Critical Mass

Try as hard as I might, I couldn't find a body positive  image that conveyed the message that I am looking for. I found this one, but it objectifies a woman's body, she is essentially a tree. It's kinda cool, but not what I am looking for. I found other images with the standard tropes of large, curvy ladies eating ice cream and slim, muscular ladies working out. Bleck! How can I talk about such a weighty issue without proper illustrations to inspire and guide me?

Okay, well here goes: today's topic is weight. Managing weight, loosing weight, being okay with the weight we are is only a teeny portion of the discussion.

Just for today, let's say that we've made peace with our bodies, and we're simply focused on understanding the role weight plays as a symptom of PCOS.

Yeah, I think I can work with that.

Yes, extra weight on your frame for your height and age can cause all sorts of problems. With PCOS, I experienced a sudden weight gain that settled mostly around my belly and I wasn't able to lose it. Here's the kicker, I was eating healthy at the time. Color me confused. I continued to eat healthy until a series of unfortunate events, and then I went on a see food diet. You can imagine what that did to my waistline. The pending PCOS diagnosis makes changing my eating habits a must.

I'm not following any particular fad diet, nor am I overly concerned about getting into my "skinny size 8" jeans (which I turned over to Goodwill decades ago, but I digress). Fortunately for me, I work with ladies whose eating habits I simply emulate. Easy peasy. One lady eats a banana dipped in a mixed nut butter practically every morning. So yummy! Another lady brings to work salads with interesting and flavorful ingredients. With a little planning and just 5 minutes in the morning, I carry with me to work a salad concocted of greens, whole grains, goat cheese, and whatever protein we ate last night. I toss in a couple of extra pieces of fruit, and viola! I'm ready for the day.

Yet another lady at work orders soy lattes. The barista at the cafe (I know, we're so spoiled where I work!) let me taste the soy milk they stock. Yummy. Between listening to my friend order espresso floating in soy bliss and tasting said bliss, I quickly became a soy convert. That said, I'm trying not to over do the soy, so I've added Almond milk to the mix, too.

The worst news about this PCOS gig is the havoc dairy wrecks on my body. Essentially, the cheese that I crave beyond reason is off limits. Oh, just great! Happily, I'm a big fan of goat cheese, so now I just stock the fridge with variations on a theme of goat cheese. The awesomely cool thing is that both my son and husband are fans of goat cheese, and that makes it even more enjoyable. 'cuz you know, I'm not the family freak who can't eat the same things my family eats.

So there it is, my diet secret. Lean protein, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, topped off with whole grains. Oh, and I pretty much got rid of anything white: potatoes, rice, and flour. Once the weather cools, I'm going to experiment with baking using Quinoa and Buckwheat flours.

Related Links

• Don't Be a Dairy Queen
• Is your PCOS Diet Dairy Free? It Should Be!
• Should your PCOS Diet Be Dairy Free? – Everything You Need To Know
• Soy and PCOS: Safe or Harmful?