New Year’s Day marks a time when we feel compelled to make resolutions and right at the top of the list is weight loss. Why is it that people feel pressured to commit to losing weight in January?  Heck, even the department stores are cashing in on this phenomenon.  Every single store ad that I looked at on NY day was running the “Biggest Sale of the Year” on treadmills, exercise clothing, or diet pills. Gyms and health clubs are also banking on a surge of new memberships.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s important to manage your weight and be active for all of the right health reasons, but I just can’t wrap my head around why people feel this pressure on January 1^st more than any other time of the year.  When you have PCOS, managing your weight is a challenge 365 days a year and there is no magic diet, pill or exercise that will make you drop weight quickly and keep it off.  Girls like us with PCOS have to learn to make healthy food choices based on a low glycemic diet. It’s not rocket science but it can be complicated to understand. It wasn’t until I asked my doctor for a referral to meet with a dietitian that it all come together for me. I met with a dietitian who helped me understand so much like what a glycemic index is and what foods were PCOS friendly.  We met every week for a while and I kept a log of what I was eating. Meeting with a dietitian changed my life!  My weight loss didn’t happen overnight and I am still learning how to keep it off but I feel so much better and most of all I am able to manage my weight.  She also told me that I didn’t have to join a gym that I could find an activity that I enjoyed which was a huge relief. I like to dance so a couple of times a day I close my bedroom door, blast music and get a good workout.

If you have PCOS and are having trouble managing your weight, please consider making your NY resolution about meeting with a dietitian. PCOS is frustrating in so many ways! We need all the help we can get to understand how to deal with it! Depending on your health coverage, you may need a referral from your primary care provider. Take care and I wish you good health in 2017!

-Georgia