Why Does a Female Gain A Lot of Weight If She Has PCOS?
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a physical disorder that occurs due to disbalance in the hormonal cycle of the body of a female.
Weight Gain Due to Pcos: Why is it So Hard to Lose It?
Insulin Not in Check
The hormone in the body that helps with transportation of glucose to be further used as a fuel to make energy for the cells to use is Insulin. Now, if a person has PCOS, then it affects the secretion and use of insulin and makes the cells of the body resistant to insulin signals.
This condition is known as Insulin Resistance. Due to this, the pancreas secretes more and more insulin in the body and this increased amount of insulin leads to fat storage in the body because of excess glucose and ultimately leads to weight gain.
So, we can say that, if a female has PCOS her body is basically in a fat storing mode.
Increased Appetite
Another issue insulin resistance causes in the body is the increased cravings and appetite of the female. The increased or excess amount of insulin basically acts as appetite-stimulating hormone and makes the diagnosed person more hungry than before. This uncontrolled eating leads to higher calorie consumption and weight gain.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a type of sleeping disorder in which there is a blockage of the upper airway that causes a lack of oxygen during sleep. This condition causes sleepiness during day time or most productive time, causes other disorders like high blood pressure and also leads to weight gain.
This condition is found out to be affecting females that have PCOS more than the female without PCOS condition.
There are many factors that contribute in causing sleep apnea in a female body and making it worse, however, increased androgens levels in the female body is one of the major contributors of causing sleep apnea.
Stress
Stress is a cause of many body issues and problems like hair fall, acne, digestive problems, mental health disorders, etc. One of the other disorders where stress plays a negative role is the condition of PCOS.
Stress has an indirect effect on making the PCOS worse in a person. It causes the cortisol levels in the body of a female to be increased. This increased cortisol leads to increasing the insulin resistant condition and thus leads to more and more weight gain.
Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal disbalance of insulin is mentioned above in detailed form. However, there are certain other necessary hormones in the body, which also cause dysfunctions due to PCOS.
Levels of appetite-regulating hormones ghrelin, cholecystokinin, and leptin are also found to be not functioning or coordinating well if a person has PCVS. This leads to irregular eating habits and too much eating and thus increases in weight.
Some Tips to Keep Your Weight on Check If You Have PCOS-
Limit Sodium, Alcohol and Sugar Intake
Foods that are highly processed, have too much sodium content, have processed sugar and alcoholic drinks, are all major contributors of weight gain in a person’s body. So, these foods are already bad for health and cause obesity. However, if a person has PCOS, these foods are like poison for the body as they can lead to double the weight gain to the female. These foods can spike the insulin resistance condition and lead to more and more secretion of the insulin hormone, excess than the body requires.
Exercise Regularly
A daily walk, exercise, yoga and stretching exercises can help with keeping the body active and also help with regulating the hormonal cycle. This further can help with keeping the weight in check.
Manage Stress
It is very important to keep check on your stress levels and to be relaxed and calm, more stress can lead to more hormonal disbalance. It is good to try some mediating routines and yoga formations to relax your mind and body.
Eat a Balanced Diet
A balanced and well nutritious diet is very important. Try to eliminate sugary and fried food from your diet and to add more and more vegetables, fruits and nuts in your duet in order to get all the necessary nutrients for your body and have a healthy lifestyle. This will not only keep your weight in check but also will make you healthier and more light weighted.
Remember, a healthy lifestyle is not an ultimate solution for any body disorder or issue but can contribute a lot in keeping in check the body and health.
If you have a hormonal disorder like PCOS, it is very important to manage and take care of its symptoms at a personal level. However, the best part of your journey towards handling PCOS is by getting treatment and consultation from a thyroid specialist in order to start the journey with a more professional and sorted start.
