How to Improve Metabolism and Support Weight Loss with PCOS
- Lisa Smith Nutritionist
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
How to Improve Metabolism and Support Weight Loss with PCOS
Weight gain with PCOS can feel confusing and unfair. You may be eating well, moving regularly, even skipping meals, yet the scales stay stuck. If that sounds familiar, it’s not your fault. PCOS impacts how your body processes food, stores fat, and uses energy. In other words, it affects your metabolism.
But metabolism isn’t just about calories. It’s influenced by hormones like insulin, cortisol, thyroid, and oestrogen, all of which can be disrupted in PCOS.
In this blog, I’ll take you through 6 practical steps to support your metabolism so you can manage PCOS-related weight changes more effectively - without crash diets, overtraining, or all-or-nothing thinking.
1. Balance Blood Sugar to Reduce Insulin Resistance
PCOS is often driven by insulin resistance, even in women who are not overweight. When your body struggles to respond to insulin, it stores more fat (especially around the middle) and ramps up androgen production, which can worsen weight gain, cravings, and fatigue.
What helps:
Eat protein with every meal to slow glucose release
Choose low-GI carbohydrates like oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes and lentils
Avoid skipping meals, this can worsen blood sugar crashes and cortisol spikes
Include healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, seeds) to support satiety
Tip: Try tracking how you feel after meals, steady energy, no crashes or cravings is a good sign your blood sugar is balanced.
2. Reduce Inflammation to Support Fat Burning
PCOS is often linked with low-grade inflammation, which can interfere with metabolic function, contribute to insulin resistance and make weight loss more difficult.
What helps:
Limit ultra-processed foods, refined oils and added sugars
Prioritise anti-inflammatory foods like berries, oily fish, olive oil and leafy greens
Include colourful veg daily to boost antioxidants and polyphenols
Consider omega-3s (through food or supplement) if your intake is low
Tip: If you’re often bloated, tired or experiencing joint pain, inflammation may be playing a role, addressing gut health and food reactivity can help too.
3. Eat Enough to Support Metabolic Flexibility
It’s tempting to eat less to lose weight, but under-eating can slow your metabolism, increase stress hormones, and worsen PCOS symptoms. Many women with PCOS are unintentionally undereating due to busy schedules or restrictive diets.
What helps:
Avoid very low-calorie plans, these increase cortisol and disrupt thyroid hormones
Focus on regular, balanced meals with enough protein and complex carbs
Eat enough to fuel daily activity and avoid over-reliance on stimulants
Be wary of intermittent fasting if it leads to energy crashes or bingeing later
Tip: Restoring your metabolic rate often starts with eating the right food more consistently, not necessarily eating less.
4. Move in a Way That Supports Your Hormones
Exercise is important, but more isn’t always better when it comes to PCOS. Overtraining, especially with high-intensity workouts, can raise cortisol, disrupt ovulation and worsen fatigue.
What helps:
Prioritise resistance training 2–3x per week to build lean muscle (which increases metabolic rate)
Include daily low-intensity movement like walking or yoga to reduce stress load
Avoid chronic cardio or long fasted workouts if you feel wired or exhausted
Rest is also part of the plan, especially during high-stress weeks or luteal phase
Tip: The best type of movement is the one you can do consistently without burnout.
5. Support Your Thyroid and Mitochondrial Health
Your thyroid and mitochondria (the energy centres in your cells) play a big role in metabolism. Thyroid hormone imbalances like Hypothyroidism or Hashimotos are more common in women with PCOS, particularly if there’s an autoimmune or inflammatory component.
What helps:
Ensure you’re getting key nutrients: iodine, selenium, iron, zinc, B12, tyrosine
Don’t overdo raw cruciferous veg if you have low thyroid function
Include iron-rich foods if you’re plant-based or have heavy periods
Balance stress and blood sugar to protect thyroid hormone conversion
Tip: If your energy is low despite sleeping well, or if you’ve struggled to lose weight for years, it may be worth testing thyroid and nutrient levels.
6. Prioritise Rest, Recovery and Stress Regulation
Chronic stress raises cortisol, which can increase belly fat, worsen cravings, disrupt sleep and down-regulate your metabolism. Many women with PCOS are high achievers juggling busy lives, and their stress is physiological, not just emotional.
What helps:
Build in daily downtime, even 5–10 minutes of breathing, walking, or doing nothing
Create a consistent sleep routine, ideally 7–9 hours of restorative sleep
Limit stimulants like caffeine if you feel wired-but-tired
Use tools like journaling, therapy, nature walks, or guided breathwork
Tip: Progress happens during recovery. If you never rest, your body stays in survival mode, not fat-burning mode.
It’s Not Just About Weight Loss
Improving your metabolism with PCOS isn’t just about the scales, it’s about more energy, fewer symptoms, and a body that works with you, not against you. These six steps aren’t a quick fix, but they’re sustainable, supportive and grounded in what actually works.
If you’ve been told to “just lose weight” without any real guidance on how to support your hormones and metabolism, you’re not on your own, and you don’t have to figure it out alone either.
Inside my 12-week Hormone Shift Method, we focus on practical, food-first strategies to support metabolic health, reduce symptoms, and shift stubborn weight—without restriction or guesswork.
Struggling with symptoms like fatigue, cravings, bloating, or stubborn weight gain? I work online with women across Manchester and the UK through my 12-week PCOS Hormone Shift Method, which combines targeted nutrition, gut support and hormone balancing steps in a clear weekly format.
You’ll get science-backed strategies, optional functional testing, and regular support—without extreme diets or quick fixes.
Book a free 30-minute discovery call or download your Free Hormone Health Snapshot to find out where to start.
Download the Free Hormones Snapshot
Updated in June 2025 to reflect new PCOS research and nutrition strategies.
Disclaimer
This blog is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnose health conditions, or replace personalised care from a qualified healthcare professional.
As a BANT-registered nutritionist, I offer nutrition and lifestyle support to help manage and improve health outcomes, but I do not diagnose or treat medical conditions. Always consult your GP or healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, lifestyle, or supplements, especially if you have a medical condition, take prescription medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Individual needs can vary, and what works for one person may not be appropriate for another. All information is evidence-based to the best of my ability at the time of writing, but research and guidance can evolve. If you're looking for tailored support, please get in touch to book a 1:1 consultation.
References:
Comitato R, Saba A, Turrini A, Arganini C, Virgili F. Sex hormones and macronutrient metabolism. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2015;55(2):227-41. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2011.651177. PMID: 24915409; PMCID: PMC4151815.
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