Lady problems :(

kelsierose094

Okay girls, so it's my TOM...and naturally this is the HARDEST part of keeping control over my diet. I'm normally not very good at having self-control, however when the alternative is gaining weight..I can manage to it with a lot of determination :laugh: BUT when my TOM comes around, it's as if my self-control goes from a 2, to a -89379 and suddenly being overweight isn't an issue! I just want to eat anything and everything! The first night, I ended up eating a steak at 11:00pm, because the thought would literally NOT leave my mind...and I hardly eat red meat as I never feel like! (I only force myself at times to get enough iron). But i will really eat anything and everything...however my biggest cravings during this time are carbs and sugar :sad: It's not fair!!

ANY tips at all on dealing with all these cravings at this time of month? it's hard enough applying self control on a normal day!!

LongIsland27itl

How about you set yourself up with better choices so they're there when you're looking for something.
Maybe some p,aim Greek yogurt with a tsp of honey, pretty filling. Ora low carb high fiber wrap with some chicken/turkey and low fat cheese

asaw00

I can relate!! Try emeralds cocoa almonds, or dark chocolate chips with a tsp of peanut butter.

onwarddownward

I deal with the same problem. For me, it's the week leading up to TOM. Cravings intensify and I get moodier. Now that I am getting more physical activity, I find that walking tends to take my mind off of things. I also avoid facebook (which is loaded with food porn) and watching television (food commercials). When we were watching Man Vs. Food, it would always bring on a binge. Keeping the body and mind occupied, avoiding food triggers and eating your good foods frequently will help.

glovepuppet

How about you set yourself up with better choices so they're there when you're looking for something.
Maybe some p,aim Greek yogurt with a tsp of honey, pretty filling. Ora low carb high fiber wrap with some chicken/turkey and low fat cheese

NOTHING is filling at TOM.

get between me & my carbs and i'll BBQ and eat you too :devil:

pittbullgirl

Ohhh, I SO feel your pain!

I actually just give myself 2 days off and eat whatever I want. Seriously, very few limits on those two days. I just don't care. It also hasn't seemed to affect my weight loss b/c I don't really change my activity level and I also up my water intake.

Good luck!

AllTehBeers

What is this thing you speak of?

sarahannegroom

Check out your stats if I get my vits my cravings are much much better! It's your body deficient in something. You'll want to keep sating till its satisfied. Also exercise helps. Good luck. Its a nightmare hey!

somanyrhoades

Try upping your iron intake. I'm a firm believer that our bodies frequently tell us what we need, the fact that you were craving steak at 11 pm when you hardly eat red meat could be a sign that your body wants more iron. It's not uncommon for menstruating women to become iron deficient around their menses especially if you have heavy periods. I also read that magnesium can help with general symptoms of PMS, (I don't have sources, but it won't hurt to increase your intake of it so I'm throwing it out there), almonds are a great source of mAgnesium. If its sweets you crave (like me) I eat one square of 70 to 85 % cacao dark chocolate. It's very satisfying so I only need a little.

glovepuppet

It's your body deficient in something.

NOT a universal truth.

our bodies can sometimes just demand fuel.

tpittsley77

How about you set yourself up with better choices so they're there when you're looking for something.
Maybe some p,aim Greek yogurt with a tsp of honey, pretty filling. Ora low carb high fiber wrap with some chicken/turkey and low fat cheese

I kind of love that the first advice you got was from a guy. Because he completely understands TOM cravings. :laugh: :grumble:

babydiego87

How about you set yourself up with better choices so they're there when you're looking for something.
Maybe some p,aim Greek yogurt with a tsp of honey, pretty filling. Ora low carb high fiber wrap with some chicken/turkey and low fat cheese

I kind of love that the first advice you got was from a guy. Because he completely understands TOM cravings. :laugh: :grumble:

'TOM cravings' is not an excuse to stuff yourself silly. i dont get cravings. and even if i did get cravings, not having crap in the house is a pretty sensible precaution against it no?

There are plenty of sweet things that are low in calories. For example fruit.

cwaters120

My nutritionist had me up my iron intake starting the week before TOM until the end of TOM and it has worked beautifully for me (though that may not be the case for ALL). I don't eat a lot of red meat but Goji berries in my morning smoothies have worked great. Something to remember: if you are eating a lot of plant based iron, you need to have some vitamin c with it so your body can absorb it or you aren't getting much.

trin5703

Increase your iron uptake about a week or so before your TOM. I found out years ago that it really helped with the cravings. I also would cut back on the caffeine which for some reason just made me moody as heck during that week. If I crave something I really dont need, I make myself wait 30 minutes.. and talk a walk during that time. If Im still craving, then I will allow myself just a bit, not a whole lot tho.

LongIsland27itl

How about you set yourself up with better choices so they're there when you're looking for something.
Maybe some p,aim Greek yogurt with a tsp of honey, pretty filling. Ora low carb high fiber wrap with some chicken/turkey and low fat cheese

I kind of love that the first advice you got was from a guy. Because he completely understands TOM cravings. :laugh: :grumble:

so it was bad advice to have better food choices around so you don't sabotage your diet?
Oh I'm sorry you're bleeding and craving Krispy kremes go eat some seems legit

glovepuppet

How about you set yourself up with better choices so they're there when you're looking for something.
Maybe some p,aim Greek yogurt with a tsp of honey, pretty filling. Ora low carb high fiber wrap with some chicken/turkey and low fat cheese

I kind of love that the first advice you got was from a guy. Because he completely understands TOM cravings. :laugh: :grumble:

'TOM cravings' is not an excuse to stuff yourself silly. i dont get cravings. and even if i did get cravings, not having crap in the house is a pretty sensible precaution against it no?

There are plenty of sweet things that are low in calories. For example fruit.

you say that like the occassional over eat out is a mortal sin and sign of abhorrent weakness.

spud_chick

Keeping in mind that I didn't have a ton to lose and am not in a hurry to lose the last few pounds on the way to my third goal.

I recently started changing my goal settings in the week leading up to TOM so that instead of being on a modest deficit (1/2 lb per week loss), I am on maintenance calories. If you use MFP's guided settings it should be easy to temporarily give yourself more calories this way, and then switch them back after TOM. If you do them manually, maybe give yourself an extra 200 per day for a little while. I feel like one week out of four makes it much easier to deal with tough spells and has not stalled my loss, which is intentionally gradual at this point.

I have issues with inflammation building up around that time, and am progressively more tired and hungry before. Like you, I'm not a big carnivore but I crave more animal protein (turkey, fish) and also tofu and miso/seaweed, around that time, and other specific things like sunflower seed butter which I eat right off the spoon. If your body is telling you to eat steak that loudly, there's probably a reason. Yes, do check to make sure your supplements are in line. Steak does suggest needing a little more iron around TOM, and magnesium is one of the things that really improved TOM for me.

Although I also laughed to see a male as the first respondent, it's not a bad idea to make sure you have healthy treats handy; but by that I don't necessarily mean diet food, I just mean better quality ones than you are likely to find in "emergency breakdown" zones like vending machines and convenience stores--something with food value, some protein, good fats. One reason people crave sugary carby stuff under stress is for the serotonin boost it gives, and you may need more sero around TOM, but there are better ways to get it. Although, I don't subscribe to the low-carb diet and don't think they're the devil..

Overall, don't fight it so much, listen carefully to your cravings instead of trying to shut them down and thus increasing your chances of a freakout. You may well need more calories, even "bad" calories, during TOM but you can probably get what you need without totally losing control. Try to figure out what it is your body is really asking for during this time. Sometimes little kids want to eat dirt because their body is telling them there's something in the dirt they are deficient in. That doesn't mean the dirt is what their body really wants.