PMS cravings...ladies please help!
beth4100
Posts: 14 Member
Do you ever just want to eat a whole chocolate cake and then some while you're PMSing? That's how I feel now. How do you defeat the cravings??
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Replies
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I honestly never get PMS cravings.
That being said, when I do get regular craving, I eat what I am craving.1 -
When my appetite spikes up premenstrually, I honor it and eat at maintenance for a few days. Most times I add a snack and have a slightly larger dinner, and/or a treat.
Before I realized I needed to eat more premenstrually I did have cravings.
Here are my general tips for cravings:
1. Get sufficient sleep
2. Exercise regularly - when I get the happy hormones from exercise, I'm not prone to seeking them from food.
3. Get sufficient protein in relationship to carbs. I'm not low carb, but reducing carbs and upping protein worked for cravings for me. See also http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
4. Eat moderate amounts of fruit. This makes me less interested in higher calorie sweets.
5. Take a magnesium supplement. This can be especially helpful for women premenstrually.
6. Save foods like chocolate for after dinner, in small amounts
7. Stay hydrated
8. Have a calorie deficit that is appropriate for the amount of weight I need to lose. An overly aggressive goal can definitely lead to cravings.
9. Eat at maintenance when my appetite goes up premenstrually.
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I eat smaller meals and have a ton of snacks (low calorie). I find it helps and I also eat chocolate - just not all the chocolate.1
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Pms is coming up this weekend for me
And I already know I will be craving some extra snacks and various goodies
I will let myself have what I crave and move on
Probably not an entire cake though ..a pint of ice cream ,chips and chocolate is likely tho1 -
I don't really get cravings when I'm on a diet. But when I do I allow myself to have a little something as long as it fits within my calories for the day.
Although I did just go to the grocery store and seen these cookies that looked amazing. 149 calories for 2 cookies = a good treat for me lol.0 -
I usually don't get sweet cravings but I crave carbs like crazy and pretty much feel physically awful (weak, dizzy) until I give in... but it's things like pizza, sandwiches, hoagies, bread, cinnamon rolls... basically bready stuff. But if I start eating sweets I probably won't be able to stop. So I hear you.
The only time I managed to avoid those cravings was the one month I tried to remove all sugar and flour products - just ate a lot of meat, beans, veggeggs etc. Then I tried that the next month and it didn't work at all. So who knows. I usually try to eat what I crave but in small quantities, then the symptoms go away for a bit, and try to keep busy. And exercise more. I still go over though.
I've tried supplements and vitamin and even 'PMS tea' and whatnot and haven't found anything that worked for me.
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Do you ever just want to eat a whole chocolate cake and then some while you're PMSing? That's how I feel now. How do you defeat the cravings??Do you ever just want to eat a whole chocolate cake and then some while you're PMSing? That's how I feel now. How do you defeat the cravings??
I'm awful. I give in. Go way overboard one day. Then I'm fine the next day. Thank goodness it only lasts one day. Because I do some serious eating that day. I eat at a deficit other times so it evens out.2 -
Literally the same thing is going on with me right now... It can be so hard not to give into the temptations. A few tips to keep in mind is to drink plenty of water. If you start getting cravings try to drink some water. Then in 20 minutes if you still have those hunger sensations, eat something that will be more beneficial towards you, some fruit and whipped cream is my go to! Its a lot better than that chocolate cake1
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I usually find myself craving chocolate or warm foods. The warm food isn't so much a problem, and for chocolate I'll usually either buy a chocolate bar and break it up into 1 serving (or less) pieces and freeze them so I only take out one portion each day I'm craving it, or just go ahead and buy a single serving the day of. If your cycle is regular, you can also eat at a slightly larger deficit in the days or week leading up to when you know your cravings will start so you have more wiggle room with calories on the craving days.0
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I usually bump up my calories to maintenance during my ToM. My body is doing a lot of important things and fueling it is more important than a huge loss on the scale. I also try to pump up my protein intake and eat less heavy foods like fish, sushi, baked chicken salads, and hardboiled eggs. That seems to help with cramps and keep my period light. For me, light bleeding= light cravings.
That said, some days I just go out, buy a cake, eat it all, and watch TV while crying at things that aren't sad.
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I try to have portion-controlled snacks ready to go - single serving bags of Cheese Its or Doritos, French bread pizza, pistachios, fun-size bags of sour patch kids. I usually feel like I need to tear up an entire family-sized bag of chips and eat a whole pizza, but I'm also lazy, so if I have something small I won't make the effort to go for more. Having little bits in the house keeps me closer to goal than a pizza delivery free-for-all or going to the store and having all the salty snacks end up in my cart.1
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I have found it impossible to totally ignore my cravings during my time of the month. Early on in this process, I decided to not try, and instead 'embrace' my cravings. Usually, they occur in the evenings - so, during that week I will purposely 'save' calories during the day. For example - I usually take 200-300 worth of calories as snacks to have at work (so I am not tempted by cake/cookies/etc. brought by my office mates). Sometimes I will have a lighter-than-usual breakfast/lunch to save even more. By cutting out all my 'extras' during the day, I have plenty saved at night to enjoy at least 1 (if not 2) serving(s) of whatever I'm craving - whether that's 1) Doritos (the usual culprit 2) Chocolate (peanut butter cups...) or 3) ice cream. Sometimes I will buy snack packs, 100 calorie bags, or individually-wrapped chocolates (like Dove) to have in case I don't have enough calories to have a full portion of a treat (or, I will simply have the full portion and make up for it over the next week - going over your calories for one or two days will not totally sabotage your efforts).
Also - if my cravings are really out-of-control (as in: I want to buy and eat a whole Domino's pizza or chocolate birthday cake), I will tell myself "Okay, you can have that - but you need to work out for 30minutes first." I will work out, and then usually I don't want the entire pizza or the entire cake. I will be OK with just one slice (of both
haha)
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Love the comments that say giving in to cravings won't ruin everything. So true. Just don't give in to every craving every time! This is about progress people ❤️ 0
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I feel you!!! Going through it right now. It's ok to give in once in a while, everything in moderation am I right? Don't beat yourself down and celebrate the fact you're aware and continue on your path.0
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My hormones are doing crazy things this month, and my appetite is definitely up. I want to eat everything in sight. I ate at maintenance yesterday, but I am trying to push through today. Ugg, this is rough!0
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When I'm pmsing I give the beast what she wants! If I eat not so great 3 or so days out of the month I'm doing pretty okay. And I don't mind eating chocolate and carbs and everything in between.0
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I usually bump up my calories to maintenance during my ToM. My body is doing a lot of important things and fueling it is more important than a huge loss on the scale. I also try to pump up my protein intake and eat less heavy foods like fish, sushi, baked chicken salads, and hardboiled eggs. That seems to help with cramps and keep my period light. For me, light bleeding= light cravings.
That said, some days I just go out, buy a cake, eat it all, and watch TV while crying at things that aren't sad.
Ya, I used to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's a day for a few days, but found eating at maintenance (and exercising and taking magnesium) kills the cravings.0 -
Are you getting protein and fiber? Are you eating healthy? I can tell you now protein and fiber has did me WONDERS . A year ago I was in a caloric deficit trying to lose weight of course and I was eating crappy foods but still maintaining my deficit . Crappy foods make it hard to not always feel hungry because as they say (empty calories) which is very true . I started intermittent fasting a month ago 15 lbs lost and I get my nutrition in lots of protein mainly and clean eating for the most part ,I never feel hungry until I wake up about 3 hours before I break my fast . BTW I recommend fiber one they have cookies and lil cake things . You don't have to cut everything out ..it's about making better choices. Why eat that cake when you can have some sugar free jello or a trail mix. I'm just giving you a break down of how I handled situations like that0
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I usually bump up my calories to maintenance during my ToM. My body is doing a lot of important things and fueling it is more important than a huge loss on the scale. I also try to pump up my protein intake and eat less heavy foods like fish, sushi, baked chicken salads, and hardboiled eggs. That seems to help with cramps and keep my period light. For me, light bleeding= light cravings.
That said, some days I just go out, buy a cake, eat it all, and watch TV while crying at things that aren't sad.
Fish is great for you but our bodies react different to certain foods 0 -
I eat a pint of halo top and some other high volume, lower calorie things.0
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My hormones are doing crazy things this month, and my appetite is definitely up. I want to eat everything in sight. I ate at maintenance yesterday, but I am trying to push through today. Ugg, this is rough!
You will be fine and proud of yourself in the end . Just keep that in mind
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It's that time for me and I plan on buying some low calorie chocolate tomorrow, maybe even will get a light mocha frap from starbucks instead of lunch0
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All the time! I leave cals for a treat, log it, maybe get some more exercise that day, maybe not0
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Depending on what the craving is for. When it is something like pizza I let myself have it in the smallest way or after a long period of time, say about a month. With other things I find a way to cave without it being over the top. For example whe I really want chocolate I have pudding or Enlightened icecream which comes in triple chocolate or chocolate brownie fudge. I also just really like Mint Chip icecream and halotop mint chip was disappointing so I switched to Enlightened. Game changer. Other things might be like a crunchy or salty kind of need so I'll eat 1-2 servings of white cheddar popcorn.0
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i give in, in moderation off course. My cravings usually excist of sweet stuff so i make sure i plan in some sweets or go for maintenance for a few days. It's once a month so i'll be fine if i eat a (little) extra.
but i have also noticed i need fewer sweets now my body is used to eat less Sugar. My cravings have changed.
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I'm always starving at that time (right now). I can usually restrain myself now a days, so when insatiable hunger hits and I find myself knee deep in a pack of Oreos I know it's PMS. I just shrug it off and don't let it get too out of control (ie thousands of extra calories for days). I generally just eat at maintenance if I'm hungry, and don't worry about overall macros for those days. I also get massive hormonal migraines, and upping to maintenance seems to help with that a bit.
That being said, I do make a conscious effort to drink a ton of water and cook healthier meals in between my junk fests. I eat lots of fruit and vegetables and try to be conscious of protein. I'll have a salad and beans for lunch because I know I'm having cake for dinner hahha. I, too, take magnesium and other supplements to try to help with the joys of lady time.0 -
I try to ignore it & stomp around the house angrily.1
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For what it's worth, it's the ONE symptom the pill seems to have helped with. I'm a bit hungrier overall but I don't have those days when I can eat 4500 calories and still be hungry anymore.0
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I've always struggled with it. I swear the cravings made me think I was pregnant for like 3 months in a row they were so strong.0
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