How to Lose Weight with PCOS?

Losing weight has never been easy, but things are more challenging for women with PCOS. It is a health condition that causes a significant hormonal imbalance, making it difficult for people to metabolize food. As a result, losing weight becomes challenging. While losing weight can be difficult for women with PCOS, it isn’t an impossible feat. PCOS weight loss is achievable if you follow some rules consistently. If you plan to start your fitness journey by achieving PCOS weight loss in 1 month (to some extent), make sure to read till the end. 

Symptoms of PCOS

Before you start your weight loss journey, you should be aware of your present health condition. If you experience the following PCOS signs, you should quickly consult your doctor to confirm whether you have PCOS. 

• Irregular periods
• Amenorrhea
• Skin oiliness leading to acne
• Excessive hair growth on the face, thighs, chest, and stomach
• Loss of scalp hair
• Patch of thickened skin
• Pain in the pelvic region
• Weight gain
• Sleep apnoea
• Difficulty conceiving a baby (infertility problems)

If you have one or more symptoms and have been diagnosed with PCOS, you can design a special diet by including food high in protein, fiber, etc. It has been covered in detail, so you have nothing to worry about. Also know about early symptoms of diabetes.

Why is it Hard to Lose Weight with PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome weight loss can be challenging for most women diagnosed with PCOS. What makes shedding weight difficult is insulin resistance. When you have high insulin resistance, your body doesn’t process carbohydrates the way it should. As a result, your body starts storing more fat, and weight regulation gets massively affected. 

When a body doesn’t normally respond to insulin or requires higher than normal insulin levels to move blood sugar (glucose) into cells, losing weight becomes difficult. Some people may even have to rely on PCOS medication for weight loss. 

Helpful Tips to Lose Weight with PCOS

PCOS can be cured by losing weight, but losing weight requires following a healthy diet. If you want PCOS weight loss in 1 month, consider following the below-shared tips for visible results.   

Low Carb and High Protein Intake

If you want a diet that can aid PCOS weight loss, design a diet plan comprising low carbohydrates and higher protein. Reducing carbohydrate consumption makes PCOS management easier because of its impact on insulin levels. Several pieces of research have indicated higher insulin levels are related to increased body fat. Your insulin levels start declining when you begin taking a low-carb diet rich in high protein. It helps you lose weight. It is probably one of the best polycystic ovary syndrome weight loss tips you can implement.

Increase Intake of Fibers

A fiber-rich meal gives you a feeling of fullness, reducing your frequent food cravings. High-fiber food items generally provide higher satiety, helping people from overindulging throughout the day. Some studies have shown that higher fiber intake is directly linked to lower belly fat, lower body fat, and lower insulin levels. If you don’t want to go the PCOS weight loss medication way, start having high-fiber meals to lower your insulin and body fat levels.  

Add Healthy Fats to Your Diet

Food items with healthy fat can help reduce the symptoms of PCOS and eventually help in weight loss. Fats are primarily high in calories, but consumption of healthy fats can reduce your hunger and expand your stomach volume. It can help you consume fewer calories during the day. Avocado, pure nut butter, olive oil, and coconut oils are some items with high healthy fat concentrations. 

Limit Processed Foods and Added Sugars

PCOS weight loss can be achieved by consuming fewer processed foods and sugary drinks. Such food items increase blood sugar levels and insulin resistance levels, which are directly linked to obesity. Since women with PCOS can experience a higher blood sugar spike by consuming the same level of processed food and added sugar as those who don’t, staying away from these food items is better. PCOS can be cured by losing weight, but you can only lose weight by giving up on sugary drinks and processed food items.  

Eat More Fermented Food

Healthy gut bacteria always play a crucial role in weight management and metabolism. PCOS patients generally have fewer healthy gut bacteria than people who don’t. Moreover, certain probiotic strains are known to impact weight loss positively. So if you’re eating fermented food items or items high in probiotics, your healthy gut bacteria will increase. To achieve this, follow a PCOS weight loss diet, including yogurt. You can also have some probiotic supplements. 

Reduce Your Caffeine Intake

If you don’t want to take PCOS medication for weight loss, start by adopting a healthier diet. Since caffeine has a massive effect on hormone levels, it should always be consumed in moderation. People with high caffeine intake can increase stress hormones and interfere with ovulation, leading to several hormonal disorders. If you cannot entirely cut caffeine from your diet, ensure you limit its consumption. Limit your regular caffeine consumption to one or two cups a day if you’re trying to achieve some visible polycystic ovary syndrome weight loss. 

Have a Sufficient Quantity of Food, Don’t Overeat

Women with PCOS generally have higher chances of developing an eating disorder like emotional eating or binge eating. Maintaining and losing weight will become difficult if you develop these eating disorders. You should start practicing mindful eating to ensure your body gets the required nutrients. You should avoid overeating or undereating as both are harmful. If you’re trying to achieve slight PCOS weight loss in 1 month, follow a balanced eating approach. 

Exercise Regularly

Exercising is one of the safest, best, most effective ways to lose weight, even with PCOS. You can start by doing cardio exercises and later add some strength training for improved results. You can see visible results if you can combine your regular PCOS weight loss plan with regular exercise. 

Get Enough Sleep

Adequate sleep is crucial to maintaining your health. People with PCOS generally experience sleep disturbances, affecting their entire sleep cycle. Lack of sleep increases hormonal activities that drive hunger, contributing to your increasing body fat and weight. If you want to increasingly fasten your weight loss process, sleep for at least six to eight hours daily. 

Manage Your Stress

If you’re trying to achieve slight PCOS weight loss in 1 month, start focusing on reducing your stress levels. Stress increases cortisol, whose excess production can result in insulin resistance and weight gain. You can only lower your cortisol levels by lowering your stress levels. PCOS patients with chronic stress also increase their risk of belly fat, eventually increasing inflammation. 

Intake of Supplements

If your body isn’t responding in the natural ways, you may consider taking some supplements to improve insulin sensitivity and weight loss. Whether you’ve decided to take PCOS medication for weight loss or supplements, make sure they are recommended by a professional. Consuming random supplements or pcos weight loss medication can aggravate your health conditions, so always stick to your doctor’s recommendation.    

Bottomline

Patients with PCOS always find it harder to lose weight. But with the right guidance, it can be achieved over a period. Although a balanced diet, proper sleep, and regular exercise cannot make you lose all your weight in one month or two, it will certainly give satisfactory results. If you want to move the needle in the right direction, follow all our tips shared above to see visible results. Also know about random blood sugar normal range.

FAQs

Is it Harder to Lose Weight if You Have PCOS?

People diagnosed with PCOS always find it harder to lose weight than people with no such health condition. But things can become manageable if patients start following a healthy lifestyle, including the right diet and being active. 

What can I Take for PCOS to Lose weight?

If you’re diagnosed with PCOS and are trying to lose weight, start changing your regular diet for better results. Your diet should have items high in fiber, high in protein, and less in carbohydrates. You should also stay away from the widely available processed and sugary items.

How can I Reduce my PCOS Belly?

Some of the highly impactful ways of reducing PCOS belly include mindful eating, managing stress, and being active. You have to follow these steps consistently to see any visible results. 

Why Can’t I Lose Weight with PCOS?

People with PCOS make your body resistant to insulin. As a result, your pancreas starts making more of this hormone. If a body has extra insulin, it will begin storing fat and increase hunger, making it harder to lose weight.  

What Exercise is Best for PCOS?

Although the right exercise depends on your body, you can consider starting your fitness journey by doing Cardio exercises. Such exercises boost your body’s sensitivity to insulin, eventually reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and others. Brisk walking, swimming, and jogging are some beginner-friendly options. 

Can PCOS Cause Big Tummy?

PCOS can trigger hormonal chaos, leading to weight gain, especially around the belly area. Fat storage in PCOS patients generally affects the abdomen, especially the lower part/lower abdomen.  

What Foods Make PCOS Worse?

Refined carbohydrates like pastries, solid fats, fried foods like French fries, sugar beverages like soda, and processed meat like hot dogs should be avoided if you have PCOS. 

Is Fasting Good for PCOS?

Medical professionals generally recommend PCOS patients to consume multiple small meals throughout the day. It helps the body to maintain insulin levels. But if you’re still interested in fasting, you should consult your doctor.