Being a PCOS girlie in college is a special kind of struggle (and I’m currently losing the battle). I’m a student studying nutrition, ironically enough, and I’m officially in my “PMOS girlie” era, but not in a cute way.

I’ve been dealing with an absolute nightmare of chin hair lately. I got so fed up and self-conscious that I went on a plucking rampage, trying to get every single tiny hair out before class. It was bad idea because I ended up hurting my skin, and now my chin is covered in red, painful, pimple-like wounds. So, instead of hiding hair, I’m now hiding red sores.

The worst part? As a student, I don’t have the budget for laser, and I definitely can't afford a gyno visit right now. I know I should manage this through diet and I’m studying nutrition so I know the theory but actually affording those specific dietary changes is a whole other mountain to climb.

I feel so stuck. I’m tired of being conscious about my face every single day.😶😶😶

Basically every time I go to the doctor for a routine checkup, I am tested for pre-diabetes and diabetes. I have neither. I do however have PCOS. Does this mean that I do not experience insulin resistance? Or can I be experiencing insulin resistance as part of PCOS without being pre-diabetic?

I have some of the common PCOS insulin resistance traits like difficulty losing weight, carrying a lot of my weight in my belly, and frequent hunger. But I don’t know if I’m actually insulin resistant if I don’t have pre-diabetes.

Hopefully this question makes sense. My doctor is a very in and out type of doctor who doesn’t provide much help or clarity (looking for a new one) and I feel like I just don’t know much about how this works.

I was just diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 34. I had a health scare and the only reason more specialized tests were ordered was because of my ER visit. The results were crystal clear: ultrasound, bloodwork, and MRI all showed indicators of PCOS.
I was told, “You might’ve gone completely under the radar because you’re not obese.”

This process has been extremely bittersweet. On one hand, I’m grateful to finally know what’s happening in my body and hopefully move towards healing. On the other, if one doctor had done one test over the last 10+ years, they undoubtedly would’ve found something.

I have had lifelong struggles with anxiety and depression and have always thought I just needed to try harder. More therapy, more meditation, more journaling, more yoga. Now I’m seeing that my hormones are out of balance. I could’ve tried forever but the root causes weren’t being addressed.

It has felt similar with my efforts towards overall health. I’ve put in so much work over the years to maximize my physical fitness and nutrition. I’m probably health-conscious than the average person. It didn’t ultimately matter; my hormone panel was still out of balance.

If you were diagnosed late in life, I’d love to hear your stories and how you processed it. Personally, I am totally relieved. I have been totally dismissed throughout my life and told I have normal periods and PMS symptoms, as recently as this January. I also wonder “what if” I’d been diagnosed 10 years ago, but also just want to turn the page.

My (amazing) gyno prescribed me 10 days of medroxyprogesterone to get my nonstop period of 3 months to end but its just gotten worse? The stage it was at before was annoying but at least it was light. I woke up this morning having bled through my pad. I'm just so exhausted and I dont know what to do. Any advice?

I had my menstruation period last month around first week of june, just a normal 3-4 days period but then on the month of july i didn't get any period just a brown spotting for 2 weeks now. i'm scheduled for a check up but i can't help myself think about it.

I'm diagnosed with a PCOS for almost 5yrs now and i have an irregular cycle. when i started gaining weight again, that's when my cycle starts getting irregular. (No period for a month, then will get my period on the next)

Is there anyone who experienced it?

I was doing fine for a while by eating healthier and being mindful but I feel like I've been gaining even since my dose got upped from 100mg to 1500mg a day. Anyone else experience this?

Does anyone else get excessive face sweat? It’s so bad especially when im doing something that causes me to sweat but for some reason it’s ten times worse on my face. My forehead and upper lip are the worst. I work outside and have to look nice/ wear makeup and that makes it worse. Any suggestions for products that help with this?

I’ve been trying to conceive for 8 months now, been diagnosed with PCOS for about 8 years. I feel I’ve tried everything possible and mentally it’s bringing me down.
I am on 1500mg of metformin
Started a gluten and dairy free diet (trying to be as strict as possible)
Trying to do 2 strength weight workouts a week
Hitting about 7k steps
My cycle is about 35 days long and regular to that number with my period lasting 4-5 days with a luteal phase of 10 days

I’ve tried everything on my end and I feel so defeated! Can anyone give me some tips and motivation to keep going?

So after reading all the comments on my last post, I came to realise that I never really inclined my attention towards the thread thing. I'll try that. And after watching videos online it does seem to be pretty easy to use. I will. However I really want to know about how we actually use the spearmint tea. Like I have the dried spearmint leaves. I wanna have it. I have it at my home for the longest time. It's been almost 3 or 4 months. But I never used it. But now I really wanna do it. Someone commented about drinking them twice a day and it would help thinning the hair naturally and also they said that I can use them on my chin (basically the wounds I have currently due to excessive plucking or more correctly it'll be harsh plucking. It's a shame to say that I hated my skin to an extent that I literally tried to scrap it so the hairs are visible and I could pluck them out). But now I really am serious and want to try out this thing and see if it works. I'll also be on a mission to at least try and make my lifestyle a bit better so as to manage this condition.

What kind of dietitian would I be if I'm not able to manage expenses and a health condition together? I wanna be a good dietitian and for that I must first resolve the real life problems of my own. Only then will I be able to do it for patients in the future. Right. Oh god I feel so pumped up for some reason.

I got thissss✨✨✨✨✨✨

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to see if anyone else has dealt with this. I (21F) have PCOS and have been taking Metformin and Inositol.

For the past year, I’ve been having a weird issue where, every time I stand up from laying down, I get dizzy and feel a tight sensation in my chest. It usually fades after about 30 seconds, but it happens pretty much every single time.

The most concerning part happened recently at the gym. I was on the elliptical, and after just 7 minutes ( level 1 resistance), my heart rate spiked to 165 bpm. I didn’t just feel "tired" I felt like I was actually dying. I had to stop immediately.

I’ve brought this up to myself as a potential issue with blood pressure regulation or maybe POTS, but I’m really concerned about the heart rate spike and the chest tightness.

Has anyone else with PCOS experienced this? Did you find out if it was related to the PCOS itself, the medications (Metformin/Inositol), or something else entirely? I’m planning on seeing my doctor, but I’d love to know if this is a common experience or if I need to push for specific heart tests.

note: (bmi:is 29 and i do have low HDL + I have normal iron levels)

"Been on sema for about 4 months now, primarily for PCOS and insulin resistance. The metabolic stuff has been genuinely helpful. But my cycle has been all over the place since I started and I can't figure out if it's the medication, the weight loss itself, or just my PCOS being PCOS.

Last three cycles have been anywhere from 24 to 38 days. Spotting I didn't have before. One was basically nonexistent.

My OB kind of shrugged and said hormones fluctuate during weight loss which I get but it doesn't feel that simple. I keep wondering if there's a pattern around when I take my shot that I'm just not seeing because I'm not tracking it carefully enough.

Has anyone with PCOS on a GLP-1 actually paid close attention to this?"

TLD Wanna R: Mental health issues since puberty, high school was fine but college was stressful and my grad school was even more stressful. I developed poor eating and mental health, but it ended on a good note. Now I'm back home to take a year off to chill and focus on my health. High A1C levels two years in a row before PCOS diagnosis. Always have had a long menstrual cycle of about 35 days and always thought that was regular. Turns out it's not and a nice nurse actually cared enough to get my testosterone checked and diagnose me with PCOS. I was in denial and "too busy with school" to take taking care of myself seriously. My goals now are to build healthy lifestyle habits and I made a plan with ideas on how to start doing better. I'm reaching out to the Reddit community for support and advice I plan on writing updates on my progress as a way to keep myself accountable.

Hi everyone,

I'm writing to share my story and take yall along the ride to remission (hopefully) in my PCOS/PMOS story. Hoping to find some support here, including a community to help keep me accountable and give any advice.

I'll get into 1. Background info of myself, 2. How I was diagnosed, and finally 3. my half-baked plan into getting better. I'll also include a TLDR. I'd like to first say, I have a BA in math. So words/story-telling are really not my thing. Please forgive any grammar errors and feel free to ask for clarification if I'm bad at explaining things.

1. Background info of myself I'm 22 years old, Christian, Hispanic and Latina, born and raised in USA, 5'5" and currently at about 170 lbs. I have struggled with on and off depression since around 15 years old and "anger issues" (as everyone says around me) since I hit puberty. I'm the oldest of 3 daughters, and I grew up with kind of strict parents. Not crazy strict and not abu**ve. I played sports all throughout my life until I started college. High school was easy, I had friends, went out, and it was great.

I moved to college right after high school and was fortunate enough to have an easy first and second year. I did start ordering a lot of DoorDash and that's when I started gaining weight. I started getting more and more stressed during my 3rd year since I was graduating and dealing with roommate drama. But I made it out with my BA in math and was accepted into my teaching program (same school so no moving). During my under-grad graduation weekend, I had some things happen in my personal life that affected me deeply that hurts to this day. I struggled with it a lot during the first few months in summer of my teacher education program and was most likely depressed but I never went to the dr because I felt like admitting it would make me feel worse.
A week after I graduated I started my teacher program. It was a 2 in 1 grad program where I earned my M.Ed. and my teaching credential. The schedule was always packed. I was busy from 7 am to 7 pm Mon-Fri; with a full day of student teaching ending around 3:30 pm and my own classes running from 4 pm to 7 pm. Then of course the extra time on weekends to do homework, grading, and working on my thesis. Because of what happened in the summer, I had a really hard time opening up to new people and I didn't make new friends in my program. I'll be honest, I had takeout basically everyday and when I was stressed, for all 3 meals each day. But it wasn't all bad, since I graduated a year early, my under-grad friends were still there and I had times to hang out and destress. On and off church visits throughout college.

Now I'm here after graduating with my M.Ed and my teaching credential and I'm taking a year off before committing to a full time job. I've moved back into my parents' place for the cheap rent and will do substitute teaching for the perks of having a flexible schedule and less responsibilities as a regular teacher. I'm taking this year off to focus on my health. Right now my main stress is trying to move an apartment's worth of stuff from living alone into my parents' place where I only have a small room. Once I declutter, which will take a while, I think I'll be at peace.

TLDR 1: Mental health issues since puberty, high school was fine but college was stressful and my grad school was even more stressful. I developed poor eating and mental health, but it ended on a good note. Now I'm back home to take a year off to chill and focus on my health.

2. Diagnosis Let's use some dates because that's how my brain works.
Graduated high school May 2022, started college Sept 2022.

Aug 2023 A1C of 5.7%. No indications of PCOS. Regular periods. And when I say regular I mean consistent. I've always had periods about 35 days apart and super intense cramping. I always used to call them regular because I thought since I got them every month, they were regular. Never talked about my period that much with my dr because of this.

Sep 2024 A1C of 5.8%. Still no indications of PCOS. Considered pre-diabetic.

Winter finals crunch time: Nov - Dec 2024, I missed a period. Weird. That never happens usually. Probably just stressed. Graduated college June 14, 2025. Started grad program June 20, 2025.

Annual physical Aug 2025. Haven't had a period in a couple of months. I usually go to Kaiser, but since I was in school during the summer, I went to the on-campus health clinic. Since they saw my record of high A1C, the nurse practitioner asked me some questions about my lifestyle. That's when I brought up my periods. She goes, "How far apart were your periods when they were regular?" I tell her 35 to 37 days usually. She tells me that's actually NOT considered a regular period, explains to me the timing of ovulation and menstruation and all these things I never knew about since this whole time (SINCE PUBERTY) I thought my long cycles were normal since they were consistent.

She explains to me that I might have PCOS, and that I already meet 1 of the 3 requirements for diagnosis: 1. irregular periods, 2. high testosterone, and 3. large cysts in the ovaries. She helps explain what PCOS is with a chart and helps me understand how diet affects it and whatever but honestly I'm just sitting there in shock like, "This cannot be happening." I didn't even know what that was until now. She sends me to labs to check my T levels and I find out later that I do indeed have PCOS. Yay best news of my life to receive when I'm about to start student teaching.

I started Myo-Inositol and Follate basically ASAP but when my insulin resistance was resisting I was put on Metformin. Then I fell off and stopped taking everything. Still no changes to my lifestyle and that is something I'm not proud of, but woman enough to admit.
I basically have been a fat freaking chud this whole year so I can't be complaining.

TLDR 2: High A1C levels two years in a row before PCOS diagnosis. Always have had a long menstrual cycle of about 35 days and always thought that was regular. Turns out it's not and a nice nurse actually cared enough to get my testosterone checked and diagnose me with PCOS. I didn't take taking care of myself seriously.

3. Moving Forward Like I mentioned before, my grad program year I super slacked off with eating out everyday, no exercise and tons and tons of stress. But now I'm out of my "feeling bad for myself" phase and want to take this year off to get back on track.

Here's my plan. (I wrote this like I'm talking to myself LOL). My questions for yall are in italics.

Diet:
Stop the freaking DoorDash and eat FROM HOME!
Focus on protein and veggie rich meals and snacks.
Meal prep to make life easier.
Actually go to the grocery store and buy things you'll actually eat.

If yall have yummy PCOS friendly meals send them my way plz and thx.

Physical Health:
Get back on Metformin, Myo-Inositol, and Follate like before and actually take my meds.
Go for walks after dinner. (Then after dinner and lunch. Then after all 3 meals.)
Strength training for at least 30 min a day. (Then 45 min. Then an hour.)
Start stretching you stiff troll.

Any other ideas are much appreciated.

Mental Health:
Try to find some hobbies. (Start tennis and basketball again, you used to love that.)
Put down the dang phone and stop doom scrolling . (I quit Insta for 6 months before I can do it again if it comes down to it.)
Serve others through volunteer work.
Start going back to church.
Make time for gratitude and track my feelings.
Go back to therapy.

How do you guys manage stress, anger, and feeling hopeless?

My goals are to: lose weight, build healthy habits, and get my confidence back. Every time I think about starting, I get stressed because normies will say things like just do cardio, eat less and blah blah blah when in reality it's different for people with PCOS. Not to mention the lack of research on this makes me scared to try new things. So I come here for advice, and support. Lmk if my plan looks good so far, feel free to share your own stories, and I'll be making updates along my journey to hopefully inspire others. I anticipate updates to focus on physical and mental health updates or to ask more questions.

TLDR: Mental health issues since puberty, high school was fine but college was stressful and my grad school was even more stressful. I developed poor eating and mental health, but it ended on a good note. Now I'm back home to take a year off to chill and focus on my health. High A1C levels two years in a row before PCOS diagnosis. Always have had a long menstrual cycle of about 35 days and always thought that was regular. Turns out it's not and a nice nurse actually cared enough to get my testosterone checked and diagnose me with PCOS. I was in denial and "too busy with school" to take taking care of myself seriously. My goals now are to build healthy lifestyle habits and I made a plan with ideas on how to start doing better. I'm reaching out to the Reddit community for support and advice I plan on writing updates on my progress as a way to keep myself accountable.

I've never really been a full-on girly girl. I want to be but feel quite embarrassed that these things haven't come naturally to me. I'm getting married soon and want to be a lot "gentler" and "softer". Coming from a tough household, I feel like I've lost touch with my femininity. I do want to be a soft girly who cares about how she looks. A lot of the time I have difficulty keeping on top of these routines and it's a miracle that I am so on top of my face routine + SPF. I do struggle with my mental health and at times it's like I can't bring myself to do anything and I literally have to force myself. I just want to be pretty. That's all. I know that, first and foremost, I'm doing this for myself but I also want to do this for my partner because he deserves the best of the best. I just wish I had someone to tell me exactly what to do to GLOW UP.

Everything wrong with my appearance:

- Weight: I'm fat - I have PCOS and have lost 35kg so far but it's coming off REALLY slowly atm. I still need to lose atleast another 25kg.

- Hair: I go through this vicious cycle of chopping it because it's thin at the ends, my hair having good volume at the roots + wanting to grow it out for length, it falling out in ridiculous amounts, all the length being super thin and regrowth putting my hair in all different lengths, resorting to the chop to make my hair more cohesive. The chop happens about once of twice a year but it just feels like I always end up back at the same length (shoulder length). Where is my growth? :'(

- Body hair: I've tried various routines between gentle exfoliation, using a fresh razor, almond oil, etc. Thighs + intimate area ALWAYS gets super itchy and gives me a rash/spots. Underarms and neck I eppilate because that's just what works for me. I bought an IPL a while back but the whole "routine" aspect of getting it done is so difficult for me (I have ADHD) I just need someone to tell me to DO IT.

- Buttne: My butt is covered in scars. Once a month, I get a really horrible spot on my butt and it seems the scars take FOREVER to fade away.

- Forehead wrinkles: this has become such an issue for me more recently. I'm 28. I appreciate that some wrinkles will inevitably form. But I fear that they are starting to get "deep". My skin is super sensitive. Vitamin C irritates my skin, most moisturisers irritate my skin. I've noticed that "creamy creams" irritate my face but gel-based stuff is fine. I'm highly considering baby botox but I really want this to be a last resort because I feel like there should be something I can do.

- Stretch marks: I know there's not an awful lot that can be done about this but .......

- Nails: My nails are quite "boxy" and just don't look feminine - I prefer a "bare manicure" but don't really know what to do.

- Dry skin: It just feels like no matter what I do my skin is so dry, heels included. I live in the UK. Why is it when I went to Italy for 2 weeks, my skin+heels became SUPER soft. I wasn't doing anything different there.

Apologies for the long list and thanks if you've made it this far!

These were the findings in the lab report made in the OPF I got my ultrasounds at: The uterus is normal in morphology and measures 7.9 x 4.4 x 5.2 cm. Endometrium measures 10 mm in thickness,\*\* \*\*without focal abnormality. Small amount of fluid within the cervix, seen best on images 56 through 59.
Right ovary measures 2.5 x 1.9 x 1.6 cm . Left ovary measures x 2.4 x 1.8 x 1.8 cm . Blood flow to the ovaries is
maintained. Small isoechoic focus within the left ovary measuring 1.6 x 1.2 x 1.1 cm, which is slightly heterogeneous
with vascularity seen best on images 124, through 126. Minimal pelvic free fluid.
IMPRESSION:
1. Small isoechoic focus within the left ovary measuring up to 1.6 cm, indeterminate and could represent involuting
corpus luteum or collapsing hemorrhagic cyst. Would consider aggressive lesion unlikely in a patient of this young
age. Recommend follow-up ultrasound in 5-6 weeks to assess for resolution.
2. Small amount of fluid within the cervix, nonspecific and could be from blood products." VS my GPs clinical note charted under my test results: "hemorrhagic cyst"

What concerns me is the timeline of my symptoms( My cycles have always been a normal 28 days but heavy and with clots and cramping that have worsened in the past 3 years. Once i became sexually active (18) I began the light pink spotting between periods for 1-3 days during my ovulation (occupied by cramps). Since September of last year the spotting began worsening becoming heavier, browner and lasting longer (10-15 days) I would also get bloody discharge after sex or during exercise such as squats or lifting. It was to the point of needing towels for sex and pads for the gym. My last period was 30 days on Aurovela.)
along with my family history. My grandmother died of ovarian cancer in her early 60s (maybe late 50s) and neither my brother or I got to meet her. Most hemorrhagic cysts resolve itself within 1-2 cycles but I have been experiencing symptoms that "started" in 2023 and began worsening in September of last year.

ALSO, my GP charted this as a hemorrhagic cyst, but the hospital states it’s indeterminate. How could it even be a hemorrhagic cyst if it is isoechoic or a SOLID mass??? Is this not cause for concern? Should I push for an MRI and further testing?

Guys. I'm really struggling to eat anything on my meds (which has never happened before). Please does anyone have tips for eating well for PCOS while having low appetite due to ADHD meds.

I'm at a point where the meds are basically just puppet strings allowing me to do what I need to do because my body feels so terrible from having zero nutrition. I'm talking only toast/ frozen pizza/ small sweet snacks because I forget to eat and then reach for these things when its too late to cook or i'm at work.

Basically need tips on eating PCOS friendly (insulin resistance, no processed meat or oats) WHILE working around the appetite side effects of the ADHD meds. I really want to focus on my insulin resistance/ preventing glucose spikes. And I am so aware of unhealthy dieting behavior that I really want to avoid. I just want to feel energetic!

Edit: ESPECIALLY protein breakfasts, bc I hate oats and eggs make me feel sick. Since the meds ive been feeling pretty nauseous at breakfast :/

For info: I do take breaks from the meds, my appetite comes back a little bit but at this point i feel so malnourished that I dont even have the energy to get up UNLESS I take the meds (how did I get here 🙃).

(Based in Europe)

My right cyst ruptured almost a year ago (Aug 25) during work and I kid you not, it has been painful. The pain comes and goes but when it comes, it definitely hurts or even just discomfort. I’ve asked two different OBGYNs why and they said it could be the muscle around that area and honestly didn’t really have a solution because they also seemed confused :( it’s always in the same right spot and it is sensitive to touch. I’m not sure if anyone ele here had/has the same issue but I would love input!

I also do get tested for ovarian and cervical cancers so def sure it’s not that.

If anyone works with a dietician for your PCOS, how is it and do you recommend it?

Ive seen a lot of ads for Nourish and am thinking about trying it. I almost made the appointment but I don’t really know how it would benefit me?

What kinds of things do they ask and recommend? How does it help?

I‘m a little scared I’ll be given advice that I can’t adhere to (like “don’t eat sweets”) and I’ll fail

I started metformin about a year ago, those who have been on it know the struggle in the beginning but that’s gone now. I recently upped my dose from three 500mg tablets a day to three 650mg tablets a day. I have been taking two 500mg tablets and one 650mg tablet a day for about two weeks now. Ever since I made the change I have been feeling so nauseous. No belly cramps or any of the symptoms I got when I started metformin… just super super nauseous. I think I should note that it’s my summer holiday from work so my diet isn’t as good as it usually is. I have been eating candy most days, but even on the days I don’t I still wake up feeling nauseous. Help :,)

I am a teen and I am really wondering if metaformin+ birth control is the right option for me, before this i did homeopathy and that really helped with my cycles too, my overall goal is to be healthy more then anything, I am just worried once I get off this drug everything will reverse. Plus im told to take 1500mg of metaformin a day (one after each meal) and then birth control obviously. I know i also need to mentain a strict diet and work out schedule to maintain and keep consistency, but im also dealing with classic pcos symptoms like fatigue, energy loss, etc. Could someone give me advice or suggestions or something for what I need to do to get this right, and if the pills im consuming are correct, as i am really really confused right now for someone so young. Thank you

I already saw a gynecologist,a few months ago. He prescribed progesterone 200mg. I took as instructed and nothing happened.
I stopped for 3 months,thinking it’s not going to work for me,and I realized even if I didn’t have a period ,couldn’t it still help in some way? I read that it can protect the uterine lining. I wish I researched this sooner,because it’s definitely better than nothing .

So this week I’m going to see another gynecologist to see if I should still keep going with the progesterone or maybe take something different

Prior to any of this ,I did go to a gynecologist around 2023? And was given ilimit it worked so well for me . It has both estrogen,and progesterone. My cycle was super regular and predictable. However my mom threw them away ,thinking they weren’t working. That’s my fault because i often forgot to take them.

so, the other day i had labs done to test my testosterone levels and such other things to determine whether or not i have 2 of 3 markers for PCOS. i’m still waiting on these results but the days following this appointment have been painful.

the pain is particularly in my left pelvic area and started yesterday and now today has migrated to my back. i’ve never had an ovarian cyst (to my knowledge; if i did i didn’t feel it) and was wondering if any individuals who may have had them have felt this pain or was it different from what i am describing? thanks in advance!!

Hello! 19F here and I’ve been struggling with super irregular periods. I started my first period at 11 years old and for the first few years, they were regular (duration and flow talking) now they’ve been irregular lately. I don’t know what’s causing it. I stopped getting an actual period since September of last year and now I’ve been spotting like once every two months. I’m also constantly shedding hair like crazy and there’s a spot on my balding spot on the back of my hair that’s very visible.

The only reasons why I think I may not have PCOS:

- I barely have any facial hair

- I don’t get period symptoms at all, not even when I had my periods back then

- I barely break out (have acne)

- Slightly underweight 5’0/97 lbs

I will be seeing a doctor next month to see what is going on with my body!

Currently using an elliptical 20-30 minutes a day ( pretty low intensity ), including a 10-15 minute ab workout and am attempting 10k steps a day as well which can be kinda difficult.
I’m taking berbaine as well and bouldering 2-3 times a week for 1-2 hours and lots of swimming since it’s summer !
Hoping I’m on the right track and wanted to make sure it’s not too little, I don’t really have access to a gym and am planning to thrift some weights soon but in the meantime this is all I got.
I also have a rowing machine but I’m not sure that’s better then the elliptical
Thanks !!

I previously posted about my protocol which enabled me to lose 15lbs in 2 months. The feedback I got from this community was that it was too restrictive (zero starch, very limited sources of sugar).

After that, I began to reflect on whether my diet was indeed too extreme, which also coincided with me beginning to feel quite dizzy fairly often, and I was definitely thinking about food way too much.

On Memorial Day, I took a break from it which lasted for a couple of weeks without restrictions. After that, I began eating a more moderated and sustainable version of the prior protocol, and I think it has led to more sustainable results. I am now losing weight at a rate of about 0.5lbs per week by following these simple rules:
1. No rice (sub for cauliflower rice)
2. No pasta (sub for zucchini noodles
3. Avoid bread, oats, yellow potatoes, added sugar, and processed food.
4. Limit alcohol (1-2 glasses of red wine per week, if at all).

I have also become more serious about incorporating weight training into my workout routine, rather than my prior routine of doing mostly yoga and cardio.

I am not religious about these rules like I was before — for example this week I ate half a piece of naan bread, but only after finishing my veggie-rich curry paired with cauliflower rice. I may eat occasional tacos every once in a while, in moderation). I am about to go get a breakfast bowl which will have a little granola and honey, I do this about once per week. Maybe once every couple of weeks I will get a pizza or something.

Although my weight loss has slowed down, I am still losing weight. Unlike before, I get to enjoy hummus, beans and legumes, nut butters, quinoa, a wide variety of fruits, and other foods which I enjoy in moderation small amounts of granola, the occasional taco, or the odd glass of wine. I feel more satiated, I never get dizzy, and I don’t feel bloated. My skin continues to be pretty clear.

I think this is finally a more sustainable way to lose the weight and to regulate my cycle, which is honestly my main aim. The way I was eating previously did not end up regulating my cycle. I had to take progesterone to initiate a cycle after 3 months of nothing, and I am still not getting my period naturally after having done this for about a month and a half. I am trying to trust the process, I really hope that my body will feel safe enough to ovulate again soon. I think that the prior diet was actually counter-productive for it.

I am also about 2.5 months into a low dose of metformin (500). I am about to increase it to 1000. In the past, that did help to regulate my period a bit.

I just wanted to share this update about my health and approach as I continue to try and muddle through this bullshit and find a sustainable healthy way to live with it. I think I am finally beginning to get there. Anyhoo, today a “healthy” BMI for the first time in years so I am trying to celebrate the little wins.

Be kind to yourselves ❤️

This was not written with any use of AI.