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Losing weight despite PCOD

It’s tough, but not impossible for women to do so, opine experts

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Sara Khan Ali
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Recently, Sara Ali Khan spoke candidly about struggling with weight loss due to Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD). During her debut appearance on Koffee With Karan, the 23-year-old admitted, “I was 96 kg, and I had PCOD. Because of that, I put on the amount of weight that I did. And it made it very hard for me to lose weight.” In recent years, the number of such cases among girls from all strata of the society has been on the rise. We asked experts why is it harder for women with the disease to shed kilos and is it an impossible task. Here’s what they had to say...

Who faces this?

PCOD can affect women of all ages from puberty through the reproductive age and its effects may last beyond menopause. According to recent studies, about nine to 36 per cent of women of the reproductive age group suffer from it in India, mostly in the urban areas compared to rural ones, informs gynaecologist Dr Suman Bijlani. However, she points out that contrary to popular belief, about 20 to 30 per cent women with it are lean (normal Body Mass Index). However, not all women with PCOD have weight issues.

Difficult, but not impossible

One out of three female clients between the age group of 18 to 30, belonging to celebrity fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala have the condition. Since weight gain is a vicious circle of cause and effect of PCOD, she tells her clients they need to cross the barrier of struggle slowly and not give up. “It’s difficult for them to lose weight, but not impossible. They have to put in 25 to 40 per cent extra hard work to lose weight and to continue maintain it,” she says. Also, she advises them to choose the kind of workout or physical activity that they enjoy be it running, gym, kick-boxing, Pilates, dance fitness etc, and make it a lifestyle and not a temporary solution.

Shalini Bhargava, director at JG’S Fitness Centre,  believes that it is the mind that rules the body. “Nothing is impossible if you set goals and work honestly and diligently towards them. Yes, it might be a little tougher but never impossible,” she says and adds that in fact, weight loss improves ovarian function and reverses some of the associated hormonal abnormalities and so is probably the first line of treatment for treating and curing PCOD. And this, in turn, impacts weight loss positively. Once the vicious cycle is broken, things get easier.

What makes it harder

PCOD disturbs metabolism in many ways. One of the key aspects is insulin resistance. Insulin is the hormone that helps utilise glucose for energy production. In women with the disease, especially obese women, the body cells do not respond adequately to insulin (known as insulin resistance) and the body is not able to process glucose effectively. In response, the body produces more insulin and excessive insulin increases hunger and causes storage of fat. As weight increases further, insulin resistance worsens and that causes further weight gain setting up a vicious cycle, explains Dr Bijlani citing, “No wonder women with it tend to put on weight very fast and find it more difficult to lose weight than women without it.”

Diet and exercise

Dieting and working out are the very basis of weight management in women with PCOD. It is always advisable to lose weight under the supervision of a dietician. Regular workouts are crucial to maintain metabolism and prevent rebound weight gain, says Dr Bijlani adding that some women with it will need medications too along with diet management and exercise but they should be used judiciously, and strictly by prescription.

Get physically active

Every individual’s body’s workout style needs to be customised as per their body type, opines Yasmin. For beginners, she advises 50 minutes of cardio activity, five days a week, be it brisk walking, cycling, using the elliptical, swimming, etc. “They can gradually move to circuit training, full body training, and other advanced training levels like HIIT, CrossFit, etc, under the guidance of an expert,” she adds. Shalini recommends moderate intensity cardio exercises like aerobics, dance-based workouts like Masala Bhangra, Zumba, jogging and running. Progressive weight training helps majorly to upsurge strength and muscle mass. Besides burning calories, weight training also improves metabolism. Yoga definitely goes a long way in improving PCOD as it works on the endocrine and nervous systems as well, improving hormones, metabolic markers (insulin and cholesterol) and decreases anxiety and strain. Pilates is also very beneficial. “The most effective exercise is always one that you enjoy and can keep up with,” concludes Shalini.

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