PCOS and Holiday Eating

PCOS BlogComments about food and weight seem to be an all-time high this week. One minute I’m reading posts from people who are complaining about holiday eating and weight gain; the next minute I hear people talking about New Year’s resolutions, health goals, weight loss, etc. What worries me about this type of food and weight chatter is that it always seems to be really negative. When people talk about how they ate over the holidays, they use words like “guilty” and “gross” more than words like “joyful” and “delicious”. December comes only once a year, so I hope you were able to enjoy your favorite holiday foods. If you did happen to do some overeating this past week, don’t be too hard on yourself. Feeling guilty doesn’t help you make healthier choices.

Living a healthy lifestyle and managing PCOS is about what you do on a daily basis throughout the year, so it doesn’t make sense to worry too much about a cookie-filled week or two. Don’t try to “undo” holiday eating by skipping meals or following a super strict diet. These types of approaches to weight loss almost always backfire – trust me. Instead, just focus on getting back on track with regular, healthy living. For girls with PCOS (or anyone else for that matter) healthy living means eating well, staying active, getting enough sleep, and managing stress. Take good care of yourself and focus on the positive this New Year!

-Dietitian Kendrin