PCOS stands for PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome.  If you’ve never heard of the condition, you’re not alone.  Many DOCTORS are not familiar with the condition.

My daughter was diagnosed with PCOS by my ob/gyn.  I took her in for an examination because her 15th birthday was quickly approaching and she hadn’t started her period yet.  My physician took one look at my plump little princess (whose acne wasn’t sever yet, but was rearing it’s ugly head) and made a diagnosis.

Symptoms of PCOS include infertility,  weight gain, irregular or absent periods, facial hair and acne.

Controlling insulin is one way suggested to try to combat the condition.

Our physician recommended the Atkins Diet for my daughter.  Within 6 months, she dropped 75 pounds and started having regular periods.  Now, six years later, she still must adhere to a low carb diet. 

Dr Simon writes on How is PCOS treated? :

Your physician will probably start by recommending a heart-healthy diet rich in high fiber, low fat foods. Most women with PCOS benefit from losing weight-even 10 pounds can make a difference. Get 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

Written like someone who has NEVER dealt with PCOS.  My daughter must be RELIGIOUS when it comes to monitoring her carb intake.  She does aerobic weight training 5 days a week AND walks 2 miles a day yet she STILL fights a constant battle with her weight.  People with whom she works have asked if it’s possible that she doesn’t eat ENOUGH and could that be the reason she’s "heavy".

According to my doctor, there’s a genetic link.  My husband’s sister could be the poster child for PCOS and according to my doctor, it’s passed from the father’s side.

It’s official… Alli, which is the over the counter version of GlaxoSmithKline’s Orlistat is now available at your local discount or drug store.

The question remains, should you spend $40 or more on a pill that must be taken three times a day which will cause the same "greasy anal discharge" that was it’s prescription only cousin Orlistat’s claim to fame?

Over at the Kimkins blog, she says:

If a pill could make me thin and all I had to do was wear Depends adult diapers for life, I might even consider it. But it doesn’t.

Read the fine print: combine with a low fat diet and exercise. Well, if you’re eating low fat then what is this "fat blocking" pill supposed to do? It’s no different than TrimSpa, Dexatrim, Fen-Phen or the other "miracle" drugs that tell you to follow a sensible diet and exercise.

Where’s the alleged magic?

Alli clearly states it will block 25% of dietary fat. Let’s say your fat intake for your "diet" is 30 grams a day. The math says: 30*9=270/25%=67.5!!!

What??? You’re paying megabucks for a pill that will block maybe 68 calories a day??? Not to mention keeping clean panties in your purse (don’t forget a Ziploc baggies for the dirty ones)

Good point!  I’m not a fan of spending nearly big bucks to block a mere 70 calories per day! 

However, proponents of the drug claim that it does accelerate weight loss.  According to Alli supporters, if you lose 10 lbs with diet and exercise, adding Alli to your regime could bump that figure to 15 lbs.

So check with your doctor or pharmacists to decide if Alli is the right pill for you.

Five years ago last April, I marched my then 15 year old daughter into my gynecologist’s office.  My incredibly active daughter, who was a three sport athlete (soccer, softball and basketball) was incredibly physically active yet was still 75 lbs over weight.  However, her weight was not what brought us to the gynecologist but rather the fact that she still hadn’t started menstruating despite the fact that her 16th birthday was only four months away.

My OB/GYN was wonderful and placed my daughter on a low carb diet to see if perhaps that wasn’t the key to solving not only her lack of periods but also the excess pounds which plagued her.  By her 16th birthday, my beautiful daughter had lost 50 pounds and had started her cycle.  From my perspective, it was nothing short of a miracle cure.

I had struggled right along with her for many years over her weight.  We tried EVERYTHING and nothing worked.  What was most frustrating was the fact that my daughter was VERY physically active.   Being 75 pounds overweight, meant she wasn’t the FASTEST on any team, but what she lacked in speed she made up for in heart.  Still, it was HEARTBREAKING to watch her struggle.  The unfairness of it all was almost more than I could bear.

Then, we started Atkins and if anything, my daughter began eating MORE than she had before yet she began dropping weight rapidly.  By the end of the softball season, she was not only thinner, she was also the fastest one on the team!  When she showed up for soccer practice that fall, her coach truly didn’t recognize her.  By Christmas of that year, my daugther had lost all of the 75 lbs that had plagued her since the 6th grade.

So when stumbled across the blog Carb Wire,  and read:

But believe it or not there are actually people who are scorning me and others for choosing the Kimkins low-carb approach to lose our weight.

I could TOTALLY relate.  After all, I’ve caught NOTHING but grief from medical professionals and dieticians when I share the secret to my daugther’s outstanding success.   It’s to the point where it’s almost kept as our family’s  "dirty little secret". 

Low carb dieting has worked INCREDIBLY well for my daughter but it’s not news we share readily.  The flame suit is on.  Let the flaming begin!