Weight + PCOS

After I brokedown when I learning about my diagnosis and having a hard time dealing with the situation I started to notice a very very rapaid weight gain. Since our wedding I've gained 20 lbs but I managed to gain 6 of them in the last week, which really concerns me. I started reading this book on PCOS that says one of the ways to increase your fertility chances it to lose 5-7 % of your current weight and get into exercise.
I decided to take action and this week I'm joining WW (my second go at it...first was before the wedding where in combo with exercise I lost 33 lbs). This time around my motivation is bigger than my own self esteem....all of the research I have been reading about PCOS has indicated that weight loss and exercise can make a HUGE difference even result in natural conception. Anyone else has had success with weight+exercise and infertility or in the process now of using both to help with conception?

Re: Weight + PCOS

Well, I am not TTC nor have I ever been pregnant, but I have had PCOS and horribly irregular periods for years, gained a bunch of weight, etc. In the past year, I have been running, lifting weights, and eating less junk food (lost about 15 pounds) and I have noticed a big improvement in my cycles which I do attribute to my lifestyle change. Where I used to get my period only a few times a year and was never ovulating, now I get my period about once every 6-8 weeks and have had signs of ovulation (PMS symptoms before my period) whereas I never had that when I didn't exercise & ate poorly. Are my cycles perfect now.. NO WAY not by a long shot, but they are much more predictable than before! So I do think that weight/diet/exercise can have a positive effect on fertility.

Re: Weight + PCOS

I have PCOS and lost about 30lbs 4 years ago (went from 170 to 136ish). I was on the pill off and on, but mostly on, for 15 years and for symptom management/ testosterone reduction, I was taking spironolactone and then flutamide for 4 years. I was able to get pregnant on my 3rd cycle after stopping BC and my cycles were regular the very first month. I also took Vitex (or chasteberry), which is also supposed to help regulate cycles in women with PCOS. I was taking that for about a month before I got pregnant.

I've heard a lot of success stories of women with PCOS getting pregnant on their own with a combination of BC and weight loss so it's certainly worth the effort! Good luck and baby dust to you!

Re: Weight + PCOS

I lost 60 lbs. and it never resulted in ovulation, unfortunately so it's really luck of the draw, I think. But it DEFINITELY doesn't hurt to lose a percentage of your body weight before TTC. AND I've found, personally, that WW is a great plan for those of us with PCOS because there are so many options.

Best of luck!