What is pcos to me?
Everything! and in a way I hate it, this aspect of my life has controlled me for so long. But I recently set out to learn how I can control my PCOS as opposed to it be controlling me.
Let me start by giving you a run down of how it affects me…
Insulin resistance
Weight gain
Hirsutism (facial hair)
Absent periods
Fertility issues/I don’t ovulate
Cysts on my overies
Headaches and tiredness triggers by hormone levels
Oily skin
Thinning hair
Depression and anxiety
Now baring in mind that pcos is different to each individual one person can have completely different symptoms to the next.
Unfortunately there is no cure/treatment for pcos, if you go to a doctor you will more than likely be blanket prescribed contraception or told to (just lose weight) Meaning women who have this condition are left to there own devices to find ways to lose weight and in most cases going on fad diets which aren’t actually going to help.
Over the last three years I have slowly been able to start controlling my symptoms (some more than others) and more recently starting to understand why certain things affect me, and it really is trial and error.
Some of my symptoms are more consistent than others, for example the insulin resistance, absent periods, hirsutism and weight gain. These are the symptoms I have had since my teens. Other symptoms come and go and have triggers.
For example most common thing for me is over consumption of sugar (specifically chocolate in my case), once I start I can’t stop I get this overwhelming sensation to just keep eating and I just consume to the point of feeling sick. Up until recently I assumed this was just my lack of will power, that I clearly was not strong enough to resist urges but infact this is due to the spike in cortisol levels in the body, that of which are already heightened in some people with PCOS. And just to explain, Cortisol release in the body stimulates sugar cravings, and sugar causes dopamine to be released – which is why we turn to sweet things when stressed. However, sugar makes the dopamine receptors in your brain less effective, so you crave more. This creates a nasty cycle of craving sugar, consuming sugar and then craving even more.
Unfortunately with this over consumption I get a lot of backlash, headaches being the worst, and more recently fatigue, it’s like a switch…I eat Somthing sugary and I automatically want to fall asleep and have a headache.
At least this aspect I can control to some extent, I know for me personally that sugar/refined carbohydrates don’t agree with me, Alongside an intolerance to wheat this kind of goes hand in hand. So for me I find these things are best kept to a minimum or avoided all together.
Again I have noticed a theme recently when undertaking cardio exercise, specifically running. Once I’ve been on a run I automatically want to fall asleep afterwards, as opposed to my resistance training which fills me with energy. Therefore I have learnt to stick to resistance training with some added hiit and lots of walking this combination seems to be spot on for me, it gives me energy and I can see the differences in my body.
The key for me is this mix of activity alongside a varied healthy diet. I eat high protein and try to eat a high fibre diet, these are the key areas I focus on other than my calorie target and it really seems to work (FOR ME), I also take Inositol which helps with the body’s insulin response.
The worst aspect of having PCOS is how hard it is to lose weight and that someone with PCOS is likely to need to be on much less calories than the average female, this can be mentally and physically draining and sometimes very difficult to see progress. But focusing on the fundamentals and just believing in what you are doing you will eventually see results. Even the smallest steps will eventually get you where you want to be.
If you do have PCOS and struggling to see results, focus on the basics and find out what works for your body, movement and a nutritious diet are the key elements to controlling symptoms and feeling better. But just know you are not alone, 1 in 10 women in the U.K. are thought to suffer with PCOS but more than half of these women don’t have any symptoms.
N.B.
I am not qualified in this area, all my knowledge has been through research and a lot of trial and error what works for me and my body, if you would like professions advice please speak to a professional) If you want to know more the NHS website does have a lot of information on the subject. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos/ and they can refer you to a dietitian that can help you understand it a bit more.
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