The Best Diet for PCOS

By some estimates as many as 50-65% of women who have PCOS are also obese. If you can lose even five percent of your body weight, you will see noticeable positive changes such as decreased insulin levels, lessening of acne or skin problems, and a more regular menstrual cycle. The down side is that many women with PCOS have an extremely difficult time losing weight, most likely due to the high insulin levels PCOS brings, which, in turn, promote fat storage. One thing researchers have found is that the low-fat diet often prescribed will likely not be the best approach to losing weight for women with PCOS. Because refined carbohydrates which occur in sweets, white bread and white rice, to name a few, quickly turn to sugar in the body, causing elevated insulin levels. Most women with PCOS are likely already suffering from insulin resistance, therefore a better diet could be the low glycemic index diet. This particular diet includes combinations of foods which do not cause the rapid blood sugar rise that refined carbs do.

Carbohydrates Explained

Physicians who have studied the best diets for women with PCOS advise that they not get more than 40% of their daily calories from carbohydrates, and that the carbs which are selected should be complex, unrefined carbs rather than refined carbs. Forty percent is the starting point, and women should closely monitor their food intake and bring this number down until good results are obtained. You will know when your diet which is low in carbohydrates is working because you will notice decreased food cravings, and much higher levels of energy. Your general feeling of well-being should start to increase, and your weight loss efforts should be kick-started. The longer you remain on the low-carb diet, the more likely your periods are to stabilize, and your insulin levels decrease.

Calorie Requirements

Within the parameters of the low-carb diet, calories are also very important. You should calculate the number of calories you need daily in order to lose weight-although some calories are much healthier than others, for weight loss purposes your body sees calories from fat, protein and carbohydrates in exactly the same way, and if you take in more calories than necessary you will gain weight. Multiply your current weight by what is known as an "activity factor," which is a number between ten and twenty. If you are younger, moderately overweight and moderately active, your number will be from fifteen to twenty, while if you are more overweight, less active and older, your number will be between ten and fourteen. This will give you your "maintenance" number of calories. If your goal is to lose one pound a week, subtract 500 calories from this maintenance level, while if your goal is to lose two pounds a week, you will subtract 1000 calories from your maintenance level calories.

Tips for Losing Weight with PCOS

When eating carbohydrates, make sure you combine them with a protein or a fat rather than eating by themselves. Try to select foods which are lower on the glycemic index, as they will result in a slower rise in blood sugar, and generally have more fiber as well. Eat foods with the least amount of processing, and space your carbs out throughout the day which will allow you to maintain stable levels of insulin. While it may seem like an uphill battle, you can lose weight with PCOS, and feel much better in the process.