Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. In my case, I don't actually have PCOS but just side-effects similar due to the Mirena IUD. Now that it's removed, having my hormones going back to normal is definately a contributing factor.

But as far as diet, I'm following the "Diabetic Diet", meaning I have cut way down on sweets, white Sugar (replaced it with organic raw Sugar in SMALL AMOUNTS), no soda (only icead tea with lemon, no Sugar or water, LOTS OF WATER!), white flour and white flour products (pastries, white bread, etc.), and white rice. I've also switched to organic dairy, fruits and veggies. It's expensive, but I've been buying less processed food to make up.

I've switched to brown rice, wheat bread, wheat pasta (in small amounts, still high in carbs) and cut way down on simple carbs. I've also gotten into a 'stir-fry kick'. I saute mixed fresh or frozen veggies with Olive oil until soft but still crunchy. You can add some cooked chicken breast if you like. And I've been serving it with brown rice. I like to saute red bell peppers with onion and carrots to get a nice mix of flavor without adding extra sauces or seasonings, (I also have put a small dash of seasoned salt to bring out the flavor). It's very yummy and very good for you.

My next meal is going to be lean steak in teriyaki with veggies and brown rice. I didn't think I could like brown rice, but I think it's better than white. Also, they said to cut down portions. I was eating two very large meals per day, and have gotten down to 4 small ones (one is more of a snack). That was the hardest. To teach myself to eat at times I wasn't used to.

Also, I've been snacking on raw unsalted almonds for snacks. They give you a bit of energy boost without adding extra salt. They are very low in carbs and high in good fats and vitamins. If you can't have nuts, you could try carrot sticks or raw veggies.

And, I've been prepping a big salad for my family and putting it in a big container all ready to go. Then we just eat it for a couple days. My husband taks some to work in a smaller container. It's all about how you eat and what you put in your body. There are many sites online that have listed examples of what to eat and what not to eat. I highly disagree with one common factor with some of those sites. They recommend using artificial sweetener instead of sugar (splenda, equal, nutrasweet, etc.). I am completely convinced that those 'non-sugars' are doing more harm than good and actually prevent your body from shedding weight. My doctor agreed. The sites will say they are a "free-food" since they have no calories, but they are still chemicals and I refuse to eat them. Watch out for "DIET" or "NO SUGAR ADDED" drinks and foods, they are not better for you. They have been chemically altered.

And most importantly, keep off the junk and fast food. And I've been working out. Not everyday, but I'm trying. My doctors all agreed that 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least 3-4 times/week is the least amount I absolutely need to do in order to lose weight. I just did 30 mintues this morning. It was murder!

My doctor said that medication can be a factor. She mentioned that if I was diabetic or had PCOS she would put me on Metaformin or birth control pills (to regulate the cycle), which is common drugs for PCOS and diabetes. She said it's almost counteractive because it causes the person to gain weight, which is harder for the patient to get healthy. If you are on any medication right now, you might want to talk to your doc about whether it will make losing weight more of a challenge. Either way, excercise is the key. Good luck, sorry for the long message, but I hope this helps.

You may want to evaluate how much Iodine is in your diet. It affects the production and effectiveness of all hormones. This is important, since insulin is a hormone and Iodine deficiency is linked to PCOS. You may want to get more sea fish and/or kelp in your diet to see if it helps. There is a great Iodine Support forum here on Curezone that you may want to poke around in. There are some first hand stories in there about using iodine to treat ovarian cysts.

It can be very hard to lose weight for some of us while on Mirena. Since I got Mirena out (almost 4 weeks) and I have started iodine supplementation (12.5mg/day for almost 2 weeks) I have had a dramatic improvement in my energy and can finally eat healthier foods. This is helping me slowly work on my weight. I half-wish I had tried the iodine first to see if I really required both steps, but I couldn't deal with the anxiety attacks any longer. The good news is, no more anxiety attacks for me. :)

Hi Sbia...

I have IR and PCOS as well. Thought I would respond to your post. PCOS helped me pack on 85 pounds in 2.5 years. I found my 14th doctor 3 months ago --- he's a naturopathic doc (www.hotzehwc.com in Houston...people fly in all the time to see him), he's not an MD. (The first 13 docs were and didn't do a LICK to help me...I was looked at like I had a 3rd head and they were all excited to put me on antidepressants and a heart med that made me suicidal. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD DOCTOR...once they don't help you achieve your health goals...find a new one.

My doc had me do a yeast free/sugar free diet and trust me...it's a lot easier than it sounds...and once you eat Sugar again and see how sick and tired it makes you feel, hopefully you will do what I did...make a CONNECTION for life that Sugar is the devil and stay away from it. :) It's in miracle whip, ketchup, green olives..etc.. it's in EVERYTHING! Once I get back to my normal weight I will eat Sugar free/yeast free during the week and eat with a little bit more fun on weekends. I lost 10 pounds and 4 pant sizes in my first 30 days. I feel fantastic. I have 2 coworkers that wanted to do it with me...we are on day 14 and one of them has already lost 6 pounds. The other thing I hope you will consider is Iodine. It can dissolve ovarian cysts and breast cancer!!! See the Iodine forum and read the R, RN, BSAs for more info. Plus check out this site and this article...there are other supps you must take with it...you will find that scoop on the site below and Iodine forum.


//www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=896514#i



http://www.breastcancerchoices.org
(look at the Iodine info place)

GOOD LUCK! IT can be managed.
AP