How to Change Your Lifestyle to Support PCOS
This blog may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links at no additional cost to you.
I only recommend products and services that I believe will provide value to my readers. The inclusion of affiliate links is a way for me to support and maintain the blog while providing you with valuable content.
I appreciate your support!
According to the Mayo Clinic,
“Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a problem with hormones that happens during the reproductive years…With PCOS, many small sacs of fluid develop along the outer edge of the ovary. These are called cysts. The small fluid-filled cysts contain immature eggs. These are called follicles. The follicles fail to regularly release eggs. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown. Early diagnosis and treatment along with weight loss may lower the risk of long-term complications such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.”
In 2018 I heard a variation of these words said to me by my family doctor, as she wrote me a prescription for birth control.
I was upset to hear this and more so, confused about what was happening to my body; or how birth control was going to fix it. I knew I wanted kids someday and at that moment I didn’t know if it would be possible.
After hearing from one doctor, I wanted to get a second opinion. Based on an ultrasound scan of my ovaries for cysts and blood test that checked my androgen levels, cholesterol and triglycerides, it was confirmed I have PCOS.
I spent the past five years trying various management methods for my PCOS. I was struggling with facial hair, missing and irregular periods, difficulty losing weight, acne and a lot of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
My mental state impacted me the most. I noticed that when I tried a new diet or lifestyle changes, my mood fluctuated so much that I would inevitably fail. I would have “highs” where it seemed I could achieve anything and beamed with motivation, but my “lows” sent me spiraling and giving up.
This back-and-forth cycle made it difficult to find and stick to a lifestyle or diet and make any progress.
I knew where my health was headed. I was already diagnosed with insulin resistance, and it was only a matter of time before Type 2 diabetes; followed by higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, and more weight gain.
I wasn’t happy with how I felt or looked, and needed to make a change.
Lifestyle Changes
Supplements
After seeing multiple doctors, from OBGYN to endocrinologist and Dietitians, reading book after book that I could find on the topic, meeting with a naturopathic doctor, I thought I would have had a clearer idea of how to help myself heal, but that was further from the truth. Some people rave about certain diets, supplements, and lifestyle changes and others mention the benefits of alternative methods.
I began my own trial to see what worked best for my body.
I knew that based on my blood work done by my doctor, I had imbalanced hormones with high levels of testosterone, low progesterone, high LH:FSH, high HOMA-IR, low vitamin D, ferritin and iron. This was step one for me.
She recommended that I start taking supplements to support my low iron and vitamin D levels. I also took Magnesium Glycinate that helped absorb my vitamin D, sensitize insulin, and support my mood and anxiety. I did see improvements in my energy levels and overall mood.
In addition to these, I started to take Ovasitol, which is a 40:1 ratio of Myo-Inositol and D-Chiro Inositol. The biggest thing I noticed was my hunger levels improved, probably due to the synthetization of my insulin.
I also tried the popular Alani Nu Balance supplement, however I did not take this while taking Ovasitol, since it does include the Myo-Inositol and D-Chiro Inositol in the formula already.
Like many who have taken the Balance supplement, I started to get my period and felt like my hunger was stabilizing! I also got pregnant… This is not to say that this supplement is the reason I got pregnant, but I want to be fully transparent that I was taking it during that time. I ended up ovulating and getting pregnant with my first child.
After pregnancy, I ended up taking the supplement again in the efforts to regulate my period and control cravings and ended up pregnant again.
Everyone’s experience is different, this is just mine. More on pregnancy in another blog. 😊
These were the top supplements I found that supported me the most with PCOS.
Slow weight exercises and walking
I stopped running, doing HIIT exercises, jumping rope and all the other Zumba and intense exercises. I found that they were not supporting my body, I wasn’t losing weight, and was so fatigued at the end of each session that I would need to nap. I didn’t have that exercise “high/energy” afterwards.
Instead, I focused on exercises that didn’t raise my cortisol levels through the roof. I did slow, light weight baring exercises, walks after meals, and this is where I found my love for yoga and Pilates. It allowed me to feel energized and move my body in a supportive way without fatigue.
Tea Over Coffee
This I still struggle with, but I try to limit my coffee to 1 cup a day in the morning after breakfast. I found that with too much coffee I would be tired all day but end up staying up all night. It was a vicious cycle.
I started to switch what would have been my second cup of coffee to organic spearmint tea, which helps lower testosterone levels. This helped me calm my mind and body and relax my nervous system. I found I could focus more and that I am not so dependent on coffee as I thought.
Diet
This one can get a little tricky. There is a lot of information out there about which diets work best for PCOS, due to a lot of women having insulin resistance.
What helped me lose 20 lbs with PCOS is I focused on what made me feel the best. I know, what the heck am I talking about…
With the anxiety I was already experiencing, I found that it easily spread into all aspects of my life- especially diet.
So, I tried something different. I tried to lessen the amount of importance and emphasis I had about food.
For me, diets were extremely restrictive, and I found myself in a vicious cycle of guilt every time it went wrong.
I would go on diets like Keto or low card to find myself not losing weight and feeling miserable. I wondered to myself, what if I just stopped. Stopped giving it such attention in my life to the point I would be obsessed. I wanted to clear my mind of the anxiety I felt with food and heal the relationship I had with it.
I stuck to the basics that everyone knows, don’t eat a bunch of fast food or sugary treats, focused on foods that are natural grown and minimally processed, taste good, and nourished my body, like veggies and fruits and ethically raised meats. Remove the process junk, including some crappy breads and pastas and replace with a low ingredient sour dough bread or whole grains. Lower my coffee intake to one cup a day and add in some spearmint tea and drink water… I also love the S. Pellegrino sparkling water to add some flavor.
I kept it simple.
By not overthinking and being mindful about my hunger ques vs. just feeling thirsty and knowing when I was full, I lost 20 lbs and lowered my anxiety around food.
I know longer think I am the worst when things don’t go as planned and now, I can enjoy food with friends and family and block out the nonsense and contradicting information.
Meditation
Although I knew meditation has been around for thousands of years and must be great if it is still practiced today, I didn’t think it would work for me.
I thought how is sitting there in silence going to help. Also, how would I have time to sit there with young kids to take care of and a busy work schedule.
My mental health had gotten to the point where some days I would have to call off sick to work because I couldn’t get out of bed, or I would break down in the driveway because I had been running around all morning stressed out for being late and just ended up crying and not making it to work anyway.
So really what did I have to lose…
My first meditation session was… interesting. I couldn’t quite my thoughts long enough. Too many things jumping around in my head. As I continued to practice, I found it easier and easier to settle my mind.
I began to find peace in these moments of meditation. This is best described from a quote I heard in the documentary called Heal on Amazon Prime, which Marianne Williamson said:
“if you wake up in the morning you take a shower, you take a bath because you don’t want to take yesterday’s dirt with you out into the day. But if I wake up in the morning and immediately go to television or radio or the computer or newspaper and I’m taking in all the stress of the world, then I might cleanse my body, but my mind is carrying so much stress…”
This really resonated with me and only heightened my love for meditation. I started by just doing a few minutes a day, which I built to 30 minutes or so a day. I encourage you to check out some of my guided meditation videos at Calm Mind Health @CalmMindYogaandMeditation on YouTube.
Slow Living
Along with simplifying my diet and way of thinking around food, slowing down my exercises, and starting to practice meditation, adopting a slowing pace of living was the next step.
Stress has held me back for years and has contributed to my weight gain and inability to lose weight, along with several other health issues.
This stemmed from my fast pace and hectic lifestyle of simply doing too much- most of which wasn’t something I enjoyed.
I would say yes to obligations that overextended myself and impacted my mental or physical wellbeing. I would tend to my surroundings that just overwhelmed me and overcomplicate things like diet that should be focused on simplicity and holistic nutrition.
I approach slow living in a few ways, one: being mindful of my time and the obligations I said yes to.
Second: decluttering the amount of stuff in my house and simplifying its management practices for housework.
Third: adopt rituals that allowed me to live in the moment and be comfortable with “doing nothing,” rather than always preparing for the week ahead.
Changing my Mindset
Changing my mindset ties into the lifestyle habits above but is the biggest driver in seeing successful results.
I started to visualize how I felt at my desired weight (which I still do today as I am still in my weight loss journey). I would imagine how it would feel to not have the pains in my joints and be able to keep up with my kids. I started to see myself and feel deeply that that person was achievable.
This was transformative in my weight loss journey and overall health with PCOS. When I found out that I had PCOS, I immediately began thinking that weight loss, fertility, and being healthy wasn’t “in the cards” for me. This became my thoughts and in turn my truth.
Changing how I see myself and the way I see situations has improved my mental health, lowered my stress, and created a mindset where I feel I can achieve my goals.
Success and healing your body truly begin with your thoughts.
Overall
Adopting and practicing these lifestyle habits take time to master and still not all of them happen every week as planned… but I remind myself that this is a journey to better my overall health and heal my body. I acknowledge my thoughts and learn from my behaviors and reactions to become a more resilient self.
The information provided on this blog is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read on this blog. The blog’s content is based on personal experiences and research, but it may not apply to your individual health needs. The author and the blog take no responsibility for any potential health issues or adverse effects arising from the use of the information provided.
