How PCOS might be affecting your weight

Trying to lose weight but the weighing machine just doesn’t seem to comply? There is more to it than meets the eye when it comes to weight gain.  Binge eating unhealthy food, large portion size, inactive lifestyle, less sleep or even stress are not the only reasons why your favorite pair of jeans doesn’t fit anymore.

One such medical reason is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Women diagnosed with PCOS often find it extremely difficult to lose weight. Medical reasons can also cause weight gain and no matter how much you exercise or even go on a strict healthy diet plan the weight seems to increase. Polycystic ovary syndrome patients with high Body Mass Index tend to have functional disorders.

However, it isn’t quite clear if polycystic ovary syndrome and weight gain have a cause and effect relationship. PCOS is a condition characterized by an imbalance of reproductive hormones i.e. too many androgens, or “male hormones” in particular. Such an imbalance can often result in nasty weight gain around the waist area, which in turn results in more fat accumulation. The fat near the abdominal area reduces responsiveness to insulin making you likely to gain more weight. With PCOS, the bodies metabolism rate is lower than average. Women suffering from PCOS often complain about their hunger hormone being all over the place; they feel hungry even when their body does not need food.

Along with insulin resistance, women suffering from PCOS experience emotional imbalance and find themselves to be over-stressed or even depressed.

High blood pressure, sleep apnea, infertility, type 2 diabetes and Endometrial cancer are risks associated with PCOS and weight gain. Many of these conditions can lead to heart disease. In fact, women with PCOS are four to seven times more likely to have a heart attack than women of the same age without the condition.

It is often observed that along with the right medical treatment and well-scheduled exercise one can lose weight inspite of having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Losing weight can restore normal functioning of hormones and reduce insulin resistance by 50%.

Tips for losing weight with PCOS:

1. Eat without distraction, as it helps reduce overeating
2. Add spices to your food, a sprinkle cinnamon in your coffee or tea can help
3. Squat it out! A great exercise that is fantastic for losing weight, as well as keeping fit.
4. Add more walking in your day, spending any spare time exercising can go a long way.
5. Say no to processed food.

The best way to lose weight is by achieving the right combination of physical workout and diet.

Experts recommend best diet for PCOS containing low-carb, high-fiber and low-sugar to women suffering from PCOS, they also recommend exercising first and then eating to regulate body metabolism. Focus on making small changes to your lifestyle and that should help! PCOS and its effects can be combated with the right care and adjustments.

5 Awesome hacks to keep you motivated on your weight loss resolution!

We hear about various techniques to lose weight, varying from diets and detoxes to vigorous exercises and yoga. Most of them require a huge time commitment, which isn’t always possible. Diving into the holiday season is the hardest time to stay fit, and we’re here to share our best tips for weight loss to ensure you don’t succumb to the holiday weight that you may think is inevitable! We know that it is easy to share tips to lose weight, but if you incorporate these into your lifestyle, it is a guarantee that you will see results!

1. Hello, hydration!
   The first tip to reduce weight is to avoid dehydration. Becoming dehydrated leads to a feeling of hunger, and those are the unwanted calories. Water is called the elixir of life because it keeps you full and refreshed. Drinking eight glasses of water a day is the ultimate way to ensure that your water intake is met daily. Water is always the first and most important step to stay fit. It not only affects your bodily functions, but it can boost metabolism, reduce stiffness and hence improves workouts drastically.
2. Plan small meals
   It’s easy to overeat when you’re hungry, so make sure you never reach a state where you haven’t eaten in a long time. Plan meals every 2-3 hours, so the meals are more controlled and unhealthy snacking won’t happen. Snacks in between meals are very important, as that is what controls main meals. However, if the snacks aren’t healthy, then this won’t work to control one’s appetite and promote a better style of living. Fruits, vegetables, juices, hummus, and protein bars are options for in-between snacking.
3. Twenty minutes
   If you cannot manage a long work out, use short times to plan quick workouts with bursts of energy. Many people during holiday season neglect workouts due to lack of time, not realising that 20 minutes is also enough to get some exercise. This accelerates fat loss, and helps to lose weight. This has been seen through a person’s Body Mass Index Calculator, which is a universally accepted scale that tells you whether you lie in the correct range based on height and weight.
4. Get in those steps
   Walking is the easiest exercise to do and walking regularly is one of the tips to reduce weight! Try walking to places if they’re close enough. After a meal, aim at walking 300-500 steps to help kick-start digestion. Especially during the holidays, make it a point to walk more so that excess weight can be shed quickly, and you can make sure that you don’t go anywhere without this mini-workout.
5. U-lipolysis
   Another way to really accelerate weight loss is Prettislim’s U-lipolysis. This is a non-surgical treatment that can help you quickly shed up to 8cms in target areas and takes approximately 8 sessions. The massive advantage of this is that it is quick, painless and extremely convenient. The results have been great, and is effective along with general weight-loss tactics. U-lipolysis is a safe method and is widely recommended by experts, and the feedback from Prettislim customers has also been very positive.

Many of us fall under the category of wishful new years resolutions of losing weight, and we guarantee that if you follow the five tips given above, you will see great results. It’s always the optimal time to start, and a great way to begin the New Year!