Ok, so if you’re anything like me, you’ve tried ALL the things to lose weight with PCOS.
You name it and I’ve done it. All the trendy diets, pills, exercise classes, trainers, boot camps, done THEM ALL!
And sure, I’ve lost some weight with some. Gained with others. But none of them were permanent. I’d eventually go off of the diet and start gaining weight, usually PLUS SOME.
It felt awful. I thought there was something wrong with me. I felt so defeated and hesitated to ever try another diet again.
What I have learned though is that there is NOTHING wrong with me.
After studying hormones, I realized WHY the diets I had done didn’t work. I understand PCOS on such a deep level now that I know there’s nothing wrong with me, I just had imbalanced hormones from PCOS and that just meant I had to do things a little different to see results!
Also, after studying psychology and mindset, I realized this is a HUGE missing piece of the weight loss puzzle.
So I decided to put together a list of the reasons why most diet programs DON’T work for women with PCOS & of course, talk about what does!
Here they are….
1. Many weight loss programs out there are not created for women with PCOS.
They’re all about reducing calories, counting macros, “eating in moderation.” For women with PCOS, there are certain foods that just don’t work for our hormones, even in moderation. PCOS weight loss is all about reducing insulin levels. Most diets don’t focus on insulin, which is why they simply don’t work for us women with PCOS, even if they work great for others.
So if you’ve done a diet or program with a roommate who lost a good 20 pounds like THAT, while you did the SAME EXACT THING and didn’t lose a pound, this is why. It’s not your fault. It’s not your body’s fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. You just need to focus on eating a diet that works FOR YOU and for PCOS. You too can get results!
2. Most weight loss programs only focus on physical health like nutrition or exercise.
Nutrition and exercise are only one piece of the weight loss puzzle. There are other things we MUST look at in order to lose weight permanently.
Just to name a few that are totally missing with most weight loss programs:
-
Why we overeat in the first place. Is it imbalanced hormones? Is it stress eating? Emotional eating? We must get to the root of the issue in order to heal it and lose weight permanently.
-
Learning how to process emotions, like stress, without going to food.
-
How to process urges and cravings without giving into them.
-
Learning how to take charge and managing our emotions through self-coaching.
This is EVERYTHING when it comes to weight loss!
We also have to look at how we are relating to our bodies, to our weight to our PCOS. What is our self-talk like? If we have a mean inner critic, we gotta work with that. An inner bully + permanent weight loss do not go together.
These are the types of things that drive our eating patterns, so if a weight loss program isn’t addressing it, it’ll be hard to create long-term results.
4. Most weight loss programs are created for the masses.
That’s a problem because what works for one person may not work at all for another. We have to find a diet that works for OUR body. Not even every woman with PCOS thrives on the exact same diet.
For example:
-
Some women do really well with dairy, others break out, get constipated, and bloated and feel terrible after eating it.
-
Some women feel AMAZING doing intermittent fasting. Others, less. We don’t know until we test it.
-
Some women do ok with a little fruit. Some find that they feel way better and lose weight once they eliminate it completely.
So we have to customize our protocols to our bodies and our lifestyles! We know a diet is working for our body when we begin losing weight and feeling more energized!
5. We try to lose weight through exercise programs.
Now, don’t get me wrong, exercising is AMAZING! It can really help improve our symptoms, improve our mental health, our cardiovascular health, etc. But, it is NOT the key to weight loss for women who have insulin resistance. I worked out with a trainer 3 times a week + ran on my off days and GAINED weight. Food & mindset are the two things we must focus on most in order to lose weight with PCOS. Exercise as self-care, not for weight loss!
So if you’ve tried every diet program out there without getting permanent results, it just means you’ve gotta do things a little different. That’s why I specialize in PCOS weight loss, because I know firsthand what it takes to lose weight with PCOS. And let me tell you, it may be much easier than you think (when you’re doing it the right way!)
Ready to take your first step and work with someone who COMPLETELY understands PCOS and has helped tons of women with PCOS lose weight? Sign up for your free strategy session below to get started.
In health & happiness,
Jamie
Watch my Facebook Live where I talk all about this topic!