As a result of hormonal imbalance, irregular periods, and the development of tiny cysts on one or both of the ovaries, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is well known.
Approximately 7% of women in their 30s and 40s are affected by this illness. (1)
In women who have PCOS, the hormonal abnormalities, insulin resistance, and inflammation associated with this illness make it very difficult to lose weight.
Women with PCOS who lose only 5 percent of their body weight see improvements in their insulin resistance, hormone levels, menstrual cycles, fertility, and general well-being. (2)
Here are 12 weight-loss recommendations for PCOS sufferers.
1. Reduce Your Carb Intake
A reduced carbohydrate diet may aid in the management of PCOS owing to the effect carbohydrates have on insulin levels.
Insulin resistance, which occurs when your cells cease detecting the effects of the hormone insulin, affects around 70% of women with PCOS. (3)
Insulin is required for blood sugar regulation and energy storage in your body. High insulin levels have been linked to increased body fat and weight gain in the general population — and in women with PCOS. (4, 5)
In one research, obese women with PCOS and insulin resistance followed a 3-week diet of 40% carbohydrates and 45 percent fat, followed by a 3-week diet of 60% carbs and 25% fat. During each phase, protein consumption was 15%. (6)
While blood sugar levels were equal throughout the two diet stages, insulin levels decreased by 30% during the lower-carb, higher-fat phase.
Furthermore, women with PCOS may benefit from a low-glycemic diet. The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how rapidly a meal elevates blood sugar.
In one trial, women ate their regular food for 12 weeks before switching to a low-GI diet for another 12 weeks. During the low-GI period, their insulin sensitivity (how effectively the body utilizes insulin) was much higher. (7)
2. Get an adequate amount of fiber
Because fiber helps you feel full after eating, a high-fiber diet may help women with PCOS lose weight.
Fiber’s Reference Daily Intake (RDI) in the United States is 14 grams per 1,000 calories or around 25 grams per day for women. However, the average daily fiber consumption for women in the United States is just 15–16 grams. (8)
Higher fiber consumption was connected to decreased insulin resistance, total body fat, and belly fat in women with PCOS, but not in those without PCOS, according to one research. (9)
Higher fiber consumption was related to reduced body weight in another research of 57 women with this illness. (10)
3. Consume Enough Protein
Protein aids in blood sugar stabilization and enhances feelings of fullness after a meal.
It may also assist with weight reduction by lowering cravings, increasing calorie burn, and controlling hunger hormones.
In one research, 57 women with PCOS were randomly assigned to either a high-protein diet containing more than 40% protein and 30% fat or a conventional diet containing less than 15% protein and 30% fat. (11)
After 6 months, women in the high-protein group lost an average of 9.7 pounds (4.4 kg), which was considerably greater than those in the control group.
If you’re worried about not getting enough protein, you may include it in your meals or pick high-protein snacks. Eggs, nuts, dairy, meat, and shellfish are all high-protein foods.
4. Consume Healthy Fats
Including a variety of healthy fats in your diet may help you feel more content after meals, as well as deal with weight loss and other PCOS symptoms.
A low-fat diet (55 percent carbohydrates, 18 percent protein, 27 percent fat) was compared to a higher-fat diet in one research of 30 women with PCOS (41 percent carb, 19 percent protein, 40 percent fat). (12)
After eight weeks, the higher-fat diet resulted in greater fat loss, particularly belly fat, than the lower-fat diet, which also resulted in a loss of lean body mass.
Adding healthy fats to meals may enlarge stomach capacity and lessen appetite, even though fats are high in calories. This may assist you in consuming fewer calories throughout the day. (13)
Avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, and nut butter are all examples of healthful fats. Combining healthy fat with a protein source may boost the satisfying power of meals and snacks.
5. Consume Fermented Foods
Healthy gut flora may help with metabolism and weight management.
According to research, women with PCOS may have less good gut flora than women who do not have the illness. (14)
Furthermore, a new study reveals that particular probiotic strains may help with weight reduction. (15)
As a result, consuming probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods may help boost the number of healthy bacteria in your stomach.
You may get the same benefits by taking a probiotic pill.
6. Engage in Mindful Eating
Women with PCOS are three times more likely to have eating issues and have tried several diets. (16)
One such answer is mindful eating. It encourages greater awareness of body signals such as hunger and fullness.
Mindfulness-based approaches to food may aid in the treatment of problematic eating patterns, including binge eating and emotional eating. (17)
Furthermore, research indicates that mindful eating techniques may be associated with weight reduction. (18)
7. Reduce your intake of processed foods and added sugars.
Another PCOS weight loss advice is to limit your consumption of certain harmful foods.
Processed meals and added sugars may elevate blood sugar levels and put you at risk for insulin resistance, which is connected to obesity. (19)
Sugar may be processed differently in women with PCOS than in women who do not have it.
According to research, women with PCOS had higher rises in blood sugar and insulin levels after ingesting the same quantity of sugar as those without the illness. (20)
According to research, minimally processed, genuine meals not only boost blood sugar levels lower than highly processed foods but are also more gratifying. (21)
Furthermore, physicians advise women with PCOS to restrict their intake of added sugars and processed carbohydrates to control symptoms and maintain healthy body weight. (22)
Cakes, cookies, candies, and fast food are examples of foods rich in added sugar and refined carbohydrates.
8. Minimize Inflammation
Inflammation is your body’s natural defense against illness or damage.
However, chronic inflammation, which is frequent in PCOS women, has been related to obesity. Inflammation may be exacerbated by sugar and processed meals. (23)
In one research, 16 women with PCOS who received a one-time dosage of 75 grams of glucose — a form of sugar — had greater blood indicators for inflammation than women who did not have this disease. (24)
A diet heavy in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and omega-3-rich foods like fatty fish, such as the Mediterranean diet, may protect against inflammation. (25)
9. Avoid undereating.
Long-term calorie restriction may cause your metabolism to stall. Although calorie restriction is likely to result in short-term weight reduction, the body adjusts to this restriction over time by lowering the number of total calories burned, which may lead to weight regain. (26)
Eating too few calories may also have a deleterious influence on the hormones that govern hunger.
In one research, for example, it was discovered that restricted diets altered the hormones leptin, peptide YY, cholecystokinin, insulin, and ghrelin, which increased hunger and led to weight gain. (27)
Instead of counting calories, it may be better to concentrate on eating entire meals and avoiding harmful items.
Research of over 600 adults, for example, found that eating more vegetables and whole foods while lowering intake of processed foods, refined grains, and added sugars may assist promote weight reduction without calorie restriction. (28)
10. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is increasingly being recognized as being critical to one’s health.
If you have PCOS, you may have sleep problems such as excessive daytime drowsiness, sleep apnea, and insomnia. (29)
Sleep deprivation has been proven to enhance the activity of hunger hormones such as ghrelin and cortisol, which may lead you to eat more during the day. (30)
A lack of sleep is linked to an increased chance of becoming overweight or obese. (31)
A meta-analysis of 18 research found that those who slept for fewer than 5 hours each night were considerably more likely to be fat.
Furthermore, the research found that every extra hour of sleep per night was connected with a 0.35 kg per square meter drop in body mass index (BMI). (32)
Furthermore, research has linked better-quality sleep to weight reduction.
In one research, healthy people who slept for fewer than 6 hours per night had a 13% greater chance of accumulating belly fat than those who slept for 6–8 hours each night. (33)
11. Engage in regular exercise
Exercise is a well-known weight-loss approach.
In a 12-week trial of 16 women who exercised 45–60 minutes of cardio three times a week, those with PCOS shed 2.3 percent of their body fat compared to 6.4 percent in the control group. (34)
While women with PCOS shed less fat than those without the illness, the exercise plan did result in belly fat reduction and insulin sensitivity improvements.
Weight training has also been proved to benefit ladies suffering from PCOS.
In one research, 45 women with PCOS exercised three times per week. They eliminated belly fat and increased lean body mass after four months while decreasing testosterone and blood sugar levels. (35)
12. Think about Supplements
Several vitamins may help you control your weight and symptoms if you have PCOS.
Myo-inositol is a vitamin that may help women with PCOS lose weight. Inositol is a B vitamin-related molecule that aids in insulin sensitivity. Myo-inositol is a subtype of inositol.
In a 14-week randomized trial of 92 women with PCOS, half were given 4 grams of Myo-inositol each day. Those in the inositol group lost weight, whereas those in the placebo group gained. (36)
Carnitine, an amino acid present in meat, may also help you lose weight.
In a 12-week trial of 60 overweight women with PCOS, those who took 250 mg of carnitine per day dropped an average of 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg), whereas the placebo group gained 0.2 pounds (0.1 kg). (37)
Result in Bottom Line
Women with PCOS may find it difficult to lose weight.
A well-balanced diet that is low in inflammatory foods like refined carbohydrates and highly processed meals but high in whole foods, protein, healthy fats, and fiber may help with weight reduction. Certain vitamins may also be beneficial.
A person’s way of life should also be considered. Regular exercise, stress management, and enough sleep are all essential for weight reduction.
If you have PCOS and are having trouble reducing weight, consider some of the suggestions above.
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