Losing weight in PCOS

PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders for women. It is followed by some of the scariest symptoms a woman can imagine such as facial hair, weight gain, face acne and irregular or absent periods. But all you need to know is that when it comes to PCOS, even a small reduction in weight can significantly improve the symptoms.

Here are a few tips to overhaul the lifestyle:

1. Focus on nutrition, not diet

Pack the diet with anti-inflammatory foods. Focus to reduce the levels of cortisol i.e. stress hormone. Address the insulin resistance. Spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, fenugreek and ginger play a great deal when it comes to reducing body inflammation.

2. Keep your blood sugar balanced

This is another important thing to keep the blood sugar in a balance, preventing spikes. Have a meal with low GI foods along with healthy fats and protein. Opt for whole grain sources of carbohydrates. Also, swap the fruit drinks with whole fruit. Fructose i.e. fruit sugar has also to be limited.

3. Fats are not to be feared from

Women with PCOS fear fats believing that it will cause them to gain weight, but they forget that increasing healthy fats in the diet does a great deal to keep the body satiated and also helps to absorb vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K, which further help in keeping healthy female hormone levels.

4. Carbs are not scary

There is no need to go on low-carb diets the moment you know that you have PCOS. What’s important is cutting down on processed and refined carbohydrates. Experiment with yourself by cutting down refined carbs and substituting with whole foods such as lentils, pulses and beans.

5. Search for ‘hormonal disruptors’

PCOS is all about hormonal imbalances. So, you also need to look into the factors affecting this balance such as lack of sleep and stress. Quality sleep and stress-free life are extremely important. Also, limiting caffeine intake is helpful as it interferes with the sleep patterns.

6. Go for strength training

Talking about PCOS, Weight training is a crucial key to lose weight. But you need to take care not to stress out your body. Even over-exercising is harmful to the hormonal balance. While the first goal for such patients is managing the insulin resistance, second is to build some muscles. This is because more muscle mass will help to metabolise glucose better and the body can handle carbs better. The number on the scale is not important, more important is changing the body composition and becoming fitter.

The final word

Focus on ‘being healthy’. Consume lots of fruits and vegetables, avoid high GI foods, do not skip any meal to keep the blood sugar levels to spike, try to do at least 30 minutes exercise every day, have a sound sleep and stop smoking.