Word up ladies, It's Elissa…it’s Monday night, the baby is asleep and this is something I wanted to share on mass and tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel if you are struggling with PCOS and weight.

I had a message from a customer about her PCOS and in particular, she was fed up about her weight. In her words “It’s my PCOS it makes me gain weight.”

She said it with despair, like it was a done deal and there was nothing she could do about it.

But after a deep dive into the subject I reached back out to her and said in the words of John Bon Jovi “keep the faith”.

Many people truly believe that PCOS causes them to gain weight and by thinking this and thinking the situation is hopeless - they almost give up trying to be healthy or doing something about it. 

But that’s not strictly true and Im sharing the same findings I showed my lovely customer in the hope that it can help others.

Here’s some background about PCOS 

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that affects about 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, and it’s one of the biggest causes for infertility. PCOS can cause an abnormally high production of male hormones or “androgens” - and ‘maybe’ could make weight management more difficult than usual.

Being overweight doesn’t help the symptoms of PCOS either, in fact it often exacerbates it, and over time it can cause type 2 diabetes and obesity.

But like the chicken or the egg, it’s hard to understand what came first… is PCOS the cause or consequence of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes? It could go either way, but it's likely that these ailments feed into each other in an intricate relationship.

BUT… there is some hope…

A recent systematic review examined weight loss in women with and without PCOS and the conclusion was…

THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN WEIGHT LOSS BETWEEN WOMEN WITHOUT PCOS AND WITH PCOS.

A number of studies have demonstrated that there is no difference in metabolic rates between women with and without PCOS. 

We’ve all heard that the average female should be consuming 2000kcals a day - but in one study, the average daily energy expenditure for those with PCOS was found to be more than 2600 kcals - a figure higher which is greater than that of the “average” woman.

One of the biggest problems of weight gain and PCOS - is women underreporting their calorie intake by nearly half when compared to those without this condition. By under reporting what they actually eat in a day, it can further cause dysregulation of the hormones and it skews the data. So if you are calorie counting - don’t lie to yourself.

So what can you do if you have PCOS? 

• a calorie deficit will likely improve PCOS - but make sure you are counting correctly. 
• A whole food, higher protein diet could help. Protein in every meal. How much should you be having? I would suggest around 1g per kg of your body weight.
• Exercise significantly improves symptoms of PCOS - lift, lift and more lifting. Lifting weights will dramatically improve your body composition. But don’t forget the cardio and walking. 
• Supplement with Elle Sera - you can read how Elle Sera helps with PCOS here. 

The main thing to note here is that what works for women without PCOS, works for women with PCOS. 

A calorie deficit, protein diet, exercise and taking Elle Sera will significantly help…

Much love 

Elissa x