In Conversation with Vivienne Wang: Redefining PCOS and Weight Management Through a Non-Diet Approach
Vivienne Wang is an Australia-based Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with a focus on PCOS, fertility, and pregnancy nutrition. As a Certified Fertility and Prenatal Dietitian and a fellow PCOS warrior, Vivienne is committed to educating women with evidence-based nutrition strategies to maximize their reproductive health.
Vivienne is credentialed by the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED) and has broad training with the Early Life Nutrition Alliance (ELNA). She also serves as an Executive Contributor at Brainz Magazine, focusing on the Health & Wellness category. By what she does, Vivienne fills the gap between PCOS and fertility nutrition, so women are given the specific guidance they need. She offers online consultations worldwide, helping individuals regain control of their health with confidence and clarity. In this interview, Vivienne shares her struggles with PCOS and her personal journey, highlighting how she helps other women navigate their own journeys.
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Vivienne, can you share a bit about your journey and what inspired you to specialize in PCOS nutrition and weight management through a non-diet approach?
You can find my personal story and experience with PCOS here.
https://www.viviennewang.com.au/about
I have had PCOS since a very young age and have been looking for solutions ever since. I have tried many diets to lose weight as well as many alternative therapies like acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Nothing worked in the long term, and I always gained the weight back. I finally accepted the reality that a calorie deficit does not work for PCOS. I studied dietetics and became a dietitian with the understanding of the prevalence of the same struggle I had. Many women with PCOS are experiencing the same struggles and wasting time on all kinds of fad diets. What we really need is a balanced, nutritious diet with the right choices of carbohydrates and portion sizes, plus an active lifestyle. We need to understand our bodies first rather than starve our bodies for a calorie deficit.
Many people associate PCOS primarily with weight concerns, but you emphasize that it’s about much more than that. Can you explain the broader impact of PCOS on women’s health and why weight alone isn’t the best focus for managing symptoms?
Weight gain is more like a result of PCOS rather than the cause. We gain weight easily because of insulin resistance, stress, malnutrition and inflammation. Weight is not the root cause. A focus on weight or the scale number will cause other health risks, such as eating disorders, body image issues, mental health problems and ignoring the root causes of PCOS symptoms, such as insulin resistance. PCOS is more than a weight concern; many women with PCOS are actually sitting within the healthy BMI or even underweight. It does not make sense if doctors are telling these people to lose weight, or if we put weight loss as the first-line treatment. We need to focus more on the root causes of PCOS rather than the weight number.
Your approach prioritizes sustainable, science-based nutrition without restrictive dieting. How do you help clients shift their mindset from conventional dieting to a more balanced and intuitive way of eating?
First of all, many of my clients have already tried many weight loss strategies with calorie counting. They all admitted that they could lose weight for short periods of time, but eventually gain the weight back. As none of the weight loss diets were designed for long-term use (they all miss some food groups or restrict some nutrients), you need to transition into a balanced diet towards the end of your weight loss journey. My approach would be educating people on how and why we are eating this balanced diet with all food groups. We begin using a balanced diet from the start and give you more time to incorporate the method into your own life. Because PCOS is a lifelong condition, we need to find a lifelong sustainable way to manage our diet. I usually start by modifying their current diet, offering some swap ideas and changing the portion sizes, instead of giving them a total makeover. Because all the tips are tailored to their food preferences and lifestyle, they can do it in the long term in a more sustainable way.
PCOS symptoms vary widely among individuals, with factors like insulin resistance, inflammation, and hormonal imbalances playing different roles. How do you tailor your recommendations to address these specific root causes rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach?
During our first assessment, we will discuss your medical history, blood test results, and dietary history. We need to identify the root causes for that individual first, and then we can develop a basic plan and meal structure tailored to that person’s food preferences, food intolerances, scheduled time, and root causes. During our coaching program, we would test and change this initial plan with a continuous tracking process. We always need feedback and review sessions for us to track the progress, as our bodies are so different. Giving out meal plans does not work very well. People also have special occasions like family gatherings, traveling and business trips. With personalised one-on-one coaching, we can tailor our recommendations to best serve the individual with her special needs.
Managing PCOS often extends beyond diet and nutrition, incorporating lifestyle changes, mental well-being, and even fertility considerations. What are some of the key lifestyle strategies you encourage your clients to adopt for long-term success?
Besides eating healthy, I also discuss exercise and stress management with my clients. I always encourage my clients to be “active” and find something they enjoy doing in the long term. The intensity of exercise does not matter, but consistency does. As we are not focusing on how many calories we burn, the intensity of the workout won’t be the main focus here. We would encourage our clients to think about stimulating their muscles and focusing on their mood change with the benefits of exercising and working out, rather than how many calories they burn. In some cases, I even recommend them to avoid high-intensity exercises because of their stress level. Sleeping is also very important. We track sleeping quality during our program as well, as that is another very important area for us to monitor. Your sleep quality can reflect your stress level as well as some nutritional deficiencies. We also change our supplement plan based on everything we just discussed above.