I’ve been reading a brilliant book called “The One Thing” by Gary Keller. Keller suggests that we need to be asking ourselves a very important question: What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?
I’ve found it so helpful to ask that question in every area of my life. It brings clarity and focus.
And so, let me ask YOU:
What is the ONE thing that you can do for your PCOS such that by doing it everything else will be easier and unnecessary?
I know that living with PCOS can require a whole lifestyle over haul. I also firmly believe in the power of food to help manage our symptoms. But, sometimes we lack the motivation, feel overwhelmed or just don’t know where to start.
I know what it’s like. I’ve been there too.
So, let’s scale it back.
Let’s talk about the ONE thing you can do for your PCOS. I can’t answer the question for you. I don’t know where you are in life, what your goals or priorities are. So, I’m just going to make some suggestions.
We’ll break down a couple of areas as they relate to PCOS and ask that all important question.
Let’s start with food.
The ONE thing you can do about your Eating for PCOS
What is the ONE thing that you can do about your eating habits such that by doing it everything else will be easier and unnecessary?
Here are some suggestions:
- Always have snack with you. I tend to slip up when I’m hungry and can’t find suitable food. I resort to junk food and send my insulin levels sky rocketing. So, having snacks with me makes me feel less deprived and more in control.
- Have a couple of “go-to” recipes. Some meals can be more difficult than others. Lunch can be tricky if you work at an office and normally have sandwiches. What is the one thing you can do to make it easier? Have a plan in place of what you will eat when at the office. Be prepared and put a little bit of thought into it so that you don’t fall back into the routine of that sandwich.
- Always make sure that you have good food in the house. If you fill your fridge and pantry with good food and eliminate the junk, you’re less likely to actually eat the junk and instead fuel your body with delicious, nutritious food.
- If you’re struggling to give up dairy, maybe your one thing could be finding a substitute that you really like.
The ONE Thing you can do about your Supplements for your PCOS:
Let’s talk about your supplement regime. We’re not talking specific supplements here. If you do want to know more about those, you can find them here:
What is the ONE thing that you can do for about your supplements such that by doing it everything else will be easier and unnecessary?
- Instead of taking loads of supplements, find the ones that are most effective for you and focus on those. For me, the most important supplements are Ovasitol, Omega 3 and Vitamin D.
- Find the form that best works for you. I used to take tablets or capsules. Now, I find that drops of powders are easier and offer less resistance for me.
- Pick the same time everyday. Sometimes we’re just not in the habit of taking supplements. Taking them at the same time each day and making them a part of your routine can be really helpful. I take mine with my breakfast and just before I go to bed.
The ONE Thing you can do with exercise for your PCOS:
We know that exercise is important for PCOS (you can find out more here ) So,
What is the ONE thing that you can do for with exercise such that by doing it everything else will be easier and unnecessary?
- I know that High Intensity Interval training and resistance training are great for women with PCOS. So, when I am able to exercise and go to gym, that’s what I focus on.
- Maybe you can’t get to gym or struggle to exercise. What is the one thing that you can do? Move. Walk, run, skip, jump, cycle. It doesn’t matter what. Just get moving.
- Maybe you lack motivation. Maybe your one thing is finding a work out partner.
Those are just a few suggestions. You need to come up with the things that work best for you.
And to be honest, it doesn’t really matter what your answer is. What is important is that you are taking small steps daily to manage your PCOS.
These small habits will grow and develop. Once your One Thing has become a part of your life and routine, you can focus on another one and then another one.
One of the best things you could do now is check out PCOS Foodies, my membership site for women with PCOS.
Now, I don’t want you to just read this. I want you to take action. To make a small commitment.
So, with that in mind, leave me a comment below and let me know what YOUR one thing is. I want to hear from you!
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3 Responses
Linda: I’m not Tarryn, but I do have PCOS and thought I’d respond from personal experience with it.
First of all, take a deep breath. Crying every day isn’t going to be good for your health in the long run, and you need to keep yourself healthy in order to best help your daughter. And honestly, give yourself a big hug for being so proactive about your daughter’s health. Finding the things that will help your daughter the most is going to take time; and symptom management is a long road. It IS frustrating, but starting early in life will be such a huge help! You’re doing a good job just asking these questions!
I can’t really provide specific advice about supplements beyond what Tarryn has written on this site, except the general advice to start small/slow. Getting her buy in is the most important part since she is the one who will have to take these supplements long term.
The best thing to tell her doctor is to relay all her symptoms and that you suspect she has PCOS. The next step is blood tests. She might be prescribed spironolactone, metformin, and/or hormonal birth control depending on her test results. It’s up to you two which you decide to adopt. I had good success in losing some weight and clearing up hormonal acne with spironolactone, but no results with metformin. My friend with PCOS got results from both. Every person is different.
By far the most change I have seen in my body has been with dietary changes. Avoiding dairy and sugar is super important, so it is good she’s doing that already! Carbs aren’t necessarily bad, just those that cause a spike in insulin levels (pasta, bread, potatoes, rice, etc.) Vegetables are really vital because they provide a lot of nutrients and fiber. It sounds like she eats a lot of fruit, so you might want to see if cutting back on that helps. Fruit contains a LOT of natural sugar, and too much can cause issues with insulin levels.
She should also get in the habit of getting in some exercise every week. It might not help her lose much weight, but it helps other things like stimulating metabolism and keep her heart healthy. I’ve seen Tarryn recommend HIIT (high intensity interval training.)
My personal advice would be to know everything in PCOS is slow. Both effective changes and the danger of unchecked symptoms accumulate over time. Too much worry now will only make you and her frustrated with slow progress and more likely to give up or stop trying new things. This will be a lifelong battle for her. I know that’s depressing, but it is better to come to grips with the reality of it and understand that with dietary change she CAN manage her health effectively and settle in for the long haul. Probably the best thing you can do at this point is get HER to understand her own responsibility for her long term health. It is so awesome that you are so supportive and helpful (good job mom!) but in the end she has to be motivated enough for herself to apply all the knowledge and advice you’re discovering for her in the long run.
Keep your head up! Change takes time, but you can do it! <3 Tonya
Could you please help I am in search of a specialist for my daughter. Timing is critical as my daughter was misdiagnosed by another doctor. The symptoms has progressed further and she needs help. Hoping you could provide resources to reference further.
I think I have PCOS. I don’t have health insurance so confirming this with a PCP is quite impossible for now. I have irregular menstrual cycles and a tad more of the symptoms listed.
I am writing to say that this article was very helpful. Thank you for keeping it simple and less complicated. Your terminology is easy to comprehend and the suggestions for coping with PCOS seem less daunting compared to other medical articles.
I have no diagnosis yet I just feel like I am have this syndrome or something relatively similar.
Thank you Tarryn and keep up the good work. I will be sure to incorporate the lifestyle-changing routines you so graciously provided. Also, since supplements are beneficial for women in general, I’ll be getting some.