Repost of the Kick Off Blog--due to site change

Monday, Sep 7 2009

For the past ten years PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) has wreaked havoc on my body. My hormones have been out of whack; my weight has ballooned, and my cycles have been sporadic. I am done being a PCOS sufferer. I have decided once and for all, that I am putting PCOS on the run. I will no longer be a PCOS sufferer, but I will use a combination of prayer, healthy eating, and exercise to reverse the effects of PCOS. In the past my attempts to manage my weight have been futile, as PCOS makes it easy to gain and hard to shed weight--so frustration has led me to start and abandon various weight loss plans. Today, September 7th 2009, I declare and decree as the day I put PCOS on the run. I firmly believe that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and overcoming PCOS is no exception. In the 10 years since being diagnosed with PCOS, I have gained 74 pounds. Of course, I want to drop this 74 pounds. Once I do that I will confer with my nutritionist and doctor and decide how to proceed from there with my weight loss. My primary goal is to get back to where I was before PCOS entered the scene. My eating habits are average--I am actually a pretty healthy eater--the PCOS is just plain evil. It's hard to explain this to peope, but My fellow PCOSers understand. I admit consistency with exercise has not been a strong point, but I am working on that. I will use this blog and facebook updates to share my journey with friends, family members, and others who may be facing the same struggle. You are welcome to offer words of encouragement, solace, or gentle rebuke :-) as you feel appropriate. You are all my accountability partners. My exercise goals are to get in 1 hour of cardio 6 days/week, and 3 Curves work outs/week. I set the cardio goal at 1 hour because PCOS is very stubborn. I was seeing a nutritionist for my PCOS, and when she first told me I needed to get in 1 hour of cardio every single day--I was like "huh." I tried it, and I really saw results, so I am going back to that. I am also following my nutritionist's recommendation of eating 45 carbs per meal, and one-two 15 carb snacks. She also suggested I follow a diabetic diet, as people with PCOS tend to be insulin resistant, although I am not diabetic. This has also worked for me in the past. September 7th--1 hour cardio It was a glorious day for walking. I took a brisk walk through our neighborhood and really enjoyed it. Leaves are already changing colors and falling. Fall is certainly in the air! I will update my blog Sunday mornings (after my workout and before church :-)