Understanding PCOS

I've decided to turn my focus in life to my PCOS.  Understanding it.  I was diagnosed with PCOS at 14 but didn't really understand what it was and birth control fixed all the issues I had with it (most notably infrequent and very painful periods), so I just took that as it was all better.  WRONG!  Birth control masks the problem but doesn't take care of it.  It's still there, this ugly little monster.  Until we wanted to start our family, I didn't fully understand what PCOS meant.



Now I've turned my sights to understanding what PCOS is, what causes it, and how I can help myself.  For instance, did you know that women with PCOS are twice as likely to be obese and also have extreme difficulty losing weight?  Did you know that women with PCOS are twice as likely to have gestational diabetes (hey, wow, there it is!), Type 2 diabetes, and/or heart disease?  I'm learning HOW important it is to start taking care of myself NOW when I can reverse these issues by healthy eating, exercise, and stress management.  These are things that no one ever REALLY explained to me.

I knew I had an insulin resistance (yup, another side effect of PCOS) and that managing that would be extremely beneficial, but I thought that was just for getting pregnant.  And why bother when I'm seeking fertility treatments and they are helping?  I knew losing weight would help (or could negate) fertility treatments, but I was having such a hard time losing weight and was SO frustrated with that never ending battle.  Being pregnant with gestational diabetes, I started healthier eating habits that, omg, are the same that I should be incorporating for my insulin resistance!  That should help! :)

Now, I'm determined to become the healthiest person I can be for any future children we might consider.  And maybe, just maybe, we won't have to use fertility drugs next time.  And maybe, just maybe, I'll have a healthier pregnancy with a better outcome (this is why I'm truly focusing on this now, let's be serious).  To top it off, I'm going to focus on being a healthier person in general so that I can have a healthier and longer life.

One great book I found has 10 steps to altering your diet.  They tell you to focus on one for a few days to a week at a time (in order) until you've accomplished all 10 steps.  I'm going to use that plan and set one goal each week for each of the three areas that can affect my overall health in relation to my PCOS: diet, exercise, and stress management.  I am going to post the goals (and my progress) here so that I have allllll of you to hold me accountable.  Sundays will mark a good day for me to do this, I think!

This week's goals...

Diet: Eat five meals a day with 2-3 hours between each-breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner. (I will note I've been horrible about this one today, but waking up at 11 AM doesn't particularly help the morning snack situation).

Exercise: Go for at least a 20 minute walk 4 times this week. The eventual goal will to be to get up to 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, but I figure let's start small.  Especially still recovering from my C-section, I need to take it a little easier!

Stress Management: Spend at least 10 minutes each day journaling (private journal rather than blog). Use as a way to express all the pent up feelings that I am not comfortable blogging about for the world to see.

I think these are pretty feasible goals...I'm creating a checklist for myself that I'm going to keep on the fridge to mark off that I've done each.  I'm a very visual person and thrive on completing tasks.  By having a visual reminder that I have to things left to do will help me ensure that I actually accomplish my tasks.  And I of course am relying on everyone here to help hold me accountable, too!