This is the secret reason you can't lose weight with PCOS:

INSULIN RESISTANCE

We have all heard the same thing, if you diet and exercise, the weight will just fall off.

But you have been eating clean, working your ass off at the gym, and when you step on the scale to see how your hard work is paying off you gasp in horror to see it hasn’t budged…AT ALL!

I’ve been in this exact position and let me tell you it sucks. You think ‘why should I even bother’. I’m doing everything I can and I’m not seeing any progress.

But there is an underlying issue to why you aren’t dropping those LBS. The reason you can’t lose weight is because you are insulin resistant.

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance is when a person’s body tissues have a lowered level of response to insulin. The hormone insulin plays a major role in the body by regulating the level of glucose or sugar in the body.

If you are insulin resistant your cells cannot take in the glucose and as a result, the level of the glucose in the blood remains high.

What are the symptoms of insulin resistance?

You can be insulin resistant and not exhibit any noticeable signs or symptoms.

Insulin resistance can be present for years before you actually know it.

But here are some signals that you should be cognizant of:

• You crave sugars and carbs.

• You have trouble with weight gain and difficulty losing it. If you are “apple-shaped” there is a very good chance that you are insulin resistant.

• You are sick frequently or easily get infections.

• You are always tired, like super tired, and a good night’s sleep doesn’t seem to help.

• You notice skin tags and a darkening of the skin especially around your neck.

When symptoms of insulin resistance do begin to appear it, they can materialize as high blood pressure, high levels of blood sugar, extreme thirst, frequent urination, discoloration of the skin, and weight gain especially when it is carried around the abdomen. If insulin resistance symptoms are not treated it can lead to diabetes.

If you want to learn more about insulin resistance symptoms and what you can do about them then check out the article 5 Signs You Are Insulin Resistant and What to Do About Them.

What causes insulin resistance?

While no one can exactly pinpoint what causes insulin resistance there are several factors that seem to contribute.

These factors include genetics, inflammation, obesity, low level of physical activity, age, other diseases and disorders, and certain medications.

With PCOS it isn’t clear if insulin resistance causes PCOS or if PCOS cause insulin resistance. It is kind of like the chicken or the egg theory.

 How do you manage insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance is a catch-22 in my opinion.

Weight loss usually helps with insulin resistance. I know what you are thinking…but insulin resistance makes weight loss difficult, so what I am supposed to do?

This is why it becomes hard to lose weight, but it is possible.

A modest weight loss of about 5-7% should increase insulin sensitivity.

The most effective insulin resistance treatment is with diet, exercise, and natural remedies and supplements.

Insulin Resistance Diet

Let’s start with diet. You can’t fuel the fire with empty calories and foods that are going to spike your blood sugars. That will only aggravate your symptoms and make your insulin resistance worse.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of foods that you need to avoid. Curious which foods are the worst offenders for women with PCOS and insulin resistance? These are some of the worst foods that you can eat if you are insulin resistant.

The name of the game with insulin resistance is eating foods that are slow to digest and that don’t cause blood sugar spikes. You want the body to convert the food you eat into energy not fat.

When making decisions about what to eat, think clean and mean. Avoid processed foods and anything with added sugars. If you can’t pronounce it, maybe you should skip it! Over 80% of pre-packaged foods contain added sweeteners.

Women with PCOS tend to do better when they follow a diet that is lower in carbs. You don’t have to go extremely low carb because that can negatively affect your menstrual cycle. A women typically needs around 150 grams of carbs a day to fuel the body and maintain a regular cycle.

It also is important to choose quality or complex carbs when you eat. Some great complex carbs to incorporate into your diet are chickpeas, quinoa, farro,and sweet potatoes. It is also important to include a generous amount of non-starchy vegetables into your diet like spinach, carrots, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, etc. Complex carbs and nonstarchy vegetables will keep you feeling satiated and keep your bloods sugar levels nice and stable.

Best Exercises for PCOS Weight Loss

Exercise is a critical component as well.

You should strive to get in movement every single day. This can include walking, hiking, swimming, biking, yoga, dance, or any other activity that keeps your body moving and limber.

Just keep moving! Sitting still is worse for your health than smoking.

While getting in some daily activity is important, what is more significant for women with insulin resistance PCOS is doing the right exercises that will aid in burning more fat and promotes insulin sensitivity.

Women with PCOS can benefit the most from HIIT and strength training. Studies show that HIIT can improve insulin resistance in women with PCOS.

To learn more about the benefits of HIIT for PCOS and get a sample workout, check out the article The Best Exercise for PCOS.

Vitamins and Supplements to Help Manage PCOS

As for natural remedies and supplements, there several options that can help improve insulin sensitivity.

The first natural remedy is tea. Teas are easy to incorporate and they taste great! What is even better is the fact that teas are affordable and you can easily make your own at home. Teas not only improve insulin sensitivity but they can help lower testosterone levels as well!

Check out my natural remedies bundle which includes recipes to make your own homemade teas to balance your blood sugars.

Supplements like vitamin D are another terrific option to take. Studies show that 3 out of 4 women with PCOS have a vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D is critical in egg quality and development when you are trying to conceive. It also helps with insulin, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels. Vitamin D is also important for improving mood. And women with PCOS are more likely to experience anxiety and depression.

A lot of doctors will recommend metformin to women with PCOS who are insulin resistant. But before you start taking it, you should do your research and find out the facts about metformin for PCOS.

There are four different natural alternatives to metformin that have been proven to be just as effective for lowering blood sugars.

My secret weapon for insulin resistance has been Ovasitol. Ovasitol is great at promoting insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS as well as regulating your cycle, and improving egg quality.

In my review of Ovasitol for PCOS, I address frequently asked questions about the supplement and I even share my experience with it.

Ready to manage your insulin resistance and lose weight?

As with any problem, half the battle is knowing what the issue is and the other half is implementing the solutions to fix the problem!

Diet, exercise, and supplementation is the best insulin resistance treatment before it gets out of control.

The PCOS Pounds Blastoff Plan will teach you how to manage insulin resistance and get you on track to shed the weight.

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