A Word PCOD
Month I heard the term Polycystic Ovarian Disease and it completely changed the way I think about my body. It was not something the doctor told me it was like a big wave of confusion and fear that came over me. I had many questions. What is happening to my body? Will I put on weight? Will my hormones ever be normal again? If you have been diagnosed with PCOD recently or if you are dealing with its symptoms without talking about it I want you to know that you are not alone in feeling this way.
The days after I got my diagnosis were really tough. I was feeling anxious all the time. Every small thing that happened in my body seemed like a deal. I was gaining weight without knowing why my mood was changing all the time. I was feeling tired. All these things together were too much for me. I was thinking about everything much from what I was eating to how I looked and I was always worried about what these changes in my hormones would do to my life in the future. PCOD does not just affect your body it also affects your mind in ways that people do not always talk about.
There is a fear that comes with PCOD, the fear of not being in control of your own body. Honestly that was the part for me. I kept asking myself how will I deal with this? Will I ever feel like myself again? Thinking about all these things can be really exhausting. It often makes you doubt yourself and feel emotional.
Then I realized something important between all the worrying and searching online for information about PCOD, its symptoms, weight gain and how to deal with it naturally. This journey is not about being perfect it is about understanding and healing your body.
In this blog I am not just sharing information about PCOD. I am sharing my experience, my struggles and the small things I am learning to do every day to deal with PCOD naturally. If you are reading this and you are feeling anxious, confused or scared I promise that this will feel like talking to someone who really understands what you are going through.
Keep reading because understanding your body might just be the step, to finding your balance again.
My PCOD Journey: Five Months Later, I am Learning to Understand My Body
Five months ago, I wrote about something that had completely changed the way I looked at myself—PCOD.
When I was first diagnosed, I remember feeling confused, scared and emotionally exhausted. Suddenly, words like hormones, weight gain, periods, mood swings, diet and exercise became part of my everyday thoughts.
I had so many questions.
Why is my body behaving differently?
Why am I gaining weight?
Why do my moods change so quickly?
What should I eat?
Will I ever feel normal again?
At that time, I was looking for quick answers.
Today, five months later, I don’t think I have all the answers, and honestly, I don’t think anyone with PCOD needs to have everything figured out immediately. What I have learned is much more important.
I have learned to listen to my body.
For the last five months, I have been taking my medication regularly as advised by my doctor. Along with that, I have been trying to make healthier lifestyle choices. Four months ago, I also joined the gym.
It hasn’t been a perfect journey.
There have been good days, bad days, lazy days, emotional days, days when I followed my routine perfectly and days when I simply couldn’t. But slowly, I started understanding that managing PCOD is not about being perfect. It is about being consistent enough to take care of yourself. So, this is the next chapter of my PCOD story.
What Changed After My PCOD Diagnosis?
Initially, my diagnosis felt like a problem I had to solve immediately.
I started paying attention to every little change in my body. Weight gain became something I constantly worried about. Mood swings affected my confidence. Some days I felt energetic, while on other days I didn’t feel like doing anything. The emotional side was sometimes harder than the physical symptoms. I think this is something many women with PCOD can relate to. People can see weight gain, acne or other visible changes, but they cannot always see the emotional struggle happening inside.
Sometimes you look completely fine from the outside while internally you are thinking about your health all day. That was one of the biggest things I had to understand. PCOD is not just about periods or weight. It can affect how you feel about yourself, your body and your everyday life.
The World Health Organization also recognises that PCOS can have a significant effect on quality of life and may be associated with anxiety, depression, eating concerns and negative body image.
For me, accepting that I was going through a difficult phase was the first step toward changing how I handled it.
The First Lesson: I Stopped Expecting Overnight Results
One of my biggest mistakes in the beginning was expecting quick changes.
I wanted my weight to change quickly.
I wanted my mood to become stable immediately.
I wanted my body to feel different within weeks.
But the body doesn’t work according to our deadlines. Once I understood that, I became a little more patient with myself.
Instead of asking:
“Why haven’t I changed yet?”
I started asking- “What can I do today that will help me tomorrow?” That small change in thinking made a big difference. I started focusing less on the weighing scale and more on my habits.
Did I take my medication?
Did I move my body?
Did I eat properly?
Did I get enough rest?
Did I drink enough water?
Did I give myself some mental space?
These became more important questions than simply asking how much I weighed.
My PCOD Gym Journey: Four Months of Learning to Move My Body
four months ago I joined a gym.
I was not just thinking about my body when I decided to go to the gym. I was also thinking about my mind. I wanted to do something that would make me happy. At first going to the gym felt like I had to do one thing.
There were days when I felt like going to the gym and working out. There were also days when I did not want to go. I wanted to stay home.
I learned that feeling motivated is not the thing that makes me go to the gym.
My daily routine is what keeps me going to the gym not the feeling of being motivated.
I do not go to the gym because I wake up every morning and I think exercise is great. I go to the gym because it is now a part of my life.
Some days my workout is good. Some days it is hard. Some days I have a lot of energy and some days I need to slow down.
That is okay.
What doctors say about PCOD is that exercise is important for taking care of myself. They do not say that one type of exercise is best for everyone. The best exercise is the one that I can do every day and that I like.
This made me think about something:
I do not have to exercise because I feel bad, about my weight.
I can exercise because it makes my body feel good.
I used to think of the gym as a place to lose weight.
When I thought about working out I always thought about losing weight at the time.
Now I think about the gym in a way. The gym is my time for myself.
I really like finishing a workout.
I like feeling strong.
I like knowing that I am doing things for my health.
Managing my weight is still important to me.
It is not the only reason I go to the gym anymore.
This is a change for me and my PCOD journey.
My body is not something I hate.
I do not need to be mean, to it just because it has changed.
I need to try to understand my body and take care of it.
PCOD and Weight Gain: Learning Not to Hate the Weighing Scale
Let’s talk about something many women with PCOD struggle with weight gain.
For me, weight gain was one of the most emotionally difficult parts. When your clothes don’t fit the way they used to, when you see changes in the mirror, or when the number on the weighing scale goes up, it can affect your confidence. And sometimes, you start blaming yourself.
You think:
Maybe I am not disciplined enough. Maybe I am eating too much.
Maybe I am not exercising enough.
But I have learned that the relationship between PCOD, hormones, metabolism, lifestyle and weight is more complicated than simply saying, “eat less and exercise more.”
This is why I have stopped treating my weight as a measure of my worth. My goal now is to build healthier habits rather than chase a particular number.
Current evidence-based PCOS guidance also emphasises that healthy lifestyle changes can provide benefits even when they don’t result in weight loss. For people who are trying to manage weight, the focus can include preventing further weight gain and improving overall metabolic health—not just the number on the scale.
That perspective has helped me emotionally.
Acne is a problem for people with PCOD. This is because PCOD can change the levels of hormones in your body. When this happens it can make your skins oil glands work harder which can lead to acne. The acne that comes with PCOD usually shows up on the jawline, chin, cheeks or lower part of the face. It can be really tough to get rid of. May not go away like other pimples do.
If you have PCOD and acne there are things you can do to help. You can try to relax and not get too stressed out. Eat food that’s good for you and take care of your skin in a gentle way. You should also talk to a doctor to get some advice. Remember, having acne does not mean your skin is not beautiful. It is one way your body reacts to the changes, in your hormones.
You do not have to worry about the acne or the marks it leaves. With time eating food and living a good life your skin will get better.
To get clear skin at home you can try some things that you can make yourself.
How I Manage My PCOD Mood Swings
Mood swings have been another part of this journey that I didn’t always know how to handle.
There are days when I feel completely fine.
And then there are days when little things suddenly feel much bigger than they normally would.
Sometimes I feel irritated.
Sometimes emotional.
Sometimes tired.
Sometimes I simply don’t feel like talking to anyone. Earlier, I would get frustrated with myself. Now I try to pause. Instead of thinking, “What’s wrong with me?”, I ask myself, “What do I need today?”
Maybe I need rest.
Maybe I need a walk.
Maybe I need to talk to someone.
Maybe I need some quiet time.
Maybe I simply need to stop expecting myself to be productive every minute of the day.
This doesn’t mean I ignore persistent emotional difficulties. If mood changes, anxiety or low mood become overwhelming or continue affecting daily life, I believe it is important to talk to a qualified healthcare professional.
Taking care of your mental health is part of taking care of your PCOD journey too.
My PCOD Diet: I Chose Balance Instead of Extreme Restrictions
Food was another area where I had a lot of confusion.
When you search online for a PCOD diet, you will find endless lists of foods you should eat and foods you should never touch.
At one point, I felt like everything I enjoyed eating was suddenly “bad.” That approach didn’t work for me .Instead, I started thinking about balance. I try to include more nutritious, filling foods in my everyday meals and pay more attention to portions, meal timing and overall eating habits.
I try to include things such as:
- Vegetables and seasonal produce
- Fruits
- Protein-rich foods
- Whole grains and other high-fibre foods
- Nuts and seeds in suitable portions
- Home-cooked meals whenever possible
- Plenty of water
I also try not to make food my enemy. I don’t believe that one particular food automatically fixes PCOD. And I don’t believe that you need to completely remove every food you enjoy to take care of yourself.
The international PCOS guideline specifically notes that there isn’t evidence that one particular diet composition is superior to all others for PCOS outcomes. Instead, sustainable healthy eating should be personalised around a person’s preferences, needs and goals, while avoiding unnecessarily restrictive or nutritionally unbalanced diets.
That idea made eating feel much less stressful for me.
My Biggest Diet Change: I Became More Mindful
The biggest change wasn’t necessarily one specific food. It was becoming more aware of what I was eating. Earlier, I could eat without really thinking about it. Now I try to ask myself: Am I actually hungry? Will this meal keep me satisfied? Have I had enough protein and fibre today? Am I drinking enough water?Am I eating because I’m hungry or because I’m stressed?
I don’t follow a perfect diet every day. And I don’t want to pretend that I do. There are days when I eat something simply because I enjoy it. There are celebrations. There are cravings. There are busy days. And that’s life.
For me, healthy eating is becoming a long-term habit, not a temporary punishment.
Managing PCOD With Medication and Lifestyle Changes
One thing I want to make very clear from my personal experience is that lifestyle changes did not mean I stopped taking my medication. For the last five months, I have continued my medication as advised by my doctor. The gym, diet and lifestyle changes are things I have added to my routine as part of taking better care of myself.
I don’t believe in stopping prescribed medication because something on the internet says that diet or exercise can “cure” PCOD.
PCOD/PCOS management is individual, and treatment depends on a person’s symptoms, health needs and goals. There is currently no single cure, but treatment and lifestyle approaches can help manage symptoms and reduce health risks.
So if you are taking medication for PCOD, please speak to your doctor before changing or stopping it. My experience is my experience, not a prescription for someone else.
What Does a Normal PCOD Day Look Like for Me?
My routine isn’t perfect, but having some structure helps me. My day generally revolves around a few simple priorities:
1. I Try to Start My Day Without Immediately Stressing
I give myself a little time to wake up properly and get into my routine. I don’t want every morning to begin with thoughts about my weight, hormones or everything that could go wrong.
2. I Pay Attention to My Meals
I try to avoid making random food choices throughout the day and prefer meals that keep me satisfied.
3. I Make Movement Part of My Day
On gym days, I follow my workout routine. On days when I don’t go to the gym, I still try not to remain completely inactive.
4. I Take My Medication Consistently
This is one of the simplest but most important parts of my routine.
5. I Give Myself Time to Rest
Rest isn’t laziness. I have learned that pushing myself constantly doesn’t automatically make me healthier.
The Days When I Don’t Feel Motivated
This is probably one of the most relatable parts of my journey. There are days when I don’t want to go to the gym. There are days when I don’t want to prepare a healthy meal. There are days when my mood is low. There are days when I feel like I am doing everything right and still not seeing the results I want. Earlier, those days made me feel like I had failed.
Now I remind myself:
One difficult day does not cancel five months of effort.
If I miss one workout, I don’t quit.
If I eat something outside my routine, I don’t decide that the whole day is ruined.
If I feel emotional, I don’t hate myself for it.
I simply try to come back to my routine at the next opportunity. That is what consistency means to me now.
Not perfection.
Just coming back.
What PCOD Has Taught Me About My Body
Five months ago, I wanted my body to behave the way I wanted. Today, I am learning to work with my body. PCOD has taught me patience. It has taught me that health is not always visible. It has taught me that the weighing scale cannot tell the complete story. It has taught me that a healthy lifestyle doesn’t need to be extreme. Most importantly, it has taught me to be kinder to myself.
I still have difficult days.
I still have questions.
I still worry about my health sometimes.
But I don’t feel as helpless as I did when I was first diagnosed. And that, for me, is progress.
My 5 Biggest Lessons From Living With PCOD
If I had to summarise these five months, these are the lessons I would share with another woman beginning her PCOD journey.
1. Don’t Panic After Your Diagnosis
It is completely normal to feel confused after hearing a diagnosis. Give yourself time to understand it.
2. Don’t Compare Your PCOD Journey With Someone Else’s
Every woman’s symptoms, body, lifestyle and treatment can be different. What works for one person may not work in exactly the same way for another.
3. Don’t Make Weight Your Only Goal
Health is much bigger than a number on the scale. Focus on sustainable habits and how you feel physically and mentally.
4. Find an Exercise Routine You Can Actually Continue
You don’t have to love the gym. You just need to find movement that you can realistically maintain.
5. Be Patient With Yourself
This may be the most important lesson. Your body didn’t change overnight, and your habits don’t have to transform overnight either. Small changes repeated consistently can become a lifestyle.
To Every Woman Who Has Just Been Diagnosed With PCOD
If you’re reading this because you have recently been diagnosed, I want to tell you something I wish I had reminded myself more often in those first days:
You are still you.
A diagnosis doesn’t change your worth.
It doesn’t make you less beautiful.
It doesn’t mean your body has failed you.
And it doesn’t mean you have to completely change your life overnight.
Take one step at a time.
Talk to your doctor.
Understand your treatment.
Find an eating pattern that is healthy and sustainable for you.
Find a form of movement you enjoy.
Pay attention to your mental health.
And most importantly, stop expecting yourself to be perfect.
There is no prize for having the strictest diet or the hardest workout.
The real goal is to build a lifestyle that you can continue living.
Five Months Later: I Am Still Learning
When I look back at the woman who wrote my first PCOD blog, I feel emotional.
She was scared.
She had questions.
She was worried about her body and her future.
Five months later, I still don’t have everything figured out.
But I have something I didn’t have before:
confidence that I can take care of myself.
I am taking my medication.
I have been going to the gym for four months.
I am becoming more mindful about my food.
I am learning to manage my mood.
I am learning to accept weight changes without allowing them to define me.
And I am learning that self-care isn’t something you do for a few weeks.
It is something you practise again and again.
Some days I will be stronger.
Some days I will struggle.
Some days I will follow my routine perfectly.
Other days I won’t.
And that’s okay.
Because this isn’t a 30-day challenge.
This isn’t a quick weight-loss journey.
This isn’t about becoming a completely different person.
This is my journey of learning how to live with PCOD while taking better care of myself.
Final Thoughts: My PCOD Journey Is Still Going
If my first blog was about the fear of being diagnosed with PCOD, this one is about what happened after the fear.
I started taking care of myself.
Not perfectly.
Not magically.
But consistently.
And perhaps that is the biggest change of all.
I no longer wake up thinking only about what PCOD has taken away from me.
I am starting to think about what I can do for myself today.
One healthy meal.
One workout.
One doctor’s appointment.
One good night’s sleep.
One peaceful moment.
One decision to not give up.
That’s how I am moving forward.
And if you’re on your own PCOD journey, I hope you remember this:
You don’t have to fix everything today.
Start small.
Listen to your body.
Take professional medical advice.
Be patient with your progress.
And give yourself the same kindness you would give to someone you love.
Because managing PCOD isn’t about fighting your body every single day.
Sometimes, it’s about learning to understand it, support it and be patient with it.
Five months down, and my journey is still continuing.
And this time, I am not afraid of the journey.
A Small Note From Me
Everything written in this article comes from my experience of living with PCOD and the changes I have made in the last five months. My medicine, my exercise routine and the way I eat are specific to me. Might not work for everyone.
PCOD/PCOS can affect women in ways. Please talk to a healthcare professional for personal advice, about diagnosis, medicine, food, exercise and any symptoms that worry you. Healthy habits can help with PCOS. They should support, not take the place of, proper medical treatment.