- Tallene Hacatoryan, 31, from California, has almost 900,000 followers on TikTok
- She specializes in losing weight with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Hacatoryan advises against excessive exercise and eating inflammatory foods
A dietitian who lost 30 pounds after being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has revealed how to lose weight with the hormonal disorder.
Tallene Hacatoryan, 31, from California, has nearly 900,000 followers on TikTok, where she shares how she reversed her PCOS symptoms, including weight gain and acne.
The content creator, who uses the handle @pcos.weight.lossrecently shared her three tips for “losing weight with PCOS without messing up your hormones.”
'I'm so tired of doctors, endocrinologists, personal trainers and men telling us we need to exercise more [and] leave out carbs,” she said at the start of the nearly two-minute video. “These things actually break your metabolism.”
Tallene Hacatoryan, 31, from California, shared her three tips for losing weight with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) 'without messing up your hormones' on TikTok
The registered dietitian lost 30 pounds after being diagnosed with PCOS
Hacatoryan then pulled out a photo of herself when she was 30 pounds heavier and struggling with hormonal acne.
'This is a picture of me when I was running five miles every day and kickboxing every night, [and] not eating carbs,” she explained.
'My hormones were like, 'What are you doing?' At that time, my hormonal acne was getting worse, which I couldn't understand because I was eating so clean. Make it meaningful.”
The health guru said she later discovered that her weight gain and acne were the result of her pumping her body full of cortisol – the stress hormone – by exercising too much and eating inflammatory foods.
“My story is very similar to other sisters in the community who also struggle with what we call the moon face,” she added.
After becoming a registered dietitian, she began reversing her clients' symptoms by following the same habits that reversed her own symptoms.
Hacatoryan said the first thing to do when trying to lose weight with PCOS is to eat gluten- and dairy-free for 30 days to see if you are sensitive to these foods.
“PCOS is an inflammatory condition, and it's foods that cause inflammation and can cause inflammation,” she explained.
The second thing she recommends is eating 30 grams or more of protein for breakfast, such as a protein shake.
Hacatoryan pulled up photos of herself when she was 30 pounds heavier and struggling with hormonal acne, saying she exercised too much and ate inflammatory foods
The PCOS expert recommended going gluten and dairy free, eating at least 30 grams of protein for breakfast and lifting weights
She said this “will help keep your blood sugar levels stable for the rest of the day and reduce afternoon cravings.”
Hacatoryan's final tip was to build muscle by lifting weights.
“That muscle is going to absorb the sugar into your bloodstream and burn it for energy,” she concluded.
“That's what you want to do if you're insulin resistant, so you can lose weight, especially in the abdomen.”
Hacatoryan's video has been viewed more than 46,000 times and received dozens of comments since it was posted on November 30.
“The protein thing is so true though. I don't have PCOS, but I'm applying anyway [your] advice for my life and I feel so much better!' one fan responded.
'Real!! When I was eating the cleanest I've ever had and doing INTENSE weight lifting, I was struggling so much with acne, weight gain and inflammation!' another shared.