Tuesday 26 May 2009

Diets and PCOS - Losing weight helps manage symptoms


I have tried many diets, fitness plans, diet pills and patches over the years. Since I stopped dancing full time in 1999 I struggled with my weight and have had periods of depression.
I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2007 and diet has became my life, as I am always working against my body gaining weight due to the hormone imbalance.

I have finally found a diet and fitness plan that works for me with my condition that is healthy! Here is my story of how I got there.........

Previously I found the South Beach Diet to be the most effective diet, but due to my PCOS my dietitian strongly advised me not to go back on this diet due to my hormone imbalance and insulin levels. So she put me on a diet plan, which made me gain more weight and cause my symptoms to get even worse! Due to the severity of my symptoms and lack of help from my dietitian, I when on my own diet. Eating little and often not cutting out any food groups but only eating 900 calories a day. I had no energy and was still too ill to exercise, the weight was not shifting but I had not gained anymore.

I called my doctor to ask for medication to help as I was trying my hardest to lose weight and really suffering with my health, his answer was get your weight down from 10 stone to 8.5 stone to reduce your symptoms! I said I have tried my hardest and told him what I had been doing- his answer was: exercise 2 hours a day and eat less calories and fat, I said that i didn't think it was healthy to eat less calories than I already was, and he said with my PCOS I can eat less than 900 calories a day and starving children in Africa are not fat! Well I burst into tears, and could not continue the conversation, my friend was with me at the time and heard the doctor shouting at me down the phone, she could not believe the advice he gave me.

So next I was counting calories and fat content so that I could only eat 500- 600 calories a day, I didn't loose any weight in the first 3 days so I looked at the size 0 diet of even less calories. I started to replace some meals with the maple syrup lemon and pepper tea. My energy levels were even worse but I did loose 3lb i after 3 days! I tried exercising but due to having some large cysts on my ovaries, I just could not bear the pain. I kept going on the diet for another 5 weeks and got down to 9 stone, I was so pleased that I finally found a diet that worked for me again!

I had a follow up appointment with the dietitian and had to provide a food diary of the past month. She was pleased to see I had lost a stone in weight, but when she read my diary she was shocked to see I was eating very little. She told me I had an eating disorder, but I advised her that I had taken my doctors advice on reducing my calories even further to get my weight down to ease my symptoms. She said she was going to make a complaint about the advice given and told me to eat 1200 calories a day again. I just did not know what to do as I knew if I had that many calories I would just put the weight back on again.

I followed the advice a little a ate around 1000 calories a day and went to the gym every other day, after a month I had gained half a stone despite my efforts! So I started to take Pure Hoodia diet pills and use the Pink Patch at the same time. Crazy I know but I got down to 8 stone 12lbs after 3 months! My Wedding day was coming up and my dress had to be taken in, I was thrilled that I was starting to look myself again! Slim and toned.

While I was on my honeymoon I gained 7 lbs! But you do have to enjoy yourself dont you. When I got back I started fertility treatment and had to stop the diet pills and patch. As you can imagine the weight piled back on again and 7 months after I was back to where I started almost 9 st 12lbs and looked very untoned. I needed to do someting fast that was healthy. I subcribe to Zest Magazine and there was an artical on Maximuscle womens Promax diet.


I looked into this and seeked advice from a fitness professional, I went ahead and ordered the shakes and suppliments and downloaded the 8 week diet and fitness plan. I was easy to stick to and I did find the exercise hard to start with but I then found I had more engery. I felt happier in myself, I didnt feel depressed anymore and I lost half a stone in the first 4 weeks of the plan, the inche loss was even better, I had lost 2 inches from my tummy, 1 inch from around my ribs an inch from each thigh and half from each top of my arm. My body fat had reduced by 2% and water by 3%! I looked much more toned and I had a lot of comments from friends and collueges as even though I was only a little loss, it was very noticable. So I carried on and the results just got better :) :)





I had to stop the diet as I got pregnant, I then had a miscarriage and fell pregant again soon after, I was so upset to then have another miscarriage :( It is very common to miscarry with PCOS. My depression got so bad I didnt go back on the plan for a while, and I started to comfort eat and then make myself sick after as I was feeling guilty that my hard work had been wasted. :(

To beat depression I had to get out and exercise again. I decided to focus on my body and fitness again and leave the trying of the baby for a while, and if it happened it happened. So I am back on the Promax diet and exercise plan again! I am loving the buzz, and feeling happy again my body is improving. I want to enter the maximuscle womens body of the year 2009 in the summer, so I am working really hard for the perfect body!






If you would like the diet plan let me know as I have the PDFs saved. Maximuscle no longer have the plan on the website, but still sell the products.







Anyone else had good results from Promax diet?

K



1 comment:

  1. Please see my up to date post on the right drop down :)

    ReplyDelete