'I Have PCOS And Hypothyroidism And Lost 110 Pounds With This Healthy Eating Plan'
My name is Megan Birke (@meggylosing), and I am 33 years old. I am from Louisville, Kentucky, and I am a registered nurse. I successfully lost over 100 pounds with polycystic ovary syndrome and hypothyroidism by
I always struggled with my weight, but I really started gaining during my first pregnancy 12 years ago. I gained a total of 60 pounds during that pregnancy. After I gave birth to our son, I lost a few pounds but gained them back over and over for the next six years. Then, I gained even more weight over the course of two more pregnancies.
During that time, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and hypothyroidism, both of which can make weight loss difficult. I was put on medications for both conditions, but unfortunately I continued gaining weight.
I tried countless diets and would usually lose five to 10 pounds, but the scale would stop moving and I would give up.
This went on for years. There was a long period of time where I didn't even step on a scale, but my highest recorded weight was when I was 29. My weight had hit 260 pounds. My PCOS symptoms were worsening. My back, feet, and legs were constantly hurting. I could no longer do simple tasks without being short of breath and sweating.
While my blood sugar, blood pressure and heart rate were still within a normal range, they were all trending upward. I felt extreme fatigue most of the time. As a nurse, I knew it was only a matter of time until my health would deteriorate, and I would develop hypertension and diabetes.
I was 31 years old when I finally felt bad enough to change.
I told my husband, Chris, that I was going to try one more time to lose weight on my own, and if I didn't lose eight pounds that month, I was going to have weight loss surgery. I had a consultation with a weight loss surgeon and was 100 percent convinced that was the route I was going to go.
I started this last ditch effort on March 25, 2019, and lost 20 pounds that first month. I never proceeded with the surgery.
I did a lot of reading about what diet is best for women with PCOS. I didn't just want to lose weight—I wanted to be healthy and actually feel good.
I read that women with PCOS would benefit from eating a diet that consisted of proteins like fish, eggs, chicken, and turkey, plus lots of vegetables, berries, nuts, seeds, and complex carbs that help keep your blood sugar levels more stable. I tried my best to steer clear of processed foods, and I eliminated added sugar from my diet. (Although I do have it on special occasions.)
Initially, these dietary changes were hard. During the first couple weeks I had intense cravings and irritability. But in time, I adjusted, and now I don't even think about my eating habits most of the time. It's become a new way of living. And now that I know how good I can feel when I give my body the nutrition that it needs, I can no longer go back to eating junk day in and day out. It's just not worth it.
Here’s what I eat in a day.
Breakfast: Two eggs, an apple chicken sausage, and mustard.
Lunch: Tuna bowl! Solid white albacore tuna, spinach, cucumber, olives, red onion, balsamic vinegar, black pepper and Italian seasoning.
Snacks: Apple with nut butter, cottage cheese and avocado, non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt with clementines, blueberries, or sliced almonds.
Dinner: Salmon seasoned with chili powder, lime juice and garlic powder, cooked in olive oil spray, with a side of asparagus roasted in garlic powder, black pepper, and olive oil spray. I also have a side salad of spinach, strawberries, sliced almonds, and vinaigrette.
Dessert: Barbell cookies and cream protein bar or a midday peanut butter square.
I also started exercising on day one.
As a mom of three young boys and with limited time, I knew I wanted an at-home workout that was effective but not time consuming, and that didn't require equipment. I looked up YouTube workouts and came across Jeanette Jenkins’ free YouTube workouts. They were amazing. They are about 45 minutes long and consist of cardio, kickboxing and bodyweight movements.
Initially, just like everything else about this journey, working out was incredibly hard. I was sweating and panting and having to pause the video a lot, but eventually my body adapted! I did her workouts almost every day for about six months, and it was very effective. I became stronger and saw my endurance greatly improve and my body change right before my eyes. Today I do mostly weight lifting (about five times a week) with a little cardio.
These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight-loss results.
I cut out junk food. I stopped eating junk and started giving my body the nutritious foods it needed and that made me feel best! Changing my nutrition was the biggest change and the most important one, in my opinion. I never would have lost weight or felt good if I hadn't made this change.
I got active. I started moving my body. I made it a priority to get some form of physical activity in everyday for at least 30 minute. In the beginning, I had no idea what exercise I would enjoy, so I tried it all! Exercise has helped me feel so much better physically and mentally.
I stopped making excuses. We all have reasons to not eat healthy, to not exercise, but ultimately I was choosing to not make my health one of my priorities for years. I stayed in the victim mentality that I couldn't lose weight because of PCOS and hypothyroidism. But that was a lie. I could and I did once I stopped making excuses, changed my diet, started exercising and made my health a priority.
I've lost 110 pounds total. In the first six months, I lost 100 pounds.
I want other women to know that no matter if you have PCOS and/or hypothyroidism, you *can* lose weight. It is possible, even if health care professionals, social media, and the internet tell you otherwise. I had completely convinced myself that I would never feel good or be healthy again. I can, and I do.
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