Several strategies may help people with PCOS lose weight.
PCOS affects your body’s secretion and use of insulin.
Your cells becomeresistant to insulinsignals, prompting your pancreas to produce even more insulin.
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This is known as insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance.
Too much insulin promotes fat storage or weight gain, mostly in your midsection.
Treatment options for PCOSare typically aimed at reducing insulin levels and involve diet modifications, exercise, and medications.
Youre Hungrier
As part of promoting fat storage, insulin acts as an appetite-stimulating hormone.
Strong, intensecravingsare reported in women who are insulin-resistant.
High levels of insulin could explain why some people with PCOS experience more hunger.
Levels of the appetite-regulating hormonesghrelin,cholecystokinin, andleptinhave been shown to be impaired in women with PCOS.
Dysfunctional levels of these hormones may stimulate hunger in people with PCOS.
That encourages you to eat more and makes it difficult to manage weight.
A 2010 study compared two groups of women with PCOS.
Where they differed was theglycemic index(GI) of the foods they ate.
The glycemic index indicates how much each food increases blood sugar.
Metformin for Weight Loss
Metformin improves insulin sensitivity and helps control blood sugar.
A recent review of eight studies found high protein diets may benefit women with PCOS by improving insulin resistance.
This results in daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, and weight gain.
The more severe sleep apnea is, the higher the risk of impaired glucose tolerance.
Summary
PCOS can make your body resistant to insulin, causing your pancreas to make more insulin.
That extra insulin promotes fat storage and increases hunger, which can cause weight gain.
Other hormones that regulate hunger and fullness can also be affected by PCOS.
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