Last month I received some news. Now, depending on which way you look at things it can either be good news or bad news.  I will first focus on why this news was “good” and then I will very honestly share the part of my heart that can’t help but think, “well that is pretty crap news!” Last month I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).  It is basically an endocrine disorder which results in a hormonal imbalance in your body. I am not going to go into any huge amount of detail – that is what Google is for – but I want to share my personal experience and how this relates to my own struggle to lose weight.

For many years, I have felt that something “was off” with my body. Things just never added up for me. How could my friends eat twice as much as me and all I had to do was look at a slice of cake, and it would deposit itself to my butt and make a permanent home there?  More recently, I have been utterly confounded, that after 4 years of diligently following a  low carb diet (free from sugar and processed food), I have not been able to lose all my extra weight. Well, I may have finally found my answer.

The good news is that I have been liberated from years of feeling like I must be doing something wrong. It was never me! It was my PCOS. I believe that problems can only be effectively dealt with, if you know what they are. I have said this before, but I will say it again – information is power.  Now I know what I am dealing with. I have a hormonal disorder that makes it almost impossible to lose weight. PCOS affects your blood sugar control and the way insulin works in your body. I am now on a journey to read and research as much as I can to hopefully find a way of managing a disorder that apparently has no cure.

I have to be honest and tell you that when I first received this diagnosis, I was like, “PCOS? Seriously?” In that moment, when I let myself wade in the pond of self-pity, I even thought to myself, “Why me?” I suppose it is human nature to do that.

I believe a true test of one’s character is not about what hurdles life puts in your path, but rather how you choose to react. Are you going to endeavour to jump over it, go underneath it, or perhaps around it, and in so doing forge a way forward? Or are you going to drop in a crumpled heap and say, “it’s too high – I just can’t”?   I have to take this diagnosis seriously, as I am at higher risk for diabetes and heart disease.

I am glad I never gave up trying to figure out what was wrong with me. My advice is if you feel that something is just not right, persevere until you find your answer.  I am thankful for holistic practitioners who take what you say to them seriously and who treat you as a “whole person”. Symptoms are never isolated – they tell a complex story about your health. If your doctor doesn’t take the time or show any interest in listening to your story, find another one who will. They are out there. They do exist.

I am grateful I found the LCHF way of eating when I did. If I hadn’t, I am convinced I would have diabetes by now.   Studies show that a low carb diet is the most effective for PCOS sufferers to manage their blood sugar and insulin issues.

So my new goal is to figure out how I am going to win this battle of my bulge, especially now that the rules of the game have changed.

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.”
– Zig Ziglar