Is your unexplained weight gain actually PCOS?
You’ve committed to an extra gym class. You’ve added another kilometer to your run. You’ve cut your kilojoules. And yet that number on the scale just isn’t moving downwards. In fact, despite all your best efforts to shift it, you seem to be gaining weight.
If this sounds like you, you should keep in mind that unexplained weight gain, as well as a struggle to lose it, are just two of the many symptoms of the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Despite being incredibly common, it’s one of the most underdiagnosed conditions that affect as many as 1 in 10 women around the world.
It starts with your metabolism
PCOS is a syndrome, meaning it presents as a group of symptoms and is characterised by three main features – cysts in the ovaries, high levels of androgen (the male hormone) and irregular periods. Thanks to all that extra androgen, symptoms include excess hair growth where there shouldn’t be any (think the top of your lip or on your stomach) as well as oilier skin that leads to acne. And then of course there’s the weight gain. This is because research has found that, while PCOS can affect your fertility if left untreated, it’s more of a metabolic disorder than it is a reproductive one.
To explain, most women with PCOS will also have insulin resistance. This is when your body stops listening to the important message that insulin carries – to convert the sugar in your bloodstream into energy. Instead, it ignores the message and the sugar ends up converting into fat – the stubborn kind that tends to accumulate around your waist.
To date, doctors still don’t know the exact reason why some women will develop PCOS and others won’t. However, studies have shown that it tends to run in families.
Treat it to beat it
Obviously, there are many reasons as to why you might be gaining weight or battling to lose it. But if you’ve made all the right changes in terms of diet and exercise and still struggling, don’t discount PCOS. Not every sufferer will present with all the symptoms, so if you’re not experiencing excessive hair growth or waging a war with acne, it doesn’t mean you don’t have it. To know for sure, make an appointment to chat with your doctor. A few simple tests will be able to diagnose you and treatment could be as simple as a few lifestyle changes and medication. And yes, once you bring the balance back to your hormonal profile, you’re likely to shift the weight.
Regardless of what your doctor prescribes, you can also compliment your treatment with new Ovaria by Lamelle, an ovarian health nutritional supplement for women in their fertile era. It contains Myo-Inositol, a naturally occurring sugar that’s part of the vitamin B family in powder form to create a delicious tasting drink. You’ll also have two flavours to choose from – orange or peach. Whichever you choose, it’ll be able to normalise your blood insulin levels, regulate your androgen production and improve all the symptoms of PCOS. This means you’ll find it much easier to lose weight. Also, if you’re suffering from acne and excessive hair growth, it’ll help improve that too. It’ll also help with the PCOS symptoms you can’t see. For example, the ingredients in Ovaria are proven to enhance your fertility by increasing your ovulation rate in just 16 weeks!
The last word
If you’ve been doing everything possible to shift kilograms that just don’t seem to budge, consider the possibility that you might be one of many women suffering from PCOS. To know for sure, please make that doctor’s appointment. There are lots of things you can do to manage the condition and you can also enhance your treatment with Ovaria. It can help ease all your symptoms and yes, that includes losing weight. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to feel good again!