Fertility specialist Dr. Mark Perloe treats patients with PCOS and PCOS-related infertility from his office in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Perloe and I got together on Facebook Live to answer your burning PCOS questions. We had a great time talking about one of our favorite subjects: improving fertility through exercise and nutrition.

Key Takeaways from Our Interview

  • Spend more time with your food. The fast food lifestyle is not PCOS friendly. Try making your dining experience healthier and more fun by trying new recipes, shopping at farmers’ markets and eating without distraction. When women spend more time on eating, they have less trouble managing their weight.
  • Make sure you’re taking the correct dose of metformin. Many women get prescribed a dose of metformin that is not optimal for PCOS. If you are on sustained release metformin, you might want to talk to your doctor about making a switch.
  • Don’t forget inositol. Dr. Perloe frequently uses the inositol supplement Ovasitol to treat his PCOS patients. I have also seen great results from supplementing with inositol. In particular, I’ve noticed that my coaching clients and I have fewer sugar cravings. You can buy Ovasitol here and you’ll automatically receive a discount code at checkout.
  • Working out is a skill that takes time to learn. It is ok to go to the gym for the first time and feel completely confused. Learning to work out is a process and you need to cut yourself some slack! Don’t give up if your first month of working out is not exactly perfect. You’ll get there with practice.
  • Long cardio sessions may not work so well for PCOS. It’s tempting to just stick to the cardio machine section of the gym. But if you have PCOS, your best bet is to do a mix of strength training and shorter cardio sessions. If you’re looking for a workout program designed specifically for PCOS, check out my program, the PCOS Fit Studio.
  • Look at your lifestyle as a whole. There is no single magic bullet to “fix” PCOS. Instead, women should try to shape a lifestyle that supports a variety of healthy habits. Managing PCOS looks a little bit different for every woman, so take a look at your life as it is right now and make one small change at a time.
Erika Portrait

Hi! I'm Erika.

I’m a certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach. I also happen to have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I help guide guide women living with PCOS toward a lifestyle that gets their symptoms under control so that they have the time, energy, and confidence to thrive. My tips, plans, programs, and guides cover all the information I wish I had when I was first diagnosed.

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