‘Can I ever be not fat with PCOS?’ is a question I asked myself. The answer is, it’s not easy but you CAN do it. This article is all about how to lose weight with PCOS so read on!
I was diagnosed with PCOS at age 22 and it was devastating.
What made it even more difficult was going to many doctors, getting tests, taking expensive drugs, failing to lose weight easily and most of all, failing to maintain the weight I did manage to lose.
Struggling with belly fat was my main problem, yet I never had this issue when I didn’t have PCOS.
Even if I did try diets and extensive work outs, it’s like I was stuck on the same weight range without it ever shifting.
My hips, waist and belly really take the brunt when I find myself putting on a little weight with PCOS – that is, until I actually discovered certain things that helped me finally get off that ‘plateau’ weight range I was fixed on.
I talk about them below in my top 12 ways to lose weight with PCOS:
How to Lose Weight with PCOS
1. Intermittent Fasting is the Savior
Okay, if there was only ONE thing I could choose to do to keep PCOS weight in check, it is intermittent fasting.
Simply put, intermittent fasting is not eating/drinking from dinner till breakfast but there must be a 14-16 hour gap between these two meals. You are allowed to take water.
I don’t know how or why but this is what finally helped me really start losing unwanted weight, y’all.
I started doing this every single day back in 2014, when intermittent fasting wasn’t quite as popular as it is now, and I saw results within 2 weeks.
What I did was skip breakfast. I know most people are skeptical about this but so was I until I actually did it.
I would eat my dinner the previous night before 6 PM. The next day, I would wake up the go without food until 12 PM. That way I will have inter-fasted for 16 hours.
The point is to let your body rest without eating anything for 14-16 hours. In this time, your body starts burning your excess fats to get the energy it needs.
It also helps reduce/prevent insulin resistance.
2. Daily Morning ACV Drink
When I break my intermittent fasting, I start with a cup of warm ACV water. I talked about it in my post here.
Basically, pour hot water into an 8 oz glass, then add 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (where to get it), 1 tsp raw honey (where to get it)and ¼ tsp cinnamon powder (where to get it).
Next squeeze in juice from half a fresh lemon. Stir well and sip it up!
Since I use just one tsp of honey, I don’t feel it does any harm. But if you struggle with insulin resistance, you can forego it since it is considered to be high carb/high sugar.
This drink helps flush out waste from your body, alkalize your system, maintain blood sugar levels and prevents you from overeating by curbing appetite.
3. Try Supplements that Help
Next up is taking weight loss supplements for PCOS.
Sometimes you need a boost in form of nutrients and herbs to support your weight loss especially when you are having trouble shedding off unwanted fats.
These are what I have found to be the top 4 supplements for PCOS weight loss, backed by studies:
- Myo-inositol (where to get it)– For those who have insulin resistance related to PCOS. Insulin resistance is a stubborn issue that prevents easy weight loss.
- L-cartinine (where to get it ) – PCOS sufferers who took this supplement had a significant reduction in weight, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference.
- Ashwagandha (where to get it) – It is an Ayurvedic herb that helps with reducing high cholesterol and unwanted weight gain issues for women with PCOS. It also reduces depression, stress & anxiety.
- Fish oil (where to get it ) – It is rich in omega 3 fatty acids that help fight leptin resistance in PCOS women. Leptin resistance makes you feel like eating all the time and it also leads to reduced metabolism.
- Read more: 4 Effective PCOS Supplements for Weight Loss
4. Low Carb, Medium Protein, High-Fat & High Fiber Diet
When it comes to PCOS, you need to eat right. It seems daunting when you think of what diet you should follow.
It’s simple – try to fill your plate with low carbs, medium protein and high fat. By fat, I mean healthy fats like avocados, olive oil and wild fatty fish.
For example, you can have a chickpea salad bowl for breakfast together with a cup of cocoa milk.
The ingredients include chickpeas, veggies of your choice and a salad dressing composed of olive oil, salt, chilli flakes and black pepper. The drink contains coconut milk, cocoa powder and stevia.
You can see there is low carb (coconut milk, cocoa powder, veggies) in this diet with medium protein (chickpeas), high fats (olive oil & coconut milk) and high fiber (veggies).
With high fiber in your PCOS diet, make sure to drink lots of water or the fiber will not smoothly move through the digestive system and you’ll feel constipated and bloated.
5. PCOS Fruits to Eat
Fruits are one of the healthiest thing you can eat on this planet.
However, when it comes to PCOS sufferers with insulin resistance and weight loss issues, we have to be careful – too much fruit or rather, too much of certain fruits may not be good for us.
Avoid consuming a lot of high sugar fruits especially dry fruits like dates and raisins.
If you’re snacking with dry fruit, don’t overindulge.
Fruits safe for PCOS include:
- Blueberries
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Papaya
- Cantaloupe
- Read more: 5 Best Fruits for PCOS Patients
6. No Snacking/Snack the Right Way
When I was on a mission to reduce unwanted weight, I completely cut off snacks. That’s right, I didn’t indulge in any confectionery, sweets or salty snacks.
I just ate lunch and dinner – proper two full meals.
It helped me lose the weight I was having problems losing.
But you can’t live like this forever – at least for me, it’s depressing.
So when you have lost the weight and want to maintain it, it’s not harmful to sneak in snacks.
Here are some healthy snacks for PCOS:
- Yogurt with fruit & nuts
- Peanut butter with fruit
- Salted cucumbers
- Dark chocolate
7. Reduce Stress as Much as Possible
My ladies with PCOS, we have got to cut down on the stress brought about by our condition.
Stop stressing about PCOS weight loss, infertility and diet.
Just take it easy, do the right things slowly but surely to minimize stress.
You can meditate, take a relaxing bath, stay home and wind down after a long week, anything to calm your mind and decrease stress.
8. 15 Minute Exercise Every Day
Exercise every single day without fail for minimum 15 minutes.
Do any exercise that makes you sweat within 15 minutes.
I did speed walking on treadmill at an incline for 15 minutes every day.
It helped me break out into a sweat. Basically, you can do whatever it is, as long as it makes you sweat.
You can take a break from exercising daily on your period week.
9. Say No to Soda
Soda and diet soda are a big no if you want to lose weight with PCOS.
They are very high in sugar which can set off insulin resistance not to mention, make it hard for you to reduce unwanted fat.
Replace soda with water, decaffeinated teas and healthy smoothies.
10. Good Sleeping Routine
Less sleep equals more stress and more bad habits like eating too much.
Whenever I have insomnia, I find myself bingeing, eating at odd hours of the night, snacking more than needed.
It’s so annoying and puts a damper on your weight loss progress.
Get a good sleeping routine in any way you can. You can even get medical help if you are an insomniac like me. Your doctor may give you anti-anxiety drugs that can help you sleep at night.
I have a lot of trouble sleeping at night so I take Melatonin 5mg supplements.
11. Turn to Teas for PCOS
Teas are helpful for PCOS sufferers because they are replacements for soda and also, they have medicinal benefits.
I like having green tea because it is the best for weight loss.
When you have bad digestion and depression, it can really hinder smooth weight loss. That’s why ginger and chamomile teas are good for PCOS weight loss because they support digestion and help reduce depression.
Read more:
12. Keep Sipping Water
Drinking water is very important when you have PCOS.
I don’t know what it is but water really is ‘magical’ for many ailments.
I’ve heard ladies with PCOS telling me that once they started drinking more water, they actually conceived with PCOS.
Water helps flush out excess wastes in the body which is necessary when you want to lose weight.
Another thing is that a PCOS diet is rich in high-fiber foods.
When you consume fiber, you MUST drink a of water so it can help smoothly move the fiber through your intestines.
If you don’t drink enough water, the fiber will make you feel full, constipated and bloated.
Thanks for reading! Please also share your own tips and tricks to lose weight with PCOS in the comments below.
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