Women that have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) have a particularly difficult time losing weight. This is because PCOS is associated with a number of underlying metabolic imbalances, including insulin resistance, inflammation and thyroid fatigue, as well as sex hormone imbalances–all of which lead to weight gain.
PCOS develops when the ovaries are stimulated to produce excess amounts of “male” hormones, particularly testosterone. Fat tissue creates an enzyme called aromatase that converts testosterone into estrogen. Thus, obese people with PCOS have the unhappy situation of having both excess “female” hormones and excess “male” hormones (that are then converted into more estrogen). The usual route of treatment for PCOS involves drugs to regulate blood sugar, thyroid function and sex hormone levels; however, these treatments do nothing to correct the underlying causes of the disorder and rarely help with weight loss.
Kara’s Story
Kara had always had unpredictable and irregular periods accompanied by all sorts of premenstrual and menstrual symptoms, including extreme mood swings, fatigue, irritability, weight gain, muscle and joint pain, headaches, intense food cravings and binge eating, heart palpitations, severe abdominal pain and cramping and painful, swollen breasts. In addition, Kara had been trying to get pregnant for years and after several rounds of failed fertility treatments, she was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Kara had used fertility drugs for years trying to become pregnant and was on Metformin to help control her blood sugar levels. When she came in, it was clear that we needed to help her system properly regulate her sex hormone levels, improve insulin resistance, and eliminate the toxic burden due to years of poor diet and use of medications.
She followed her dietary guidelines, being sure to eliminate all added hormones in her foods (she ate only organic or hormone-free dairy, meat and eggs). We also eliminated most soy products, which can influence how hormones are utilized and processed in the body.
After one year on the protocol, Kara was able to lose 50 pounds of body fat, get off her Metformin and establish a regular menstrual cycle with very few symptoms. When she went back to her endocrinologist her doctor was extremely surprised: her LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) was way down, her HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) was up and her blood sugar was under control without the need for medication. Her doctor told her that she had only seen three people with PCOS that had achieved significant weight loss and Kara was one of those three! AND she was the only one that had done it without the use of medications and/or surgery.
Women with PCOS have a number of underlying metabolic imbalances that can lead to estrogen dominance, as well as several other sex hormone imbalances that can negatively affect your overall health and prevent weight loss.