I Hate EXERCISING!!

I love the thought of exercising but actually I really hate doing it. In my head I am fit and active and I don’t need to exercise. I have Shallow Hal’s vision I look in the mirror and I look great, I am one of those people who get a Danish look out the window and watch them fools outside jogging thinking to myself Ha bet the wished they were fit and sexy like me...

Ok realistically I have PCOS so I have the typical big bloated stomach, I’m far from sexy and I am so out of shape and unfit its ridiculous. My resting heart rate was over 100 and the slightest movement would send my heart rate off the chart. I really want a family so I need to do something about my weight and generally just to get myself esteem back. I need to lose 3 stones to get back within my BMI!! Well that’s ridiculous I’m 5ft9 and I would look too thin so I think 2 stones should be enough.

So recently I went to visit my cousin in Germany for two weeks of torture. She decided that she would be the one to get me fit to her dismay. She lives in the country which is very hilly and a great place to do outdoorsy stuff. I really thank my cousin for persevering with my excuses and whining and pushing me to exercise. She made me go for long power walks, cycling through the hills (that was tough), gym, boot camp style training outdoors and she signed me up for a 3k run (which I have to honest I walked but I did it). Basically everyday for 14 days we did some kind of physical activity which was extremely painful.

So after two weeks of exercising surprisingly I have seen some great benefits that I think is important to share:-

• The first and most exciting benefit is that I have had the shortest menstrual cycle since my cycles changed. Normally my cycle is 150 – 60 – 40 - 150 – 60 days etc but this times instead of being 60 days it was 34 days and I felt the difference. I just knew that my body had reacted to the exercising.

• Secondly my resting heart rate has already changed from over 100bpm to 85bpm. I can defiantly do a lot more before I start panting and acting out the dying scene in Romeo and Juliet.

• Thirdly I have so much more energy, I am not lethargic and sloth like anymore. I am still tired to some degree but I have more energy to do more things and faster without getting tired.

• Finally, my body shape has changed slightly, my stomach is definitely a lot flatter (note the word flatter not flat!!) my calves look great my butt is tighter and my clothes are slightly looser.

What I am trying to hopefully show is that if there are anymore PCOS suffers like me who hate exercising or who lack motivation to exercise there are some huge benefits. I really want a kid and the doctor told me that if my cycles aren’t regular then I am losing my chances of conceiving (I mean come on it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out) so only I can do something about it. My point is if I can do it then anyone can do it. Exercising has already boosted my chances of conceiving and I feel great.

I have signed up to boot camp which I start in June 2011 not 2013 for 5 weeks and then I am going to sign up for a 10k run and train for it.

I would love to hear from others how exercising has benefited them???

Now I just need to work on my eating habits....

Womens hair loss - Geoffrey P Redmond, M D www.hormonehelpny.com

My hair is thinning and I'mm not happy, I dont want to go on birth control pills because I want to have a baby. I found this video and he also has a book which I am going to buy and read. Leave some comments about what you think!!

PLEA FOR A GET FIT BUDDY!!

I am officially looking for someone to be my Kick PCOS in the Ass Buddy who has all the intention but no motivation of eating properly and exercising. Virtual support is no good because as soon as I log off the computer my motivation switches off too. I need someone I can meet up with and we can exercise together. I am good at motivating others but not myself and I will make sure that I attend planned exercise

I like the gym, swimming, vibro plates, cycling and exercise classes. I hate running!! I wouldn’t mind trying that Zumba thing everyone is banging on about..

I want to lose weight for mental stability, that I am within my BMI, to be healthy and losing weight will increase my chances of conceiving. You see I have the right intention I just can’t motivate myself...

I am located in Erdington, Birmingham, UK if you are nearby and need a buddy please contact me!!

SS x

Uncontrollable Emotions!

My moods are out of control, it’s ridiculous!! I can’t tell good decisions from bad ones. It’s not until they are back to normal I realise what a nightmare I have been and then I have to go around apologising to everyone. It’s frustrating!!

I also seem to make up things in my head and act upon it. I could be sitting there minding my own business then a thought would enter my mind, the thought upsets me and then I take it out on the person that I am thinking about regardless as to whether they have done anything wrong. I’ve even reached the stage where my instincts tell me not to be happy and act upset without any justification or reason behind the mood that I am in.

Recently I took a phone call from an ignorant client, he wasn’t overly rude but he wound me up for some reason to the point where I saw red and put the phone down on him. I was suspended from work for a week with full pay, I knew it was my hormones and stress but I also know that they would not understand, especially with a male boss. They would be like oh another bloody woman blaming her actions on hormones!!. So I just took the punishment. Ordinarily I can deal with wankers on the phone in a calm and professional manner.

Right now I have dumped my boyfriend because I feel like it, I have decided that I am not happy in the relationship although last month it was the best relationship ever...WTF!! I’m not sure if he will take me back this time, I tend to dump him a lot and I am completely irrational and he said that he has had enough because I’m not doing anything about it...Whoops

The problem is when I am really hormonal, I have a very low self esteem and I think that I am fat and ugly and why is he with me. I am completely needy and I push everyone away. I don’t think I am capable of anything and I don’t want to do anything, just sit and be depressed. I think I have bought nearly every sad film available which is just pathetic but for some reason it makes me feel better.

In my head I want to diet and exercise but the thought is taken over by Hmmm MacDonald’s Big Mac with large fries with a large full fat coke. My fella said it’s like watching me self harm myself and he always says that I cut my nose off to spite my face.

How do you stop when you don’t even know you’re doing it???

So being the sad geek that I am I decided to look up mood swings and PCOS on the net, and this is what I found...

Understanding Mood Swings and PCOS

PCOS is the result of a misdirected endocrine system, a cascade of hormonal imbalances that have very real and very serious affects on the body as well as on the mind. Each and every cell of the body is a buzzing energy factory with numerous receptors or docking sites on its surface that allow hormones and other nutrients to latch on and perform their specialized tasks.

Our bodies require that specific levels of these hormones be maintained. In a complex response system, based in part on the amount of different hormones that successfully locate and latch on to their own receptor sites on the cell’s surface, the body monitors and adjusts the levels of hormones and other active constituents such as glucose.

If the body senses that a hormone level is too low, it will stimulate the production of more hormones. If it senses that it’s too high, it will stop production and possibly even send in another specific kind of molecule to remove the excess, as it does with excess glucose which is stored as fat. In the case of perfect health, our systems work well. However, because of disease, genetics and lifestyle factors such as nutrition, exercise and stress, this highly sensitive system is often thrown out of kilter. (This makes a lot of sense...hmmm)

How Can We Alter This Course?

Exercise is the single most important first step in the treatment of insulin resistance that we all can do on our own. Within days of starting a regular exercise program, our body’s systems begin to respond to the exertion of energy. Endorphins are released in the brain, stimulating the immune system and softening the strangle-hold on mood swings and depression. (Easier bloody said that done!!)

And it doesn’t have to cost a bundle. What is necessary, however, is that we approach a daily exercise regimen as if our lives depend on it…which they do. The problem is, it’s difficult – if not impossible – to get going if our mind is overwhelmed with thoughts of hopelessness and fear. This is when we need a support group, a group of walkers or a group of women with PCOS, who support us in motivating ourselves into taking that first walk and continue each day after that. (This is sooo true, if I had someone to help motivate me I would have lost the 2 stones I need to get back into my BMI by now as trying to do it alone is almost impossible, I am going to find me a GET FIT BUDDY!!)

Consulting with a health care provider is also important because, depending on your PCOS symptoms, you may still require medication. In the meantime, taking a few steps to improve your overall health will help support your progress. In addition to exercise, improving your diet and reducing your stress levels will help stabilize your insulin and glucose levels and improve hormonal balance.

It would be interesting to read how other PCOS suffers deal with these damn mood swings??

My New Avatar

Well I decided that I needed to express myself so I designed this new Avatar!! Let me know what you think??

PCOS Awareness Video