My PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) diagnosis came as no surprise. After months of waiting lists and waiting rooms, I walked into my gynecologist’s office hoping to get an accurate diagnosis. I hope my periods are sporadic enough, my hormones are imbalanced enough, and my ovaries are cystic enough that I have access to a doctor who can help me feel at home in my body. Fortunately, my team of doctors verified my condition and Emotional struggle. I walked out of that date with tears of happiness. Relief and healing are coming.
What is polycystic ovary syndrome?
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal imbalance characterized by excess male hormones that can lead to ovarian cysts (small sacs of fluid on the ovaries). Ovarian cysts can disrupt ovulation, which is why many people with PCOS experience irregular periods and infertility. Excess androgens can also cause weight gain, difficulty losing weight, acne, facial hair growth, and androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness).
Currently, we don’t know the specific causes of PCOS, but we do know some factors that may contribute to its presence and severity. Insulin resistance (a condition that causes the body to be less responsive to insulin, causing blood sugar to rise) can cause an increase in male hormones, which can lead to PCOS symptoms. Genetics may also play a role, as people with a family history of PCOS may also be susceptible to PCOS. However, there is insufficient evidence to indicate the underlying cause. Polycystic ovary syndrome is also chronic, meaning there is no cure. This is why many PCOS treatment plans (including mine) target symptoms.
My PCOS Plan
My PCOS plan features weight loss. My team of doctors attributed many of my symptoms to weight gain over the past few years and asserted that my symptoms would likely reverse themselves if I lost weight. Like many women, I have struggled with body image most of my life, although I was a three-sport athlete in high school and graduated to long walks, Pilates, and the occasional strut on the treadmill. Enthusiast. I was open about my weight loss plan because I felt like I was body positive enough to take on the challenge. In fact, I think of it as a test. How determined am I to value my body no matter what?
Armed with a plant-based eating plan, five hours of weekly exercise, and two new prescriptions, I left the doctor’s office ready to fight my symptoms. I prioritize fiber, take daily walks, and go to bed two hours earlier than usual. I set my alarm to make sure I take all my medications at the right time. I even endured the nausea from the new medication and ate a handful of pretzels and lots of ginger tea. If my new lifestyle is a test, then I am really pass.
After the first week, my resolve began to shift. If there wasn’t something “healthy enough” in the house, I would start skipping meals. I would slowly wait until 1:30pm to eat, under the guise of intermittent fasting. If I didn’t find a way to blend spinach or lentils (or both) into whatever I was eating, I would feel like I was failing in my plans.
Guilt started building in the pit of my stomach every time I looked in the mirror. I realized what was happening. My PCOS treatment should have prioritized a healthy, inclusive life, but instead it left me with guilt, self-doubt, and limitations.
Polycystic ovary syndrome and weight loss
Doctor-recommended weight loss for PCOS is a hotly debated topic. Many PCOS patients say they feel like their medical teams aren’t listening or stereotyping them. This study suggests that weight bias prevents overweight people from seeking treatment together, leading to a greater likelihood of underdiagnosis. In addition to the social stigma attached to weight loss, insulin resistance reduces the body’s ability to effectively balance blood sugar, making weight loss more difficult.
Weight loss for PCOS patients can feel like a losing game. It’s like your own body is fighting against you. In the depths of this struggle, I couldn’t help but ask myself: “Are the potential benefits of losing weight worth the mental, emotional, and physical struggle?”
Based on our current research, the answer is passionate Yes. Research shows that losing even 5% of your body weight can improve fertility, regulate hormones, and reverse the cosmetic symptoms of PCOS. Birth control pills, such as birth control pills, and diuretics, such as metformin, which regulate menstruation and combat insulin resistance, work together to make it easier for people with PCOS to lose weight. We still have many opportunities to understand the complexities of PCOS, but there is a path forward, no matter how uncertain it may seem.
The balance between weight loss and body acceptance
One way to take care of both the mind and body is how we think about our bodies. The body positivity movement promotes unconditional body love and shines a bright light on gratitude for how our bodies look and function. In many ways, this gratitude is justified and necessary. Our bodies are incredibly complex organisms that support us in many ways. But when that gratitude becomes aesthetic rather than functional, we get into some tricky territory.
Aesthetically speaking, we No Our bodies must be taken care of to keep them functioning properly. My stomach digests food regardless of whether I think my hips are too wide. Regardless of whether I was insecure about the shape of my thighs or not, my legs would climb the stairs to my apartment. My eyes will continue to be independent of my perception of the world around me (once I wear my contacts, of course).
adopt body neutrality
Body neutrality is an acceptance-based response to the body positivity movement. Rather than unconditionally loving the way your body looks, “a body-neutral approach tends to believe that it doesn’t matter whether you think your body is beautiful or not,” says Dr. Susan Albers of the Cleveland Clinic.
When we turn our attention from like arrive acceptance, we can move away from judgments based on aesthetics. We can focus on the fact that I have a body and I want to treat it well.
my way forward
The balance between weight loss and mental health is a delicate one. There are often more questions than answers, and more closed doors than open windows. Still, I choose to believe that health and wellness is possible. We can accept our bodies as they are and seek to make them better.
