My PCOS Journey: A Synopsis
I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, otherwise known as PCOS. PCOS is a complex endocrinological condition with gynaecological and metabolic implications, like infertility. PCOS is the leading cause of infertility among people with ovaries.
Like many people with PCOS, I had long suspected something was wrong almost as soon as I began puberty. For years, the many doctors I saw gaslit me about my symptoms (“Maybe it’s stress,” “You don’t have cysts,” “You should lose weight,” “Stop eating…”), and when I finally received a diagnosis in my mid-twenties, I was flippantly told to “lose weight. You’re too heavy – I don’t even weigh that much. Oh and here’s a prescription for birth control.” These stigmatizing comments echoed the other lifelong weight stigmatizing comments I had heard from family members, teachers and classmates alike.
Not knowing any differently, for years I hit the gym, hired a personal trainer and became vegan in a vain attempt to “not be morbidly obese” and to “lower my BMI.” This only led to frustration, bad body image, low self-esteem and tears, and still being told by doctors, “Hmm… maybe you should try to lose weight.” I wouldn’t lose weight, and if I did (which was rare), I’d soon regain it or my PCOS (and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis) symptoms would persist despite any weight loss. It was also a restrictive way to live that didn’t allow for flexibility or just living like a normal person, enjoying my life, friends and cultural foods that were important to me. I soon found that losing weight with insulin-resistant PCOS was more complicated than anyone had ever let on. When the scale refused to budge, I realized that I needed to consider other metrics of success beyond weight loss, or else I would not be able to convince myself to exercise at all ever again.
This realization led me to become a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I wanted to do fitness differently. I wanted to see people in larger bodies like my own leading fitness classes and training clients. I wanted to focus on non-scale victories, like improved mental health, getting stronger, and better metabolic markers. I wanted to create spaces where people of all bodies could feel safe to move, and where the focus was on the joy of movement and the benefits of exercise beyond mere weight loss. My foray into fitness led to further study and adoption of a “Health at Every Size” (HAES) philosophy and complemented my career in equity, diversity and inclusion.
I consider myself a weight-neutral/weight-inclusive fitness professional.
I get it.
As a person living with PCOS and a person who has suffered from weight stigma her entire life, I get it.
As a Black woman, I know what it’s like to exist in a marginalized body that is subject to low-grade chronic stress on account of that marginalization.
As a person who works in the equity, diversity and inclusion space, I believe in anti-oppression. Fatphobia is racist, and how we currently talk about PCOS contributes to the erasure of trans men and non-binary people.
As a fitness professional, I now know that the BMI is B.S. (and racist) and weight science is nuanced and complex. Exercise is beneficial and necessary for people with PCOS, independent of weight loss. I also believe in bodily autonomy; I’m not anti-weight loss; I’m anti-weight focus.
PCOS Coaching
Whether you suspect you have PCOS, you are newly diagnosed or you have been managing PCOS for years, I’ve been there and I have struggled with the same issues. I know what it’s like to be tossed from doctor to doctor without a diagnosis. I know what it’s like to face weight stigma in the doctor’s office and gaslit about my knowledge of my body. I know what it’s like to feel stuck, lost, frustrated or scared, worrying about whether you can ever have children or live a life not obsessing over food and body size.
I can help you with your body image, mindset, reframing your thoughts, and pointing you in the right direction in terms of resources and professional referrals. I cannot diagnose or prescribe, but I can commiserate, console, clarify, support, teach, provide accountability and be a listening ear while you vent your frustrations. You are not alone.
Contact me to discuss booking a free consult and/or series of sessions.
PCOS Personal Training
Much like my regular personal training, but focused on muscular conditioning to help with insulin sensitivity. Contact me to learn more.
PCOS Group Personal Training
Contact me to schedule an appointment!
PCOS Nutritional Coaching
With my certification from canfitpro, I can provide general nutritional support and guidance. You don’t have to eat keto, go low carb, eschew gluten and dairy or count calories to manage your PCOS. While these methods may “work” for some, it may not work for you or be best for you. Let’s chat.
Contact me to schedule an appointment!
Simone Samuels 