As someone who struggles with PCOS, I can attest that losing weight is not easy. Notice how I didn’t say it’s ‘impossible’. Two of the main complications of PCOS are infertility and obesity. But throughout the years, I have noticed that if you take care of the obesity part, there is a higher chance of success with reversing the first one.
What is PCOS?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the main causes of infertility. In this post, I go over the symptoms of PCOS and how I was able to get pregnant after my diagnosis.
The tips I’m about to share are effective for anyone! I lost 40lbs using these, and I believe that if you commit to it, you can do it too!
There are no magic pills and no magic drinks. You can save your money!!
I will go over these 5 tips quickly, but if you have questions about this, please let me know in the comments or follow me on instagram.
change your mindset
I don’t like the term ‘diet’, so instead, I am using the term lifestyle. The term ‘diet’ has a negative connotation; it is a lacking concept. You cannot eat certain things when you are on a diet, and that thought alone can set negatively in your mind.
To make healthy eating your lifestyle, you need to upgrade your mindset on how you view things. Your lifestyle is what you do every day on a consistent basis. With that in mind, why do you want to live a healthy lifestyle? Are you changing your lifestyle for health purposes? What is your motivation?
There are theories suggesting that a lifestyle change can help reverse PCOS. I believe this is true. PCOS causes hormonal unbalance and a balanced diet can help regulate those hormones. But again, it has to be something you do consistently.
exercise regularly
Part of your new lifestyle is to include exercise. There are so many ways you can implement exercise in your daily routine. You can do online workouts (BeachBody on demand, YouTube), DVD workouts like this one which I give credit to as it helped me create that consistency I needed (ps. it’s on sale for $5.13!), or you can get creative and do your own routines at home or at a gym. I recommend a partner to keep you accountable, if you are choosing to open a gym membership.
choose healthy versions of your favorite foods
This one really helped me! For almost every food out there, there is a healthier version of it. Don’t believe me? Think about pizza, burgers, rice, and bread. You can find the healthy version of these by doing a quick search on Google or Pinterest.
If you can’t find something appetizing, then I suggest you do portion control. If you eat bread for breakfast, maybe do something with less carbs for lunch or dinner. Balance your meals!
Have a support team
Be surrounded by people who support you and want the best for you. Don’t be with people who don’t want to see you at your peak.
Negative people will never let you see yourself at a new and brighter light. Losing weight can be tough, and that is why it is important for you to surround yourself with people that will be there for you when you are not feeling like what you are doing is worth the sacrifice and the effort.
If you cant’ think of anyone who can support you, I want you to know that I am here for you. I know the struggle is real, and I will support you 100%!
Relax
When I was struggling with infertility, I was very stressed and anxious. As soon as I relaxed, I got pregnant. Stress hinders your ability to perform at your best. This means that when all you can think about is how fat you are and how you have no self control and that you wish you were like this or that person, your body will shut down too.
Relax. Try your best, and if you fail today, try again tomorrow. On this post, I give some ways you can avoid stress-eating. Stress eating can affect your health and make you gain weight.
Main point: You are beautiful! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Those are the 5 tips I highly recommend if you are trying to lose weight. In my weight loss journey, I tried the ketogenic diet. On a later post, I will write my experience with that!
Let me know in the comments what questions you have about my weight loss journey, or any other question.
Sincerely,
Great read! I also suffer from PCOS and have managed it through lifestyle changes just as you said. I have two beautiful children because of those changes.