I’ve been documenting my fitness progress for fun over the last few months. Even though the scale doesn’t seem to move, some days I feel like I’m making headway. Other days, it feels like a total battle against my own body, fibroids, potential PCOS, and pain. I stay active so I don’t feel like I’m losing my mind when people ask if I’m working out. I can train for months and feel like nothing is changing. I’m tracking my macros and eating high protein/low fat, but my lower stomach feels like a ticking time bomb. My doctors just say I have a small fibroid in a difficult location. I’m looking for advice from other women managing fibroids and PCOS. What kind of dietary shifts worked for you? I’m including a video for context, but I can take it down if it’s not allowed.
PCOS often causes insulin resistance, which makes losing weight incredibly difficult due to metabolic issues. Since fat stores estrogen, shedding it helps, but PCOS makes that process much harder than it is for others. The only thing that truly helped my PCOS symptoms was Zepbound because it addressed the metabolic dysfunction. It helped me lose fat and finally regulated my cycles and hormone levels.
Hey! I’ve been lifting for several years now (just casually). One thing to consider is using a measuring tape instead of just the scale! If you’re losing fat but putting on muscle, the scale might stay still while your body composition changes. The scale doesn’t tell the whole story when you’re strength training. Since you’re already tracking macros, how is your sleep, stress management, and hydration? Those factors are huge.
I’d recommend hiring a personal trainer. I have PCOS, and having a professional tell me exactly what to do transformed my body in under six months.
To lose weight, you have to maintain a calorie deficit. Do you know your average daily calorie intake? There is nothing wrong with using weight loss aids—some people find LipoMax helpful for their goals—but your post doesn’t mention how much food you are actually consuming.
You are absolutely stunning!
Consistency is definitely the key. It took about six months before I saw real results. I actually lost inches before the pounds started dropping. I was lifting weights twice a week and doing Pilates or light weights twice a week. I focused heavily on stabilizing my glucose to avoid energy spikes and crashes. Also, I’m on metformin because those cysts were no joke.
Try using a weighted jump rope and increasing your protein intake.
You’re a cutie! I deal with the same issues, so I know how quickly things can go from okay to miserable. Exercise helped me a lot too, but staying consistent was a struggle. It took about nine months and a personal trainer for my body to really change. I fell off the wagon after a fibroid removal and then having a baby, but you’re really motivating me to find a local gym again!
I have PCOS, and the real game changers for me were a keto diet and metformin. Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep too. You don’t necessarily have to go full keto, but cutting back on carbs helps with insulin resistance. Regarding your workouts, prioritize lifting and steady-state cardio over HIIT. It sounds like you might be undergoing body recomposition—losing fat and gaining muscle at once—which is a slow process but yields great long-term results.
In addition to the other tips: I had a fibroid embolization procedure to cut off the blood supply to the fibroid. It stopped the heavy bleeding, the fibroids shrank, and I was able to keep up with my fitness. You should see a specialist about that option.
Look into GLP-1 medications.
My fibroids never really had an impact on my weight.
I have PCOS and started a consistent workout routine last year, but didn’t lose any weight at first. It wasn’t until I started logging my calories alongside the exercise that the weight came off. I only had about 10 lbs to lose, but I ended up losing 13 in six months once I started tracking. I attribute that almost entirely to my diet. Exercise is great for health, but it’s a small part of weight loss. Cutting out refined carbs and hidden sugars made the biggest difference for me.
It’s a bit of a chore, but getting a food scale will change everything. I was tracking calories wrong and the scale showed me I was actually eating around 3,300 calories a day without realizing it.