Weight gain due to Infertility/IVF

[Dot457]

Hi all.

I’m more looking for some guidance/ support. Now I know putting weight on is nothing compared to potentially ending up with a baby in the end, but I feel as though I’ve let myself go so much due to IVF.

I actually struggled to gain weight growing up, and was diagnosed with PCOS when I was around 20 (I’m 27 now) in the past 7 years everything has got worse, I’ve had two Laperoscopys and since found out I have Endometriosis and other infertility factors, which has resulted in me never being able to have children naturally.

So far we are two rounds of IVF in, and in the past year I’ve gone up two dress sizes, I know that may sound like nothing compared, but I’m used to being a size 6-8 and I’m now a 12 and have even started buying size 14’s just to feel comfortable! Everytime I have an appointment with a different dr, they have always said in the past how odd it is that I’m not heavy due to having PCOS, but now my luck seems to have run out. So my questions are:

1. Has a fast weight gain ever happened to anyone else due to infertility or IVF?

1. Has anyone had successful weight loss? And if so, how did you do it?

I do low-moderate Exercise and actually do eat healthy because I love veg, salad and fruit! So I’m struggling to see what exactly it is that I need to improve on? Maybe portion sizes? Maybe more intense exercise?

Also, some meal suggestions would be really helpful or any cook books to recommend might be helpful too?

Sorry for the long message! Thanks in advance xx

I am same re weight gain. Pre first IvF I weighted 9 stone 9lbs my normal weight and after 2nd failed rounds 11 stone 5lbs. I had tried things that worked before like calorie counting and slimming world etc but the only thing that worked was a more severe diet

Fasting 15/9
No snacks
No sugar and low carb
High protein
3 meals per day only.
No alcohol

I was back at 9 stone 9lbs for my most recent ivf but back just over 10 now after my latest round as I always put on 5-7lbs per round annoyingly.

Good luck!

I feel more normal again now!

Yeah just done my first round of ivf, and the weight gain is real! I'm testing next week but if it's a BFN I'm allowing myself a couple of days of pigging out then hitting the running and calorie counting. I've developed a definite paunch around my middle.

Hi @Racinglikeapronow & @79andnotout - thanks for your replies, and glad to hear I'm not the only one. And glad to hear you feel normal again @Racinglikeapronow !

I'm so bad with knowing food groups, so when you say high protein, do you mean chicken, eggs etc etc? Or have you used protein shakes as a meal replacement? (I probably wouldn't use the shakes but just out of curiosity)

What do you eat to fill you instead of carbs? I dont eat many carbs myself, but I just want to make sure theres nothing I am missing!

I eat better now than I ever used to, but I'm the heaviest I've ever been, it's so backwards.

@79andnotout - good luck with the testing! Keeping everything crossed for you. I'm glad you both have had motivation, I think I struggle to get up and go for a jog or a run when theres no real excuse not to! xx

@Dot457 I'm lucky in that I love running, and it really curbs my appetite. I used to hate running but I forced myself to stick to it for three months about fifteen years ago and it really worked, by the end of the three months I enjoyed it! Now if I'm not feeling it I just put my running clothes on and then my dog starts going mad so I know I will have to at least either take him for a walk or a run and running is the better option. He's really missing the runs at the moment while I'm doing my cycle (my partner refuses to run with him as he stops for a pee so often but I don't mind the rests!).

I gave up drinking earlier in the year and I've found my diet is much better as a consequence. Less snacking and no hangover blowouts.

@Dot457 I used a fertility nutritionist who helped me with food. So an example of what I would eat (it’s quite repetitive)

Breakfast: high protein natural sheep’s yogurt (usually 10g protein) with 20g milled flaxseeds and 15g milled chia seeds (10g protein) with chopped apple and raspberry and a tea spoon of raw cacao power to make it a bit tastier.

Lunch: salad with spinach, kale and baby leaf, beetroot, pine nuts, cucumber, tomato, high protein soft sheep’s cheese, 1 super seeded oat cracker with hummus, more soft cheese and smoked salmon. During Stims I put a tin of good quality Tuna in the salad to up protein further. (22g per tin and extra from smoked salmon cheese and hummus.

Dinner: salmon fillets x2 , broccoli, asparagus, carrots, peas
Or
Chicken fillets x2, with above veg or Steak with salad and roasted carrots and parsnips
Or chickpea butternut squash curry with homemade sauce with loads of veg and cauliflower rice.
Or hake with prawns in a sauce made from tomato celery garlic and onions and accompanied by brocolli peas carrots and parsnip.

So 4 veg for lunch 4 veg for dinner, plenty of protein either animal or fish or veg sources. I didn’t do protein shakes they’re disgusting. I went sheep cheese / yoghurt as I’m intolerant to dairy so if you are not a good high protein natural yoghurt and good quality feta would work.

I drank only water or sparkling water as my drinks and fasted from 7pm to 10am and didn’t eat in between meals. This coupled with giving up sugar meant the weight fell off me. I didn’t do much exercise only walked the dog once a day.

Hey @Dot457 I second @Racinglikeapronow - that’s pretty much my diet as well! PCOS is hateful and weight loss is more difficult. Have you tried inofolic or myoinostol? It’s due to insulin resistance that mainly causes weight gain for women with PCOS so ever since I’ve taken inofolic my weight gain is steady ( thought not amazing!)

I’ve been on keto and I did hardcore cardio 5 days a week and HIIT 3 times a week - I lost weight. Currently I am in my latter end of healthy (24.9) and am finishing off my ivf cycle. I had to quit exercising so much as it got uncomfortable and pounds have piled on. Once I recover from my EC I’m aiming to go back to my exercise and keto diet. It’s important to remove sugar and carbs - it makes hell of a difference- I also found that thankfully I don’t calorie count with protein as long as I don’t go too OTT - it’s important to eat as much and often as possible because removing carbs will make you hungry! I would recommend this as short term too though most intake this as a lifestyle, I prefer to replace white carbs with brown and pulses once I do the initial 6 week keto diet. It’s hard in the beginning but you get used to it. Also indulge now and again - it’s ok to have the choc cake once a week!

Exercising isn’t too bad once you get into it. I do a 1 mile run 5 days a week with a 40 min HIT workout 3 times a week. It will help!

Hope that helps!

Hi all, sorry for the delay in replying!

@79andnotout - Thats a great idea, I still haven't been for a run since this post, I will get there though, one thing at a time! It's good to know you have changed the way you think about running

@Racinglikeapronow - Wow thanks so much for all that info, I saw your message on Monday and went shopping that night, I feel stocked up on all the goodness now after brilliant inspiration from your examples above. I honestly really appreciate that. Where do you buy your sheep products just out of curiosity? I'm not intolerant to dairy but I struggle with tummy pains after milk or too much cheese, so may give it a go.

@ChicaXS - thanks for your message! No I've never heard of those things, but I might take a look into it, have you ever taken those during a round of IVF and where do you usually purchase? Thanks for very much for sharing your lifestyle, it's great to know I'm not alone.

I do think it's a case of breaking bad habits, I do like to eat a cheeky bit of chocolate in the evening time, but I really don't need to do that, so that's going to stop. And I just don't walk as much as I used to due to driving, so definitely need to compensate that with taking time out to exercise. I've started doing a HITT class once a week so at least that's a start, hopefully I'll get there and do more before we go again with IVF.

Thanks everyone xxxx

It’s probably not what you want to hear but I’ve had two failed rounds of IVF in the past year and have gained 2.5 stone in total 😫

It’s been a slow creep and I’m now working on losing it but my fat distribution definitely seems to have changed due to injecting so many hormones in to my stomach.

@Youngatheart00 - Oh honestly don't worry, I'm exactly the same! I just needed some reassurance that it wasn't just me. Admittidley I dont exercise as much as I used to, but I thought surely this weight gain isn't just because I dont walk for 40 minutes a day and only do 20 minutes a day now?

Mine has also been a slow creep, but we've all got to start somewhere haven't we! We can do this together! My partner told me to stop being so hard on myself but it's not as easy as that when I see that wobbly belly everyday and no baby to show for it xxx

Hey all! I just found this amazing thread, thank you all for the amazing advice! I have PCOS too, I've always had problems with sudden unexplained gain weight, due to hormones and insuline resistance, but now I really need to loose weight to drop my BMI because I'm ttc. Have you found any helpful apps or something that helps with nutrition plans or excercise for PCOS? Even a book or an audio book, something...