Managing PCOS Step 1: Nutrition

If like me and the majority of women with PCOS, you've heard from your doctor more than once "you need to lose weight" or more weight, don't lose hope. PCOS is still somewhat of a mystery. It's much easier to treat the symptoms than the disease because the disease is all over the place...like us.

Weight control is one of the biggest issues for women with PCOS, and it can also be a major factor in improving other symptoms. Unfortunately the very symptoms that would be alleviated by weight control, and the best way to treat some symptoms, are contributing factors to weight gain in the first place. Hello catch 22.

From this point on, forget about everything you've read about "the right diet". Those rules don't apply to women struggling with PCOS. No it's not crazy. Maybe you've reduced your calorie intake and been really strict about portion control, but if those meals don't consist of the foods that are best for your body and its functioning because of PCOS, you can manage your portions and your calories all you want and still not see any improvement. Don't think of this as your eating being bad, think of it as not being what's optimal for your body.

Personally I do a modified version of Paleo. Why Paleo and why modified? Women with PCOS are encouraged to have full fat dairy, unlike the Paleo and Primal lifestyles. The things they do have in common is the aversion to processed sugars and starches. Insulin resistance is an issue for most women with PCOS therefore it's best to avoid foods that are medium/high on the Glycemic Index (GI).

Glycemic Index categories:

Low GI (55 or less)

Medium GI (56-69)

High GI (70 or more)

For a list of foods and their place on the GI Index, please visit: http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/

You'll need to familiarize yourself with your Base/Resting Metabolic Rate (BMR/RMR). It's very important that you're giving your body enough of the foods it needs. You'll also want to know your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). I use the Katch-McCardle Body Fat % calculator (best used by those considered overweight). If you're active and at a normal weight, use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, and for those of you that may be in the obese category use the Harris-Benedict formula.

Now, if like me you're trying to lose weight you'll need to calculate your caloric needs based on your activity level then subtract 20% of that. First calculate your BMI HERE, then plug the numbers into the TDEE calculator along with the other requested information.

Sample results:

BMR: 1732

TDEE (Calculated at no exercise): 2078

This means that in order to maintain the current weight, you would have to eat 2078 cals/day. Now we do the rest of the calculation

TDEE - 20% = 1662

To lose weight you would need to eat 1662 cals/day without exercising.

** Never go below 1200 calories or more than 200 calories below your BMR. **

Keep in mind these numbers change as your activity levels change. So if you work out daily, your needs will be much higher.

Now that you know how many calories you need, you can focus on how to get those calories.

You've likely been told several different things throughout your life. Have 5 small meals per day, have 3 meals and 2 snacks, have 7-8 very smalls meals. Of course you should do what works best for you but through my research and personal experience I found that I worked best with 3 meals per day and 1 snack (fruit), 4-5 hrs apart. Also, my last meal of the day I eat 4-5 hrs before my bed time. It's also crucial that you eat your breakfast within 30 mins of waking up. A typical day will look like this.

7-7:30 AM: Breakfast ; 10 AM Snack; 1-2 PM Lunch; 6 PM Dinner

As long as you don't have dinner too close to bedtime you should be ok. If you like to read more about why this timing is important feel free to read more about it HERE and HERE ALSO. If you follow these new steps and combine it with an exercise routine that includes interval training, you should start seeing a significant change in your symptoms. I will discuss exercise in a later post.

How many servings of the different foods should I have?

Veggies and fruits will always be your main food group, followed by protein, carbohydrates, and oils. These of course also depend on you daily intake needs. This is why I personally found the measuring system in the 21 Day Fix, particularly helpful. Using the same example as above, meals would be like this:

5 servings (approx. 1/2 cup) of leafy green vegetables

4 servings of fruit (Low GI)

3 servings of protein (6 - 7 oz each)

2 servings of full fat dairy (substitute for soy if you can't eat dairy)

1 serving of starches (1 slice wheat toast or 1/2 cup of brown rice)

When it comes to oils, stick to coconut oil or pure olive oil. Be mindful of olive oil however, as recent studies have shown that most stores do not carry real olive oil. I purchase mine at Trader Joe's. If using coconut oil, you should have 3-4 tablespoons daily, but still be mindful of your calorie intake.

To recap:

1. Meals should be 4-5 hrs apart.

2. Calories should be 20% below your TDEE but never below 1200 daily or 200 below your BMR.

3. Eat foods with Low Glycemic Index.

4. Limit or eliminate processed sugars and starches.

5. Eat 3 meals per day. The 1 snack is optional.

#pcos #health #weightloss #lowcarb #life