Ladies help !

saramatthews919

As Mother Nature sends us a gift every month how do you control the urge to over eat & lots of the wrong food ?? Any tips please

nutmegoreo

I haven't been coping with it too well. It slows down the losses, but it is what it is. Hopefully, someone else will be more helpful. Good luck.

Chenoachem

I have read in a lot of fitness books that during that time women do need to consume 300-500 more calories to maintain energy levels. However, they should be healthy alternatives to the fats and salts we crave. I found that eating things like full cream yogurt and putting lemons in my water really help.

Good luck.

_lyndseybrooke_

Self control, just like every other time of the month.

Oh, and there's no such thing as "wrong" food. All food is right.

lilRicki

I eat at maintenance at the height of TOM. I'm already uncomfortable and b!tchy, so I'm going to eat an extra few calories (not over my maintenance calories) for a day or two and heaven help you if you don't give me chocolate.

MezaEza

I'd recommend some gentle exercise like yoga, or a walk to help distract yourself from the cravings and sometimes it helps with aches and cramps and the like.
As for the cravings themselves I try to allow for them where I can, but instead of having a whole bar of ordinary chocolate I'll maybe have one or two squares of quality chocolate.
Also things like fresh fruit help you get the sugar hit without all the calories.

sunandstars2

During that time of the month or any time, I try to stock foods that I know will be a better choice if I choose to eath the WHOLE BAG, like carrots instead of chips. A whole bag of anything is usually not a good choice, but I figure each individual choice counts. I just have to force myself to make the best choice, as often as I can. Nobody is perfect and I eat chocolate for dinner once in a while .... but you have to be accountable for your own will power. If you cave in to an urge and over eat, it is what it is. Just try to make a better choice next time!

Christine_72

The day before they arrive I feel like a bottomless pit!! I ate a whole cheesecake last month :grumble:
Thus far it hasn't affected my weight loss. The only solution is to find some super human willpower around that time...

ana3067

I eat what I want within my calorie goals?

Dragn77

I find that the better I eat (and even more...the better I keep myself hydrated) the less issues I have with cravings that time of the month. My issue is chocolate...Ive been known to bake brownies at 3am cause MUST HAVE THEM! lol But over the past 2 months, I havnt had any cravings at all.

I notice I want to eat more sweets when I havnt been drinking as much water as I should. That seems to be the biggest thing for me.

peleroja

My hormones make me super hungry for a few days around that time, so (when I'm losing weight) I generally eat at maintenance then instead of at a deficit. It's easier to do that and up it by a few hundred calories than to be so hungry and end up scarfing a pint of Hagen-Daaz and half a pizza in a moment of weakness.

saramatthews919

Thank you for the tips got fruit stocked up & ready with my walking shoes weather permitting

2013sk

I wouldn't really call my period a gift every month lol! I feel like a whale, I get a lot more hotter and can be right moody hahaha!

I crave carbs, crisps and chocs badly around this time. But I find eating good fats ie Peanut butter curbs this craving for me. Love a peanut butter sandwich. There filling too so keeps you fuller for longer being protein. I would say stock up on lots of fruit, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese etc, these things should help. Snack on nuts when peckish... Almonds : )

Good luck

saramatthews919

Couldn't think of a polite way to put time of month lol
Thanks for the tips

tat2cookie

Beef jerky, small amount of good dark chocolate and my glass of red wine. Usually once I have that I'm fine the rest of the time. I actually had my red wine night last night. Had 4oz, skipped the chocolate this time. I think I'll make it with out taking a chain saw to anyone. Lol

luckypony71

It's not always easy for me. I try to stick to good choices. If I go over in calories I might add an extra session or two of cardio on the days that I would normally skip.

Liftng4Lis

Move more.

SandyCoils

It's not easy to ignore those cravings. When I'm "on va-cay", or shortly before I go, I crave food & junk something fierce. Trying to drink more water helps me alot. I had one bad day this month and I was able to correct it with a work-out when I got home. I keep a medium bag of M&M's in my desk at work and I eat no more than 20 M&M's a day. It has been quite helpful and has kept me from things like cookies, cakes, doughnuts, and the crazy foods I usually eat. If I eat something not so good, I try to add in extra exercise to help stay within my calorie count. If I miss, then I just pick my self up, dust off, and try again the next day.

wyattj99

I enjoy dark chocolate.

Smallc10

I make sure to track my water and drink when I'm feeling a craving, I also continue my workout routine regardless of my cramps because it actually helps them (although I do have to back off a bit sometimes) and I get a dark chocolate lindt bar and allow myself 2-3 squares at night with green tea to help the chocolate craving. If I am REALLY craving salt - I make a small bag of popcorn because it is really filling and isn't too hard on my calorie goal.

callie006

I eat around maintenance or sometimes a bit more and don't workout for the first two days, and if I want chocolate, I go get some real chocolate instead of that diet chocolate that does noting to soothe cravings. I learned from experience that trying to stick to calorie restriction those days leaves me a weepy mess who cannot function and is a great way to make sure I'm going to binge.

Ohwhynot

saramatthews919 wrote: »

As Mother Nature sends us a gift every month how do you control the urge to over eat & lots of the wrong food ?? Any tips please

...this is why I'm up 1 lb. It was eat or kill everyone around me.

emdeesea

If it's bad, I will eat at maintenance or above and just suck it up. But if it's normal, I'll just drink more water than normal and I eat a lot of carbs in that space - within calorie limit, but I go way over in carbs every day.

Whitezombiegirl

Ohwhynot wrote: »

saramatthews919 wrote: »

As Mother Nature sends us a gift every month how do you control the urge to over eat & lots of the wrong food ?? Any tips please

...this is why I'm up 1 lb. It was eat or kill everyone around me.

and then eat them!

pap3rw1ngs

I honestly don't get any increased cravings or urges to overeat during my TOM, I just avoid the scale right before / during as I know I'm likely to be up.

pjs2780

i give in to the cravings. i try to build in a 300 calorie buffer to those days and know that i'll have some work do do the rest of the month. and i do still try to work out even though my energy level is the pits and my workouts are halfhearted.

szkodzt

I keep my exercise routine exactly the same, even though some mornings it is the last thing I want to do. However, I have yet to have a time that it didn't make me feel better in the end. Also, if I am having one of those "snacky" days (which for me is usually one 1 or two - right before or right at the beginning of my time) I allow myself a few extra calories and eat really filling foods with lots of protein. As someone above mentioned, I would rather take care of the hunger than let it get the best of me and end up eating everything in sight!

terem00

During this time I crave chocolate , I would kill for chocolate!!!
So, I work out extra hard and long and I drink lots and lots of water.

I also gain 10lbs of water weight

ahealthiercara

Dealing with this right now. I feel like a bottomless pit the day before I'm due to start. I make sure to keep my water intake up (I can have a harder time drinking it when the bloat starts). I brought an extra snack with me to work (sauteed cabbage & fennel) knowing I'd be ravenous and I've already eaten that and I'm ready for lunch. Sometimes on these days if I eat lots of extra veggies during the day I wind up not as hungry at night, which is a blessing because I've struggled with night time snacking a lot during this time.

kandeye

Try to fit the cravings in or set your eating to maintenance. Just try whatever works for you. The worst thing for me to do during tom is ignore my cravings! I mostly crave fatty/ and or creamy foods. Yesterday I worked in a nice serving of butter and sour cream on my potato and aussie yogurt for dessert. Mmmm I was satisfied!

carakirkey

Ugh I hear ya! I do find that if I eat well through the month, my PMS symptoms and cramps are less. Motivation for the month:) If really craving- dark chocolate, and I've acquired a taste for seaweed snacks for the salty crunchy craving. For cramps- yoga and walking. And COLD chamomile tea- sounds weird but Chamomile tea, when cold, is an antispasmodic (anti-cramping) and works better than most other remedies I've tried.