Do you feel like you eat super healthy, yet totally struggle with your weight?
I used to get SO frustrated. I felt like I was the most health-conscious person I knew, yet, I was consistently gaining weight, despite all of the energy I put into trying to lose it.
After studying PCOS and gaining a better understanding of the hormones involved, I began to understand what was going on.
I realized that a lot of the foods that I was eating consistently, which I thought of as “healthy” just did not work for my body, given that I have PCOS and insulin resistance.
Now remember, there’s not a one size fits all PCOS diet. That’s why if you Google “best diet for PCOS,” you’ll get 50 different answers. And that’s why I help each of my clients find the diet that works best for their body that gets them losing weight and balancing their hormones.
The one thing you want to focus on is having a food protocol that lowers your insulin levels and allows your body to burn fat. You will know this is working if you start to feel better and begin losing weight.
So while the foods listed may be healthy for a woman without PCOS and insulin resistance, for someone with it, it may be what’s holding you back from losing weight and feeling your best.
If you’ve been struggling with your weight and you eat anything on the list, try cutting it out and see if it makes a difference. Weight loss is always a trial-and-error process to see what works for your specific body!
8 “healthy foods” that could be getting in the way of your weight loss with PCOS…
1. Fruit Smoothies & Acai Bowls
Most women find that fruit smoothies and acai bowls are not great for PCOS weight loss. Both of these have a high concentration of sugar in them. Yes, they are natural sugars but they still raise insulin levels in the bloodstream, which can prevent your body from burning fat and losing weight.
2. Food Substitutes
[For example almond flour muffins, avocado brownies, coconut flour pancakes, gluten-free bread, cauliflower pizza]
While these foods seem healthy, many of them have concentrated flours that could raise insulin levels for women with PCOS. On top of that, I think trying to recreate “junk food” only keeps our desire for junk food higher. The more we let our food be boring and fuel, the more exciting life gets! So instead of trying to recreate junk food, why not just eat whole, fuel foods in their natural form?
3. Trail Mix
Most trail mixes have a super high amount of sugar in them. They usually have dried fruit, candies, or chocolates in them to create that sweet and salty flavor. These foods are all going to spike insulin and lead to weight gain. If you look at the nutrition information on the back of the trail mix, you’ll probably find that even a small portion is loaded with sugar. I recommend staying away from trail mix and just sticking to nuts if you have insulin resistance.
4. Bars
Energy bars and snack bars are not usually the best option when you’re focused on weight loss. So many of them have high amounts of sugar or are artificially sweetened which can lead us to cravings more sweets. I don’t recommend them if you’re trying to lose weight. Plus, I think one of the best things women with PCOS can do is to practice fasting between meals and cutting back on snacks, so there’s really no need for bars once you get used to no snacking.
5. Fruit
Fruit is another food that can get in the way of losing weight for women with insulin resistance. Again, some women find that they can have it in moderation, especially lower sugar fruits like berries. But some find that it just gets in the way and doesn’t make them feel their best. I know I used to LOVE fruit and ate a ton of it. What I’ve found is that it doesn’t work for my body though. It raises my insulin levels and actually leads me to have more sugar cravings so I cut it out completely and get my nutrients from veggies. If you eat a lot of fruit and struggle with your weight, it might be something to try cutting for a while to see how it affects you.
6. Wine
I know we hear that wine in moderation can be healthy, but for women with insulin resistance, it just may not work for your body. In the book “Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism,” Maria Emmerich notes, “the reason alcohol slows weight loss is not because of its calories, but because it stops the body’s ability to utilize fat stores for energy. Fat metabolism is reduced by 73% after only two low-carb alcoholic beverages.” So if you have PCOS and want to lose weight, you might want to cut back on wine to no more than one glass a week and see how you feel!
7. Grains
If you have insulin resistance, cutting grains might help your body get fat-adapted, allowing you to lose weight. Some women find that grains are ok in moderation, maybe once or twice a week, and others find that they feel much better without them!
8. Natural Sweeteners– Honey, Agave, Coconut Sugar, Maple Syrup, etc.
While the sugars in these are natural sugars, they still raise insulin levels in the blood. For women who have insulin resistance, these are probably won’t work. They’ll act like sugar in the body and could prevent you from losing weight.
While the sugars in these are natural sugars, they still raise insulin levels in the blood. For women who have insulin resistance, these are probably won’t work. They’ll act like sugar in the body and could prevent you from losing weight.
Now, here’s the thing. Everyone’s body is different. So it’s all about testing. These are the foods that I see getting in the way of losing weight for many women with PCOS, so if you’ve been struggling, it’s worth it to test on your body.
If you see something on this list that you’ve been eating regularly, it might be worth cutting it for a month to see how your body responds.
My motto is, the more boring we let our food be, the more exciting life gets…and the better we feel!
In health & happiness,
Jamie
