Many advocates tout fasting's weight-loss, insulin-management, metabolic-health, and other anti-aging health benefits. While these effects can benefit both men and women, intermittent fasting may be an especially useful dietary strategy for women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (commonly known as PCOS).
At a high level, intermittent fasting helps optimize metabolism, balance hormones, reduce overeating, decrease fat storage in the body, reduce weight gain and improve overall health. Some patients will pair intermittent fasting with a ketogenic diet to expedite their results.
Be Careful When Fasting for Over 16 Hours
Limiting eating to 10-12 hours a day is likely to provide benefits. This is a good level of fasting for many women with PCOS.
For women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), losing weight can help ease symptoms and regulate your periods.
If you are intermittent fasting, your large meals cause Hyperinsulinemia (excess insulin in blood). Hyperinsulinemia increases androgen production, which intensify the clinical effects of PCOS!
“It's not OK to binge the whole day on only sugars. Sugar can be a part of the cheat day meal plan but can't be the sole choice of food. Especially for people with health conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol, blood pressure and PCOS as even small indulgences can have larger effects on health.
Eat 3 meals/day.
Skipping meals can also lead to overeating. These things put additional stress on your body and can contribute to worsening PCOS symptoms by amplifying blood sugar and cortisol issues. In general, I recommend eating about every 3-5 hours throughout the day to support stable blood sugar and hormones.
Acute fasting leads to rapid cystic cell death, and reduced cyst and kidney size in polycystic kidneys.
Tips To Reduce Hormonal Belly Fat Effectively
Time-Restricted Eating: This is a type of intermittent fasting where you restrict your eating window to a specific time period each day. For example, you may only eat during an 8-hour window and fast for the remaining 16 hours.
Two ways for women to reap the benefits of intermittent fasting without the side effects of hormone imbalance include the 5:2 fasting method, and the 12, 14, or 16-hour fast.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be managed. Treatment options can vary because someone with PCOS may experience a range of symptoms, or just 1.
Intermittent fasting has become an increasingly popular method for managing PCOS symptoms in recent years. Studies are ongoing, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that it can be helpful for some women with PCOS.
Don't skip meals.
Eating regular, well-balanced meals will help keep your hormones in balance, a necessity for those with PCOS. A great way to manage blood sugar levels and weight gain is to build a plate that serves up a combination of food types – vegetables, protein, and starchy grains.
Many women skip breakfast as they desperately try to lose weight. Consuming less food doesn't always translate into weight loss especially in PCOS. It increases and complicates the insulin resistance (which is one of the root causes of PCOS) and aggravates hormonal imbalance.
Many women with PCOS have insulin resistance. This means the body can't use insulin well. Insulin levels build up in the body and may cause higher androgen levels. Obesity can also increase insulin levels and make PCOS symptoms worse.
Fried foods (French fries, potato chips, corn chips and fried chicken or fish) Saturated fats such as butter or margarine. Red meat, including hamburgers, roast beef and steaks, processed luncheon meat and hot dogs. Processed snacks: cakes, cookies, candy and pies.
Myth #2: If You Lose Weight, You Can Get Rid of PCOS
Unfortunately, there is no cure for PCOS, but overweight and obese women can help balance their hormone levels by losing weight. Otherwise, treatment is aimed at managing symptoms. A wide range of treatment options can help prevent any potential problems.
Lea Michele
The Glee star has opened up about being diagnosed with PCOS after experiencing severe acne and fluctuating weight. “The side effects [of PCOS] can be brutal — like weight gain and bad skin,” Lea shared with Health. “I went to a great doctor, and the minute she looked at me, she was like, 'Oh, you have PCOS.