The Young Woman’s Guide to PCOS

by Amy Medling, founder of PCOS Diva

Women need to know that they are not a victim. PCOS is not their fate. There is no magic pill, and they can thrive with PCOS when they embrace the power of knowledge, diet and lifestyle.

Did you grow up just as computers and cell phones were becoming widespread and a critical part of day-to-day life?  Are you often referred to as a millennial?  You are the generation that grew up as this technology grew! As a result, you are savvy about gathering information. You know how to find it and how to weed good advice from bad. But what do you do when you are diagnosed or think you might have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)?

For better or worse, there is an overwhelming amount of information about PCOS out there. Eat this. Never eat that. Exercise this way. Take this medication. Don’t take medication. It’s hereditary. It’s not hereditary. Where do you even start? (Start here with my FREE PCOS 101 Guide)

Take it from someone with decades of experience successfully managing my own PCOS and teaching tens of thousands of PCOS Divas to manage theirs, there is hope.

Yes, PCOS is a life-long syndrome, but you can control it using some basic parameters and by listening to your body.

Right now, you are starting to think about your long-term health, maybe even about starting a family. Really, it’s the perfect time to start taking care of yourself and healing. The time and effort you spend now getting your hormones, blood sugar, and stress levels sorted out will benefit you in the short and long term. You can have regular periods, clear the brain fog, regain your energy, lose weight, eliminate acne, and just feel better. You just need a guide to PCOS and healing!

 

My Story

As early as age 14, I wrestled with a lot of the common PCOS symptoms like acne, weight gain, irregular periods, hair on my chin, and hair loss on my head. It seemed this was my fate. My mom dealt with this; my grandmother dealt with this. It was the genetic fate of women in my family.

One day in college, I found myself sitting in a cold exam room scared and confused, feeling lousy, not having had a period in months and months, and not understanding why. The doctor looked me in the eye and told me they would have to “jump through hoops” to get me pregnant one day. She renewed my prescription for the pill and sent me on my way. I felt helpless and hopeless. It was a dark moment.

Many years later, with the help of fertility drugs, I did have two sons. After the birth of my second son, I felt worse than ever. I had 2 beautiful children and a wonderful husband, but I was exhausted all the time, and my PCOS symptoms were at their worst. I wasn’t the wife or mother I wanted to be. After years of following mainstream advice from countless doctors, I realized that nothing was helping. The drugs they offered made me sicker and more miserable. I was way too young to feel so old and couldn’t go on living this way.

It was then I realized that I had to empower myself and take control of my health. No one else could do it for me. I couldn’t take advice at face value and continue to think and act like a victim.

I scoured the internet for information and read countless books and went back to school to learn from experts. After hundreds of hours and tons of trial and error, I developed a protocol that allowed me to thrive. I changed my diet and lifestyle and most importantly, my mindset. I started taking care of myself. My husband noticed the shift and declared me a “Diva.” At first, I was offended, until I realized that in order to be my best and give my best to my family, I DID have to be a PCOS Diva.

When my doctor started seeing my success and sending women to me for help, I knew I was onto something. I realized that my PCOS Diva protocol could help others. There were millions of women just like me- struggling against our symptoms with medicine and advice that didn’t help. I could break what I learned into small, manageable steps that help women take control of their symptoms. Now I do just that. I am also the mother of an amazing daughter, my third child, and direct product of the lifestyle I forged. Despite what doctors warned all those years ago, I was able to conceive naturally. I just had to have the proper education, mindset and tools first. Essentially, I had to become a PCOS Diva.

What Can You Do to Start Healing?

I often hear from women like me with PCOS who are frustrated and have lost all hope because the only solution their doctors offer is to lose weight, take a pill and live with their symptoms. In response, I developed a proven protocol of supplements, diet and lifestyle programs that offer women the tools they need to gain control of their PCOS so that they can regain their fertility, femininity, health and happiness. I am happy to be your guide to PCOS and healing.

Here are 5 things I wish someone had told me.

• Focus on today. Plan for tomorrow.

The big picture is important. Your long-term health and fertility are at stake. However, trying to take on PCOS in one big bite is a recipe for disaster. I know that whenever I tried to “get healthy” in the beginning and “beat PCOS” I always ended up feeling like a failure and giving up. The trick is to make minute-by-minute, day-by-day choices that lead to healthy habits. Know that all these little changes add up. Celebrate every success. For example, stat your day with lemon water (here’s why).  Congratulate yourself when you choose a snack that leaves you feeling energized. Every win is a big win.

• Think like a PCOS Diva.

You deserve to feel good and be healthy. You deserve what it takes to take care of yourself. Many of us determine our value by what we can do/give to others. That is a beautiful way to approach life. You need to be on the list though! Take time for relaxation, meal prep, and exercise. You will feel better as a result, and you will be better able to serve those around you.

• Educate yourself.

Learn about the root causes of PCOS and stay current on research and evidence-based advice. You know how to use the resources around you be it the internet, health care providers, or friendly advice. Be a wise and constant consumer of information. Use the skills you have developed to sort information and find what is meaningful to you. Start with my PCOS 101 Guide. It offers the basics about PCOS, its causes, and remedies.

• Listen to your body.

PCOS is highly individualized. That is what makes it a syndrome. Aside from sharing two out of three of the Rotterdam criteria, our symptoms vary widely. That means no one medication, diet rule, or mode of exercise will work for all of us. Most of us feel better when we eliminate gluten and most dairy. Try it and see how you feel. Does HIIT work for you? How about yoga? Pay attention to what you do and eat, and how your body responds. Listen and work with your body.

• Find a supportive, trustworthy community.

We are stronger when we stand together. Develop a group of people who nurture and support you. Sometimes, it can be hard to talk to friends and family and ask for the help you need. Check out this guide to how to do that effectively. As a savvy user of technology, you can also access online communities of like-minded women who are trying to heal and support each other. The PCOS Diva Facebook page publishes content every day and keeps you up to date on what is happening in the PCOS world. The PCOS Diva Private Facebook page is a forum for PCOS Divas to talk about our experiences, share information, successes, and setbacks where only other women with the syndrome have access. PCOS can make you feel isolated. Having the support of a community offers strength on tough days, and the opportunity to support other PCOS Divas can feed your spirit.

 

Now is the perfect time for you to get your PCOS under control. Take some time to look through the resources in this article. Join the Facebook communities and connect with your “cysters”. When you are ready, become a PCOS Diva and leave your PCOS symptoms behind. My 7-Day Discover Your PCOS Diva Jumpstart Program is a cost-effective and quick way to get on track and feeling better fast.

 

Amy Medling, best-selling author of Healing PCOS and certified health coach, specializes in working with women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), who are frustrated and have lost all hope when the only solution their doctors offer is to lose weight, take a pill, and live with their symptoms. In response, Amy founded PCOS Diva and developed a proven protocol of supplements, diet, and lifestyle programs that offer women tools to help gain control of their PCOS and regain their fertility, femininity, health, and happiness.