how to reduce weight with pcos.

How to Lose Reduce With PCOD: 13 Helpful Tips.

Here are 13 helpful tips for losing weight with PCOS.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition characterized by hormonal imbalances, irregular periods, and/or the development of small cysts on one or both ovaries. This condition can impact up to 7% of adult women. The hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, and inflammation related to this condition make it difficult for women with PCOS to shed weight.

Yet, even a small weight loss of approximately 5% can improve insulin resistance, hormone levels, menstrual cycles, fertility, and overall quality of life in women with PCOS.

1. Reduce Your Carb Intake.

Lowering your carb consumption may help manage PCOS due to carbs’ impact on insulin levels. Approximately 70% of women with PCOS have insulin resistance, which is when their cells stop recognizing the effects of the hormone insulin.

Insulin is necessary for blood sugar management and energy storage in your body. Research associates high levels of insulin with increased body fat and weight gain in the general population and in women with PCOS.

What’s more, a low-glycemic diet may benefit women with PCOS. The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement of how quickly a particular food raises blood sugar.

2. Get Plenty of Fiber.

Because fiber helps you stay full after a meal, a high-fiber diet may improve weight loss in women with PCOS. In the United States, the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for fiber is 14 grams per 1,000 calories or around 25 grams per day for women.

However, the average daily fiber intake for every woman is only 15–16 grams. higher fiber intake was linked to lower insulin resistance, total body fat, and belly fat in women with PCOS but not in women without PCOS.

3. Eat Enough Protein.

Protein helps stabilize blood sugar and increases feelings of fullness after a meal. It may also aid weight loss by reducing cravings, helping you burn more calories, and managing hunger hormones.

If you’re concerned you’re not getting enough protein, you can add it to your meals or choose high-protein snacks. Healthy, high-protein foods include eggs, nuts, dairy, meat, and seafood. Higher protein intake may boost weight loss, especially for women with PCOS. Add healthy, high-protein items like eggs, nuts, and seafood to your diet.

4. Eat Healthy Fats.

Having plenty of healthy fats in your diet may help you feel more satisfied after meals, as well as tackle weight loss and other symptoms of PCOS. The higher-fat diet resulted in the more fat loss including belly fat than the lower-fat diet, which also reduced lean body mass. In fact, although fats are rich in calories, adding healthy fats to meals can expand stomach volume and reduce hunger. This may help you to eat fewer calories throughout the day.

Examples of healthy fats include avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, and nut butter. Combining healthy fat with a protein source can further increase the filling effects of meals and snacks. Eating more healthy fats may be beneficial for women with PCOS.

5. Eat Fermented Foods.

Healthy gut bacteria may play a role in metabolism and weight maintenance. Studies suggest that women with PCOS may have fewer healthy gut bacteria than women without this condition.

As such, eating foods high in probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods may help increase the number of beneficial bacteria in your gut. You can also try taking a probiotic supplement to get the same results.

Women with PCOS may have lower numbers of beneficial gut bacteria. Eating foods rich in probiotics or a probiotic supplement may support your gut bacteria, thus aiding weight loss.

6. Practice Mindful Eating.

Women with PCOS have often tried many diets and are three times more likely to have eating disorders. Mindful eating is one potential solution. It promotes an increased awareness of bodily cues, such as hunger and fullness.

Mindfulness-based approaches to food may help address problematic eating behaviors especially binge eating and emotional eating

Mindful eating helps promote awareness of internal eating cues and may promote weight loss. It may be beneficial for women with PCOS, who are much more likely to experience eating disorders.

7. Limit Processed Foods and Added Sugars.

Another tip to lose weight with PCOS is to cut down on your intake of certain unhealthy foods. Processed foods and added sugars may raise blood sugar levels and increase your risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to obesity.

Research shows that women with PCOS experience larger spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels after consuming the same amount of sugar as women without this condition.

Furthermore, experts recommend that women with PCOS limit their consumption of added sugars and refined carbs to manage symptoms and maintain healthy body weight. Foods high in added sugar and refined carbs include cakes, cookies, candy, and fast food.

Processed foods such as refined carbs and added sugars increase blood sugar levels, which can lead to weight gain.

8. Reduce Inflammation.

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection or injury. But chronic inflammation which is common in women with PCOS is linked to obesity. Sugar and processed foods may contribute to inflammation.

A diet like the Mediterranean diet which is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and omega-3-rich foods, such as fatty fish may protect against inflammation. Inflammation is common in women with PCOS and has been linked to obesity.

Eating a diet high in whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables may safeguard against inflammation.

9. Don’t Undereat.

Long-term calorie restriction may slow down your metabolism. Although calorie restriction is likely to lead to short-term weight loss, over time, the body adapts to this restriction by reducing the number of overall calories it burns, which can lead to weight regain.

Eating too few calories can negatively impact hormones that control appetite as well. Instead of restricting calories, it may be best to focus on eating whole foods and cutting out unhealthy products. For example, eating more vegetables and whole foods while reducing consumption of processed foods, refined grains, and added sugars may help promote weight loss without restricting calories.

Chronic calorie restriction may slow down your metabolism, possibly leading to weight gain. Instead of forcing yourself to eat less food, try to adopt a diet of whole, unprocessed foods to help with weight loss.

10. Exercise Regularly.

Exercise is a well-known strategy to improve weight loss. In a 12-week study in which 16 women did 45–60 minutes of cardio 3 times per week, those with PCOS lost 2.3% body fat, compared to 6.4% in the control group.

While women with PCOS lost less fat than those without this condition, the exercise regimen did result in loss of belly fat and improvements in insulin sensitivity.

Weight training has also been shown to aid women with PCOS. Both cardio and weight-training exercises may help women with PCOS drop body fat and improve insulin sensitivity.

11. Get Enough Sleep.

Sleep is increasingly acknowledged as central to your health. If you have PCOS, you may experience sleep disturbances, including excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep apnea, and insomnia.

Lack of sleep has been shown to increase the activity of hormones that drive hunger, such as ghrelin and cortisol, which may cause you to eat more throughout the day.

In fact, insufficient sleep is associated with a higher risk of being overweight or obese. Healthy adults who slept less than 6 hours per night had a 12% higher risk of developing belly fat compared to those who slept 6–8 hours a night.

Poor sleep is linked to obesity. Studies in healthy adults suggest that increasing your total time asleep can reduce body fat and promote weight loss.

12. Manage Your Stress.

Because stress is a risk factor for weight gain, managing your stress can help manage your weight. Stress increases levels of cortisol, a hormone made by your adrenal glands. Chronically high cortisol levels are linked to insulin resistance and weight gain.

Chronic stress also increases your risk of developing belly fat. In turn, belly fat increases inflammation, which triggers your body to make more cortisol creating a vicious cycle.

To lower cortisol levels, focus on stress management practices. Studies note that techniques like meditation, yoga, and spending time in nature can help lower cortisol levels. High cortisol levels from chronic stress are linked to insulin resistance and belly fat. Relieving stress through yoga, meditation, and time outdoors may help lower cortisol levels.

13. Consider Supplements.

If you have PCOS, several supplements may help manage weight and symptoms. Myo-inositol is a supplement that may lead to weight loss in women with PCOS.

Inositol is a compound related to B vitamins that help improve insulin sensitivity. Myo-inositol is a specific form of inositol.

KEYPOINT

Losing weight can be a struggle for women with PCOS. A balanced diet low in inflammatory foods like refined carbs and highly processed foods but rich in whole foods, protein, healthy fats, and fiber may aid weight loss. Certain supplements may help as well.

Lifestyle should also be taken into consideration. Regular exercise, stress management, and sleep are all important to weight loss. If you have PCOS and struggle with losing weight, Contact Us at @9540414558.