How to keep your weight at bay with PCOS?

 

Are you suffering from PCOS? Are you unable to drop the weight despite trying every single diet without any sustained success?

In this post, I will cover the very two most important things to do in order to keep your weight at bay with PCOS.

PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a condition that affects only women.

The main symptoms are:

– irregular periods which can be happening only once or twice a year

– excess male hormones level which can be noticed mainly by the excess body or facial hair

– enlarged ovaries which can only be noticed during a medical examination

If you have 2 or more of the above symptoms you might have PCOS and you should contact your GP to get a diagnosis confirmed.

As a result of PCOS, you might also suffer from excess weight. This is a very common side effect of PCOS and one that can lead to Type 2 diabetes and many other diseases. Hence, it is important to keep a firm hand on it as soon as you are diagnosed with PCOS.

How to keep your weight at bay with PCOS?

My story.

You can read my full story on Falling pregnant with PCOS- How did I manage to have 3 kids despite PCOS?

However, I would like to just talk about my weight as opposed to infertility that had affected me as well.

When I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20’s I was fully aware that my weight was higher than what it should be. I was always eating healthy and regularly exercising. My weight at the heaviest was about 75kg with BMI just over 25. I am quite tall so it might not be as apparent, but I really was not comfortable with that bit extra fat on my tummy, thighs or arms.

But I also knew that as soon as I was diagnosed, I needed to do something about it. I read about PCOS and many studies suggested that the only way to keep things under control is through 2 things:

• Regular exercise
• Well-balanced diet

I am not a dietitian and did not know much about nutrients back then.

What I did know however was that junk food and unhealthy snacks were bad. I also knew that homecooked food was always a better option.

 

How did I manage to reduce my weight?

I began by reducing the number of sweet snacks and also continued cooking my own food.

I had also signed up to the gym. I had joined many exercise classes and was attending them 4-6 times a week. This had proven some success and I had reduced my weight to 72kg- BMI 24. This was already within a healthy range.

But I knew I could do better. I just was not very strong on keeping the snacks away.

My first pregnancy

I had then felt pregnant and dropped the exercising in fear of losing the baby. I had gained a total of 17 kg throughout my pregnancy. When I gave birth, I was shocked to see only 5 kg had dropped. Like – what has happened with the 12kg? The baby was 3kg plus the 2 kg was the placenta and the water. That still shocked me.

I was breastfeeding my baby and hardly ever slept as she was one of those babies that never sleeps.

I had been losing weight rapidly!

Within only two or three months of having a baby, I started to look very slim.

That’s without me doing any type of diets or exercising (other than regular walks). I weighed myself one day and I was only just over 65kg! The weight continued to drop, and my mum had sent me to the GP.

Overactive thyroids.

They had my blood tested and it came out I have had overactive thyroid which is causing the heart palpitations and the rapid weight loss. My body was overrunning and putting stress on my heart, hormones and a metabolic system. Hence, I was losing weight. The doctor had decided to see me again in a months’ time without giving me any treatment as he suspected it was caused by the postnatal hormones.

He was right. My weight started to go up a little and the thyroid hormones had gone back to normal.

But I was determined to keep myself in good shape and continued eating healthy and doing a little exercise. Having a baby and being a full-time student left me with little time to sign up to a gym so I was taking my baby for long walks instead. At least it was some kind of exercise as opposed to none.

Eventually, I had begun home exercise routines and followed fitness trainers for some evening sessions of exercise. At my best, I got to a point where I weighed 62kg (BMI 21) and I really toned up and felt I was at my fittest.

Second and third pregnancy.

I had gone through an IVF treatment to have a second baby and slowly just beforehand I let go of my rigid exercise routines and eat a bit more. I have slowly put back on weight but it was still within my healthy range of BMI.

I had my second baby.

I have yet again stopped exercising as I was worried for a baby and since I had lost a pregnancy beforehand and I did not want to take any risk.

I had again gained 17kg during the second and third pregnancy.

Second time round I did not suffer from the thyroid but instead I had resumed my workouts and I reduced my weight back to 62kg under a year after having a baby.

In my third pregnancy, I have also stopped exercising due to the fear of losing the baby.

After my third baby.

It took me a little longer to shed my weight third time. I was already 32 and my metabolism was not as fast as the first time around. But slowly I have started getting back into my workouts routine and then was the I have discovered something phenomenal!

 

Intermittent Fasting.

IF is a pattern in which you fast for a prolonged period of time. It is not a diet as such but a pattern of eating/fasting periods.

I have covered my IF journey and how I have implemented it into my life with the results I have had with it: Intermittent Fasting (IF) – does it really work?

It truly had changed my life and I have never looked back. It has been now about 2 years since I’ve stared it and I haven’t stopped yet.

I still work out (3-5 times a week).

I still eat healthily.

I also keep my sugars under control (most of the time).

At this point in time, my BMI is 22 and although I can do better, I have so much on my plate I just cannot afford any more time to spend on the exercises.

Another most important thing is:

I am very happy with the way I look.

After giving birth to my beautiful children, breastfeeding each one of them for just under a year, I have learned to love and appreciate my body.

I have learned to love every flow of my body and even the unwanted hair don’t bother me as much as before. I am fully aware that I would put on weight the minute I would stop exercising and start eating bad, but I just do not want to do it to myself. My body deserves to be looked after.

It is possible to keep fit and healthy and I truly believe this should be a good habit like brushing your teeth daily or having a bath.

It is not easy to keep your weight at bay with PCOS but it is possible!

I would recommend you read my previous posts that would hopefully encourage you to stay fit and healthy whether you already have children or battling PCOS and trying for one.

How to keep fit having kids?

If you are new to this and do not know where to start, here is another one of my posts:

Home Exercise Tips for Beginners for Weight Loss

Conclusion

PCOS is not a nice thing to go through and can cause your weight to bounce up, however, this is all to be managed if you hold onto certain rules.

Regular exercise and a good healthy diet should be the way forward and I am sorry if you thought there are some magic tricks, I would enlighten you with. There is no magic- just plenty of positive vibes and a lot of hard work on your mind and body.

I really hope you have enjoyed this post on how to keep your weight at bay with PCOS.

I would love to hear from you.

Do you have problems and would like advice on where to start or how to start to keep your weight off? Please reach out. I am here for you.

Good luck and thank you for reading.

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