food cravings during PMS

prettykittyabc

I have been having lots of trouble with craving foods during PMS. I have tried just distracting myself from eating sweets, but its been very hard for me to do. Does anyone have tips on what will help with this? I am seriously trying to lose weight, but this isn't helping.

h7463

Hey! Sorry to hear that this is causing you trouble. There are some food cravings that are triggered by vitamin or mineral deficiencies. If you are logging your food, check the details list, to find out if you are in fact getting your basics. If your calorie allowance is too tight to cover everything through food, maybe some extra multi-vitamins will already do the trick.
Good luck!

obscuremusicreference

I am doing a lot of cardio this week so that I don't feel bad about my overages next week. If you're in the middle of it, feed your craving with a small amount of what you want (if you're able) and then switch to less-appealing but lower-calorie choices. I did this last month--had two Snicker's minis and then ate baby carrots until my hunger was gone. This was very unfun.

If neither of those options are viable for you, though, you just need to log it and move on.

Kalikel

It's a bear!

This whole Improving Your Diet thing takes time. Don't beat yourself up when you slip. I wish I could give you The One True Way to do it, but there isn't one. Everyone has to walk their own path. With trial and error and more error and more trial you will find your way.

Pay attention to your hunger every day, all the time. I found that I crave MORE FOOD (especially carbs) before a period, but by paying attention, I also found that sometime during or just after, I have a few days where I don't need much food at all. My huger increases for a while and then it decreases. I've mentioned that before and a couple other posters said, "Hey, me, too! I noticed that, too, when I started paying attention!"

Maybe you'll find out you do, too. Maybe not. But maybe.

Keep plugging away. You'll find the way that works for you.

Periods are a beeyatch, for sure.

livb528

Timely thread for me. I got fast food (blech) and drank a milkshake tonight.

Waggish

I feel ya sister, while the rest of the month I'm totally fine with my diet choices, right around Shark Week I crave all sorts of things that are empty calories. My best advice is try to find something else that seems oh-so-indulgent, but still functions as a meal that will fill you up and keep you from feeling too hungry too soon. For example, one of my favorites is to load up a pork chop or some ground beef with mashed avocado. That's still going to be a fair bit of calories, but the avocado helps satisfy my hormone-induced gluttony.

NJL13500

I only crave sweets during my PMS window, but when those cravings hit-watch out! I try to have fat free chocolate pudding and tootsie pops (only 60 calories) on hand, but honestly sometimes I just have a bit of the real thing. I try not to keep snacks in the house, so I actually have to go somewhere and GET the treat. sometimes a Greek yogurt smoothie with fruit satisfies too. Good luck!

Philstab

prettykittyabc, very normal. We are only human. Do not beat yourself up over wanting something sweet. Allow yourself to have something sweet, but be wise in your choice. Don't take out the biscuits, the chocolate, the donuts and start eating them without deciding what you are going to eat first (nasty trap!). Allow yourself something, but decide what it is before putting it in your stomach! Then perhaps make time for a walk, or some extra exercise in the same day, or next couple of days to allow for that. Exercise is really good during your PMS week too! Losing weight isn't just about losing weight in a certain amount of time, it's meant to be a lifestyle change, and PMS is apart of that lifestyle. If it helps, leave your sweet snack until after dinner, so if you have cravings during the day, you can at least know that you will eventually have something after dinner later that night. Of course, everyone is different, but if you are really stuck, try that.