Time of the month, weight gain and lack of exercise?

musicmorah

Hi all!

Been on mfp for over 2 years and have seen great results. I'm 31 and I've maintained my weight and healthy lifestyle, but my menstrual cycle each month kinda stops me in my tracks. I weighed myself the morning that I got my period and I was a few lbs. heavier than normal. This was discouraging, considering I've haven't been doing anything different! Is it bloat or water retention? Anyone else gain a few lbs. during their cycle? I suffer from horrible cramps and exhaustion during my cycle, and while I don't feel like eating much, I also cannot get myself to the gym as well. Any tips or suggestions for motivating my crampy, tired self? Any and all wisdom, help and experiences appreciated!

Thanks!

musicmorah

dangerousdumpling

You could search TOM or PMS here and find countless threads on this topic. Many women feel this way. Individually we know our body best. If your body allows you to push through the fatigue and get your workout in go ahead and do it. Before I had my hysterectomy I had extreme fatigue as a pms symptom. I did not have the energy to workout 1 or 2 days of the month. When I was focusing on weight loss I would enjoy a treat (something chocolaty) and take a couple of days off from working out and then get back to it as soon as I could.

Water retention is totally normal. If you haven't eaten above your TDEE then it's not real weight gain. I understand that you don't want to see that number on the scale, though. Maybe just don't weigh yourself during that time.

LizAnn925

Oh girl, I know exactly what you mean! I was wondering why I couldn't fit in my clothes and why I felt so blah these past few days, and sure enough, Mother Nature paid me a visit today. I feel crabby, tired, unmotivated, and like I want to eat a pound of chocolate (I won't, though). Gaining "weight" is COMPLETELY normal when it's your time of the month. Your body bloats and holds onto water because it takes a lot for your body to push all of that out of your body! It will go away after your period is over, though, so don't even worry about it. Tiredness can also be brought on because women lack Iron during their period. Eat some extra Iron for a little bit more of an energy boost.

I haven't really found what can motivate me when I am in that mood. Each person is different. Sometimes, if I feel really groggy, I will take some preworkout and then hit the gym. The boost of caffeine makes me WAY more motivated to exercise. I am sure that coffee or tea will do the trick too.

Overall though, just let your body be kind of unhappy. It drains your body when you get your period, so make sure you rest and go to bed early. Eating healthy helps your body out immensely too, especially during this time. Eat things with lots of nutrients, like raw vegetables, and eat protein for energy too.

pattya925

5 pounds without fail.... then the next week, it magically POOFS! and disappears again. This is regardless of sodium intake or anything else. TOM is a PITA.

sarahk333

Hey I got PMS while I was away for a few days at a friends and I ate everything from nutella to fast food. When it was over I was 3 pounds down, the following week another three. The amount you lose could be completely different, also, don't get discouraged if you get sidetracked. If you ate a chocolate bar everyday for 5 days remind yourself - its a temporary side track, it won't stick.

Once you go back to eating normally, it'll come off again. Keep it up even female bodybuilders went through and go through this.

EDIT: I didn't gain or maintain weight before or during PMS, I just retained weight that had yet to come off, hence the 6 pounds. I was still losing before it.

jo69

I expect the weight gain andI am no longer bothered by it.....drink your water, and get some movement in nothing extreme a little walk....i also drink a laxative tea called smooth move to get rid of that bloat and gas.....hope this helps

jjjbeans111

Yup, but I just give myself a break once a month and do what exercise I can..... meaning flailing my arms a bit while i lie on the couch and channel surf......

It's ok to give yourself a break once in awhile :-)

musicmorah

Thanks all for your responses. Glad I'm not alone with this!

katierrt

You know, I had an ablation done last year (that didn't work) and its been odd ever since, some months I gain nothing, others up to 6 lbs. I can't figure this whole thing out. MD doesn't seem to be interested in answering my questions about hormones, cycles and weight loss/gain....I see her this month for my annual exam and I will again try to pick her brain but I doubt I'll get answers...I've been keeping a separate calendar for my measurements and exercise/cals burned. I think that helps keep things in perspective way more than the scale does. Somewhere I read that you can practically blow your whole diet while on your cycle and you won't really gain weight. I don't know if that's officially true, and it may be true for the younger ladies, but I don't know that I'd try it at my age :-) Good Luck to ya tho!

chrisssiex23x

Im on mines just now and the 4lbs i lost i gained back. Normally i gained 4-6lbs when on mines But today im confused lol its lighter now and im sure i normally go back down a pound or 2 but nope i also get side track aswell when trying to stick to my calories im allowed even if im still under ..

Ill wait it out few more out before checking if ive gone back down if not then i have to tried and lose it again x

mazdauk

I weigh myself but don't log it because I know it will go back to normal (eventually - sometimes I seem to hold extra weight for 3 weeks - before, during and after! - other times I do lose!). When i was younger I would have just laid back on the sofa, but now I'm older, had my kids and on the BC pill they don't bother me so much (except for mood and bloat:grumble: ) so i try to keep to my routine. I might switch to lower impact stuff on heavy days though. And I make sure to eat iron-rich foods (dark chocolate, steak, sausages - the iron in veg is harder to digest) so I'm not too tired.

Sinistery

I'm at the end of shark week now, and the scale is even lower than it was before it started. Then again, I've been pretty active this week as well as not really breaking my food rhythm too much. But yes, the weight gain is definitely normal for me too. It used to be that I'd gain around 5-7lb in water retention - I've not noticed that as much now, but I guess it's partly due to my different eating habits, perhaps I'm eating less sodium-heavy foods so my body's not retaining as much fluid as before.

Exercise-wise has been interesting though. Waking the past few mornings, I've felt pretty overheated and a bit dehydrated, which makes morning work-outs quite a pain in the neck. I also distinctly remember getting massive headaches when I cycled the 4 miles to work on those days. Seems it's a good idea to ease up some on the exercise