Tracking your lifestyle changes
Tracking your lifestyle changes
What should I track to see progress?
Hello beautiful people,
How was your week? Some of you might struggle with hay fever this time of the year, so if you feel less energy than usual, be kind to yourself and consume plenty of Vitamin D and Vitamin C.
I am currently running research on how women with PCOS manage this condition. I would be grateful if you’d be up for a 30-minute chat with me. Kindly book a slot that works for you here.
Last week, we discussed how tracking symptoms can help us understand and manage PCOS better. This week, we're exploring three key areas that could serve as a starting point to start tracking:
Energy level
Mood
Weight
Monitoring these three areas of PCOS may be beneficial because they can sometimes impact our ability to begin or sustain lifestyle changes. They also serve as valuable tools for monitoring the impact of these lifestyle changes.
This newsletter has been predominately written by Registered Nutritionist Yancy Jensen, who is an absolute star.
Embarking on lifestyle changes to manage PCOS involves a holistic approach targeting blood sugar regulation, weight management, and overall well-being. These changes include making dietary adjustments and increasing physical activity, improving metabolic and reproductive health.
However, it's essential to understand how these symptoms impact daily activities and, consequently, the ability to adopt healthier habits. Feeling tired or experiencing mood swings can often sabotage our efforts to start or sustain these new routines, which can often lead to self-judgment and blame. When we’re in this loop, it can worsen the situation and further compromise our well-being.
Let’s look at these three symptoms a little bit more closely so that we can see how tracking them can assist us in starting and sustaining lifestyle changes:
Energy levels
The hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS may result in low energy levels. This might be due to insulin resistance when the body's cells fail to respond to insulin efficiently. This can lead to unstable blood glucose levels, so you might find yourself craving foods high in sugar.
Understanding the fluctuating nature of energy levels is important when managing PCOS. These fluctuations can impact food choices, motivation and productivity throughout the day.
By consistently tracking energy patterns, we can identify optimal times for implementing lifestyle modifications, ensuring better adherence to routines and enhancing overall well-being.
Scheduling activities during peak energy increases productivity and effectiveness in addressing PCOS symptoms. For example, if we have more energy in the morning, we might plan our exercise routine or essential tasks to capitalise on our productivity.
We also know that the afternoon slump is very real! By tracking our energy levels we can learn to anticipate it by having a balanced meal that provides sustained energy release. Alternatively, we can prepare a healthy snack to avoid reaching for sugary foods, which can leave us feeling even more fatigued and trapped in a cycle of craving more sugar. See our 5 day PCOS Meal Plan for ideas.
One approach to tracking energy levels is using a scale between 1-10, with 1 feeling low in energy and 10 high in energy. You can then rate your energy levels at different times of the day. Recognising patterns in energy fluctuations can provide valuable insights into when to schedule activities.
Mood
Another hallmark of PCOS is mood swings, which can significantly influence lifestyle choices and adherence to healthy habits. By monitoring mood changes we can pinpoint triggers and develop coping strategies to avoid throwing in the towel when we don’t feel like doing things.
We are, unfortunately, at a higher risk of experiencing depression, anxiety, and perceived stress compared to those without the condition. This finding is significant because it highlights the increased risk of mental health challenges among us. This is not something to be scared of, but something to be aware of to catch things early. This proactive approach can help manage these things proactively.
One approach to tracking mood is using a scale between 1-10, with 1 feeling low mood and 10 very good mood. You can then rate your moods at different times of the day. Recognising patterns in your mood can provide valuable insights into when to schedule activities.
Additionally, comparing mood patterns to our energy levels can reveal helpful connections between the two, allowing for even more strategic planning of activities. For example, if our mood tends to dip when our energy is low, we can plan mood-boosting activities during times of higher energy to counteract this effect. Similarly, recognising how certain activities impact our mood and energy levels can help us make more informed decisions about how to structure our day.
It’s all a management game.
Weight
This is more relevant for those who have weight to lose, not the lean PCOS girlies.
While weight loss is often one of the goals in PCOS management, it's important to acknowledge it’s only an outcome and not a reflection of one's worth. Tracking weight can carry significant emotional weight, especially for those with a history of negative experiences with scales. Focusing solely on the number can adversely affect self-esteem, influencing mood and self-perception, potentially leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms like emotional eating. However, tracking weight can provide additional insights into the effects of lifestyle changes. It's important to view weight tracking as just one of many tools for assessing progress. Equally important is tracking other behavioural changes, such as meal balance and exercise frequency.
If you’re ready to start tracking these three areas to help understand and keep track of your PCOS you might consider keeping track of these changes in a notes section of your phone. This tool also lets you jot down your activities throughout the day and evening. Alternatively, a spreadsheet with columns for the date and these three areas can provide a structured format for recording your daily events. This practice is an excellent tool for reviewing your day, offering a snapshot of your daily routines and experiences.
Remember, it’s important to track these factors regularly but not obsessively. Think of it as taking a snapshot to understand where you are with things and whether you need to make an adjustment or understand the impact of something rather than a lifelong commitment. If you find tracking to be too much work, you might consider doing it for two weeks every three months to notice how things are changing. You can dip in and out of tracking as needed, adjusting frequency based on your goals and progress.
Additionally, tracking can be a collaborative effort—you can work with a nutritionist or healthcare professional to interpret the data and make informed decisions about treatment and lifestyle changes. This collaborative approach ensures that tracking remains a tool for empowerment and informed decision-making rather than a source of stress or obsession.
See you next Sunday,
Francesca
Gu, Y., Zhou, G., Zhou, F., Wu, Q., Ma, C., Zhang, Y., Ding, J., & Hua, K. (2022). Life modifications and PCOS: Old story but new tales. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.808898