PMS hunger is getting worse and worse

Francl27

When I was still overweight, PMS was hard, sure, but now it's just insane. Horrible physical hunger and the feeling I'm going to pass out if I don't eat something. Every month it's getting worse... Today is the worst yet and I'm feeling absolutely horrible about it. The crazy thing is... it's not even 5pm and I'm still hungry.. and I've eaten close to 4000 calories already.

I've tried better choices, but it doesn't satisfy me at all. I've tried protein, fiber, fat, lots of veggies... nothing worked. Still hungry. The only things that satisfy me are high carb foods... but not for long. The idea of eating protein pretty much disgusts me.

It's completely setting me back. Every month I'm looking at a week of deficit to make up for it, and it's just depressing. Thankfully I tend to naturally not be hungry the next week, but still.

I mean, maybe it's an 'excuse' to overeat, but it's that or feeling sick and nauseous the whole day. If I ate even half the amount of food I had today any other day, I'd be sick... but now I'm just barely ok for now... until dinner.

Please just tell me I'm not alone... I'm feeling so guilty and always terrified it's the first step to gaining the weight back (I've lost 80 pounds... 3 pounds to goal, well, probably 4 now).

diannethegeek

My PMS was horrible while I was losing weight. I have no science for that but it seems to be a thing. Thankfully, it has tapered off now that I'm hovering around maintenance.

For me, I did two things that kind of helped. One was slightly raising my carbs during PMS. Again, no science behind this, it was just a thing I did that helped. And the second was comfort foods. The cravings were a little easier to control if I promised myself I was getting mac & cheese with dinner.

Everyone finds their own way through the PMS minefield and I hope you find something that works for you. But I can promise you that you aren't alone!

Heartisalonelyhunter

Look. Every woman in the world gets PMS to some degree. I understand it makes us more emotional (and sometimes more hungry) but really you are going have to woman up and deal with it. I suspect this is more psychological - you're nearly at goal weight, you've been doing this a long time and are probably burnt out and this gives you a monthly excuse to binge while crying 'hormones'. Everyone has hormones (men too). If you really think yours are beyond the realms of normal then get some blood work done to check things out and speak to your GYN about getting on a form of birth control that prevents your period.

zoomtech16

No I swear when I'm not PMSing I can be starving and just my stomach hurts and I can deal with that. While I am PMSing if I am hungry I literally feel like I'm going to either throw up or pass out. It's the weirdest thing! I just have to keep healthy snacking, and usually have a cheat day in between, but just one.

shamani5

Maybe you could try exercising more on those days or even drinking some caffeine which will help suppress your appetite. Drink more water and tea. I get hungrier during my period but I manage to stay in my calories.

jenncornelsen

i get cravings pretty bad around that time. i can usually stay within 500 cals of my allotted calories though......4000 is pretty extreme i would be sick eating that much. maybe u should have your hormones checked? especially if u are feeling nauseous. i don't think that extreme is normal. but i'm sure a dr could maybe help u more! every woman is different.

Francl27

zoomtech16 wrote: »

No I swear when I'm not PMSing I can be starving and just my stomach hurts and I can deal with that. While I am PMSing if I am hungry I literally feel like I'm going to either throw up or pass out. It's the weirdest thing! I just have to keep healthy snacking, and usually have a cheat day in between, but just one.

Yeah it's exactly this

shamani5 wrote: »

Maybe you could try exercising more on those days or even drinking some caffeine which will help suppress your appetite. Drink more water and tea. I get hungrier during my period but I manage to stay in my calories.

I had 4 cups of coffee, 1 cup of tea, and I drank two bottles of water.

jenncornelsen wrote: »

i get cravings pretty bad around that time. i can usually stay within 500 cals of my allotted calories though......4000 is pretty extreme i would be sick eating that much. maybe u should have your hormones checked? especially if u are feeling nauseous. i don't think that extreme is normal. but i'm sure a dr could maybe help u more! every woman is different.

I used to be able to, but it's gotten worse and worse. It's seriously awful. I mean, I know some of it is my fault for making some bad choices this afternoon, but still... I had eaten 1300 calories by 11am and apart from 400 calories, it was 'healthy' stuff (eggs, two 90 calorie tortillas, salmon, veggies, an apple and some cheese). And I was still hungry. So I had some mac and cheese (probably less calories than what I entered, it's a weird entry, but who knows) and some spaghetti squash with some veggie/lean meat sauce... and I was hungry again two hours later and really craving carbs. That's where I just gave up.

And I was hungry for dinner again, but couldn't finish my plate, so there's that I guess...

On normal days, I would have been totally full until 2pm with just my breakfast and the omelet I had at 10am. But it just sucks between ovulation and TOM, and the couple days before TOM are the worst. And yeah, it's not 'normal' hunger, it's 'I need to eat something now or I'm going to pass out' hunger... and I guess one of the reasons I make bad choices is because I know it's what's going to make me feel better... even if it's just for a short while. It's funny because I don't even crave anything but bread, typically (and a lot of my calories today was brioche).

Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »

Look. Every woman in the world gets PMS to some degree. I understand it makes us more emotional (and sometimes more hungry) but really you are going have to woman up and deal with it. I suspect this is more psychological - you're nearly at goal weight, you've been doing this a long time and are probably burnt out and this gives you a monthly excuse to binge while crying 'hormones'. Everyone has hormones (men too). If you really think yours are beyond the realms of normal then get some blood work done to check things out and speak to your GYN about getting on a form of birth control that prevents your period.

Speaking from a man, who obviously has no idea what I'm talking about...

For what it's worth, the pill was making me like this all the time.

rainbowbow

Honestly, when i had those problems it was because i was suffering from hormonal problems (low thyroid).

Once that was fixed i was good. If i were you, i would take that as a sign that perhaps something is not 100% right.

And i know that feeling you're describing it's like a savage real instinctual I NEED TO EAT NOW! feeling that overcomes you. You seriously feel like you will pass out if you dont eat RIGHT THEN.

mockchoc

Francl27, Heartisalonelyhunter is a woman

zyxst

Are you hungry for a specific food, or just "I need to eat all the things" hungry? I don't get many cravings during ToM, but when I do, I just eat what I'm craving and I can pretty well plan ahead to fit it in.

Boogage

I've found that when I'm feeling really emotional but also trying to lose weight I try to snack on healthy things as I want to reach my goals but in the end I'm not happy until I have what I really want to eat so I end up eating a lot more than I needed to. Would you end up eating less if you just ate the food you really wanted in the first place on those really bad days?

Heartisalonelyhunter

I'm a woman. I get PMS. I am currently pregnant with my fourth child and spend most of my mornings throwing up. I know all about hormones. But you're not a special snowflake. You are eating that much because you want to.

Francl27

mockchoc wrote: »

Francl27, Heartisalonelyhunter is a woman

Haha. Oops. Well I guess she doesn't know what I'm talking about either though... It's funny because a year ago I would probably have said the same thing as she did, so I didn't really mean to offend.

rainbowbow wrote: »

Honestly, when i had those problems it was because i was suffering from hormonal problems (low thyroid).

Once that was fixed i was good. If i were you, i would take that as a sign that perhaps something is not 100% right.

And i know that feeling you're describing it's like a savage real instinctual I NEED TO EAT NOW! feeling that overcomes you. You seriously feel like you will pass out if you dont eat RIGHT THEN.

It only happens when I ovulate or before TOM though, typically. So I don't know. I had bloodwork done in July and it was fine. But yeah, it's been worse, and my next doctor appointment is in a few months, I might try and get one earlier. I just wish I could figure out how to fix it, even if it's just taking a supplement or something (multi vitamins haven't changed a thing).

zyxst wrote: »

Are you hungry for a specific food, or just "I need to eat all the things" hungry? I don't get many cravings during ToM, but when I do, I just eat what I'm craving and I can pretty well plan ahead to fit it in.

Nothing specific. Just carbs. If I eat anything else, it just doesn't seem to help at all.

Boogage wrote: »

I've found that when I'm feeling really emotional but also trying to lose weight I try to snack on healthy things as I want to reach my goals but in the end I'm not happy until I have what I really want to eat so I end up eating a lot more than I needed to. Would you end up eating less if you just ate the food you really wanted in the first place on those really bad days?

That's the thing though, I don't want anything specific. I more end up eating junk because I hope it's going to make me feel better than because I actually want to eat them... if that makes sense.

Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »

I'm a woman. I get PMS. I am currently pregnant with my fourth child and spend most of my mornings throwing up. I know all about hormones. But you're not a special snowflake.

Well, have you ever felt like you were going to pass out during PMS if you didn't eat right away? How did you deal with it? Because really, I'd LOVE to know what works, short of eating 4000 calories...

Thankfully I've never been pregnant, because I can't even imagine how much I would eat if I was. I did IVF though and the normal dosage made me ovulate way too much, and the pill makes me sick, so I'm thinking that maybe I *am* more sensitive than others to hormones though (also progesterone pills make me pass out. That's fun too).

Lourdesong

You're close to goal and know what to do to compensate for your behavior that is evidently providing you some relief from pms.
Maybe just allow it as something you need to do, since you know how to keep an energy balance regardless. Maybe you'll save 1000 calories or more when you ditch the guilt. But you know you best and what you can handle and what you cannot.

arditarose

My PMS is better after losing weight, as far as cramping goes.

Though I do get hungry and feel the need to be constantly snacking, I can't say that it is as intense as you're describing. I can't remember the last time I ate 4,000 calories in a day.

I'm assuming lower calorie options don't appeal to you? Frozen yogurt over ice cream, popcorn over chips? At the moment that is the only advice I can think of. I'm thinking though.

Boogage

You say you want carbs. Could that be because you feel like they give you energy-maybe there is a better option to energise you? Or because they make your stomach feel full and that makes you feel better?

Soup is apparently really good at helping you feel fuller for longer-

"If you eat the food and drink the water, you will feel full for a couple of hours before hunger kicks in. But if you blend the food with the water - to make soup - you will stay hunger-free for much longer.

After you eat a meal, the pyloric sphincter valve at the bottom of your stomach holds food back so that the digestive juices can get to work.
Water, however, passes straight through the sphincter to your intestines, so drinking water does not contribute to "filling you up".

When you eat the same meal as a soup, the whole mixture remains in the stomach, because the water and food are blended together. The scientists' scans confirm that the stomach stays fuller for longer, staving off those hunger pangs.

The key to this low-tech weapon against hunger is a hormone called ghrelin. It is one of the major players in the body's appetite system.
Discovered as recently as 1999, ghrelin is released by specialised cells in the stomach wall."

Just a thought.

Francl27

arditarose wrote: »

My PMS is better after losing weight, as far as cramping goes.

Though I do get hungry and feel the need to be constantly snacking, I can't say that it is as intense as you're describing. I can't remember the last time I ate 4,000 calories in a day.

I'm assuming lower calorie options don't appeal to you? Frozen yogurt over ice cream, popcorn over chips? At the moment that is the only advice I can think of. I'm thinking though.

It's what I try first, but it doesn't satisfy my hunger at all. I had a 200 calorie low carb wrap with salmon, beets, lettuce and a bit of goat cheese first thing this morning and I could just have eaten a cracker instead for the good it did me... Then an omelet (mostly egg whites) with spinach and feta, and same... it did nothing.

Funny thing is I haven't been cramping much at all so far this month... last month was horrible.

@boogage I tried soup last month, and did seem to eat less overall, so I'll make sure to have some available next month again.

arditarose

hum...still thinking. I'm going to be forward here-4,000 calories is a lot. I mean, in terms of how dedicated I know you are (I've seen you in the forums). So I'm still thinking for you.

jnv7594

Francl27 wrote: »

When I was still overweight, PMS was hard, sure, but now it's just insane. Horrible physical hunger and the feeling I'm going to pass out if I don't eat something. Every month it's getting worse... Today is the worst yet and I'm feeling absolutely horrible about it. The crazy thing is... it's not even 5pm and I'm still hungry.. and I've eaten close to 4000 calories already.

I've tried better choices, but it doesn't satisfy me at all. I've tried protein, fiber, fat, lots of veggies... nothing worked. Still hungry. The only things that satisfy me are high carb foods... but not for long. The idea of eating protein pretty much disgusts me.

It's completely setting me back. Every month I'm looking at a week of deficit to make up for it, and it's just depressing. Thankfully I tend to naturally not be hungry the next week, but still.

I mean, maybe it's an 'excuse' to overeat, but it's that or feeling sick and nauseous the whole day. If I ate even half the amount of food I had today any other day, I'd be sick... but now I'm just barely ok for now... until dinner.

Please just tell me I'm not alone... I'm feeling so guilty and always terrified it's the first step to gaining the weight back (I've lost 80 pounds... 3 pounds to goal, well, probably 4 now).

I wish I could offer some advice. I have the same issues, and I struggle with it every single month. Just wanted to chime in and say I feel your pain. It's horrible. I fight against it every month, but it's definitely not easy.

TheVirgoddess

How's your sleep during your PMS? Are you getting the usual amount?

I have PMS induced insomnia (I actually have PMDD, it's a b*tch). Lack of sleep screws with your hunger and satiation hormones. Could that at least part of the issue maybe?

gmallan

Have you tried super dark chocolate or cacao powder. I read somewhere that it can help with cravings at TOM. That sounds awful though so good luck figuring it out. Maybe worth having a chat to a Doctor if it is unusual for you - there could be something else going on that gets worse at TOM (iron defficiency?)

Francl27

TheVirgoddess wrote: »

How's your sleep during your PMS? Are you getting the usual amount?

I have PMS induced insomnia (I actually have PMDD, it's a b*tch). Lack of sleep screws with your hunger and satiation hormones. Could that at least part of the issue maybe?

I didn't know it was a thing. I don't sleep as well, but my mom is visiting and has pretty much woken me up every morning this week... I know it's harder for me when I'm tired too but overall I've been sleeping plenty.

Thanks everyone for the support, it's good to know I'm not alone dealing with this. I hope we find a miracle solution one day or something...

Isabelle_1929

I used to be able to, but it's gotten worse and worse. It's seriously awful. I mean, I know some of it is my fault for making some bad choices this afternoon, but still... I had eaten 1300 calories by 11am and apart from 400 calories, it was 'healthy' stuff (eggs, two 90 calorie tortillas, salmon, veggies, an apple and some cheese). And I was still hungry. So I had some mac and cheese (probably less calories than what I entered, it's a weird entry, but who knows) and some spaghetti squash with some veggie/lean meat sauce... and I was hungry again two hours later and really craving carbs. That's where I just gave up.

(...)

[/quote]

Since you were craving carbs, maybe you should have eaten that, instead of all this low or no carb food?

In any case, I do recommend that you see a doctor. See if there is something to be done about that. The problem is not the 4000 calories, really, but the fact that it seems to cause you some distress.

Take care.

jnv7594

Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »

Look. Every woman in the world gets PMS to some degree. I understand it makes us more emotional (and sometimes more hungry) but really you are going have to woman up and deal with it. I suspect this is more psychological - you're nearly at goal weight, you've been doing this a long time and are probably burnt out and this gives you a monthly excuse to binge while crying 'hormones'. Everyone has hormones (men too). If you really think yours are beyond the realms of normal then get some blood work done to check things out and speak to your GYN about getting on a form of birth control that prevents your period.

I disagree with this. It's not an excuse, and it's not about being burnt out. I do typically stay within my calories when I am PMSing, but I am also miserable. I get light headed as well and am constantly stomach growling hungry no matter what I eat for that week. If you understand that every woman has it to some degree, then maybe you can also understand that some women suffer with it a bit more than others. Just because you don't get these symptoms to this degree doesn't mean others are exaggerating theirs.

socalkay

Completely giving in to your craving for high-carb foods, particularly processed high-carb foods, sets you up for hunger. Processed sugars and starches "cause a sharp increase of blood glucose that triggers the body to release a rush of the hormone insulin. A large surge of insulin will leave you feeling tired, hungry, craving more sugar and also lowers the speed at which the body burns fat."

"Low carbohydrate foods cause a steady rise of blood glucose, which only results in a small and gentle rise in insulin. Small increases in insulin keep you feeling full, energized for hours and encourages the body to burn fat."

When you indulge yourself with carbs, make it a baked potato with cheese instead of potato chips and dip. Instead of a big bowl of pasta, cook up some wild rice with raisins and pinyon nuts. Instead of ice cream, make it a fresh fruit smoothie with a bit of dark chocolate syrup added. Try to get the protein in there. Get clever and hide it in a casserole if the thought of protein makes you sick.

Eating high-carb once a month isn't going to blow your hard work to heck, depending on the carbs you choose. Try not to stress about it. It's all OK. You'll do better the other three weeks of the month and continue to lose weight if you stick to your plan.
http://authoritynutrition.com/10-myths-within-the-low-carb-community/

http://www.gisymbol.com/healthy-weight/

Heartisalonelyhunter

You didn't offend me. And for the record progesterone makes me puke. So I have to take anti nausea pills during PMS. Pregnancy is even worse but I don't take meds when I'm pregnant . Generally that's what progesterone does (hence morning sickness for a lot of women in pregnancy). It doesn't force you to eat 4000 calories every month. As I said in my first reply to you, a lot of women get hungrier during TOM. But it's your choice how much you binge and what you binge on. So I repeat, either this is psychological (you need an excuse to binge so tell everyone you will pass out if you don't - you may be depressed?) or you have a blood sugar/thyroid problem and should get checked out asap.

jnv7594

TheVirgoddess wrote: »

How's your sleep during your PMS? Are you getting the usual amount?

I have PMS induced insomnia (I actually have PMDD, it's a b*tch). Lack of sleep screws with your hunger and satiation hormones. Could that at least part of the issue maybe?

I was diagnosed with this as well, but I wasn't given anything to manage it...mainly out of my choice. They wanted to put me on intermittent antidepressants, but only during the time my PMDD symptoms would flare up. Francl27, you may want to visit your doctor and ask about PMDD...Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. They may have things now days that can help you.

zyxst

I'm going to assume by carbs you mean things like pasta, rice, cereal, breads, etc.. My advice is to just go eat some carbs and stop trying to eat around the craving because it seems (from what you've said) to only make it worse (as in still hungry/unsatisfied and way overeating).

oat_bran

Francl27 wrote: »

When I was still overweight, PMS was hard, sure, but now it's just insane. Horrible physical hunger and the feeling I'm going to pass out if I don't eat something. Every month it's getting worse... Today is the worst yet and I'm feeling absolutely horrible about it. The crazy thing is... it's not even 5pm and I'm still hungry.. and I've eaten close to 4000 calories already.

I've tried better choices, but it doesn't satisfy me at all. I've tried protein, fiber, fat, lots of veggies... nothing worked. Still hungry. The only things that satisfy me are high carb foods... but not for long. The idea of eating protein pretty much disgusts me.

It's completely setting me back. Every month I'm looking at a week of deficit to make up for it, and it's just depressing. Thankfully I tend to naturally not be hungry the next week, but still.

I mean, maybe it's an 'excuse' to overeat, but it's that or feeling sick and nauseous the whole day. If I ate even half the amount of food I had today any other day, I'd be sick... but now I'm just barely ok for now... until dinner.

Please just tell me I'm not alone... I'm feeling so guilty and always terrified it's the first step to gaining the weight back (I've lost 80 pounds... 3 pounds to goal, well, probably 4 now).

Hey, I know this over 3 years old, but I am suffering from the same problem and I've been searching for similar topics and I stumbled upon this one and to be honest, it's as if I have written every word! So if there's a chance you may see this I was just wondering if you have found a solution?

Because it seems to be getting worse for me as well, but not because of weight loss though, because I have been losing and gaining the same 5 pounds for several years due to this uncontrollable hunger. I am also not sure it's cycle-related since I'm on combo pill and I can't find any distinguishable pattern. Sometimes it can last for almost 2 weeks with a couple of days of break in between. Then I get two weeks of normal hunger levels. Sometimes I just get 4-5 days of this hunger randomly distributed during a month. But the last time the intense hunger streak lasted for almost a month with a several days of only slightly lower hunger and then 1 whole month of normal appetite (that was a bliss). And now it's back again. I'm currently on day four. I ate 2600 cals already and it's only 4pm (I'm still hungry). I'll probably end up over 3000cals today, which is 1000 over my TDEE. The previous two days were almost the same. Which means I've gained almost a pound already. I can only maintain a 200-250 average deficit, so that's almost a week of progress ruined. It's incredibly frustrating. And I feel like my will power is being exhausted gradually because every time the damage is a little worse.

I know I've made a lot of threads about this already in the last year, and If I'm not mistaken you have replied to some of them. I just wanted to know if yours is still just as bad or if you have found a solution.

oat_bran

rainbowbow wrote: »

Honestly, when i had those problems it was because i was suffering from hormonal problems (low thyroid).

Once that was fixed i was good. If i were you, i would take that as a sign that perhaps something is not 100% right.

And i know that feeling you're describing it's like a savage real instinctual I NEED TO EAT NOW! feeling that overcomes you. You seriously feel like you will pass out if you dont eat RIGHT THEN.

If there's a chance you see this, I have a question: did you really mean low thyroid? I thought increased appetite was a symptom of hyperthyroidism, not hypothyroidism. Or am I mistaken?

VUA21

As I'm lactose intolerant, I find that making myself sick with an ounce of cheese kills my TOM cravings. It's weird, but it works. Basically when my body decides to get all batshit crazy on me, I get a bit crazy back.

I also find that upping protien helps me, so whenever I have steak 3 nights in a row, it's a safe bet that I'm on my period.

Find whatever works for you. You may just have to back an extra 200 calories a day the week before your period, so that you can eat an extra 200 calories a day on your period. It'll average out in the end.