Call to Action! Everyone Please Read This

Why was Power Up for PCOS created?

Let's take a look at our missions statement:

Power Up for PCOS - emPowering Women to Manage PCOS

Power Up for PCOS provides support to women with PCOS through educational Power Up Groups, building connections with other PCOS women, calendar of upcoming PCOS events, professional referrals and reviews, PCOS store, and other specialized events to raise money for PCOS research.

Power Up for PCOS was created because of what I was out there seeking after I was diagnosed.  I know a lot of you are interested in attending Power Up Groups.  Some have even agreed to volunteer for Power Up to organize groups in their area.  The members and volunteers of Power Up for PCOS are working hard to make our mission what we want it to be.

Here lies the problem with accomplishing this:
I have seen very little participation from this group.  I post activities like the Power Up Birthday Bash.  Volunteers have organized groups and last night our California Rep had her first meeting. She took the time to volunteer for us to run a group in her home state.  She took the time to plan out a location, date and time.  She prepared for the meeting and then rushed right from work to the meeting even though she is not feeling well right now.  She sat alone in that room for an hour.  No one showed up.

Do you realize that we are not giving you just another group of women sitting around and talking?  We are providing you with top of the line, high quality and reliable education that will give you the right understanding to help you manage your PCOS symptoms.  Where else are you going to get that?  That's why we created it, because I couldn't find a group where I could go and learn about my PCOS and ask questions and connect with others.

Sponsors have been interested and very willing to give money and gifts to us and those we work with and all they are looking for is to see women participating.  They did not see enough participation so they turned and gave to other organizations.

I choose to work a part time job so that I have time for this because I believe in this and it is my passion.  I give up SEVERAL hours a day away from other things I could be doing to work on Power Up for PCOS.

I understand that you all have other obligations but if you ladies don't put yourselves first then there will come a point where things will get drastically worse for you.  I understand your symptoms are not pleasant but look at the long term reprocussions of not treating your PCOS.

I am making a call to action:
I would like every woman out there to look at where your PCOS is, what your symptoms are and what are 3 things you could do RIGHT NOW to make things better.

The alternative is that Power Up for PCOS will no longer be around.  If we don't get women to the Power Up Group's, to participate in PCOS events and to take control of their health then no one will take us seriously, all our sponsors will go away, our volunteers will quit, and Power Up for PCOS will fail.  So for all those that love what we are doing, TAKE ACTION!

I'm sorry if any of you have found this offensive or too blunt for you but I cannot sit here and put all this work in for nothing.  I do not want online only groups.  This was meant to education and connect us.  Let's Go!

I am asking you all to make this pledge right now:
I WILL become educated about what I can do to manage my PCOS symptoms better
I WILL take steps to manage my PCOS symptoms better
I WILL consider leading a Power Up group in my area
I WILL be actively seeking a group in my area so I can attend and connect with others and become educated.  If the group is going on during a time that is not convenient, I will make every effort to move things around to be able to attend OR discuss time changes with the Representative and the possibility of having another meeting

Thank You,

The Power Up for PCOS Team

810 - 545 - PCOS (7267)
http://www.PowerUpforPCOS.com

Power Cyster ~ Lindsay

Hi all!

Hope everyone is doing well! I apologize for not posting more frequently, I guess life just happens huh? 

Anyway, I talked last time about starting medication for my Thyroid, well IT'S WORKING!!!! I can not believe how much energy I have now! Ummm, I even cleaned the inside doors and baseboards in my house (haven't done that since we moved in)!! I have also been taking advantage of the beautiful weather and going for walks instead of hitting the gym. When I do start going to the gym again (probably the end of the week or next) I am excited to have my husband start going with me as well! It should make for a good time, we both have to get in shape for some weddings this summer/fall =)

SO...........since I started the new medication and have continued to eat well and exercise I have lost a grand total of 14 inches over my entire body!!! I have not weighed myself as that is not a huge factor for me, rather I am enjoying feeling better and having my clothes fit better again. This is huge for me, I finally feel like I have control over my body and my health, something is finally working!

I truly hope that all the other women out there following the Power Cysters will gain the knowledge and support they need to reach their goals as well! 

So my goal for this coming week: I want to continue to eat well and try at least one new PCOS friendly recipe and also I am in search of a goal dress :) This dress I will wear for a family members wedding this fall. SO I am going to find the dress I want to wear and look fabulous in and I will post a picture so you all can help me achieve that goal.

Thanks for reading!


Power Cyster ~ Lindsay

Power Cysters ~ Beth

Here is my weekly check-in and some before and now pictures.

Everyone talks about cravings.  I was thinking to myself, what cravings?  I don't have any cravings.  So 2 weeks ago, we didn't have much money and I gave into the thinking of, OK, let's eat cheap.  I went for old food habits like processed foods and such.  This was NOT a good idea.  Last week, it seemed like I could not eat enough food and I was craving sugar and chocolate and more.  It took me a few days to realize why.

I think I ended up spending more on food than I normally would have during the week that I was giving into a lot of my cravings.  My eyes are opened now and I see what was going on.  So I am back to eating whole, natural food the majority of the time now.  We all go through these struggles and we have to learn from it.  I learned that it is cheaper in the end and better for my health to just go with the food that I KNOW is better for me.  On a side note, spent a lot of time in the bathroom during that time.  Was it worth all that to save a little bit of money for 1 week? NO WAY.  Won't be doing that again!

So other than that, you know from a previous post that we worked out on Saturday together.  I did some measurements last night as well so I have ways to more mark my progress.  From now on, I will only share updates on what has changed since the previous week but I wanted you all to know where it all started.  Since the beginning of my journey back last year, I have lost a total of 7 pounds and 18.50 inches.  As far as symptoms go, this is my list of symptoms that I have and where they were at the beginning of my journey and where they are now.


June 2011
*Irregular Periods – Bleeding Heavy for long periods of time even months
*Irregular or Absent Ovulation
*Hair on face
*Obesity (especially around the stomach)
*Difficulty Losing Weight
*Fatigue
*Depression
*Anxiety
*Mood Swings
*Acne on face and body
*Ovarian Cysts
*Skin Tags
*Sex Drive (comes in swings, sometimes way too much and sometimes not at all)
*Hormonal Imbalance
*Polyps (not a symptom of PCOS but an after effect of not having a period)
*Low Iron
*Low Vitamin D
*Low Thyroid

February 2012
*Irregular Periods – still irregular but I started on my own recently, had a hard time stopping but feel like it's getting better
*Irregular or Absent Ovulation - not sure if ovulating yet, just started charting to find out
*Hair on face - still there
*Obesity - still there but after losing 18.5" feel better about it
*Difficulty Losing Weight - this part is irritating but I focus on the inches and symptoms instead
*Fatigue - a lot better now that I am on medication for thyroid
*Depression - this is the one that impresses me quite a bit.  Not really much of a problem anymore
*Anxiety - here and there but again not much of a problem anymore
*Mood Swings - this depends on where I am in my cycle and if I have been bleeding for a long time but I still think is better than before
*Acne on face and body - almost gone when eating the right foods, also, people have commented how my skin looks better and has a glow
*Ovarian Cysts - last check in December, there were none at the moment
*Skin Tags - still there
*Sex Drive (comes in swings, sometimes way too much and sometimes not at all)
*Hormonal Imbalance - my hormones are leveling out a bit.  I am not taking medication for this, I am taking a natural herb so it is a slow process.
*Polyps - last check in December, there were none at the moment
*Low Iron - I now take 1 a day so it doesn't get that low when bleeding
*Low Vitamin D - I am taking a supplement now so this is so much better, still not at the level it needs to be but getting there
*Low Thyroid - on medication for this which does give me more energy and makes me feel better

Here is a picture from now:

and one from WAY back when all this started, I think it was from December of 2009 then I sat there and did nothing until February of 2011.

One more shout-out.  I did not do this on my own.  When I started this, I was in a very desperate state looking  for a magic pill that would make everything go away and I was trying metformin and it was making me sick to my stomach to the point where I didn't want to leave the house.  Amy, the PCOS Diva, took my hand and walked me through a complete lifestyle change.  She showed me how to live a better life and live like a Diva.

Thanks for listening and as always, I am open to talk about anything with my PCOS.  You can e-mail me at Beth@powerupforpcos.com.

Thanks,
Beth