For women with PCOS, making some healthy lifestyle changes can be very helpful in managing the condition. Lifestyle management is important for all women with PCOS – whether you are overweight or in the healthy weight range. Even when not actively trying to lose weight, adopting a healthy diet will ensure that you are receiving a healthy intake of nutrients, vitamins and minerals and can reduce your long-term risk of disease such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity also increases energy levels, improves self esteem and reduces anxiety and depression

For women with PCOS who are trying to lose weight, this can be much better achieved by combining diet with physical activity and behaviour change than by simply dieting alone.

Resources

Readiness to change
Good psychological wellbeing is critical in successfully changing to a healthy lifestyle. If you are anxious, stressed, depressed, guilty, or have low self esteem, it is difficult to find the motivation to change to a healthier lifestyle.

Behavioural changes
For dietary and exercise changes to be sustainable in the long-term, they need to be part of your daily life.

Weight and exercise
Being both under and overweight has adverse effects on fertility and health and it is therefore very important that a healthy lifestyle is maintained, and weight gain prevented.

Physical Activity
There is now evidence that moderate physical activity, in the absence of weight loss still improves PCOS symptoms and fertility as well as risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes including high blood pressure, high glucose levels and insulin resistance.

Dietary approaches
There are a range of dietary approaches that can be tried for weight management in PCOS.

Lifestyle FAQs
Do women with PCOS have a greater risk of being overweight? What is the best diet for PCOS? What diet and exercise approaches should non-overweight women with PCOS follow?

Content updated July 31, 2009