It’s been a while since I’ve given an update or posted anything. But lots have happened over the last few weeks/months so hard to know where to begin. I’ll go with my sleep study. I did my sleep study…..well I tried to. How anyone sleeps with that contraption hooked up to them is beyond me. Between the clip on your fingers, the oxygen piece in the nose, and all the bands wrapped around you…it was a struggle. However, after a very poor nights rest, I got some great news that it was clear! He said my snoring isn’t actually that bad and anyone saying it is must just be highly sensitive which made me feel better. My partner says it isn’t bad at all, but I’ve had the odd friend or two comment from holidays which made me feel really embarrassed.
So, it has been going from strength to strength. I got very very lucky. Through posting about my journey a family friend reached out that her daughter-in-law also has PCOS and had switched careers and is now focused on supporting women with PCOS from a diet and lifestyle perspective and that she would love to chat. How lucky is that!!! So, we had a few calls going through lots of questions about my medical history, my family’s, my background, symptoms and experiences. I has been such a support being able to discuss this with someone who has PCOS and is on their own journey, but who can advise too from an informed position. The empathy and support has been incredible. I’ve revised my vitamins and now I am on the following:
NHP Healthy Woman Support, 60VCaps – 1x morning 1 x evening with food
NHP Omega 3 – 1 x morning 1 x evening with food
Jarrow B Right – 1 x morning (always with food will make your urine turn bright yellow!)
Boost B12 Oral Spray – 4 x spray – morning (Metformin depletes B12)
BetterYou DLux 3000 – Daily 3000iu Vitamin D Oral Spray – 15ml (1 daily spray through the winter)
Terranova Zinc 15Mg Complex – 1 at bedtime
Terranova Magnesium 100mg Complex – 2 at bedtime
Something I found really interesting was moving my magnesium tablets to the evening before bed as it can help you sleep. I would never have known that and the dietician I was working with never mentioned it when she recommended taking it. In fact, I was taking it in the morning after breakfast in work….so might explain some lethargic behavior!!
I also got some advice on my food plan, really upping my protein intake, how my plate should look for lunch and dinner and how to improve the nutritional value of each meal I am having. I’ve since added chick peas to my diet, moved to less sugar rich fruits like berries, and am making sure my snacks have protein and fat…for example nut butter and apple slices. I have also taken to making vegetable-based smoothies as mid-afternoon snacks because of the large gap between lunch and dinner. I cannot move my dinner time to earlier as it is just by the time I finish work and make my commute home…..it’s late!
Having absolutely let go of everything over Christmas, I’ve come back really refreshed and motivated and ready to give this plan a really good go. I have already begun the good fight. This week has been exactly what I need to do for the next few months to see what impact it can have on my symptoms and weight. I turn the tv off by about 9, I try do 45 mins / 1 hr of reading before bed, I’ve workout twice and it is only Thursday morning, and I am avoiding all processed foods…..my meal prep has been on point! I’ve committed to removing wine from my life for the 2 months and just stick to vodka with soda water IF I am drinking, and also, I have made a list of good country walks in and around London and will pick 2 to complete each month on weekends.
Now stick to these plans could be really difficult….but I have to confess I have a partner in crime. My partner has agreed to follow suit, and do as I do. He has done everything the same minus the reading (no way I can pull him away from that playstation). But it definitely helps having someone who you can work out with, keep you motivated and knows what you are going through.
PCOS and staying on top of your diet and supplements is HARD WORK! I know that over the past few weeks I haven’t been great…..it was Christmas. But I know that if I cannot find a way to control the effects of PCOS, it means surgery and I want that to be the last resort. So now I am ready to try everything to get things under control.
We can all get burst of motivation but keeping it is the real challenge. How do you 6 weeks later and out with friends stick to what you’ve been doing when everyone else is ordering burgers and drinking cocktails???? I’ve found someone to buddy up with which helps as someone else is there to push when I fall, I’ve set milestones I want to reach and timelines on when I will check in so it keeps me accountable, and I’ve told my friends which means they are aware of what I am trying to achieve and I know they will confront me if they see me slipping.
I hope to see great improvements over the next few weeks, and I hope that by deploying certain tactics, I can keep up the motivation and remain accountable for these goals. Another way I can try keep myself is honest is keeping you up-to-date too and being honest about how the next few weeks go and what progress I see…or regression. I need to be able to talk about whatever the reality is. So that is my commitment, I will update on my progress every 2 weeks.
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