Hi pearshaker
I agree with februarystar, exercise really does help control cravings and it leads to dramatic changes in the way your whole body functions. Whilst I don't believe there is a cure for PCOS per se, I think it's the same as saying there is no cure for obesity. I guess the closest we can come to a cure is lifestyle changes, but...
IT IS ENOUGH! The main thing is that your body functions like it's supposed to; everything else is just needless mind-baggage. I encourage you to think positive. There's a reason why PCOS and depression are both only prevalent in post 20th century society (and it has nothing to do with genes!). Everything is about lifestyle choices and taking what your body's got and working with it to produce the results YOU want (not what the drug companies want). Genes are just soldiers, waiting for your command. And you can command them girl. Believe in yourself. You were fit and healthy once before right? It's all a matter of mental orientation. You can do it. The fact you posted here proves you're a proactive, solution-orientated individual who's ready to take her life into her own hands.
Some tips which I would have loved somebody to have given me when I first started my own PCOS battle 8 years ago (when I first discovered this site) are:
*Drink only full-cream milk (skim milk has been linked to female infertility);
*Eat cereals such as oats, bran and porridge (you can even make your own muesli mix: simply mix together 40% untoasted oats, 40% unsweetened bran sticks, 5% sunflower & pumpkin seeds, 7% ground wallnuts [or other nuts you prefer] and the rest whole linseeds, and eat with chopped fresh fruit like prunes, banana or apricot);
*Eat lots of nuts throughout the day - they stave off hunger and stabilise insulin levels;
*Buy smaller plates for dinner and eat your food slower than you feel you need to (conversation is a great way to slow the eating process down);
*Drink water with a high mineral content - this has helped me dramatically with hypothyroid symptoms;
*With food, if it goes in with difficulty, it will come out the same way, so ensure every mouthful goes down as smoothly as possible, i.e. eat a mix of greens, carbs and protein;
***Cut out sugar*** (I could go on for days about this; it is the single reason for ALL my pcos problems - and if I didn't have it around, I wouldn't eat it, simple as that, and I'd probably be perfectly well);
*If you cut out sugar or refined carbs, do so gradually, over a 2 week period, eating a little less each day. Otherwise your body, in its insulin-rich state, will be starved of glucose and down-regulate your thyroid to temporarily induce a lower BMR and conserve energy.
*If you have a sweet tooth, honey is the healthiest thing you could eat due to its healing properties and tendency to not become an addictive substance - it also helps prevent dehydration, a common complaint with insulin imbalances;
*Don't listen to anyone who tells you avocados, nuts, coconuts and other plant foods are fattening - they have good fats in them and the more you eat of these foods, the less you'll crave foods with saturated fats, which are the real 'killers';
*And finally - the most unexpected thing I found in my experience - if you eat in company and talk/laugh for an hour or so after the meal, it aids digestion and stimulates the metabolism!
I wish you all the very best and abundant blessings as you embark on your transformation (remember, you're not alone; we're all going through the same challenges day by day). Just keep on telling yourself you are a winner, because that's what you are.
Never doubt yourself!
Cheers
