get me started on the depression and mood swings!) So many thoughts were going through my head “How many pills do I have to take a day”? “Blood work every six months!?” “I’m a greater candidate for Diabetes?!” I wasn’t happy…especially dealing with the side effects from all the meds (which I’ve had my Endocrinologist change for me several times after calling her every week complaining about how I felt…Whoops!) I finally found out the Glumetza worked best for me! I was a happy little camper actually losing weight and feeling pretty normal. That was until I went to the pharmacy to have it filled. $475. The happiness turned into tears and there I was back on Metformin, feeling as if I have a stomach virus every single day. Life for me was rough and I made a mistake by letting PCOS define me. To me, it wasn’t just a part of me…It WAS me.
Two years ago I made a commitment to myself and decided that I was in charge…NOT my disease. I started a healthy lifestyle which included getting fit and staying in shape and cooking healthy. I had to. I’m glad I did because not only did I lose 20lbs but I became happier, and I really started to become in love with myself. I’m continuing to work through the side effects of the Metformin as well as PCOS symptoms, and as cliché as this sounds, I learned one thing: “We are what we eat”. Diet and exercise really do work. And it’s something that we Cysters really need to keep up with.
If you focus on results
You will neverchange.
If you focus on change,
You will getresults
– Jack Dixon
I’m going to take you on a journey where you can discover new ideas and new ways to cope with your PCOS with inspiring recipes designed for cysters as well as some workout tips that I’ve had much proven success with. I’d love to hear feedback from you all as well as your stories, so please, share away!
PCOSA Awareness Association 