PCOS

I don't know if any of you know what PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is but it was something I was diagnosed with this year. PCOS is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance. It can cause problems with your periods and make it difficult to get pregnant. PCOS may also cause unwanted changes in the way you look. If it is not treated, over time it can lead to serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. For me, the main issues were infertility and weight fluctuations. I don’t metabolize my food correctly either which also spikes my weight gain. Now I am not using this as a copout but it does help me understand my body a little better.

When I was younger, I was fit when I played sports. I could eat what I wanted because I was so active but as soon as the sports season would end, I would gain weight again. This has been the cycle of my life. I was never diagnosed even through the days when my husband and I were trying to have a baby. At that time my blood work came back fine and my cycles were normal. It wasn’t until after we had our twin girls using fertility treatments and I breastfed them that my hormones went crazy. My cycles became really long and I was finally diagnosed and given medication to help regulate my body.

Some of the symptoms of PCOS include:

·         Acne – check, I had this all through my teens and still to this day.

·         Weight gain and trouble losing weight – check

·         Extra hair on the body and face. Often women get thicker and darker facial hair and  more hair on the chest, belly, and back. – Check

·         Irregular periods. Often women with PCOS have fewer than nine periods a year. Some women have no periods. Others have very heavy bleeding. – Check – mine are heavy and can last 14 days without medication

·         Fertility problems – check took fertility measures for us to get pregnant.

·         Most women with PCOS grow many small cysts on their ovaries. That is why it is called polycystic ovary syndrome. The cysts are not harmful but lead to hormone imbalances.

So knowing all this, I have to be healthy and stay healthy to avoid more health problems that my body is prone to if I don’t take care of myself. So once again, I have another reason for me to adopt this healthy lifestyle and not just diet for weight loss.