PCOS-Aware · Perimenopause-Adapted · Cervical-Safe · Beginner-Friendly
| Session | What to Prep | Time | Gives You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Boil 8–10 eggs · Cook big pot lentils (250 g dry) · Boil potatoes then refrigerate (builds resistant starch — lowers GI) · Roast one tray carrots + zucchini + peppers · Bake zander if using Template A | ~30 min | Protein anchor all week · 5–6 lunch/dinner portions · Faster GI carbs ready · Roasted veg for 4–5 meals |
| Wednesday | Chickpea–veg stew: canned chickpeas + roasted veg + passata, simmer 10 min · Restock cucumber/carrot sticks in container | ~12 min | 2 dinners · Zero-prep snacks |
| Fish always cooks fresh (8 min in a pan). Eggs scramble in 4 min. Salads & yogurt bowls = no cooking. | |||
| Craving Type | Sanctioned Option | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet | 150 g sheep yogurt + cinnamon + 60 g berries | Protein + fiber, low-GI, tastes like dessert |
| Sweet + chocolate | 15–20 g 85% dark chocolate + 6 walnuts | Real chocolate; fat + fiber blunt glucose spike |
| Salty/crunchy | Carrot & cucumber sticks + 20 g aged cheese | Crunch, real protein, near-zero glucose impact |
| "Want to chew" | Chamomile tea + one of the above | Often thirst or habit — not true hunger |
| If This Causes Pain | Pain Location | Substitute With |
|---|---|---|
| Incline push-up | Neck or shoulder | Wall push-up (more upright = less load) |
| Banded chest press | Shoulder | Extra set of band pull-apart instead |
| Banded row | Lower back | Seated row on floor, back tall, anchor at feet |
| Bodyweight squat | Knee or hip | Glute bridge (extra set) or wall sit (30s holds) |
| Reverse lunge | Knee or balance issue | Step-up onto low step, or skip + add glute bridge |
| Face pull | Neck | Band external rotation (elbow stays low, no upper pull) |
| Bird-dog | Lower back | Dead bug (fully supported on back) |
| Any exercise | Pain >2/10 | Stop for the day — note location + score and flag to coach |
| What Changes | Detail |
|---|---|
| Intensity | RPE rises from ≤5 to 6–7 (RIR 2–3). Still never to failure. |
| Volume | Most exercises go from 2 sets → 3 sets. |
| Load | Band exercises step up one colour once 12 reps feel easy. |
| Progressions | Incline push-ups move closer to floor; chair squats become full BW squats; reverse lunges may add goblet hold. |
| Conditioning | One walk/week becomes a brisk interval walk: 1 min fast / 2 min easy. PCOS + bone density. |
| Hard stops | All cervical contraindications remain permanent. Horizontal-only pressing rule stays forever. |
| Movement | Reps/Hold | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Chin Tuck | 10 reps · Hold 2s each | Gently glide chin straight back ("double chin"). Tiny range, no force. |
| Cervical Retraction (seated, back to wall) | 10 reps · Hold 3s | Press back of head lightly toward wall. Not down — back. |
| Upper Trap Stretch | 30s each side | Ear toward shoulder, opposite hand gently assists. Stretch only, no pain. |
| Gentle Neck Rotation | 5 slow reps each side | Turn head to look over shoulder, slow and small range. |
| Pose | Hold | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Child's Pose | 60 s | Upper back + lat release. Forehead supported, arms forward. Decompress spine. |
| Cat–Cow (gentle) | 8 slow rounds | Small range, eyes follow the spine — no forced neck extension. Spinal mobility. |
| Thread the Needle | 45 s / side | Upper back + shoulder release. Opens thoracic area that overloads the neck. |
| Supine Spinal Twist | 60 s / side | Gentle lumbar decompression + hip release. Parasympathetic calm. |
| Figure-4 Stretch | 60 s / side | Hip + glute opening. Counters sitting, eases lower back. |
| Legs Up the Wall | 3–5 min | Nervous-system reset. Down-regulates stress, helps mood + sleep. Finish here. |
| Variable | Prescription |
|---|---|
| When | Morning — ideally within 1–2 hours of waking. Circadian + mood anchor. |
| Duration | Start at 15 min (Weeks 1–2), build to 30 min by Week 4. |
| Pace | Conversational — can talk in full sentences. Not a workout, a walk. |
| For PCOS | A walk after breakfast blunts the postprandial blood-sugar spike — highest-leverage glucose tool you have. |
| For mood | Morning light + rhythmic movement raises serotonin/dopamine — directly replaces the antidepressant mechanism. |
| Low-motivation rule | Lower the bar to "shoes on, out the door for 5 min." Permission to turn around. You almost never will. |
| Supplement | Dose | Timing | Why for You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D3 | 4,000 IU (↑ from your 2,000 IU) | Morning, with fat | PCOS + perimenopause: most patients deficient; bone density, mood, insulin sensitivity. Retest 25-OH-D at 3 months (target 50–80 ng/mL). |
| Vitamin K2 (MK-7) | 100 mcg | Morning, with D3 | Directs calcium to bones not arteries — essential companion to D3 as perimenopause begins. Cardiovascular + bone protection. |
| Myo-Inositol | 2 g × 2/day (4 g total) | Morning + evening, dissolved in water | #1 evidence-based PCOS supplement. Improves insulin sensitivity, reduces androgens, helps mood and cycle regularity. Choose 40:1 myo:d-chiro inositol ratio. |
| Magnesium Glycinate | 300 mg | 21:00 nightly | Reduces sugar cravings + sleep latency. PCOS insulin resistance, perimenopause sleep quality, mood support post-SSRI. Glycinate form specifically — gentle and calming. |
| Omega-3 EPA+DHA | 2 g combined | With largest meal | Lowers triglycerides/LDL (high cholesterol), anti-inflammatory for PCOS, EPA specifically has antidepressant evidence for post-SSRI mood support. |
| Time | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | Finish eating | 3-hour gap before sleep improves sleep quality + gut rest |
| 21:00 | Dim lights · Take magnesium glycinate 300 mg | Darkness triggers melatonin. Magnesium reduces sleep latency + cravings. |
| 21:00 | Chamomile or passionflower tea | Mild anxiolytic; replaces any urge to snack with a warm ritual |
| 22:00 | Screens off (phone in another room) | Blue light suppresses melatonin by 50%; phone in bedroom keeps cortisol elevated |
| 22:30 | 10 min gentle reading or stretching | Transitions nervous system from "on" to "off" |
| 23:00 | Lights out | Target 7.5h to 7:30am wake |