maniacmaniac19
New Member
Hi all. I'm new here. I found this forum when looking for support after what I experienced last week at a doctor's visit.
I thought I had PCOS, so I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist. I had gotten an ultra-sound which showed cysts on my ovaries AND I had a higher than average testosterone level in my blood work. I had stopped taking the Pill in April of this year and immediately gained 20 pounds and had my acne flare up. I looked like a pretty good candidate for PCOS. My gyno put me back on the Pill and sent me to the reproductive endo.
I've always been heavy -- my parents put me on a diet at 5 years old, for God's sake. Way to have it mess me up for a lifetime. I hit my lowest point in my struggle against my body during my junior year of college, when I starved myself and took diuretics... only to drop to a size 10. In the past year, I've grown to love my body, extra pounds and a size 14 to boot. I discovered the Health at Every Size movement after reading Crystal Renn's book "Hungry". Though I would like to get back to my natural size 12 and don't exactly love the number that pops up on the scale, I'm better off than I was at a starving size 10! My body has done amazing things that it would never had accomplished if I were a thin girl.
ANYWAY, this endocrinologist said that I do not have PCOS, despite the damning evidence that suggests otherwise. Well... good! Still doesn't explain the crazy weight gain in such a short span of time or the acne flare up, but at least I'm not potentially sterile at 23! Well, the doc proceeded to tell me that I need to lose 30 lbs. Okay, fine, whatever, heard it all before. When I'm in the best shape of my life, I'm 40 pounds overweight by doctors' standards, and I am NOT in the best shape of my life right now! But then this doctor suggests that my acne won't be treated until I lose 30 pounds. She wants me at least 25 pounds lighter before she prescribes the anti-androgens and different Pill that she knows will get rid of the acne. She says that I have to cut down to 1200 calories a day and "just deal with being hungry" for the rest of my life.
Like I said, I love the HAES movement. I eat plenty of veggies, probably take in about 1800 calories a day, limit meat intake (esp. red), and have learned to eat intuitively. I've finally learned to see food as fuel, not the enemy. I exercise 5 days a week, swim and power walk and calisthenics. She acknowledged that I do everything healthy on paper (and that I'm healthy as a horse despite the weight), but it's just not enough! I need to starve myself for the rest of my life! She told me that I'm "never EVER" allowed to indulge in ANYTHING every again... even if it's having a bite of someone's desert just to taste it (because that's 60 whole calories right there). She also told me to STOP working out because it might make me hungry and I might "run the risk of eating."
I'm dumping this doctor. I threw away her prescription and canceled the follow-up appointment. I just wish I had never made the follow-up in the first place.
And I'm glad I found this community of beauties that can understand my struggles!
I thought I had PCOS, so I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist. I had gotten an ultra-sound which showed cysts on my ovaries AND I had a higher than average testosterone level in my blood work. I had stopped taking the Pill in April of this year and immediately gained 20 pounds and had my acne flare up. I looked like a pretty good candidate for PCOS. My gyno put me back on the Pill and sent me to the reproductive endo.
I've always been heavy -- my parents put me on a diet at 5 years old, for God's sake. Way to have it mess me up for a lifetime. I hit my lowest point in my struggle against my body during my junior year of college, when I starved myself and took diuretics... only to drop to a size 10. In the past year, I've grown to love my body, extra pounds and a size 14 to boot. I discovered the Health at Every Size movement after reading Crystal Renn's book "Hungry". Though I would like to get back to my natural size 12 and don't exactly love the number that pops up on the scale, I'm better off than I was at a starving size 10! My body has done amazing things that it would never had accomplished if I were a thin girl.
ANYWAY, this endocrinologist said that I do not have PCOS, despite the damning evidence that suggests otherwise. Well... good! Still doesn't explain the crazy weight gain in such a short span of time or the acne flare up, but at least I'm not potentially sterile at 23! Well, the doc proceeded to tell me that I need to lose 30 lbs. Okay, fine, whatever, heard it all before. When I'm in the best shape of my life, I'm 40 pounds overweight by doctors' standards, and I am NOT in the best shape of my life right now! But then this doctor suggests that my acne won't be treated until I lose 30 pounds. She wants me at least 25 pounds lighter before she prescribes the anti-androgens and different Pill that she knows will get rid of the acne. She says that I have to cut down to 1200 calories a day and "just deal with being hungry" for the rest of my life.
Like I said, I love the HAES movement. I eat plenty of veggies, probably take in about 1800 calories a day, limit meat intake (esp. red), and have learned to eat intuitively. I've finally learned to see food as fuel, not the enemy. I exercise 5 days a week, swim and power walk and calisthenics. She acknowledged that I do everything healthy on paper (and that I'm healthy as a horse despite the weight), but it's just not enough! I need to starve myself for the rest of my life! She told me that I'm "never EVER" allowed to indulge in ANYTHING every again... even if it's having a bite of someone's desert just to taste it (because that's 60 whole calories right there). She also told me to STOP working out because it might make me hungry and I might "run the risk of eating."
I'm dumping this doctor. I threw away her prescription and canceled the follow-up appointment. I just wish I had never made the follow-up in the first place.
And I'm glad I found this community of beauties that can understand my struggles!