21 year old with pcos and needs more answers. pls help.

Hi all. Im 21 years of age and i have been diagnosed with pcos since 2009. Since then it has been a struggle to overcome my negative thoughts and feelings as i suffer from hirsutism,weight fluctuations, irregular periods, acne and just total loss of self control. I am not overweight, i'm 155cm tall and weigh about 53-55 kilos however im not completely satisfied with my body appearance. I went on the pill (Yasmin) for a good 3 and half years  and i must say that i saw an improvement in my skin in regards to acne,hair and regulating my periods but very little difference with the hirsutism. I also found that being on the pill did not help with insulin resistance it actually worsened it! I found myself having constant cravings and episodes of binging which made me feel absolutely horrible! So i decided to go off the pill and see how my body responds naturally without the artificial hormones,eventhough i had this gut feeling almost knowing that my symptoms would worsen which they did. I am just so confused as to not having enough answers and solutions to this problem and feel helpless and  a loss of hope. Honestly, is the pill the only solution or treatment lets say, to treat pcos? and if so is it really safe? isnt there any other way to treat it and lessen the symptoms without it? Are all women with pcos on the pill and are they considering to stay on it for as long as they need to? I would appreciate some answers and experiences.. thanks.

[Intotouch]

I have not been on the pill for four years now (I'm 39) and have gone the alternative medicine route. Although I still go for check ups and blood tests every four months. My doctor knows exactly what herbal treatment and diet I'm on. I'm doing brilliantly and have no symptoms except for hirsuitism which is not getting any worse. I don't get depressed or have mood swings. I've been a size 12 for about fifteen years. My periods are like clock work and I no longer have insulin resistance. I am doing brilliantly.

I follow a particular diet. I exercise gently every day. I take saw palmetto for hirsuitism. So far it's not getting worse but not better either.

Washing my face with oils helped hugely to keep my skin clear. (Look up the oil clensing method.)

For mood I would suggest that you try cognitive behaviour therapy and diet. Therapy could help too. And diet to keep your moods even. And make no comparisons. Or if you do remember to also compare yourself with people who are worse off than you as well.

Acupuncture and qi kung helped regulate my periods a few years ago. Standing in the wu chi position for ten minutes daily was super for me. I no longer need to do either.

I keep my weight down by eating low calorie (about 1400 on average per day) with protein at almost every meal (I eat four to five times a day). I eat frequently, low gl food. I take vitamins and omega 3 fish oils.

It has taken me years to find delicious, filling, fast to prepare meals that fit this but it's absolutely worth it. If a meal isn't all these things I don't tend to stick with it. Splitting lunch in two and eating half a few hours later works great for me. As does a bit of chocolate (three after eights) in the afernoon so that i don't feel deprived. I never have rubbish foods in the house to resist temptation. I never ban dodgy foods but only having them when I eat out limits them in an easy way. I firmly believe that building up healthy habits works. When you don't have to think about something it's so easy to stick to it. I have one of three breakfasts and stock up on foods so I'm never stuck.

I also eat a half a teaspoon of cinnamon daily with breakfast, turmeric or cumin with dinner and more veg than fruit. Cinnamon helps with insulin resistance.

Last year I noticed thinning hair so have increased protein and take saw palmetto. My hair has thickened again.

The PCOS diet book is helpful as it is thorough in exploring alternative methods, and diet and supplements of all kinds as well as traditional treatments. The diet they recommend is great but I needed to count calories to keep my weight down and stick to a low gl diet basically but include protein at almost every meal to help to keep blood sugars even.

I hope that this helps.