u/Ecstatic_Resolve_573

I’m 26F, around 94–96 kg (~207–211 lb), dealing with insulin resistance/possible PCOS symptoms and trying to decide whether to continue lifestyle changes alone, start metformin, consider OCPs, or possibly GLP-1 later(want to avoid it altogether).

My history:

• I was around 75–80 kg at the start/mid of last year, then increased to around 90–91 kg by late last year after being off thyroid medication for several months. I restarted thyroid medication in Jan 2026 and my thyroid labs have improved since then.
• Over the past few months(jan-present), my weight increased further to around 94–96 kg.
• Around the same time, I moved to a completely new city where I barely knew anyone, and I had several months of stress, poor sleep, frequent eating out, low activity, and hormonal issues.
• I also had irregular periods, including a month-long bleed around Dec–Jan.
• Labs/doctor discussions suggested insulin resistance + hormonal imbalance/possible PCOS.
• I only recently became consistent with lifestyle changes over the past few weeks: higher protein, more whole foods, less eating out/snacking, daily walking (~30 mins), starting strength training, and taking Ovasitol consistently.
• I’m following a ~1500 kcal PCOS-focused meal plan with ~110g protein, moderate carbs (rice/oats included in portions), vegetables, etc.

Despite these changes, my weight has mostly hovered around 94–95 kg so far and it’s been emotionally stressful.

Questions:

• How long did it take for you to see noticeable changes with PCOS/insulin resistance?
• Did metformin help with plateaus, hunger, or cravings?
• Can I take metformin with ovasitol?
• Did anyone try OCPs for irregular bleeding/cycles, and did it help or worsen things or gained weight ?
• For those who tried GLP-1s, do you wish you had tried lifestyle/metformin longer first, or are you glad you started earlier?
• Any advice for managing hunger/fullness fluctuations, stress, sleep, and cortisol while trying to lose weight with insulin resistance?
• I want to ovulate naturally , I believe I'm not ovulating and having anovulatory bleeds . Anything that helped specifically?

I’d really appreciate hearing balanced experiences from people who improved with lifestyle changes alone vs medication support.