Ladies, don't give up! My mom's friend was the one who "diagnosed" me. It was about 9 months ago. I've always had irregular periods (basically once every 5 months), some facial hair and really bad acne that nothing could fix. I'm not overweight but I could lose a few pounds. I've been low-carb off and on since I was 13 (not because of PCOS), and every time I saw some type of results. When my mom's friend told her about PCOS I was so happy to hear that there was something I could do about it!
So, when I learned of PCOS I instantly I stopped eating so many carbs and began taking vitamins and essential fatty acids. I saw that my face started to clear up after about 3 weeks, and I was slimmer
. And about 6 weeks later I had my long-lost period! That was something I never thought I would be excited about. I am only 21 and I would love to be able to have babies someday, so I was happy that my hormones were finally behaving.
But after 4 months, I slowly started to eat carbs again because of my budget. Then I gradually got more and more cystic zits on my cheeks and jawline (the most common place for girls with PCOS), and I started gaining more weight, and you guessed it, I have not had my period since the one I had while on the diet. This confirmed I had PCOS (I didn't see a doctor about it). This Monday I finally got fed up with my condition and decided to try LC again. It's only been
four days of very little carbs and I've noticed my stomach is flatter, and those zits I've had all month are
disappearing as well. I'm going to do my best this time so I might be able to have my own kids someday! And I would love to NOT get diabetes!
So, girls with your newfound condition, do not get discouraged and do not assume that you will never get better. I saw results pretty quickly the first time, and this time I see results within four days! I recommend staying consistent on your low-carb diet and taking your essential fatty acids. Please research their benefits if you have not heard of them! Also, it helps to stay on ANY diet when someone is doing it WITH you. I have two people keeping me accountable and vice versa.
Also, I am pretty sure PCOS is genetic; my mom has had a miscarriage before, she had me and then my sister, and after trying so long to get pregnant again she went on the diet 8 years ago and gave birth to my youngest sister. My grandmother has facial hair and is diabetic. Also, both my sisters and my mom have had thyroid problems. So if you know that your family has had any history like that, it's likely you will have issues too. And it's best to catch it before it's too late, meaning if you don't start acting now you can develop much worse things than facial hair, like diabetes.
Thanks for reading and good luck to all the girls struggling with this stuff we didn't ask for!