Need to lose weight and want some PCOS diet strategies? Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive hormone disease among premenopausal women. In fact, more than 95 percent of women with these three signs have PCOS:
- Obesity (20 percent over a normal weight)
- Excessive hair growth
- Infertility and/or irregular periods
If you have PCOS and worry about your weight, try the following PCOS diet tips.
PCOS Diet Strategy #1: Stop deprivation dieting.
What does the word “diet” mean to you? The real definition of “diet” means nourishment or nutrition. This implies health and wellness—not starvation. Yet so many popular diets today are associated with pain and distress.
Because many women with PCOS also have pre-diabetes or diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) provides excellent information on a PCOS diet (or diabetes diet). The diabetes diet is balanced and offers a variety of delicious food choices and recipes to keep you satisfied as you enjoy weight loss.
PCOS Diet Strategy #2: Control your blood sugar.
Weight gain with PCOS is linked to abnormalities in insulin and glucose metabolism. Insulin’s main job is to control your blood sugar. But insulin also signals your body to store fat. High levels of insulin increase the production of androgens, which worsen PCOS symptoms.
With insulin resistance (IR), your blood sugar levels rise in spite of high levels of insulin. Eventually type 2 diabetes results. Yet positive changes in diet and exercise may postpone the development of diabetes.
Did you know that your blood sugar rises when eating carbs with a lot of sugar? Examples include white breads and pasta, potatoes, cereals, fruits, some vegetables and snack foods?
If you have PCOS, diet recommendations may include:
- Eat nutrient dense, high-fiber carbs instead of simple (sugary) carbs
- Balance complex carbs with foods high in protein (lean meats, legumes) and healthy fat (olive oil, nuts, fish)
- Eat mini-meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels even
Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for a list of foods to avoid with a PCOS diet. It’s also important to eat a diet lower in fat with insulin resistance. However, be sure to include healthy fats in your diet, such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, avocados, and fish.
A PCOS diet is important for pregnant women who are at a higher risk for development of gestational diabetes. If you have PCOS and are planning to get pregnant, ask your obstetrician for PCOS diet information and nutritional counseling now.
PCOS Diet Strategy #3: Include physical activity and exercise.
Regular activity and exercise is important whether you have PCOS or not. Still, if you are looking to burn calories, exercise serves as an efficient PCOS diet strategy to increase the chance of weight loss.
For women with PCOS and insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes, regular exercise is necessary to regulate blood glucose levels. In addition, exercise may boost endorphins (the body’s natural opioids) which help to improve your mood.
Also, a regular exercise program can get you in top physical shape for pregnancy. A physically fit mother is essential to carry a healthy baby to term and have an uncomplicated delivery.
PCOS Diet Strategy #4: Rethink your love for food.
If you live to eat…you must rethink your relationship with food to be successful with the PCOS diet strategies. Some women use food as a reward for an accomplishment or for emotional solace when they feel lonely or blue. Other women live for the next meal at their favorite restaurant or use food as a way to bring family and friends together.
Stop! To lose weight on a PCOS diet, you must eat to live—choosing food that’s nutrient dense and also keeps your body well. Instead of party food, junk food, or comfort food that only adds more fat and pounds, eat food that will nourish your body.
PCOS Diet Strategy #5: Ask your doctor about metformin.
Metformin (Glucophage) is a drug that was developed for type 2 diabetes and is prescribed “off label” for obesity and PCOS. Metformin may benefit weight loss and also lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol, lower levels of androgens, restore a normal period, and improve sensitivity to fertility drugs.
So, what’s the next step with your PCOS diet? Talk openly with your doctor. Stand up for yourself as you find the most successful diet, exercise and lifestyle program. Remember, no one is to blame for PCOS—so it’s in your hands to work with your doctor and find out how to live healthily with this common hormonal problem.
Sources: ScienceDaily: “New Project To Analyze Why Polycystic Ovary Syndrome And Insulin Resistance Are So Closely Linked.” Health and Human Services: “Eating Right with PCOS.” American Diabetes Association: “Living with Diabetes: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).” Thatcher, S. PCOS: The Hidden Epidemic.
