How to Get Rid of PCOS Belly?

A disorder known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hormone imbalance, irregular menstrual cycles, and/or the growth of tiny cysts on one or both ovaries. In adult women, this condition may affect up to 7% of them.

For women with PCOS, losing weight can be challenging due to the hormonal abnormalities, insulin resistance, and inflammatory response associated with this condition.

But in women with PCOS, even a little weight loss of around 5% can enhance insulin resistance, hormone levels, menstrual cycles, fertility, and general quality of life.

PCOS and Belly Fat

Women with PCOS tend to have high insulin levels or insulin resistance. When you have insulin resistance, your muscles, fat, and liver cells don’t respond effectively to insulin and have a hard time converting the blood’s glucose into energy.

Your pancreas produces extra insulin to make up for the loss. This further disrupts the control of weight and promotes fat storage.

Because of this, blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day. But even if you have PCOS, you may still lose belly fat and get a flat tummy.

All you have to do is continue living a healthy lifestyle and eating in accordance with your dietary needs.

How to get rid of PCOS belly

1. Mindful Eating

The practice of mindful eating encourages a greater awareness of internal indicators including craving, hunger, and fullness.

You might be able to treat your problematic eating habits, such as unhealthy eating, overeating, and emotional eating, with the use of this. 

Chewing food carefully, avoiding distractions like TV, phones, and computers, and having a break while eating are a few simple examples of mindful eating.

Make a note of how your body responds whether it is hungry or full; this will make it easier for you to recognize signs and obey what your body needs.

2. Exercise Regularly

By continuing your regular exercise regimen, you can lower your chance of developing diabetes and heart disease, overweight and irregular periods both of which are problems that women having PCOS are much more likely to develop.

According to studies, more than half of PCOS-affected women develop prediabetes or diabetes by age 40. 

Be sure to include cardio and strengthening exercises in your workouts, and alternate days of exercise with walking, jogging, weight lifting, or bodyweight activities.

Yoga, Pilates, and swimming are a few more excellent fitness options for PCOS-affected ladies. Do at least 30 to 40 minutes of exercise each day. Your body’s blood flow will be improved, and your heart rate will rise.

3. Manage Stress

Stress is reported to cause lower belly fat. Cortisol levels rise during stress. Weight gain and insulin resistance are brought on by high cortisol levels. Your risk of gaining PCOS belly fat is greatly increased by ongoing stress. 

A vicious loop is created when abdominal fat causes inflammation and also prompts your body to produce more cortisol.

To reduce cortisol levels, put your attention on stress-reduction techniques like yoga, meditation, and listening to calming music. It will assist you in losing abdominal fat and cultivating a good outlook to help you make better choices.

4. Reduce Carbohydrates

The ideal PCOS diet is one that encourages a healthy weight reduction by consuming fewer carbohydrates.

In women having PCOS, insulin resistance has been shown to be improved by a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet.

5. Low Glycaemic Index

The term “glycaemic index” refers to how quickly your blood glucose levels rise after consuming a certain food. Low GI meals are crucial for weight management since their slower sugar release benefits the body.

This demonstrates that good nutrition and weight loss are strongly correlated, particularly as it relates to PCOS.

This shows how important it is to pick low GI alternatives while consuming carbs (in lesser amounts), which is strongly tied to the decrease of carbs.

6. Chew Food Properly

Take your time chewing. Make sure to chew thoroughly before swallowing since digestion starts in the mouth with saliva and chewing!

It’s crucial to chewing your meal completely since doing so will improve the body’s digestion. Additionally, by chewing food more thoroughly, you give all of those nutrients a higher chance of being absorbed by slowing down the rate at which food reaches your stomach.

When chewing their meal, many people discover that they become fuller more quickly.

It is crucial to chewing food properly because if it is not, bacteria will start breaking down the food particles as soon as they enter our digestive system.

This can lead to a variety of health issues, including an increased chance of developing ulcers and indigestion, to which many individuals with PCOS are already prone.

You may reduce the likelihood of your food’s particles irritating or inflaming the linings of your intestines by chewing it thoroughly.

7. Increase Fiber Intake

When dealing with PCOS and attempting to reduce weight, it’s critical to keep up a high-fiber diet. Ghrelin, the hormone that alerts you once you are hungry or full, is produced by your stomach in a more controlled manner thanks to fiber.

This suggests that fiber can aid in controlling hunger. Increased intestinal motility brought on by fiber might help you feel fuller.

The key to this is eating a well-balanced diet, but adding fiber sources, such as beans, may also be beneficial assuming it doesn’t worsen things by causing digestive problems!

Drinking enough water and consuming your fiber alongside a good dose of protein can help you absorb it more effectively.

8. Limit Added Sugars

Similar to limiting processed meals, avoiding added sugars is absolutely essential. Any sugars or syrup that are introduced to food by the producer, cook, or customer are referred to as added sugars.

Syrup, white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and other sweeteners including molasses, cane juices, agave nectar, and honey are examples of added sugars. 

According to research, women with PCOS suffer higher blood sugar levels after ingesting an additional 20 grams of added sugar than those without the condition.

Those with PCOS produce more insulin while consuming 20 grams of added sugar than women without the condition.

9. Reduce Unhealthy Fats

You want to look at the bad fats, hydrogenated or trans fats, whether you’re attempting to reduce weight with PCOS or even just control most hormonal imbalances.

Avoid meals that contain harmful fats like trans or hydrogenated if you have PCOS. 

This decreases estrogen levels and may lessen your condition’s symptoms.

Because they don’t raise estrogen levels in women’s bodies, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are preferable for controlling hormone-sensitive diseases like PCOS. 

You have a larger probability of getting PCOS by consuming foods heavy in unhealthy fats, which also raise your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Trans fats go through processing to make them solidify at room temperature. When liquid vegetable or animal oils are combined, trans fats are produced.

The trans fat that is produced during this procedure, known as hydrogenation, is the most harmful kind of fat for your health.

10. Protein Rich Foods

The basic structure of life is protein. Because it contains all nine essential amino acids required to develop muscle and other body components, protein is crucial for a balanced diet. 

Protein helps PCOS-affected women lose weight by increasing satiety and by promoting fat burning.

If a PCOS woman wants to reduce weight, eating high-protein meals like eggs, meat, and fish is a wonderful suggestion.

11. Increase Fermented Food

It has been discovered that good physiology and weight maintenance are significantly influenced by gut flora.

We now understand that gut bacteria can help with weight reduction because they play a role in the synthesis of vitamins and short-chain fatty acids, among other substances.

Eating fermented foods, which all contain beneficial probiotic microbes, such as kimchi, kefir, or sauerkraut, is one method to improve your consumption.

The best PCOS supplement is another option for PCOS patients who want to lose weight. It has been demonstrated that specific probiotic strains can aid in weight loss.

It’s crucial to bear in mind that gut flora plays a crucial role in both maintaining your health and helping people with PCOS lose weight. If at all possible, I would advise taking one or two high-quality probiotic capsules every day and consuming a lot of fermented foods.

12. Increase Good Sleep

In PCOS-affected women, sleep is crucial to general health and weight reduction. In fact, lack of sleep is a major contributor to people’s failure to lose weight

Losing even a few hours a night can result in considerable weight gain and increased appetite, which causes unintentional overeating. Additionally, the research supports this.

Reduce your coffee intake (particularly in the evening) and read books prior to actually sleeping rather than posting on social media or watching Netflix as some strategies to enhance your sleep.

Because sleep is so crucial if, at all possible, I urge you to start going to bed earlier than normal. For instance, try going to bed one hour earlier every night for two weeks in a row before attempting to return to your regular bedtime.

You’ll see a difference!

Gobinath

Gobinath is a Content Writer at Solvve, He specializes in guest blogging, blog publishing, and social media marketing. He is an avid reader and loves writing impeccable content pertaining to digital marketing.

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