Increased weight condition is very common in women suffering from PCOS. Some studies suggest that half of the women with PCOS are overweight, who are recommended by doctors to lose weight to reduce the impact of lifestyle diseases. If you are also suffering from overweight issues due to PCOS then you must know how difficult it is to maintain a healthy weight. Let’s understand why some women with PCOS, face extreme difficulty in weight loss while others don’t.

Your Body Is Storing a Lot of Fats…

Excess insulin production in the body causes your body to switch into fat storage mode making the weight loss process difficult. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas in your body in response to the availability of glucose in the bloodstream. Insulin helps in the transport of glucose in the bloodstream to the cells of your body, where it can be converted into energy to perform basic cellular functions.

Under the PCOS condition, the normal secretion of insulin in response to glucose is altered leading to insulin-resistant, wherein our cells become resistant to insulin. This signals the pancreas to produce more insulin. Excess of insulin pushes the body to go into fat storage mode leading to weight gain. This is the reason most of the treatment options for PCOS management depend on balancing insulin levels through diet and exercise modifications or in some cases through supplementation.

Increased Appetite and Craving…

If you experience frequent hunger or cravings for sugary food then blame it on your imbalanced insulin levels. An increase in insulin resistance turns your body into high appetite mode. The reason is insulin is an appetite-stimulating hormone, the more the levels- the more you feel hungry. This is the major reason that females with PCOS find themselves craving for food more often than others. If these strong, instant cravings are not managed effectively, it can lead to high-calorie consumption and weight gain. To prevent this, nutritionist suggests opting for frequent healthy meals rich in protein and avoiding sugary foods.

Insulin Is Not The Only Culprit…

Though insulin is one of the crucial appetite-stimulating hormones, there exist many other hormones that influence satiety and appetite. Hormones like leptin, ghrelin, cholecystokinin are some of the common appetite-stimulating hormone known to influence appetite levels. Any kind of imbalance in the hormones stimulates hunger in women with PCOS in a manner similar to insulin regulation. This, in turn, leads to increased intake of food causing extensive weight gain. You can manage the hormonal balance by following a comprehensive diet and exercise routine.

Diet with Low Glycemic Index…

If you following a proper diet and still facing difficulty in managing your weight then you must check for the components you are eating. A study was conducted between two groups wherein they were given the same food with the same calories and equal distribution of macro & micronutrients but different glycemic index. It was observed that people consuming food with a low glycemic index experienced better weight loss in comparison to those consuming diet with a high glycemic index.

Check for obstructive sleep apnea…

Another major cause of weight gain among women with PCOS is obstructive sleep apnea. This condition occurs when there is any kind of blockage in the airways which limits the availability of oxygen while sleeping. This later causes day sleepiness, imbalanced blood pressure levels, and weight management issues. In addition to this, an imbalance in the levels of androgens also impacts weight management in women with PCOS. Some studies show that high levels of androgens often affect the sleep receptors leading to severe sleep apnea.

If you are suffering from PCOS conditions and facing difficulty in managing weight even after putting in a lot of effort then you must consult your doctor. There is a need for improvising your diet and exercise routine to enhance the weight management process. We at Genetic Healing have a team of experts who can help you devise a highly impactful diet and exercise program for weight management. Feel free to seek a free consultation today itself to gain better insight.