Blog 3 in Series: PCOS

If you don’t know what PCOS is, then please take the time to read the first post in this series, which can be found here.

Apple shaped? Many women with PCOS are apple shaped because of the high insulin, which creates the male hormones (called androgens.) The high levels of the androgens are the reason for the body hair growth, acne, irregular periods, and you guessed it: the weight gain in a male pattern, or around the waist. This gives you the apple shape as opposed to a pear or hourglass.

The Nitty Gritty: 6 out of every 10 women with PCOS are overweight. The reason is because women with PCOS have problems producing hormones, namely Insulin. Many women with PCOS then become insulin-resistant, which means they can not process or metabolize sugar like most other people.

While this is an issue, which makes women gain weight or makes it twice as hard to lose weight, it is one that many women have overcome. It is not impossible to do with medical assistance or naturally.

My Experience: You can read allll about my backstory here. You can read all about my journey with PCOS here.

As of right now, I have lost a total of 27 pounds. I had lost as much as 40 pounds at one point, but because unmotivated and since my body doesn’t metabolize sugar well, it is VERY easy for me to put the weight back on. (That, and I reaaaalllly love sweets.)

I am at a point right now where I am trying to balance my weight loss with living a normal life. I know I shouldn’t feel BAD when I go out to a big dinner with my fiancee, or I go home to my mom’s cooking and eat more than 350 calories in one sitting. My problem seems to be going back to eating normally (low calorie) when that one meal is done.

I am blessed with the ability to cook healthier-for-you meals in a creative way and am happy to share them with you all! My main tip for anyone looking to lose weight with PCOS is to stick with it, count your calories, but be creative. It’s going to be difficult at first AND later on, but it will be worth it once you begin to feel the changes that happen in your body once you balance your hormones by balancing your diet.

Stay tuned for a blog in the future about specifics in dieting, examples for daily meal plans, and updates in my diet and weight loss!