Thriving with PCOS: Lifestyle Strategies to Successfully Manage Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

by Kelly Morrow-Baez

PCOS is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. More than that, the symptoms of the syndrome can cause significant emotional distress and long-term health consequences. Most women who receive a diagnosis of PCOS have no idea what that means. This book picks up where a diagnosis leaves off. In Thriving with From Diagnosis to Wellness, Kelly Morrow-Baez, aka the FitShrink, draws upon her personal experience with PCOS and professional background in mental health and gives readers all the information and tools they need to create a lasting healthy lifestyle change. This book is written from a mindset perspective and provides a comprehensive overview of PCOS and a solid foundation for the reader to design a lifestyle strategy for total wellness.

It’s widely known that lifestyle strategies are helpful when it comes to PCOS; however, most women struggle to implement them in a consistent way. This book goes beyond the typical recommendations and empowers each reader to decide what the best approach is for herself. Motivation is enhanced with explanations of how stress, medications, and eating habits are all connected to insulin resistance.

In addition to helping the reader understand the impact of insulin resistance, Morrow-Baez delves into the connection between lifestyle choices and emotional wellness and demystifies the link between them so that if you are suffering from anxiety or depression you know precisely what will work for you to start feeling better. Depression, anxiety, stress management are explored. Morrow-Baez explains how you can enhance connections with your health care providers and become a part of the team, rather than a bystander in your medical care. Pre-packaged lifestyle strategies are as unhelpful as processed food. The key is to design and implement a personalized strategy that is as unique as you are.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

194 pages, Hardcover

Published February 9, 2018

Reviews

[Isabel Hinen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like this, but I ended up skimming through quite a bit of it. The author really pushed medical intervention (medications etc) and I personally view those as only a last resort, so a lot of the book didn't really apply to me. She also really pushed for meal tracking. While that works for some people, there is NO way I am willing to track every single piece of food I eat for the REST OF MY LIFE. Sorry, I'll stick to the simplicity of intuitive eating and mindfulness. I'm pretty sure anyone can decipher for themselves whether a food is healthy or not- I mean, women are taught to follow diets and health-culture from a very young age. So I don't think we need any sort of paid app for tracking our diets. Just my opinion. There was some good information in here, and it gives you some options for managing PCOS, but I just wasn't impressed personally.

[Ardith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really glad this book was helpful to people. I am personally so tired of being told that diet and exercise are the cure to everything. It goes in the pile of finance books that tell me if I cut out my cup of coffee I must be drinking every day, I'll be set. If I'm reading your book, I've already worked on that. I'm sure most people with pcos have been trying the diet and exercise thing since they were teenagers.

[Coralie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book normalized and helped me regain more power in my reality of living with PCOS. That’s not the norm that I’ve seen with authors. I appreciated that. She discussed concepts and terms very practically but doesn’t waste your time with too much fluff. I’d definitely recommend for others who are in the journey. I wish I had read this a few years ago. I think I’d have a lot of questions answered.

[Amellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I've tended to think of my PCOS as a curse, as an annoyance, as a negative part of my life. I appreciate that this book frames it in a different way: yes, PCOS is a challenge but successfully navigating that challenge can create more sense of accomplishment.

I will always have to watch what I eat and I will always have to exercise to manage my PCOS symptoms, but in the long run, those aren't terrible things to be tied to. More than the diet and exercise reminders, I really appreciated the chapters about mental health and PCOS. Choosing to love and accept myself where I'm at and not just until I reach a certain goal was really important for me. I tend to shut down and shut everyone out when I'm struggling mentally or physically. This book made me re-evaluate that coping strategy.

I highly recommend it for anyone who has PCOS.

[Scarlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does give lots of important information which is greatly appreciated. There were two main problems I had while reading. One was that I think it was not appropriate to push medical intervention as much as the book did. given that the medication options are birth control and diabetes medication, should be a last resort as those are long term medications which can lead to other issues. Without lifestyle changes you’re just continuing to have the symptoms, and birth control can also mask the symptoms of PCOS so many women may not know they have it until they stop taking it. I also did not like how the author spoke about diet tracking claiming that you would have to do it forever. I don’t think that works for everyone and certainly isn’t something you have to do.

[Beth Pronger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely not a great read for me. I did find some helpful information, especially about making healthy lifestyle changes, but I didn't feel like the "workout every day" was a good piece of advice. I didn't think it needed to be repeated on almost every page. While I do believe that incorporating workouts into your life will be extremely beneficial, I don't agree that it will basically cure your clinical anxiety and depression , as the author heavily implied. I also belive that exercise requires rest and recovery periods, no matter what type of workout you choose, so working out every day even for just 10 minutes won't give your body and muscles the rest and recovery time to build up and become stronger. All in all, this book did have some decent introductory information on PCOS, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who was just diagnosed because I believe some of the information within could be harmful.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there’s nothing earth shattering in Morrow-Baez’s book, it’s a quick and to-the-point read that makes you stop and think about how you’re managing your life. It’s high on motivation to make the necessary changes, offering some basic hows but it can’t be classified a complete how-to. There were a few points where I had to stop and think, “oh my, yes, that makes so much sense.” Particularly linking anxiety with PCOS.

My biggest negative was that some sections repeated themselves a bit too closely. A few topics could have used a little more depth, but nothing more research on my own can’t solve.

Overall, a quick, very basic intro to PCOS for those looking for a spike in motivation.

[Lindsey Poulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such an encouragement and a gift to those who have recently been diagnosed with PCOS and their loved ones. It is not a complicated or difficult read. It is real talk about a difficult diagnosis that encourages you how to practically face it while remembering to love yourself in the process. Highly recommend!

[Virginia DelBondio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was super validating to things I’ve experienced that I had no idea related to my diagnosis. However, I ended up really just skimming over the parts I couldn’t relate to. Overall, a good read for those with PCOS or those with loved ones who have it to better understand symptoms and how to deal.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is excellent for anyone with PCOS, regardless of how much they know about PCOS. It is super thorough without being overwhelming. It actually changed my perception of PCOS and motivated me to really change my diet and cut out dairy and gluten. I highly recommend this book!

[Ashlynn Mesler · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very informative and helpful with how to make lifestyle changes to improve symptoms of PCOS rather than relying on medication to relieve symptoms. Although a lot of this could be outdated research, it was still very informative and provided a lot of clarity.

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part was so helpful, motivating and informative. The second half didn't work for me personally but I have lean PCOS and she doesn't really cover that. Definitely recommend to those who are recently diagnosed with PCOS though because she walks you through what's happening to your body. Be prepared to do some Google though because she cuts straight to the science and some terms aren't as common place.