menstrual cycle vs hunger

Pepsab

A question for other ladies. Have you noticed a time during your cycle where you are a lot hungrier? Not necessarily for junk or choc etc but just needing to consume more calories.

kommodevaran

I feel the same all through my cycle.

Lillymoo01

Yep. The day before my period arrives I am hungry, all day. I did read that your body requires more food during this time but not as much as I eat.

khemanichatly

Bluebell2325

Week before I am always hungrier, but then I have more energy and determination too. That week I am more crazings than hunger and I have zero energy and determination.

Lebatsirk

Week before for me, but then the week itself my appetite goes so I think it generally balances out. If I feel I need to eat more, I do so, but I try and make reasonably sensible choices where possible. If I try to ignore the extra hunger, I just end up getting stressed then eating rubbish so I think I do much better when I listen to what my body needs.

LisaEatSleepRun

Yes, sometimes insatiably so! I try to increase my exercise a bit during my pre-menstrual week so I can eat a bit more & also manage the moodiness and crankiness!!

Ameliegr

absolutely yes! A week before my period starts I become the cookie monster! it lasts almost 3 days and I eat at least 700 to 1000 more kcal than the rest of the month. once my period does come, my appetite goes way down and all food tastes bland.

Ironandwine69

Yes. A few days before I can eat anything in sight, and sometimes I do. It evens out because I usually have no appetite during the cycle. The water weight though..ugh

scarlett_k

I become insatiable ravenous before/at the start of my period, and the hunger can last from one day to five days. I don't have a specific food target, and I have learned to go to sleep feeling slightly hungry but if it's so bad I can't sleep then I will eat something.

ashbabe25

A day or so before and the first day at least I'm crazy hungry but I crave things like a glass of milk or lentils and rice. I keep emergency chocolate on hand if those cravings hit but they're rare.

CrazyComicLady

Up to 10 days before the start of mine I'm constantly hungry and fighting food impulses, then when the dreaded thing starts my appetite vanished for a few days. Always such a giant struggle though.

SisepuedeLinda

Yes! Me and my friend used to say "the hunger is here" lol because we literally just wanted to eat everything and anything!

kshama2001

A few days before my period starts, my appetite spikes. It feels like I crave carbs, but if I just eat at maintenance, the cravings go away.

ChiliPepperLifter

I am very sensitive to my hormonal fluctuations, and have no issue eating at maintenance a few days a month. Over the long term it really won't slow my weight loss down too much, and it makes those few days a lot more tolerable. Like others, my appetite dimishes after the start of my cycle, so it might even out.

seltzermint555

I am usually filled with energy the week before my period and a lot LESS hungry/fewer cravings than any other time of the month. During my period, my energy is much lower but my appetite is pretty normal. Usually around the time I ovulate I have some cravings. A lot of this seems to be opposite/different from other ladies. I am glad that I don't have big hunger and cravings right before my period though because I usually drop a couple of pounds that week and then it helps me with period "bloat" during.

Mezzie1024

This is why I have Korean BBQ about once a month.

estherdragonbat

I am. I eat a lot of salty low-cal snacks at that point (like Skinny Pop popcorn and veggie dogs). Basically, I snack more, but stick to my calories. I also find that exercising more cuts back on cramping and other TOM effects, so I have more of a cushion for snacking.

Graelwyn75

I usually get an attack of intense hunger the same day, right before my period starts these days, but nothing that noticeable in the days before.

Pepsab

Yah so it's not just me. I have been going over my calories as well as the ones from excercise but choosing healthy opitons so don't feel too bad. Being a women huh

SafioraLinnea

I have experienced absolutely no correlation for hunger or cravings at any specific time in my cycle. I don't experience any changes in appetite relating to my cycle. I'm roughly the same amount of hungry every day.

92joann

I am an insatiable beast for about 2 days before, then the first 2 days I have no appetite because the pain makes me nauseated so it balances out. I used to just eat junk to make it more bearable, periods seem 10X worse when I can't just shove sugar and salt in my face haha