The Reasons Why It’s So Hard To Lose Weight with PCOS

Surprisingly, despite advances in medical research, the issue of weight loss remains a hotly debated topic of discussion.

It is generally accepted that compared to men, women have a harder time losing weight due to issues such as slower metabolism among other factors. So when you add Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome—PCOS— on top of all of that, weight loss becomes that much harder to achieve.

You only need to glance at some of the most popular PCOS support groups out there and it becomes evident that weight management, tips to lose weight, difficulty losing weight and so on literally dominates these forums.

But should weight loss be given so much focus in treating or managing PCOS?

This condition has a lot to do with female hormonal imbalance and with that comes a host of symptoms including…you guessed it…weight gain.

So it’s understandable especially in an age of social media, why there is such a fixation on body image.

But a lot of the methods to lose weight usually don’t work at all or if they do, produce short-term results or can actually make matters worse.

That said we’ll explore some of these common mistakes to lose weight, and what you should try doing instead for better results in the long run.

So What Causes Weight Gain?

The answer may seem as simple as gaining weight results from eating too much calories.

But fat storage in the body is a much more complicated issue than this.

For women with PCOS, male sex hormones (androgen) are normally elevated and in turn estrogen levels are thrown off.

PCOS can also cause the female ovaries to stop functioning properly, and is typically characterized by enlarged ovaries due to the development of fluid-filled sacs (follicles).

But what causes all of this?

The other medical conditions often linked to PCOS gives an important clue.

These include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. In fact, it’s very common for women with PCOS to be considered pre-diabetic.

And the common feature of all these illnesses is something called insulin resistance.

Essentially, insulin is produced by the body to regulate glucose levels in the blood by enabling the cells to make energy.

But another less known function of insulin is that it enables the body to store excess glucose as fat, which is why it is nicknamed the fat storing hormone.

The problem is when too much insulin is produced, as a result of eating high levels of sugar or glucose, insulin resistance develops and there is a ripple effect on the body over time that can include the lifestyle diseases previously mentioned, and PCOS.

And of course excessive weight gain.

Common Weight Loss Mistakes

Now, discovering the connection between insulin resistance, PCOS, and weight gain is the first step.

Now figuring out what to do and how best to do it is your next course of action. And a good point of reference is a what not to do list.

So these are some common mistakes that many persons make on their weight loss journey that you should avoid:

Mistake #1. Rely on Exercise

Yes, exercise has a very profound effect on optimal bodily function and overall health.

But exercise alone cannot reverse insulin resistance when fat eventually accumulates in the liver.

The enzyme lipase that is responsible for breaking down fat is also affected by insulin, which slows down the weight loss process regardless of exercise.

And strenuous exercise for long periods triggers cortisol—the stress hormone that can worsen insulin resistance.

So trying to out train the effects of insulin resistance due to a poor diet just won’t work. You’ll end up experiencing burnout and will continue to pack on the pounds.

Tip: Try high intensity interval training (HIIT) a couple days per week for a few minutes rather than running for hours on a treadmill.

Mistake #2. Counting Calories

In theory, consuming fewer calories than the amount you burn—calorie deficit, sounds good.

But, what even is a calorie? According to this source, it measures the amount of energy in an item of food or drink. The general consensus is that on average men need around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. And women need around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day.

Ok. But counting calories doesn’t work for a lot of people and it’s not because they’re doing it wrong.

It’s mainly because there’s more to losing weight than just calories.

Chances are, you don’t pay enough attention to the details. Meaning, the amount of carbohydrates (sugar), protein, and fat that may be present in your food.

So for example, a brownie may be marketed as a healthy snack option because it has 100 or less calories.

But its sugar content is high and that will still end up driving insulin and lead to weight gain.

What’s more, for persons with PCOS, calorie counting doesn’t take into account other factors like hormones.

Tip: Instead of counting calories, check the macronutrients to ensure the level of carbs and sugars are low.

Mistake #3. Stop Eating Fat

It may sound counter-intuitive but eating fat doesn’t mean you’ll gain weight. In fact, fat is considered insulin ‘neutral’ due to its minimal effect on insulin.

To put things into perspective, carbohydrates spike glucose and insulin levels the most, next is protein, and fat drives insulin levels the least. 

This doesn’t mean it is ok to do food pairings like combining fat and sugar in a meal thinking by doing this the effect on insulin will reduce.

But incorporating fat in a balanced meal with protein and low levels of carbohydrates, derived mainly from green leafy vegetable sources, will keep you satiated longer and the body can meet its energy needs without additional glucose.

Tip: Although all fat technically has the same effect on the body,  stick to unsaturated fats or those naturally present in whole foods rather than heavily processed food products to prevent other issues such as inflammation.

Mistake #4. Buying ‘No Sugar Added’

This claim is nothing but a trick.

The majority of processed food labelled as low sugar, instead have artificial sweeteners.

The practice is misleading and poses more danger than using actual sugar because it gives a false sense of security to unsuspecting customers.

And artificial sweeteners can cause other negative effects like inflammation in the body.

Sadly, these ingredients are also very popular in food manufactured for young children. So the chances of becoming insulin resistant from an early age increases significantly.

Tip: Read product labels and avoid artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose.

Mistake #5. Eating too often

According to this source, frequently eating small meals throughout the day can among other things, aid in stabilizing blood sugar levels.

But it has been proven that carbohydrates and protein trigger a significant insulin response in the body.

So every time you eat a meal, it drives insulin and leads to more fat storage.  

Put another way, in the presence of high insulin, the body holds on to its fat stores and actually slows down the process of losing weight.

Tip: To kick start weight loss or overcome weight loss plateaus, try intermittent fasting and consume meals within a smaller eating window. Also, eating more healthy fats will keep you satiated and help you go longer between meals.

Try Changing Your Lifestyle

In a nutshell, this article really applies to anyone struggling to lose weight.

But compared to the average Joe, when you have PCOS there is greater likelihood to have insulin resistance, and a higher propensity to store excess body fat.

So the best way to improve insulin sensitivity is to reduce the consumption of what drives insulin in the first place.

And that something is sugar.

Remember once there is too much sugar and insulin resistance develops, it will lead to fat storage and weight gain.

On a healthy journey, you should identify ingredients that have the least impact on insulin, incorporate healthy fats and rely on whole foods as your main source of nutrients.

Added to diet, other habits such as exercise, sleep, and relaxation will help put the body back in balance by improving hormonal, enzyme and other bodily functions.

Essentially, when the body is healthy, chronic conditions like PCOS are naturally reversed.

And you’ll finally be able to lose the weight for good.

If you found this helpful then you might also like these other practical tips on managing PCOS symptoms.