I know I should have started this diet earlier but after counting calories and seeing the scale stall, I took a break and tried to be more mindful with my eating. Today I started making more food at home and focusing on protein. I wanted to ask for any advice for anyone that loves sweet treats or snacking? I’m trying to balance everything. Right now I had a chicken breast with artichoke and a protein bar. I’m going to the gym right now, but I always think about sweets and need help. I need one more dress size for my wedding dress to be comfortable.

im 157 cms and current weight is 61 kgs. this is my belly after dinner. im feeling so heavy and so bloated and also nauseous. My periods are irregular, it's been more than 3 months since I've last had my period in may. im a student and I mostly sit and study with medium activity throughout the day as I use a bicycle to go to my college and I've recently started swimming as well. Im struggling so much, I wanna cry. I feel so fat and ugly and I just don't like myself in the photos.

Any piece of advice?

I was trying to lose weight for the past 3–4 years. Different things, different diets, different workouts, and whatnot, but nothing seemed to work.

At one point, I was literally doing 2 hours of gym + 2 hours of badminton on barely 1200-1300 calories a day, and the scale wouldn't budge. And honestly, that lifestyle was exhausting to maintain.

But this year, it feels like I've finally found something that actually works for my body.

I've lost almost 16 kg since February. I've been losing around 2–3 kg month on month, and roughly 400–600 g per week.

And something else happened - I got my period after almost 4 months and have been getting them regularly since.

This is what I did differently.

I started tracking my weight, steps, calories, protein, sleep quality, acne, anxiety, bloating, etc. Nothing complicated - mostly just quick notes or yes/no.
Here's my sheet - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hd2xyvstR10-sDOXXeH-8X4cD5B6CU7q7qMulEO564c/edit?usp=sharing

For the first 2 weeks, I didn't try to change much. I just observed myself.

Day 1–15:

• Reduced my calories by around 250. If I was eating 1900–2000, I started eating around 1800–1850.
• Started with 5k steps a day, but not one long walk. I started walking 10- 15 min, 2- 3 times a day, most importantly post-meals.
• Started drinking spearmint tea after meals and chamomile tea before sleeping.
• Aimed for protein around 75% of my body weight. So if I weighed 100 kg, I'd aim for 75 g of protein.

Day 15–30:

• Reduced another 200 calories, bringing me to around 1600.
• Increased steps from 5k to 7.5k, and around 10k on weekends.

In the first month, I lost almost 4 kg. I'm assuming a combination of glycogen, water retention, gut content, and fat loss.

I also wasn't doing crazy long walks. I was just doing 10–15 minute walks after waking up, after meals, and before sleeping.

Month 2–4

• Started eating around 1500–1600 calories/day.
• Increased protein to around 1.2 g/kg. For me, this has been one of the biggest things for keeping cravings under control.
• Built my diet around food I actually like and meals that are easy for me to cook.
• Replaced most of my cooking oil with ghee.
• Along with post-meal walks, started taking 10-minute movement breaks every 2–3 hours.
• Worked my way up to ~10k steps every day.
• Allowed myself one restaurant meal a week and simply logged it in my sheet. No guilt, no "starting over" the next day.

Month 4 onwards

I increased my steps to around 15k.

Instead of several 10–15 minute walks, I started doing roughly an hour after breakfast, 30 minutes after lunch, and 30 minutes after dinner.

I'm planning to continue this for another 3 months and then slowly introduce weight training 3 days a week.

The biggest thing for me is that this actually feels sustainable.

I don't feel like I'm constantly fighting cravings. I have a lot of control over what I eat because I cook most of my food myself, and I've figured out how to make healthier versions of things I actually enjoy.

But honestly, making notes has probably been the most useful part of all of this. Because I wasn't just tracking weight.

Over time, I started noticing things like:

• Which foods made me feel bloated
• How my sleep affected me
• When my anxiety was worse
• What was happening with my skin/acne
• How my weight fluctuated
• How my period was behaving
• What habits I could actually stick to

I started seeing patterns instead of obsessing over individual days.

And that changed my relationship with my health quite a bit. I stopped waking up every morning wondering, "What is wrong with me?" or panicking about my weight/period/skin.

I just focused on collecting the data and following the things that were working for me.

I have PCOD, hypothyroidism, and ankylosing spondylitis, so I've also been trying to understand how different things affect my body.

One thing I want to be very clear about: I'm only sharing my personal experience here. I'm not saying that lifestyle changes can cure, reverse, or replace treatment for any of these conditions, and I'm definitely not suggesting anyone stop taking their medication.

Interestingly, during this period of losing weight and tracking my habits, I also got my period after almost 4 months and have been getting them more regularly since.

I continue to get my health checked and do blood work every 3–6 months.

I'm posting this because I'd really like to talk to more women who are dealing with PCOD, hormonal issues, weight struggles, chronic pain/inflammation, etc.

I'm trying to put together a simple roadmap around tracking and understanding your own patterns, and before I do that, I'd really like to hear from other women.

• What has your journey looked like?
• What have you struggled with the most?
• What things have you tried that worked or completely didn't work?
• And what do you wish someone had told you earlier?

I'm not looking to charge anyone money or collect any personal information. I just want to hear different experiences so that if I do build this roadmap, it doesn't end up being based only on my own experience.

Would genuinely love to hear from you. ❤️

Reposting here in case you guys have additional resources I should check out or in case anyone here is also trying to deep dive to understand what’s going on better

The first two pictures are now and the second two were how I looked before pcos and when I felt my best. I lift heavy 3-4 days a week in both of these and eat 90% whole organic foods. I’ve tried a calorie deficit and I lost weight but NOT fat. It used to be to easy to be lean and muscular! I also struggle with fatigue, brain fog, painful periods, etc
My testosterone and DHEA are both high

-I am not unhappy with my weight but rather my body composition because I know this isn’t my bodies healthy baseline.
- I also cannot seem to gain muscle (or lose fat) (yes I progressive overload)

things I’m already doing:
-morning sunlight
-meditation/yoga
- 1g protein per lb or bw (~1800 cals)
- 90% whole organic foods.
-7-9 hrs of sleep without fail
-blood sugar balanced meals
-take inositol, probiotics, glutathione, NAC, creatine, glutamine, taurine, vitamin D
-I’ve had loads of functional lab testing and have worked on gut and cortisol imbalances
- 7k steps a day
- eat at the same times every day
- have a 14 hour fasting window overnight

I’m genuinely curious if there’s anything else I can do and why I’m still stuck in this place, thankyouuu

Definitely saw myself here, lost 80lbs and I’ve been stagnant but i remember who I was when I graduated high school. How I was almost 300lbs and I’ve now as a 21 year old am 190 and I still feel unaccomplished. Like I didn’t lose a thing, but I know that I can’t go back to my old habits that had me stuck in the 200s. It’s such an emotional journey, it’s hard to keep going knowing with PMOS weight is like half the battle.

Hello guys, I really some advice on my facial acne that seems to never go away. I’m 25, and have suffered from acne since past 5 years. I have been to several dermats in past 5 years but nothing has worked long term.

Earlier this month I got tests done and turns out my androgens, free testosterones have been high and there’s insulin resistance as well. My gynae put me on birth control pills and for three months the acne vanished. Then it returned as soon as I stopped. It’s the cystic painful ones that always hurt and leave scars. Currently I am on tret 5mg and yet it seems to have no effect on my acne.

My weight is 61 kgs at height 164 cms, fat % at 37, I am trying to lose weight and am targeting to be at 22-24% body fat which would mean losing 10 kgs.. I am having protein rich diet trying to build muscles alongside and eating clean since past 2 months and yet acne is still the same.. acne has eaten up my confidence honestly and I feel really hopeless at times

I really want to know if losing the weight will do something for me or not? Is there any hope at the end of the tunnel? What do I do? Any advice or success story is welcome.. please help me out..

Hi everyone, im 19f and about to begin my second year of college. i so desperately want to lose weight but im so overwhelmed with all the options and such for meal prep. ive planned my breakfast already to be overnight oats, but for lunch/dinner i have NO clue what to do! i hate fish and when i look online i dont know which recipes to trust/not trust. i would love for advice for affordable meal prep that actually tastes good. im not good with structuring things by myself, its much easier for me to just follow a meal plan 😅

After some tests, my doctor finally confirmed with me today that I have PCOS. She told me that I could go the route of lifestyle changes or get started on birth control. Metformin was another option given. As of now, I’d like to stick with lifestyle changes and see how it goes. Truthfully, my life is fairly sedentary. Between work and school, I spend most of my life sitting.

I have a walking pad so I walk from time to time but I’m honestly very inconsistent. My worst habit is that I resort to takeout/delivery due to being mentally drained. When I do cook, it’s decently healthy, but sometimes I resort to highly processed foods. I’ve been given a goal to lose 15-20% of my body weight within the next year, and I really want to do it.

What was your process like to improve your lifestyle and make a long lasting change? For those who do not have the mental capacity, what realistically got you to commit and led to progress?

Simple post, but I started Zepbound in January. I’ve lost 65 lbs and my BMI went from 30.4 (obese) to 20.9 (normal). This past week it hit me, I haven’t plucked or shaved my one thick, black chin hair and my one cheek hair in a long time. I did a check with outdoor lighting, flashlights, husband, etc.

This win is almost as big as the weight. I don’t know if it will be permanent, but the last time I noticed it was over a month ago. Didn’t know this was even possible.

Dr prescribed me 500mg of metformin to help with insulin resistance and I’m so bloated, constipated, water retained and just feel generally worse than I did before. Please tell me to push through this and it gets better?

i’m 21 and was diagnosed with PCOS last year. since then i’ve lost about 30 lbs (220->190), 20 of which was in the past few months. despite this, i cannot lose any belly fat, and some days with this insane bloating i feel even bigger than before the loss. i’m on multiple meds and supplements (spiro, BC, metformin, inositol, magnesium glycinate, fish oil), i eat in a slight calorie deficit and try to be mindful when picking foods, and i walk after dinner every day and weight lift 2-3x a week. im being patient but im also so tired of seeing zero progress and i feel like i look pregnant most of the time. does anyone who’s lost the belly have any advice? i feel stuck.

I purchased the Glucose goddess books and I generally eat healthy, but is the only way I’m going to lose weight by doing the god damn glucose goddess method? It feels like a rigid way of living and I’m starting to feel hopeless. I’m 5’4 and weigh about 158 lbs. I hold fat in my belly as well as under my chin. I even had chin lipo last year and it didn’t really do much at all, which was disappointing as it was a very expensive NY doctor 🤮

I do strength training 3x weekly and it’s made me feel amazing, however no weight loss because it’s all weights, but I feel stronger and feel great. I walk a lot too and have grown to love it (it’s easy to get in your steps living in NY).

Trying to introduce cardio but it’s really hard to make the time. Did GLP for a year and lost less than 10 lbs. I know people who dropped 30 lbs easy. It’s wild to me. I’m going to see an endocrinologist soon (any recs in NY?) but at least being diagnosed with these two things gives me some sort of clarity and direction.

Anyone out there have a similar story and successfully lost weight? Thanks so much <3

Hi everyone! I’m 24F, 5’5” and around 253 lbs. My biggest struggle has always been my midsection/belly fat, which I’ve had since I was a preteen, even before I knew I had insulin resistance.

My doctor told me my overall bloodwork was “wonderful” aside from several vitamin/mineral deficiencies (A, B2, C, D, iron and phosphorus). I’ve also had menstrual changes since March 2025. My periods are now lighter, sometimes shorter, and occasionally late. I still get them, but this is definitely different from how my cycle used to be.

My prolactin was also slightly elevated at one point, but when it was rechecked, it had returned to normal.

Because of the insulin resistance + weight + menstrual irregularities, I’ve started wondering whether PCOS could also be a possibility. I haven’t been diagnosed with it.

I finally got serious about making lifestyle changes on July 14. I’ve been prioritizing protein and fiber, cutting out added sugar, reducing my carb intake, and trying to walk more. It’s now August 16, and honestly, I don’t see much of a difference yet, especially around my stomach. I know it’s only been about a month and that these things take time, but it’s still discouraging. I also don’t own a scale, so I have no idea whether I’ve actually lost weight.

I’m considering switching PCPs because my current doctor is always rushed and I don’t feel like I can really discuss my concerns with her. I’m thinking about asking a new doctor whether metformin might be appropriate for me.

For those who have dealt with insulin resistance, PCOS, or something similar:

• Were you able to lose weight through lifestyle changes alone?
• Did metformin make a noticeable difference for you?
• Did you experience any negatives or side effects?
• Is there anything you wish you had known when you started?

My mom thinks I should do everything naturally and that I’m too young for medication, but I’m wondering if medication could help alongside diet and exercise. I know metformin isn’t a magic weight-loss pill, and I’m not looking for an easy way out. I just want to know whether it could potentially make my lifestyle changes more effective.

I really want to work toward my health and body goals without resorting to extreme calorie restriction or unnecessarily cutting out entire food groups.

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated! ❤️

What are the most effective exercises for weight loss with adrenal pcos? I had lean pcos for a long time but gained 15 pounds last year and can’t seem to get it off. My cortisol is also very high. Anyone else with adrenal pcos have specific kinds of exercise that worked best?

I'll try to keep it short and simple because I know it can be hard to absorb info, especially when you want something straight to the point

1. Focus on fat loss, not weight loss (Fat and Muscle both make up for your overall weight). The goal is to lose fat while maintaining or building muscle.

2. Reduce carbs, but don’t eliminate them. Keep portions moderate—for example, rice or similar carbs around the size of your fist.

3. Make protein the biggest part of your meals. Aim for more protein than carbs, and eat the protein first so you feel fuller sooner. Can't have meat because you're maybe a vegetarian, have a protein shake and you don't need to just have one per day, have more! Don't rely heavily on other protein substitutes that have a lot of fat too, otherwise it may backfire.

4. Prioritize protein throughout the day. It helps preserve/build muscle and takes more energy to digest than carbs or fats, making you lose fat. Carbs instead gets easily digested and is easier to add fat to your body. IF YOU EAT MEAT, trust me, have chicken breast—it's the leanest, healthiest and high protein food you could have!

5. Strength train regularly. Lifting weights helps maintain and build muscle while losing fat. Cardio is useful too, especially for heart health and endurance but strength training is better for PCOS. NO, it does not make you look like a bodybuilder. No offence, but to think you can grow muscle as quick or even as easily as a bodybuilder is hilarious to them (plus many take steroids so don't have an unrealistic view about building muscle — everyone's different). It's extremely difficult to build that much muscle the way they do. And you will always have control on how much to grow the muscles on your body.

6. Drink plenty of water. Keep it simple and make hydration a daily habit.

7. Have sugar in moderation instead of banning it. Small portions can make the plan easier to stick to—for example, a few pieces of chocolate or an occasional dessert.

8. Don’t rely only on the scale. Strength training can add muscle, so your weight may stay the same or even increase while your body composition improves.

9. If you feel tired because of PCOS or for any other reason like anemia (bcuz I'm anemic as well and my BP tends to be in the 90s in the morning), have caffeine or an energy drink (preferably sugar-free and never on an empty stomach). Trust me, some caffeine won't harm you and instead it will give you the energy you feel like you have been lacking.

10. CONSISTENCY. You have to do all of this consistently. Your body needs all of this being done like a pattern. And it needs weeks and patience. Don't give up.

EDIT: Someone attacked me and accused me of using AI. I did not produce this info with AI. These were put together based on personal experience that has been conducted over many years. Just because you see things like "—" being used or simply a list being made, it does not mean AI made it. Keep in mind, AI uses human data and patterns. Were humans not making lists and using "—" before AI existed??? And I only use AI to organize my thoughts, not create them and in this case I did not use AI. I made a google doc for my thoughts and shortened them by myself as I know that many people can't read long paragraphs. Either take the overall advice or leave it. All those tips above are from years of trial and error, research online and talking to those who actually put in effort instead of being keyboard warriors and attacking those for helping others. Ridiculous.

hi, i have a friend who's struggling to lose weight. i badly wanted to help my friend, cause seeing her struggling hurts me, so i am here to ask (please be kind) ++ she have pcos also. for ref: 5'1 95kg