Girls! PMS cravings?? How to avoid them?

kristinajakavonyte

As a girl who is starting (again) to loose weight I notice that it is really hard to not cheat during pms. My pms is usually the worst a couple days before period. I have crazy mood swings and cravings. When that happens I eat everything. I hold up not cheating till the evening.. but then.. EVERYTHING..

What's your opinion/advices? Is it okay to just let it happen?

Shayslimmer

Following this post....

CattOfTheGarage

I just try and go easy on myself and not worry if my calories are a bit over.

Sometimes staying strong in the face of cravings is the right thing to do - but there are times when all it does is let the pressure build up behind the dam, and then you find you've eaten three family sized bars of chocolate when you could have scratched the itch three hours earlier with a normal sized bar, a hot water bottle and a hug.

It's a question of picking your battles, and as ever, it's a judgement call, and you won't always get it right. Whatever you eat, though, keep logging it (don't let it become an excuse to quit), and remember tomorrow is another day.

andrea4736

It depends how bad the cravings are. I've identified my major trigger foods and just don't keep them in the house. Unfortunately for me, a craving for potato chips can lead to me polishing off a family size bag, lol. If I give in to every craving all week long, I can easily undo 2 weeks worth of eating healthily. I pre-log whenever cravings hit to see what the damage will be. Sometimes I can easily work it in so I do.

jemhh

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10359984/women-menstrual-cycle-weight-and-fitness-matters/p1

As for what to do about the increased hunger, I suggest either decreasing your calorie deficit or eating at maintenance. Most women find that their hungriest period lasts only 2-3 days. Making the conscious choice to eat a bit more for 2-3 days a month can prevent an extreme hunger-fueled binge. If you are really bothered by this idea, you could even reduce your calorie goal the rest of the month to make up for eating more at this time. A reduction of 36 calories per day over 25 days would “make up for” an increase of 900 calories total over 3 days.

Skyblueyellow

Sometimes I just let it happen. I let myself have the thing that I'm craving but I control the portion. I've found that completely denying the craving didn't work well for me. I would end up trying to ignore the craving for something sweet and would end up eating the non-sweet thing and the sweet thing. I should have just eaten the sweet thing from the start, satisfied the craving, and been done with it!

Other times I just go to bed early (I can't eat if I'm asleep!). Or maybe I'll get my butt off of the couch and clean something, start laundry, organize something, etc.

MelanieCN77

I recognise the feeling for what it is and just iron will it. I make sure to plan my meals and stick to planned meal times with minimal snacks. It passes in a few days.

mharnden92

I look up new recopies of sweets that are healthier so I can eat them with less guilt. There are tons of recopies for cookies and brownies and what have you that are less calories and just as yummy. I try to keep these recopies around when its that time of the month.

asilmegan34

andrea4736 wrote: »

It depends how bad the cravings are. I've identified my major trigger foods and just don't keep them in the house. Unfortunately for me, a craving for potato chips can lead to me polishing off a family size bag, lol. If I give in to every craving all week long, I can easily undo 2 weeks worth of eating healthily. I pre-log whenever cravings hit to see what the damage will be. Sometimes I can easily work it in so I do.

What a great idea. Going to try this!

omima07

I am of the everything in moderation opinion... nothing is off limits but I take a controlled approach. If I really want chips, chocolate, ice cream I allow myself that especially if it's that time for me. However, every grocery store has the option for a single serving. Those tiny ice creams ( not the pints) or a small snack size chip bag, or a chocolate bar (not a king size ) , or even a single serving size of cake...I will put it into my calories and allow myself an allowance for that day to go over maybe 200-250 calories since that would probably just be maintain for me....and when I take it home I will make myself a cup of tea to enjoy with my treat and savor to make it last longer. If it will make you feel happy for a few minutes enjoy it and don't feel guilty about having a treat. It's about making healthy lifestyle choices not punishing yourself for craving salt and sugar.

I would also like to note I always try ( emphasis on the try lol) to eat my dinner before hand with a big glass of water...so that I am not starving when I have my treat that I am craving so that I don't feel like I'm still starving after I have had my chocolate or ice cream and feel the need to binge on something else that's not so healthy.

I have lost 30 pounds doing this and I have some of the worst periods ever. Good luck I hope you find something that works for you.

ladyreva78

There's a reason why the peanut m&ms are regularly sold out at the vending machine at work.

In all seriousness. I budget for the PMS cravings. Now that I'm back on BC they've become a lot more predictable but hit a lot harder. There's no knuckling through them anymore. The small single servings packets of my usual cravings are lifesavers. I scratch the itch, can finish the whole package and as a bonus won't wonder where the family pack went. I usually also eat at maintenance for those 2 days (that's two of those packets of m&ms).

cbelc2

I remember those days! I remember reading somewhere that extra weight can be lost during that time as long as you don't give in to the cravings. Try it and see if it's true.

Afura

You call it cheat, is your way of now eating going to dump you? If I'm having really bad craving, I try to ignore it if I can but if it just cannot be ignored I do moderation as much as I can and either budget out some calories before/after, or eat at maintenance for a day.
I usually get one day when I am just as mean as fudgecrackers at people right before I so I know it's about to hit. Ughhh

jemhh

Afura wrote: »

You call it cheat, is your way of now eating going to dump you? If I'm having really bad craving, I try to ignore it if I can but if it just cannot be ignored I do moderation as much as I can and either budget out some calories before/after, or eat at maintenance for a day.
I usually get one day when I am just as mean as fudgecrackers at people right before I so I know it's about to hit. Ughhh

Haaa. I have very unpredictable cycles (20-60 days) and recently told my husband that the biggest downside is that I never know if I hate people because my period is going to start or because they truly are annoying idiots.

kellansmommy11

I don't really deny myself anything, I just limit myself to the correct portion. If I'm craving chocolate, I will have one or two mini Hershey's chocolate bars. If I'm craving ice cream, I have a frozen yogurt bar. I make sure it all works into my daily calorie goal.

Running_and_Coffee

Kick *kitten* at the gym & enjoy portioned versions of what you crave. But don't let it overtake you and completely derail all your hard work.

kshama2001

Here are my generic tips for cravings. # 5 and 9 are specific to PMS.

When I do the following, I don't have 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.

Francl27

I eat less the rest of the time because I can easily eat 500 to 1000 calories over maintenance a few days before my period.

Honestly I've had this issue for 3 years (maintaining now) and I have yet to find a way to get rid of them. I've tried magnesium supplements, even 'PMS' tea... nothing works. So I try to eat only what I crave (typically bready stuff) because it's the only thing that works... for a little time. The key really is to avoid high calorie things that I don't really crave that much, because I won't be able to stop and they will do nothing for my cravings (I often fail at that sadly). It's hard because those cravings make me feel physically ill if I ignore them, and I'm also crazy hungry at that time too.

And I try to be even more active than I usually am those days to minimize the damage.

sboucher0654

The best way I've found is to use those cravings to change your bad habits. If you like sweets, try dried fruit. If you like salty food, try pistachios or other nuts. Find little alternatives to help subside those cravings. My bad habit is soda so I've been trying to drink flavored water instead and after the first few days, those cravings are almost completely gone.

HappyBlues

Don't let PMS give you a free pass to over eat. I struggle with PMS cravings as well. Over the course of the last year it's gotten a little easier, but I still have some days that are worse then others. I refuse to be weaker then a food craving though.... as hard as it is, I'd rather spend the day fighting the craving then to actually give into it and wreak my diet.

taltakumi

*follow*

bluets2011

I also couldn't control myself in my PMDD (worse than PMS). My doctor has prescribed me B6 vitamin to be taken from day 12 to 26 of my cycle, primrose oil capsules. We are treating my anemia as well. It really helped. Since starting low carb as well last two months I got nothing! No pain, not irritable and no cravings. I guess I'm trying to say work with your doctor. PMS can be treated.

acopeland321

I try and drink more water, but also women burn around 15% more the days around ovulation and the few days after their time of the month begins which can allow for an extra treat if needed. I'd say don't go overboard but a treat won't hurt, especially when you feel scrappy anyway.

Muana1005

I try to substitute my cravings.

So icecream gets subsituted by low calorie fruit lollies. Milk Chocolate by the 90 per cent dark chocolate that makes me gag after one square

californiagirl2012

Most women have this problem and you have to remember that eating at maintenance is always a WIN. The deficit is corrective action and causes stress on your body. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you have to eat at a deficit every day to lose fat, but that is not true. You can eat at maintenance any time your body is under stress to help. You won't gain fat when you eat at maintenance (you might temporarily gain WATER but that is part of life in your body). Anyone can eat at maintenance and "stair step" the deficit (fat loss days) in any pattern they want, it does not have to be every day. It's the 30, 60, 90 days over time that get you results. Always remember the big picture and not just today or this week. YOU GOT THIS!!!

gcminton

I'll go ahead and munch on something small to help deal with it. There's a jar of dark chocolate pieces in the pantry for a sweet craving (maybe 40 cals for 1 piece), pork rinds for a salty/crunchy chip craving, almonds or pistachios, etc. I try not to keep things in the house that I know I easily overdo, but there's nothing wrong with having a snack or treat to help curb cravings if you keep your portions under control. I had to learn that trying to white-knuckle through losing weight doesn't work for me in the long run so I may as well learn how to be okay with smartly indulging cravings and eating at maintenance sometimes.

animatorswearbras

I tend to look at my deficit as a weekly thing rather than a daily thing if I have a couple of days at maintenance or over as long as the rest of the week I was under maintenance no harm no foul if your week averages out as being under, maybe you'll lose a little slower than usual but I'd prefer to maintain or lose slower that week for sanitys sake. Also most peoples BMR is 2-12% above average during that time of the month so your body might genuinely need a few extra cals. Just remember to log even if you go well over maintenance, it's easy to bury your head in the sand but it's good to keep your diary accurate so you can help yourself in the future. Prelogging is also essential and helps you make less impulsive decisions.

I do have a few sweet treat and snacking go to's though (UK but I'm sure there's local equivalents), ice lollies (particularly rocket lollies or mini milks) options Belgium hot chocolate and carrot/cucumber/pepper sticks and hummous dip.

Chin up chick and good luck. x

nevadavis1

I'm in in the same boat, going to read all the tips now. I want to eat everything in sight right now. I'm like a bottomless pit.

papercut2k

I know I'm the odd one out but just throwing in my two cents. I actually LOSE my appetite those days and feel weak and miserable. Chocolate is about the only thing I can eat all week.

midlomel1971

I was about to ask this question last week when I started. I was dying....wanted to inhale everything I laid eyes on. It's hard, for sure. I didn't do a great time tracking last week so I'm pretty sure I stayed at maintenance.