If you currently suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome you will understand the impact it can have your health. Between the infertility, irregular periods, and weight gain, it can place a significant strain on your health.

But what if there was a way to reduce the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome, while improving infertility?

Well, there is, through weight loss and the effective management of our macronutrient and calorie intake.

In this article, we discuss the best macros for PCOS weight loss. We cover each macronutrients, their purpose in the body, sample meals plans, and nutrition tracking tips for safe and successful PCOS weight loss.

Understanding PCOS and Weight Loss Challenges

Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects 6%--10% of women of reproductive age. This is when a large number of harmless underdeveloped sacs are unable to release an egg, resulting in ovulation not taking place.

Characterized by period irregularity, weight gain, irregular hair growth, and oily skin. It is often genetic and can result from abnormal hormone levels such as elevated insulin or androgens (testosterone) levels, or being overweight. Fortunately, there are many interventions for these symptoms, one being weight loss.

Carrying additional weight and obesity can raise insulin levels. Weight loss through correct nutrition and physical activity is one of the most effective ways of reducing symptoms and is often recommended before infertility treatment.

While this can be an effective method of treatment, many women with polycystic ovaries struggle with sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, lack of support, and education to effectively lose weight.

The Importance of Macronutrient Balance for PCOS

Weight loss is considered to be a readily available course of action for addressing polycystic ovarian syndrome. This can be achieved by adjusting macronutrient intake to balance energy levels and mood while improving satiety for greater weight loss.

Evidence indicates that women who suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome share similar dietary behavior. Unhealthy processed foods, with high-fat, low-fiber Western nutritional patterns were linked to an increased risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Balanced macronutrient intake consisting of complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats ensures that our bodies have consistent energy. Complex carbohydrates provide us with slow-release energy and fiber, which can improve fullness. Protein can improve satiety, preserve lean muscle mass, and increase metabolism. Healthy fats act as a fuel source and protect the heart and brain while reducing inflammation, anxiety, and depression.).

Therefore, macronutrient balance helps stabilize hunger, energy levels, and mood, removing the barriers to successful weight loss.

Recommended Macronutrient Ratios for PCOS Weight Loss

Balancing macronutrient ratios is an essential part of weight loss. Evidence suggests that the energy-restricted low-glycemic index diet was beneficial for women suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome, decreasing weight, and insulin resistance while improving menstrual irregularities. This diet focuses on creating a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day while consuming low-GI carbohydrates, which provide slow-release energy, with the following macronutrient breakdown:

• Carbohydrates: 50% of total calorie intake
• Protein: 20% of total calorie intake
• Fat: 20% of total calorie intake

Below, we discuss optimal carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake, and their role in weight loss for polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Protein: Supporting Satiety and Muscle Maintenance

Dietary protein is essential for weight loss, keeping us full and preserving muscle mass. During an energy-restricted low-glycemic index diet, the reduced daily calorie intake can lead to increased hunger and a gradual loss of muscle mass.

Unaddressed hunger can lead to binging and unsustainable diets. Meanwhile, decreased muscle mass can reduce our resting energy expenditure, meaning we burn fewer calories at rest.

Because of this, we must prioritize protein to maintain skeletal muscle mass, satiety, and our metabolism. For context, the recommended daily intake of protein is approximately 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, per day. However, for someone in a calorie deficit, this should be increased to 1.8 g protein/kg/day.

To achieve this, we recommend consuming approximately 25–30g of protein per meal. This will keep you fuller for longer, preserving muscle mass, and boosting your metabolism.

Carbohydrates: Choosing Low-Glycemic Options

Weight loss for polycystic ovarian syndrome requires complex carbohydrates and low-glycemic index foods. The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on how they affect blood sugar with a scale ranging between 1 to 100. Low-GI foods (between 1-55) provide a slow release of energy, while high-GI foods (between 70-100) offer a fast release of energy.

The glycemic index range:

• Low GI: 1 to 55 = Slow-release energy
• Medium GI: 56 to 69 = Moderate energy release
• High GI: 70 to 100 = Fast-release energy

In this diet, low-GI, complex carbohydrates make up approximately 50% of our daily calorie intake, and provide a slow release of energy, stabilizing blood sugar levels. This is excellent for weight loss, meaning fewer energy spikes, and cravings.

Furthermore, these foods contain dietary fiber, a non-digestible carbohydrate that improves satiety, promoting good gut bacteria, and improving regularity. Due to these factors and the benefits surrounding weight management, they are closely associated with the decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and diabetes.

Below is a list of Low-GI complex carbohydrates:

Fats: Prioritizing Healthy Fats for Hormone Balance

Healthy fats are vital for our polycystic ovarian syndrome diet. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is associated with long-term metabolic and cardiovascular disease, resulting in low-grade inflammation. This is made worse by additional body fat which can increase inflammation while inducing insulin resistance.

Healthy fats play a major role in our body, providing energy, absorbing vital nutrients, supporting cell growth, and protecting the heart and brain. Additionally, healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids can reduce inflammation, while reducing the risk and symptoms of heart disease and arthritis.

These properties can alleviate the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome, and improve quality of life.

Adjusting Calories and Macros Based on Individual Needs

A major factor that effects our calorie and macronutrient intake during a low-glycemic diet is our activity level. As mentioned, weight loss being one of the best ways to manage polycystic ovarian syndrome by creating a calorie deficit. This is consuming fewer calories than we are burning, forcing our body to burn stored fat for energy. Setting our deficit below our resting energy expenditure enables us to lose weight without the need for additional exercise.

However, many people will participate in an exercise session to burn additional calories, build muscle, and improve strength and function. Whether this is completed in the form of gentle exercise, cardio, or resistance training, consideration for energy and protein intake are a must to maintain energy levels, perform workouts and preserve muscle mass.

Reverse Health can help you determine your daily calorie intake based on your age, sex, weight, and activity level, helping your create a calorie deficit which matches activity level.

During the energy-retricted low glycemic diet an increase in dietary protein may be required to preserve muscle mass. For those strictly undertaking a calorie deficit, protein is essential as weight loss without exercise can lead to loss of muscle mass, strength, and function.

For individuals undergoing a calorie deficit in conjunction with resistance training to build lean muscle they will need higher levels of protein to repair damaged muscle tissue and for muscle growth. There should also be an focus on increasing carbohydrate intake to fuel workouts. This will require an increase in daily calorie intake to create a smaller calorie deficit to ensure their is sufficient protein and carbohydrates.

Sample Daily Meal Plan for PCOS Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss and creating a calorie deficit we first need to address our nutrition, reducing calorie-dense food options, and increasing nutrient-dense foods.

While it is possible to create a calorie deficit with calorie-dense foods, they will use more of your daily calorie intake, with fewer nutrition benefits. Changing these for nutrient-dense foods ensures we are providing our body wth complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats.

Below we provide sample nutrient-dense meal plans loaded with essentiall vitamins and minerals to help you lose weight.

Breakfast: High-Protein, Low-Glycemic Options

• Poached eggs with broccoli, tomatoes, and wholemeal flatbread
• Baked eggs with basil, tomato, mushroom, rocket, and wholegrain toast]
• Porridge blueberry compote with Greek yogurt and honey

Lunch: Balanced Plate with Lean Protein and Healthy Fats

• Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl with garlic, red pepper, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, olive oil
• Cucumber-Chicken Green Goddess Whole-wheat Wrap with cream cheese, carrot, green salad, avocado, lemon juice, parsley,
• Roast Salmon Rice Bowl with Beets and Brussel Sprouts
• Chickepea tuna salad with capers, shallots, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, cucumber, feta cheese, chopped dill, and olive oil

Dinner: Fiber-Rich, Nutrient-Dense Choices

• Grilled chicken and brocolli with peanut butter, red pepper, onion, garlic, tamari, rice vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch, and sesame seeds
• Salmon stuffed avocados with Greek yogurt, celery, parsley, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard
• Crispy-skinned chicken, roast potatoes and watercress stuffing

Snack Ideas: Maintaining Energy and Blood Sugar Stability

• Protein balls with oats, flaxseeds, cinnamon
• Green Smoothie with banana, maca powder, dates, almond butter, spinach, flaxseeds, and cinnamon
• Peanut butter and date oat pots with cinnamon, and vanilla extract
• Curried turkey lettuce wraps with Greek yogurt, raisins, tomato puree, sunflower seeds

Tips for Tracking Macros and Staying Consistent

Healthy recipes are a great way to add variety to your low-glycemic diet for polysystci ovarian syndrome. However, we need to track our calorie and macronutrient intake .to ensure the success of our diet. Below, we share our top tips for tracking macros and staying consistent.

Use Nutrition Tracking App

First thing we need to do it download a nutrition tracking app. These are a game-changer for anyone want to regain control of their health. In the pre-smartphone era, personal trainers and clients manually logged meal using pen, paper, and personal computers, where the stigma of calorie counting likely began.

Now, we have access to apps containing large food databases complete with calorie, macronutrient, and micronutrient information. These applications streamline the tracking process, allowing us to set goals, and daily calorie and macronutrient targets. Best of all, they remember your favourite and common foods enabling you to easily log your foods.

Investing in an app such as Reverse Health helps you tune your diet, ensuring that your are doing everything you can to hit your goal weight while maintaining energy levels and muscle mass.

Set Realistic Goals and Manage Expectations

Setting realistic goals can make or break your weight loss journey. Time and again, many people have set out with grand ideas of major weight loss in a short time, only to be discouraged when they don’t come close.

In theory, weight loss, calorie deificts, energy expenditures are a simple numerical formula. However, like progress in area of life, it is not linear. This is why we need to set realistic goals, and manage our expectations.

Sure, there will be weeks where you lose more than expected. For these weeks, celebrate the win, then identify key elements and what you did right. For those weeks where the weight isn’t shifting, do the same. Allow yourself to be frustrated, then switch off and Identify what may have impacted your progress.

While there isn’t always a logical answer to why the weight isn’t moving, we always use a logical solution. During this time, remove the emotion, review your calorie and macronutrient intake, your workouts. Adjust, then try again.

Reflect on Progress

One the most underrated aspects of tracking our training and nutrition is the ability to reflect on our progress. Whether it is tracking our weight, measurements, or workouts, we often pay close attention to the steps we take with each session. However, when things don’t go to plan, we panic, and forget how far we have come, which can leave us fill disappointed and frustrated.

Reflecting on nutrition and training progress is a powerful motivational tool. It allows us ot take a step back and uses irrefutable numeral data illustrating just how far we have come during our journey, which can spur us toward our next major milestone.

Avoid Overcommitment

Overcommitting to your workout is one of the quickest ways to derail your weight loss and wellness journey. In the beginning it can be tempting to launch into our programs, hitting the gym every day, joining additional classes, and undertaking an overly restrictive diet. However, it won’t be long before the drive begins to wane, as our energy levels and motivation decline.

The best thing we can do to ensure sustainable weight loss it to make our plan that we can perform consistently for long period of time. While it can be tempting to go all-out, it will likely just burn your out. By programming a manageable exercise and diet, you will be able to slowly lose weight, and build muscle, while developing the healthy lifestyle you have always dreamed of..

Recap: Achieving Sustainable Weight Loss with the Right Macros

Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects 6%-10% of women of reproductive age, manifesting in irregular periods, infertility, weight gain, and poor sleep. While direct treatment is not readily avaiable, there are many ways to reduce symptoms, one of course being a healthy lifestyle change and weight loss.

By shedding excess body weight, we can improve ovulation, pregnacy rates, and insulin sensitivity, while reducing low-grade inflammation and the onset of chronic illness.

If you are interested in trying the energy-restricted low glycemic diet, be to to:

• Eat nutrient-dense whole foods
• Eat 25–30g of protein each meal
• Consume fiber-rich complex carbohydrates
• Track your nutrition
• Set realistic goals
• Reflect on your progress

Follow these recommendations and you will be well on your way to regaining control of your weight, and addressing the symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome.

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