I Don't Know What I'm Doing

Hi! I'm 24, 5'3", was diagnosed with PCOS 4 years ago, and I don't know what I'm doing.

When I was first diagnosed, I was prescribed birth control and dismissed by my doctor. At 23, I went back to the doctor and was seen by an OBGYN who again established that I have PCOS. I do not have elevated testosterone levels, not pre-diabetic, no high blood pressure, and just sometimes had high cholesterol which has been happening since I was 13. I have obvious hirtuism, my period is severely irregular (I get it every 6-8 months), and I now weigh 240 lbs.

I started seeing a nutritionist at 23 and was given a diet that I already followed. Since 18 I stopped eating red meat (kind of grosses me out and makes my stomach hurt), ate a lot more poultry, vegetables, fiber, and I'm not a sweets person so that was never an issue. After a few months of zero progress, I was sent back to a doctor who prescribed phentermine and started talking to me about Ozempic and Mounjaro (are these the GLP-1 I see mentioned a lot?). I have not had insurance since I graduated high school (I was on Medicaid) so the doctors I see are at a Federally Qualified Health Center where my status as a college student with little to no income makes me eligible for $25 visits.

Phentermine definitely suppressed my appetite but I saw no progress. I still follow my diet, took my meds until I ran out (no refill), and go on walks consistently (my doctor told me not to do any sort of heavy exercise). That was about 8 months ago. Today I weighed myself just because I was curious and have realized that I've gained about 20 pounds (220 to 240). I want to stop before it goes too far.

Because I don't have any sort of health insurance (and also I've heard that many do not cover GLP-1s for weight loss), my doctor warned me about the cost which completely discouraged me. Besides that, she said I can just keep going with my diet and light exercise. I don't know if there is a way for me to get a weight loss medication that will not cost me an arm and a leg without any form of insurance, so I've turned to this Reddit page. I've heard of companies like Hers, Ro, and Eden but they seem like borderline scams to me (again, I truly know nothing).

I've typed a lot and I may seem severely misinformed, but I truly would just like some genuine advice from people who are going through what I'm experiencing and understand me. Thank you x