PCOS Weight Loss Success: Why Managing Stress is Criticalpcos-weight-loss.s3.amazonaws.com/PCOS-Weight-Loss... · A lot of women who have chronic stress really don’t fully understand

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"PCOS Weight Loss Success: Why

Managing Stress is Critical…

By Dr. Beverly Yates

Dr. of Naturopathic Medicine, PCOS Weight Loss Expert

& Best Selling Author

Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Does Stress Affect PCOS Weight Loss? ............................................................................................................................ 3

Does Stress Affect Hormonal Imbalances? .................................................................................................................... 4

Do Women with PCOS Have an Unusual Response to Stress? .............................................................................. 5

Does the Hormonal Imbalance Affect the Ability to Lose Weight? ..................................................................... 6

Does Stress Mess Up PCOS Weight Loss Success? ...................................................................................................... 7

What Can Be Done To Help Deal with Stress? ............................................................................................................. 9

Do all Types of Stress Affect PCOS Weight Loss in the Same Way? .................................................................. 10

The Importance of Having Healthy Ways of Dealing with Stress ...................................................................... 12

The Number One Thing That You Need To Know In Dealing with Stress ...................................................... 16


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Introduction

Ryan: Hi. This is your host Ryan and I am here today with our special guest, Dr. Beverly Yates.

Dr. Beverly is an expert on weight loss and women’s health including and especially PCOS weight loss. She has over 2 decades of clinical experience, she is a caring doctor, and a lifelong athlete. In her former career as an MIT educated electrical engineer Dr. Beverly was a problem solver and now as a doctor she continues to use that same problem solving skill and ability to help other women solve their weight loss problems. In today’s interview, which is part of Dr. Beverly’s PCOS Weight Loss Tips Series, we are going to be talking about why stress is the silent roadblock when it comes to weight loss. Dr. Beverly welcome to the call and thanks so much for being here.

Dr. Yates: Hey, you are welcome. This is always a joy to share this information. It

makes a real difference in people’s lives. Ryan: Absolutely. I am always thrilled when I have the opportunity to talk with

you like this.


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Does Stress Affect PCOS Weight Loss? Ryan: So today we are going to be talking about stress. Let’s just dive right in

and tell me does stress actually affect PCOS weight loss? Dr. Yates: Yes, yes it does.

A lot of women who have chronic stress really don’t fully understand how much stress is a silent player really, a silent interfering factor and it directly impacts their ability to lose that PCOS related weight. It stays unrelieved and so often women will say they have such a hard time and they are doing a lot of smart things it is still not working and as I have worked with these women over the years I have come to find that stress is one of the really hidden silent players that makes a big difference in success or failure with PCOS weight loss and so for some PCOS sufferers this is a key issue to work on so that they can really improve their PCOS symptoms including of course getting rid of that weight.


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Does Stress Affect Hormonal Imbalances? Ryan: Now I know just based on our past conversations that PCOS is caused by

a hormonal imbalance or multiple hormonal imbalances. Does stress affect these hormonal imbalances?

Dr. Yates: Yes it does.

One of the things that stress does for hormonal imbalance is that it really magnifies an already key issue so that it blocks PCOS weight loss. So as it affects PCOS weight loss related issues it is going to magnify their already impaired improper response to eating things like carbohydrates, sugars, starches, and grains and that whole set of things is what is referred to as insulin resistance. Now cortisol that is a key stress response hormone. That makes food cravings of certain kinds much more likely which also interferes with the success with the weight loss and we are going to cover that in more detail shortly in this podcast.


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Do Women with PCOS Have an Unusual Response to Stress? Ryan: So do women and girls with PCOS, do they have an unusual response

to stress given that they suffer from these hormonal imbalances? Dr. Yates: You know, no. Not necessarily. That is a great question.

In a current online survey that I am leading I am hearing from women and girls from all over about the problems they are having with PCOS weight loss and for these folks they are experiencing unusual stress. They have the problems that we would expect with that kind of chronic stress that is unrelieved but not necessarily problems that are unusual to the stress or to the PCOS So for once, and if you are listening to this because you have PCOS, for once that response is normal. I know a lot of women who have PCOS really feel like their bodies don’t work right and this is one time when it is working the way anybody else’s body would in response to chronic stress.

Ryan: Interesting.


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Does the Hormonal Imbalance Affect the Ability to Lose Weight? Ryan: So does this hormonal imbalance, caused by stress, does it affect the

ability to have success losing weight for women with PCOS? Dr. Yates: Yes it does, in a big way.

Weight loss success is greatly reduced with the body’s response to chronic stress. So these hormone imbalances that are caused by stress make it harder for anyone, frankly, to lose weight and of course weight loss is a key issue for women who are wrestling with these PCOS really stubborn symptoms. Stress makes it much more likely that the body stores those calories that are eaten as fat instead of burning the calories eaten to make energy. Stress can cause cravings also, unfortunately for you guessed it; carbohydrates, sugar, sweets, and grains and this is a real problem. So, just to go back a little bit to what we just talked about a moment ago, a basic problem with PCOS is that it does directly cause what we call insulin resistance which is what makes what should be a normal response to any sugar eaten an abnormal response. So the carbohydrates you eat, the sugars, the starches, the grains they get turned into fat and stored as fat far too easily. This includes whole grains, the healthy grains. So what should happen is eating these items you would result in feeling more energy right. You would feel energized and full of pep and vigor and vim and that is what is broken. So stress will magnify this fundamental weakness and abnormality with how sugar and insulin that the body makes interacts.


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Does Stress Mess Up PCOS Weight Loss Success? Ryan: So I know we started taking about this but tell me more. Does the

hormonal imbalance caused by stress does it mess up PCOS weight loss success?

Dr. Yates: Yeah it truly does.

Stress can really make a mess of the best laid plans for weight loss of all kinds and this includes with PCOS So if a woman is feeling particularly stressed out she is far more likely to have these upsetting really strong kind of sugar cravings that will wreck even the strongest willpower. Now if this describes your situation don’t waste any time feeling bad about a so called lack of “willpower” it’s not true. This is not about willpower. The changes that the body goes through with stress, especially chronic stress, make it highly likely that sugar cravings will be an issue to deal with. This is not the same thing as willpower at all. So let me explain this a little bit more because I want to be clear about this. I know a lot of people who are overweight or obese spend quite a bit of energy beating themselves up and unfortunately other people beat them up too about their weight. It is not fair. This is not a willpower conversation at all. Sugar is a fast source of energy and it helps you to immediately soothe and calm feelings of stress. So when that cortisol spikes in response to stress then it says hey I need a fast source of energy. Well what is a fast source of energy? For humans it is going to be the carbohydrates, the sugars. So if you are stressed of course you want more sugar. It is fast fuel and it gives you fast energy but for a short period of time. 15-20 minutes and that is the trap. The sugar you eat gives your blood sugar a fast rocket ride up and then just after this rocket ride up here comes your sugar crash. Leaving you feeling tired, crabby, and bloated. That classic belly bloat that comes with PCOS can be a part of this cycle and this is an important part of how the weight gain associated with PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome, builds up over time.


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Ryan: Very interesting.


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What Can Be Done To Help Deal with Stress? Ryan: So I guess my next question is if someone is suffering from PCOS they

also have this sort of same struggle with the chronic stress issues that we have been talking about, is there anything they can do? Is there anything that can be done to help deal with that stress?

Dr. Yates: Yes, there are lots of options.

One path is to use specific herbs and supplements along with certain nutrition and diet choices, good sleep habits, and other lifestyle elements, things that we can control about how we live, that can help a PCOS sufferer to better handle stress. I put together a helpful guide called The Ultimate PCOS Weight Loss Herbs and Supplements Guide which covers this issue in depth. If you want to sign up for the email list or to buy the guide directly you can go www.PCOSWeightLossTips.com for more information.

Ryan: That is fantastic, especially the fact that you can at least solve part of the

problem simply by making different food choices and supplementing your diet with herbs and supplements.

Dr. Yates: Yeah, for things where you might be a little weak. You give yourself some

support. It might make a positive difference. Ryan: Sure.

http://www.pcosweightlosstips.com/


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Do all Types of Stress Affect PCOS Weight Loss in the Same Way? Ryan: So now we all know that sort of stress comes in different shapes and

sizes right? Dr. Yates: Yeah. Ryan: Does all types of stress affect PCOS weight loss in the same way?

Like for instance it is not uncommon to be “stressed” from the excitement about something that is happy or fun or something that you are looking forward to. There can be a stress response to that. How does that affect PCOS weight loss success relative to other types of stress?

Dr. Yates: That is a great question, Ryan. Thanks for asking it.

For most folks they don’t think of happy things as being stressful right but it turns out for the human body there really are 2 kinds of stress. There is eustress and distress. Eustress or what I call happy stress is what we experience when we feel excitement or we are energized by good news or events that we are looking forward too. Maybe there is an upcoming wedding or graduation or job promotion or a party or something like that. So that is a positive up feeling kind of stress. This kind of stress does not seem to harm health and wellbeing. Now this stress or what I call upset stress does have negative impact on your health and wellness and it can increase feelings of anxiety, depression, and interfere with your weight loss. For some people, people without PCOS stress can cause enough of a disruption in their hormonal balance that they gain weight even if they are not overeating and even if they are exercising regularly. Let me say that again. For anyone, this includes people without PCOS stress can cause enough disruption in your hormonal system that you wind up gaining weight even if you aren’t overeating and even if you are exercising regularly. Now of course the same is true for folks with PCOS stress can erase otherwise good weight loss progress and work.


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Ryan: Wow.

That is one of the most profound things that I think we have talked about and I don’t think it is something that should be glossed over. Very very important.


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The Importance of Having Healthy Ways of Dealing with Stress Ryan: So I think I know the answer to this question but I am going to ask it

anyway.

My first question is, is stress unavoidable and the second part of that question is how important is it to have healthy ways to and maybe if it’s not unavoidable, how important is it to have healthy ways to deal with that stress especially when you are working hard to lose weight associated with PCOS?

Dr. Yates: Sure thing. Let’s go over this.

So you know what, practically speaking stress is a part of life. We really cannot completely avoid stress. In fact I don’t even think that is desirable. So practically speaking, it is not going to happen but how we deal with the stress in our lives really is what matters. That is the key piece here. Our response to stress matters a lot especially if you want success in losing PCOS related weight because it is such a challenge to begin with. For success with PCOS weight loss it is critically important to have healthy ways to deal with stress and I have emphasized that, healthy ways to deal with stress. An unhealthy way to deal with stress is to just stuff your face with food especially the kind you know are going to cause you trouble. Right? An unhealthy way to deal with stress would be turn to let’s say alcohol or to drugs whether they are legal drugs or illegal drugs. Anytime you medicate yourself in a negative way that is not a good idea for dealing with stress. It is not sustainable and doesn’t honor, really, what your health and your wealth and your body and your mind needs. Your spirit is not supported that way. It feels good in the moment probably but it is not a long term plan for success. So one way to deal with stress is exercise. It is really lovely. It’s a great way to do it and for PCOS weight loss benefits it can be really helpful. In fact it is a 2 for 1 benefit. Exercise literally helps to burn the chemicals


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released in response to stress and this helps to minimize the damage that can be done by the stress related chemicals. Another way is to just take a moment to consciously and intentionally relax that can help to contradict any feelings of stress. Deep breathing is a simple easy way to release some stress that you could build into your day, that several times a day you just stretch your muscles. Stretching helps to melt away stress and you can do it even if you are really busy. Maybe you are standing in line waiting at the library to check out books, maybe you are at the bank or you are in a supermarket, maybe you are in your car or seated at a desk. So you might be limited in how you can stretch but you can still stretch pretty much anywhere you can in ways that are appropriate. You don’t necessarily have to be dressed up in fancy yoga togs in order to be able to get that done. Sometimes the popular media images of how people should exercise are not practical for everyone’s life. I will just put it like that. You know what I am saying.

Ryan: Totally. Dr. Yates: Yeah.

You could get a massage. That could help to relieve stress. For some people they really enjoy that kind of physical touch and contact. There are people who don’t actually like massage with their clothes off. They would rather have their clothes on. So I just want to point out that there are numerous kinds of massage and each person’s response is of course individual. So if you find that you don’t like one style of massage like say Swedish massage you could try Thai style massage. There are many kinds of massage. Some with clothing off, some with clothing on, appropriately draped to maintain your privacy etc. So just check around in your community for what might be available for you. If your budget is really tight, if you have a massage school in your area go there. Those massages are just as wonderful and they are less


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expensive. If you could afford more expensive massage you know go for that. Whatever is available to you. You can take a warm bath, that could help to soothe stress. An added bonus is to add some Epsom salts or some soothing drop or two really of your favorite scent or scented oil. You don’t need a lot in order to have a wonderful smell and aroma in your bathroom and just put it in your bath water as you run the water, it smells great. There is lots of research and frankly practical life experience shows that these pleasant aromas can have a healing effect on the body and spirit. They are available to just about everybody. You can have a cup of tea. That can be soothing. Ryan you and I have talked about the joy and wonders of tea. Especially it even helps you carve out time for yourself in a busy day. Some people go outside for a cigarette break right and if you watch smoking a cigarette for most people takes about 10-15 minutes. You could do that with a cup of tea and have no side effects that are going to eventually kill you. You know so substitute if you can. If you are a person who smokes consider quitting however you can. Realize that that is a real addiction and find a way to do something that is soothing and calming that will support your health and wellness. I also want to point out another way to relax is with sexual expression and intimate contact. People never put this on their list of stress relievers but it seems like an obvious one to me. Sexual expression and intimate contact can relieve stress especially when shared with a partner whom you really care about. So consider sexual activity as a possible way to release stress provided that that is part of a healthy relationship. I am sure it’s a way to add stress too depending on your relationship. So you know what is best for your own needs of course. Then for meditation, that can calm certainly and focus the mind. Many people swear by it and love it and folks over the years have learned that they can make meditation work for themselves wherever they are and again it’s a private inner experience and so if you have a really extreme day maybe you can find 3 to 5 minutes, you probably are not going to have half an hour or maybe even 15 minutes but you can if you are a


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trained meditator you know how to get into that calm focused state and that is a wonderful gift for yourself. So basically, bottom line is this there are numerous ways to affectively tame stress. It’s essential to find what works for your needs and situation so that you can get on that path that will increase your chances of PCOS weight loss success.

Ryan: That is such a great list Beverly and I am glad you kind of covered the

gambit of options so that way someone listening to this they can say well if this doesn’t maybe work for me or work for my schedule or my lifestyle or my personal approach to stress management there is probably something on that list that does.

Dr. Yates: Exactly.


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The Number One Thing That You Need To Know In Dealing with Stress Ryan: So as we get close to wrapping things up here, if we are to boil everything

down and kind of hone in on the number one most important thing that you need to know about stress for women and girls dealing with PCOS weight issues what would that be, what would they need to know?

Dr. Yates: You know what, the number one on our hit list is that stress is a fact of

life and you need an active realistic plan.

Let me say that again. You need an active realistic plan, an accidental plan is not going to work. This needs to be on purpose ladies. An active realistic plan for dealing with stress in ways that are healthy and sustainable. So for weight loss success if you are living with chronic stress you must figure out what works for you to really lower your stress level and keep it under control and you know what if you get off track that is ok. You just get right back to managing your stress as quickly as you can so it doesn’t wreck your weight loss goals and success. Over the years I have worked with many many many people for weight loss, particularly women with PCOS and women in general with weight loss concerns and things come up like maybe a loved one is suddenly very ill or you get a call you have to fly across the country and you find out let’s say your mother or your father is gravely ill and then a week or two later they are dead and at the same time maybe your job is in jeopardy and maybe your home has a lot of major problems within it, either relationships or maybe its physical structure and you are just feeling besieged on all sides. That is a great time to fall off your stress management plan and if you have one in place it is easy to get back on track and be kind. Forgive yourself when you make mistakes or just flat out fall off the wagon. It is going to happen, we are human, we do make mistakes but your success long term will depend on you getting back on track. So don’t spend time beating yourself up because it is not very useful. I think we all have various ways of feeling bad. This is one way you can help yourself feel good and that is to manage your stress.


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Ryan: Such wise words to live by.

That is fantastic Beverly. Thank you so much for your time today. Dr. Yates: Alright, thank you Ryan. This is a fun series we are doing. Ryan: Absolutely.

To learn more about Dr. Beverly Yates and her programs and to get a complimentary free report containing weight loss tips and secrets all geared specifically for women with PCOS visit PCOSWeightLossTips.com. Once again, that is PCOSWeightLossTips.com. Thanks so much for being with us. Take care.

PCOS Weight Loss Success: Why Managing Stress is Criticalpcos-weight-loss.s3.amazonaws.com/PCOS-Weight-Loss... · A lot of women who have chronic stress really don’t fully understand

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