Is it harder to lose weight with PCOS?
Is it harder to lose weight with PCOS?
Is it harder for us?
Hello everyone,
How is your week going? I am in beautiful Bordeaux this weekend, sipping wine in the countryside and questioning why I live in London. The nature, the culture, and the more relaxed lifestyle make me think about what life is truly about: enjoying the simple things.
This week, we are discussing a topic that intrigues many of you.
Is it harder to lose weight with PCOS?
The short answer is not entirely, but there are more challenges we need to face.
When was the last time you went to see your doctor, and they recommended weight loss as a way of treating PCOS? It’s something we hear all the time, and it's frustrating to get that advice, especially when we might already be making conscious efforts towards it.
I know first-hand the frustrations that come with trying to lose weight. It can feel like an uphill battle, especially when putting in so much effort and seeing minimal shifts on the scales.
It can be frustrating to work hard at watching what we eat and exercise but then only see the scales move a tiny bit, maybe just by a kilo, over a long period. Why does it feel so tough?
Plus, we're constantly bombarded with conflicting advice and unrealistic expectations, leaving us feeling discouraged and disheartened. Despite our best efforts, the numbers on the scale may refuse to budge, leading us to question whether our struggles with weight loss are unique to PCOS or simply a challenge faced by many. But is it harder?
Insulin resistance may make it harder
We're already aware of the hormonal imbalances we face, particularly with insulin resistance. When the cells in the body become less responsive to insulin, this leads to elevated insulin levels in the bloodstream, which increase our hunger and cravings, especially for high-carbohydrate and sugary foods. The more we consume these foods without using them for energy, the more likely they are to be stored as fat.
Movement
Additionally, most of us aren’t moving as much as we think, and our sedentary lifestyles play a significant role in this cycle. When we don’t move as much, we aren't burning off the excess energy from the foods we eat, which means more of it gets stored as fat. This fat accumulation, especially around the abdomen, further complicates weight loss efforts.
Our fluctuating mood
Beyond the physiological aspects, fluctuating hormone levels can impact our moods and zap our energy, making it difficult to maintain motivation for healthy eating habits and regular exercise and making it harder to lose weight. Additionally, we may even use food as a way of coping with our mood and lack of energy—typically turning to foods high in carbs and sugars, which can lead to cycles of overeating and weight gain.
What science says
So, how do we compare to women without PCOS? Despite the tendency for women with PCOS to gain more weight, studies show that women with and without PCOS can achieve similar weight loss results and have comparable resting metabolic rates. In other words, PCOS doesn't make it harder for your body to burn calories and lose weight, but it might require more work to make it happen.
This suggests that the real challenges when it comes to losing weight with PCOS arise with managing insulin resistance, the associated hunger and cravings, and mood/energy fluctuations that may impact eating behaviours and, thereby, eating habits.
The deal with appetite
However, an additional challenge appears as we start to lose weight, which may explain why it’s difficult to lose weight in general, whether you have PCOS or not. A study found that for every kilogram of weight lost, energy intake tends to increase by approximately 100 calories per day.
This means that as you lose weight, your body may start to compensate by making you feel hungrier, leading you to eat more. This mechanism can make it challenging to maintain weight loss because even though you're eating more, your body burns fewer calories due to the weight loss. This can ultimately slow your weight loss or even lead to weight regain if you're not careful.
This suggests that it’s possible to lose weight when you have PCOS. Still, the unique challenges due to factors such as insulin resistance and mood fluctuations can make it harder on top of the changes in appetite that come with losing weight. It’s a lot to juggle and keep on top of on top of an already busy lifestyle.
It's essential to recognise that despite the aforementioned challenges we face with losing weight with PCOS, there are also other various factors, including biological, psychosocial, educational, and environmental influences, that can also impact our ability to lose weight.
We know that sustainable weight loss treatments are important for long-term success and to support people in overcoming the challenges summarised here. Fad diets offer short-term solutions but often fail to produce sustainable results. Even the best short-term plans won't keep working without ongoing help and support. Weight loss programmes must last for at least a year to be effective.
I have written some of my Weight loss principles in this article. However, if you want more tailored weight loss support, our PCOS Clinic is now open and taking one-to-one consultations. You can book a discovery call here → https://calendly.com/francesca-the-pcos-clinic/pcos-research-call.
See you next Sunday,
Francesca ❤️
Hall, K.D., Kahan, S. (2018). Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity. Med Clin North Am, 102(1):183-197.
Lim, S., Smith, C.A., Costello, M.F., MacMillan, F., Moran, L. and Ee, C. (2019). Barriers and facilitators to weight management in overweight and obese women living in Australia with PCOS: a qualitative study. BMC Endocr Disord, 19(1):106.
Polidori, D., Sanghvi, A., Seeley, R.J. and Hall, K.D. (2016). How Strongly Does Appetite Counter Weight Loss? Quantification of the Feedback Control of Human Energy Intake. Obesity, 24(11):2289-2295.