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Can you help with losing weight when you have PCOS?
I was recently diagnosed with PCOS and there are so many facts out there that it is all confusing me.
Can you give me any advice or tips to help me to lose weight and combat my PCOS symptoms. I have been told that a low GI diet could help... or just not eating yeast products and potatoes?? My GP is no help at all, but always happy to listen to me ramble on.
I am in my late twenties and have been heavy since I was about 15 which is when the pounds started to pile on and it has been a constant battle to stay the same, never mind lose weight.
All advice welcome!
Our expert says...
PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) is a metabolic syndrome that affects 5 ? 7.5% of all women and is a number one cause of infertility. Symptoms include irregular periods, facial hair growth, acne, obesity and erratic periods. Until recently, diet was not thought to be an important factor in easing PCOS, but there?s increasing evidence that the condition may be related to insulin resistance, a syndrome in which cells become less responsive to insulin so the pancreas must secrete more and more of this hormone.
As insulin stimulates fat storage, this is why many women with PCOS are overweight. Worse, having continuously high insulin levels keeps blood sugar levels low, which in turn often prompts cravings for sugary carbs.
To tackle the condition I?d advise a moderate, not excessive, intake of carbohydrates (no more than 50 per cent of calories), and an emphasis, as you?ve already gathered, on low GI - which essentially means unrefined complex carbohydrates (e.g. heavy whole grain breads, wholemeal pasta and high fibre cereals, in preference to white bread, cakes and white rice). Potatoes tend to be higher GI but it doesn?t mean you can't ever eat them. Combine potatoes with a protein source - e.g. jacket potato and tuna and the GI will be lowered.
Don?t forget to fill up on five fruit and veg a day too, which will help to satisfy your appetite without breaking the calorie bank. You might find you lose weight more slowly than you?d like, but you should still see those pounds gradually drop off.
Some PCOS sufferers also find that they a have a greater tendency to yeast infections (such as thrush) and that a diet relatively low in sugar, yeast and wheat can help. But it's a very individual thing and you need to find by trial and error a diet that best suits you.
Taking supplements of magnesium, zinc and chromium may also help PCOS sufferers, as may the herbal preparation agnus castus which helps regulate female hormones.
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