PCOS STORY

Hey all.. so I am writing an article about my weight loss journey with PCOS and hope to get it published in a womens mag down the line when I get to goal.. I am not far off and already feel so much better so I have written a draft copy. So far I have lost 35lbs and my aim is to lose another 14. I hope that my story brings a little bit of hope to those starting out.. much love xx

‘The consequences of PCOS and extra weight are an increased risk for infertility, type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and even cancer, but having PCOS makes it twice as hard to lose weight’. A version of this statement exists in most literature about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Now when I read this for the first time it scared the hell out of me. In one sentence not only are you being told that you are at a higher risk of contracting life threatening illnesses but also that there’s not much you can do about it. Well I am here to tell all those women with PCOS (approximately % of the population) that losing weight IS possible, and it isn’t rocket science.

When I was diagnosed at the age of 20 I felt a mixture of emotions. I was relieved that I finally had a name for all these symptoms and feelings I had but I was also terrified of the associated health risks that it brought with it. For years doctors had told me "oh its in your head", "your depressed", “it’s just PMS’. A diagnosis proved that I was not crazy and that was brilliant. But as I began to read articles on the syndrome I instantly felt defeated before I had even begun. Of course it is important that we know the facts around the condition but whether it be the specialists I visited or the books I read I came away with a pretty negative message- losing weight, having a baby and feeling normal is going to be extremely difficult. One specialist even told me that the only way I would lose weight would be to ‘not eat very much’. A million thoughts were swirling in my head as I read about insulin resistance and hormone irregularities. It’s difficult for anyone to lose weight but it will always be harder for me. And the stakes are so high. And the older I get, the harder it will become. I was overwhelmed, but I knew I had to give it my best shot.

I had already tried every diet and fitness program under the sun- Weight Watchers, Diet Chef, Atkins, Slim Fast calorie counting and a personal trainer. I lost weight but not enough and I soon gained it back plus a few extra pounds. Once diagnosed I tried the low GI diet that is recommended for those with PCOS. Again, I lost some weight but before I knew it, it was back on. I felt like a failure and the list of health risks loomed over me like a dark cloud. It was too painful to deal with so I began to ignore the problem and convinced myself I was happy as I was. I ate what I wanted and told myself life was too short, why not enjoy it. I ended up at my heaviest yet. My mum had not seen me in a while and when we met up she told me that I really needed to lose some weight. I knew it was true and burst in to tears in the middle of a café. I had been running away from the issue but I knew that I wasn’t happy. I had to make a change and I did it with three easy steps.

Step one- I decided to think of PCOS as my friend and not my enemy. It would help me keep on track and encourage me to eat healthier than all my naturally skinny friends. Whenever I felt like junk food PCOS would remind me how important it was that I got to a healthy weight. We would work together and not against each other. It was no longer my excuse for being overweight, it was my reason for losing it.

Step two- I knocked ‘diets’ on the head. Complicated short term plans were not working and only stressing me out further- the key was to make this a lifestyle. It makes sense that anything processed is probably not easy for anyone’s body to metabolise, let alone someone with PCOS, so anything from a packet was out. I stocked up on vegetables, grains and protein and kept an eye on portions by using My Fitness Pal. I also introduced jogging in to my routine and made sure I raised my heart rate for at least half an hour most days.

Step three- I was consistent. You will only to get to where you want to be if you stick at it. Yes, there will be weeks when you plateau and it’s tough to keep focused. There will be times when you slip and you want to pack it in. The key is to get right back on the horse and carry on. I would sometimes gain half a stone after a holiday or tough couple of weeks at work, but I had to remember I was in this for the long haul and to have patience with myself. If it was easy we would all be slim. It’s not easy. The fact is it takes discipline, sacrifice and a lot of ups and downs.

There really is no secret to losing weight, you just need to work hard at it. It’s like a marriage- you can’t cheat on it and expect it to work. By eating healthy, natural foods, monitoring portions and getting active you will see the number on the scales go down. It might take more determination and time for some of us but that will make the end result even sweeter, trust me! To all women with this syndrome who are struggling with their weight I want to tell them that if I can do it then so can they.