Advice for a bearded lady

[UncomfortableBadger]

Hi all
Anybody able to help/share their experiences?

I came off Cerazette around 7m ago, in the hope of speeding up weight loss & also to check that everything still works (as I had no periods whilst on Cerazette). Since then, have developed an impressive beard which seems to get thicker by the week and is now growing down my neck & chest.

There has been no improvement with my weight loss. I use MFP and don’t usually exceed 1,500 calories (typically closer to 1,200 - normally salad for lunch, then protein and vegetables for dinner) plus I exercise 4-5 times per week but yet no progress - my BMI is still silly. My cycle is 28 days but my periods themselves are getting shorter.

Went to the GP who suspected PCOS & ordered blood and thyroid tests.

Results from the tests seem fairly normal however (FSH 5.6, LH 7.6, testosterone 1.6, prolactin 197, TSH 0.96, normal blood sugars & excellent cholesterol). GP doesn’t think it warrants further investigation so I don’t know where to go next.

Any ideas or recommendations?! TIA

Do you k now where you were in your cycle, when you were tested? Your LH is a little high, but that could just be a mid cycle surge.

That is a lot of exercise and fairly low calorie intake for no weight loss - you have my sympathies (as a fellow dieter, who has to go down to 800 to see any loss, but I am currently doing no exercise). What did the GP say about that?

@sufferingaggressiveneighbours Thanks so much - blood test was on day 12ish of my cycle hence being a little concerned re my LH level being higher. GP doesn’t seem to see any issue with the results though To be fair, most stuff I’ve read online says it’s only a worry when your LH to FSH ratio is 2:1 & I’m not quite there yet.

My GP pretty much accused me of constant snacking & didn’t believe me despite my pleas to the contrary - at work I am client facing 99% of the time in a high end environment so it’s absolutely just not possible to eat there! We also actively avoid having processed/junky food in the house.

I have every sympathy re unsuccessful dieting - it’s so demoralising isn’t it.

So it sounds as if you could have been on a mid cycle LH surge. Could you find a more sympathetic GP?

I think GPs are more geared up to weight management than they were. I have had the offer of a trip to a nutritionist and my weight has only nudged over 30. I know you say you eat healthily but that may be the route you have to go down to get the help you need.