cher3150

Hi everyone Hope you all had a fab new year!!! Ok I have PCOS and I'm a veggie ( well kind of just don't like meat) anyway i have been told to go on a low carb diet/way of eatting, as it is meant to help with the PCOS, i am also on metformin 1500mg a day, I have had PCOS for a long time, i think i was 19 when i was 1st told, but no one understood it much then, but 15 years later I'm told to eat low carb, i'll try anything once!! But the thing is i dont understand this 'carb' thing most books say eat lots of meat but i can't, things like eat egg's but i understood eggs are high in fat? so as you can see i'm a little confused, PLEASE PLEASE help me

What no one can help me :think

Hello Just to say i'm a year out not a few days thanks cherie

Hi All Everyone seems to advise me to avoid eating carbs, but the main food that I can eat without causing major discomfort is pasta. Does anybody else have this problem and can anybody help with any suggestions? Many thanks Cherie

Hi all it's been just over a year justed wanted to see how much people who had there band fitted in november 2005 was doing, I'm only down 21kg Just had a good fill so fingers crossed,

Hi all i went for my year post band last night ive only lost 20% of my over all weight and have been told that might be all i ever lose!! has anyone else been told this?

Hi Julie. Good luck for tomorrow, Like you i don't know anyone else who was done my the same doctor as me, but that was ok because then i didn't have anyone telling me how good or bad he was but i can say he was very very good, good luck let me know how you get on cherie

Hi why do you think they might say you are not suitable for the op?, you must have done your homework by now, and know if you bmi is over 40, your be ok, i was still flapping about the day i had my band fitted your be fine as you said deep breaths, calm calm calm... best of luck cherie

Great to hear from you all has anyone been banded by mr sami el-boghdadly, good luck to you all

Well done to you both i can't wait till i get to target... but i think thats still a long way off i just don't seem to lose

Hi thanks for the info but there MUST be more of us in the uk?

Hi i live in harlow about 35 miles outside london... but i come from london i'm an eastend girl, moved out of london when i was 21 but its still home in my heart, cherie xx

Hi can anyone help me please, i have had a band now for 11 months and have only lost about 40lbs in all, most of that was post op and the rest has been very little very slow, can anyone please tell me how to get the pounds moving, i am getting married nov 07 and really want to lose the same again if not more by then, I don't eat a great deal and stop when i fill full, i have about 7ml in a 9ml band. Hoping for help Cherie xx

I would like to thank you all, I will take it all in and try what you have all said many thanks again. cherie x

hi Lb Lady sorry to hear that, Can i ask you do you think you eat more then you should or do you think its just not working for you, i sometimes think its just not for me but then i think well i am 40lbs lighter then before so thats better then nothing, so i just keep trying and hopefully it will all kick in for me one day, take care cherie.

Thank you i will do that tomorrow and maybe someone will see something that i don't thanks again cherie

Thank you, I'll give it a go see how it is in a month or so. thanks again cherie

Hi All, Do any of you wish you never had the band fitted? or that it was a real waste of money? And time! Cherie x

Hello You just have to keep on hoping, We lost my mother-in-law 3 days before our mothers day this year from cancer, it is so hard, the few weeks before we still wanted to go out a get mum things for mothers day but like you the thought is she still going to be with us or what do you get someone who is going to die, so in the end we gave her the only thing we could all of our love and time, we also got her wedding ring mended (it had been cut off back in January when she was took into hospital) that was the best thing we could have done, it was the last time she smiled and said she was whole again that was two days before she died, So all I can say is give your mum all the love and time you have a make sure there is nothing missing that you can give back to her before it’s too late. Good luck with everything I do so hope your mum gets over this and you do too My heart is with you both. Cherie xx

hi mine is You'll Look a Little Lovelier Each Day with Fabulous Pink Cherie. cherie x

Hi didn't you know that their 'after care program sucks' before you had the band fitted? Not many doctors will take you on just in case something goes wrong with the band, hope this helps Cherie

Hello all just had to tell you all 5 weeks with not i oz moving then 3lb off this week, i'm soooo happy i could sing to you call Thanks for the help you gave me looks like it worked :clap2: Cherie x

Hi All, Can anyone help me please, I have not lost anything now for just over 4 weeks, I have around 800 to a 1000 kcal a day under 25 gms of fat a day, I workout on my cross trainer at home and I work all day on my feet, non stop on the move, So what am I doing to stop the pounds coming off, I would be happy with a pound a week but nothing:think Thanks Cherie :help:

Hi my average caloric intake per day is about 800 to 1000 but have read it needs to be more about 1,200 Cherie

hello all PCOS is a chemical or hormone imbalance,which can make it very difficult for sufferers to lose weight. Your body can be insulin resistant and unable to process certain sugars or carbohydrate foods. Your diet should be based on low-sugar, low-carbohydrate, low-fat and Protein, but be rich in B Vitamins in order for you to be successful. Some PCOS sufferers have to take medication which, after a period of time, can deplete the body of B vitamins. It is important that you get a well-balanced diet, rich in all vitamins, particularly, B. Doctors recognise that PCOS sufferers have a slower metabolism than non-sufferers, and recommend a personal diet be prepared to suit your individual metabolism. 30% of PCOS sufferers can also be carbohydrate sensitive and need a personal low-carbohydrate, low-sugar, low-fat, protein diet preparing, to help them lose weight successfully. In our experience we have found that standard diets do not work for PCOS sufferers. Will my PCOS symptoms reduce if I lose weight or eat healthily? Yes, if you need to lose weight, please do so and your symptoms can be reduced. Eating healthily will always be of benefit to your health. Our research has shown that PCOS sufferers with a weight problem, who lose 24 lbs or more, find that their PCOS symptoms can start to reduce. Because of your PCOS, there are certain foods that your body cannot tolerate. When you eat these foods, your body cannot handle them, so a signal is sent to your brain that you have not eaten, hence the feeling to eat more. If you eat healthily, avoiding all the non-permitted foods, you will feel so much better and will not be hungry. Having home-made Soups and splitting your meals into small ones will help satisfy the hunger. You can always eat a little extra protein to satisfy the hunger The polycystic ovary contains many small cysts 2 – 6 mm in diameter. In the past, it was diagnosed during surgery when the ovary could be seen. Now, an ultrasound examination can reveal the polycystic nature of an ovary. Since using ultrasound, polycystic ovaries have been observed in 25% of normal women. Hence, it is important to distinguish the findings of polycystic ovaries and PCOS. Polycystic ovaries are a common finding in patients with PCOS, but do not define the condition. For example, a running nose is a common finding of a cold, but does not mean that a person with a running nose has a cold. Other conditions can cause one’s nose to run, such as allergies, sniffing pepper, crying, etc. An individual with a cold can present with a multitude of symptoms. Women with PCOS also present with a variety of symptoms. Polycystic ovaries are merely one feature of the polycystic ovarian syndrome. The syndrome is a result of a functional hormonal disorder that disrupts normal ovarian function. It is best thought of as an imbalance of hormones that control the ovary’s ability to mature and release an egg. Normally, the pituitary gland in the center of the brain releases follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which travels through the blood stream to the ovaries telling them to mature or "grow" an egg. An ovary complies by stimulating a follicle’s growth. A follicle is a cyst containing an egg and many "nursing" granulosa cells. The follicle begins as a small cyst less than 2 - 6 mm in diameter. As it matures, the follicle fills with Fluid until it measures over 20 mm in diameter. This takes approximately 14 days. This time frame is called the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Once mature, the follicle sends back a signal to the brain indicating it is ready for ovulation. The pituitary gland then sends out a pulse of luteinizing hormone (LH), telling the ovary to release or ovulate the egg. The follicle ruptures (i.e the cyst pops) releasing the egg to the surface of the ovary where the fallopian tube should pick it up. PCOS occurs when the hormonal signals are not carried through. Thus, follicles do not grow and release the egg, but instead stay small 2 – 6 mm in diameter each month. Over time, these small follicles build up resulting in an ovary packed with multiple small cysts. The reason why the ovary fails to respond to the FSH is not well understood. It is believed that there are elevated "resistance factors" that inhibit the ovaries ability to function normally. Some of these resistance factors are the androgens and insulin-like growth factors. These hormones raise the threshold at which the ovary will respond to FSH. If the FSH does not reach that threshold, the follicles become stalled in the early part of growth. The ovary stays in a steady-state of no ovulation which is the hallmark of PCOS. These resistance factors are manifested in other areas of the body. Androgens in the skin cause hirsutism or male-type distribution of hair growth on the face, chest and abdomen. Increased activity in the oil gland of the hair follicle may also result in oily skin and acne. Nearly 70% of patients with PCOS have some degree of insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone released into the blood stream by the pancreas. It works to drive blood glucose into cells . Insulin resistance means that more insulin is needed to achieve the same result as a person without PCOS. Patients with type II diabetes have the same condition. Indeed, PCOS patients are at a higher risk of developing type II diabetes. The reason for this insulin resistance is an intense area of research. Currently, it is believed to be related to an inherent defect within the cells signaling mechanism to allow glucose to come into the cell. Due to the cellular resistance, PCOS patients have elevated levels of insulin and/or insulin-like growth factors which can then adversely affect the ovary. In addition, insulin promotes growth or body mass/weight retention. Because of this, PCOS patients have a very difficult time losing weight regardless of how much they exercise and diet. Excess body weight and obesity are commonly known stimulants to both elevated androgen levels and insulin resistance. Since insulin resistance results in elevated insulin levels which then promote further weight gain, an overweight individual becomes trapped in a viscious cycle. The more weight she gains, the worse the condition becomes. All the symptoms of PCOS, including hirsutism, anovulation and difficulty losing weight become more difficult to reverse. Consequently, excess weight can exacerbate PCOS and in some individuals can even be the sole cause of the condition. good luck Cherie