Women only: do you gain weight before your period?
Replies
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »I am really surprised every time a woman posts that she doesn't know that this is normal. We need to do a better job of being educated about our bodies. Girls usually start getting periods between ages 9 and 13 and the average age of menopause is 51. That's a good 40 years of menstrual cycles. Take the time to learn what is going on with your body, if you don't know already. And if you have a daughter, make sure she understands it as well.
My daughter is 10 and we've been discussing this stuff for half of her life already. She's comfortable asking both me and my husband/her dad about it. It's not embarrassing, it's not gross. It's your body. Understand it.
Was just going to say the exact same thing. Like, how do people not notice blowing up like a wee balloon every month (or twice a month in some cases)? I understand that many people possibly don't weigh themselves regularly until they start trying to lose weight, but there are physical signs (the lacing of my Chuck Taylors is a dead giveaway for me, along with chubby fingers and a puffy belly). Though I guess maybe a kilo or two of water weight isn't so obvious if you're carrying a lot of extra weight?
I weighed 150 pounds overweight when I started and I'm now about 105 pounds overweight. I can't tell a difference in how my clothes fit or how my body feels when I'm retaining water.
I had no idea I gained two pounds of water weight a few days before my period and lost it the day it started until I started tracking my weight daily for a couple months.
I knew most women bloated beforehand, but I didn't know that I did too.
I'm carrying a few pounds of water weight right now from starting an exercise program. Can't tell. I never know when I have a "food baby" either. I never knew if a body part was swollen from injuries either (not usually the case, but happened a couple times). Now that I've slimmed down some I can notice swelling in my arms in legs, which still doesn't happen often thankfully!
I'm just too fat to notice small changes in my body. I look forward to the day when I know my period is due because my pants don't fit right. I forget otherwise and have to look at my husband's computer projected date.
Thank you for this. I will remember to be more mindful of that in future
No worries. Just thought I'd chime in with my experience. This is just an ancedote of course, other large women may very well have different experiences. I can't speak for us all!
Mine was not (and still not) different. I don't notice bloating until I step on the scale. The only difference is that I know with 100% certainty it's coming without having to check for a projected date. My appetite makes it known. The week right before I'm unusually and insatiably hungry.0 -
I can gain anywhere from 3 to 8 pounds just from my period. It normally happens the day before I get it. Drink a lot of water and it won't affect you as much1
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amusedmonkey wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »I am really surprised every time a woman posts that she doesn't know that this is normal. We need to do a better job of being educated about our bodies. Girls usually start getting periods between ages 9 and 13 and the average age of menopause is 51. That's a good 40 years of menstrual cycles. Take the time to learn what is going on with your body, if you don't know already. And if you have a daughter, make sure she understands it as well.
My daughter is 10 and we've been discussing this stuff for half of her life already. She's comfortable asking both me and my husband/her dad about it. It's not embarrassing, it's not gross. It's your body. Understand it.
Was just going to say the exact same thing. Like, how do people not notice blowing up like a wee balloon every month (or twice a month in some cases)? I understand that many people possibly don't weigh themselves regularly until they start trying to lose weight, but there are physical signs (the lacing of my Chuck Taylors is a dead giveaway for me, along with chubby fingers and a puffy belly). Though I guess maybe a kilo or two of water weight isn't so obvious if you're carrying a lot of extra weight?
I weighed 150 pounds overweight when I started and I'm now about 105 pounds overweight. I can't tell a difference in how my clothes fit or how my body feels when I'm retaining water.
I had no idea I gained two pounds of water weight a few days before my period and lost it the day it started until I started tracking my weight daily for a couple months.
I knew most women bloated beforehand, but I didn't know that I did too.
I'm carrying a few pounds of water weight right now from starting an exercise program. Can't tell. I never know when I have a "food baby" either. I never knew if a body part was swollen from injuries either (not usually the case, but happened a couple times). Now that I've slimmed down some I can notice swelling in my arms in legs, which still doesn't happen often thankfully!
I'm just too fat to notice small changes in my body. I look forward to the day when I know my period is due because my pants don't fit right. I forget otherwise and have to look at my husband's computer projected date.
Thank you for this. I will remember to be more mindful of that in future
No worries. Just thought I'd chime in with my experience. This is just an ancedote of course, other large women may very well have different experiences. I can't speak for us all!
Mine was not (and still not) different. I don't notice bloating until I step on the scale. The only difference is that I know with 100% certainty it's coming without having to check for a projected date. My appetite makes it known. The week right before I'm unusually and insatiably hungry.
Yeah I get the insatiable hunger a day or two before TOM. With water retention I may in part just be more conscious of the physical bloat because I see it on the scale, then look at my hands and belly and go 'oh, yeah...'. Though Chuck T's are a dead giveaway, and I have to remember to wear my bigger sized trail socks if I'm walking/running/hiking (my skin doesn't like anything too tight, instant recipe for eczema on my feet and ankles). My cycle is a bit variable, so the water weight and drop off can be a handy indicator of when things are going to happen (especially ovulation, which occasionally doesn't give me its usual searing pain as I pop an egg out).0 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »I am really surprised every time a woman posts that she doesn't know that this is normal. We need to do a better job of being educated about our bodies. Girls usually start getting periods between ages 9 and 13 and the average age of menopause is 51. That's a good 40 years of menstrual cycles. Take the time to learn what is going on with your body, if you don't know already. And if you have a daughter, make sure she understands it as well.
My daughter is 10 and we've been discussing this stuff for half of her life already. She's comfortable asking both me and my husband/her dad about it. It's not embarrassing, it's not gross. It's your body. Understand it.
Was just going to say the exact same thing. Like, how do people not notice blowing up like a wee balloon every month (or twice a month in some cases)? I understand that many people possibly don't weigh themselves regularly until they start trying to lose weight, but there are physical signs (the lacing of my Chuck Taylors is a dead giveaway for me, along with chubby fingers and a puffy belly). Though I guess maybe a kilo or two of water weight isn't so obvious if you're carrying a lot of extra weight?
I weighed 150 pounds overweight when I started and I'm now about 105 pounds overweight. I can't tell a difference in how my clothes fit or how my body feels when I'm retaining water.
I had no idea I gained two pounds of water weight a few days before my period and lost it the day it started until I started tracking my weight daily for a couple months.
I knew most women bloated beforehand, but I didn't know that I did too.
I'm carrying a few pounds of water weight right now from starting an exercise program. Can't tell. I never know when I have a "food baby" either. I never knew if a body part was swollen from injuries either (not usually the case, but happened a couple times). Now that I've slimmed down some I can notice swelling in my arms in legs, which still doesn't happen often thankfully!
I'm just too fat to notice small changes in my body. I look forward to the day when I know my period is due because my pants don't fit right. I forget otherwise and have to look at my husband's computer projected date.
Thank you for this. I will remember to be more mindful of that in future
No worries. Just thought I'd chime in with my experience. This is just an ancedote of course, other large women may very well have different experiences. I can't speak for us all!
Mine was not (and still not) different. I don't notice bloating until I step on the scale. The only difference is that I know with 100% certainty it's coming without having to check for a projected date. My appetite makes it known. The week right before I'm unusually and insatiably hungry.
I don't get that either. Sometimes I get a craving for salt, but not always, so that doesn't work for a predicter.
I do get a bit more cranky though. When my husband or my mom start to bug me a little more than usual, i usually start in a couple days. I don't always notice the cranky though, I just chalk it up to being tired or something.
I know you don't normally hear women say this, but I wish I had a bit (just a little) more PMS! I'm usually surprised by my period, even with the weight gain before hand, because weight can fluctuate on its own. I hate being surprised by it.
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Christine_72 wrote: »Be thankful you only "gain" 1-2lbs every month, some women can put on 6-7lbs
Yep, true story, I'm one of them and I'm only 5' 3"!0 -
I have started retaining a lot of water when I get my period. A friend of mine was advised by there doctor to take extra vitamin c for a few days starting before her period and that got rid of it. It is safe to exceed rda of vitamin c, so I intend to try it. Ymmv.*0
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A week before my period, I crave beef (burgers!), gain 1-2 lbs right in the midsection, and tear up at the slightest insult/offense/challenge. During my period, I'm just irritated and have muscle aches. It's been that way since college when I weighed anywhere between 190-200lbs.1
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i gained like 5% of my body weight during one of my recent periods. It can be a lot. I drink way more water (prolly retaining it) and I eat a bit more. Per the consensus of this thread, this is all totes normal.0
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This is normal. I understand that some people were raised different, and parents didn't talk to them about this. My parents never discussed sex or periods with me. Your uterus grows a thick layer in case of pregnancy throughout the month and when you don't get pregnant your body sheds that layer. I mean this is something you can search up on google easily if you don't know about it (not everything's true but find a reliable website). But I mean I think every woman should learn more about her anatomy and the way her body works as well.1
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It's all water weight your body holds on too. It's only temporary, It'll come off a couple days after your period ends.0
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I am really surprised every time a woman posts that she doesn't know that this is normal. We need to do a better job of being educated about our bodies. Girls usually start getting periods between ages 9 and 13 and the average age of menopause is 51. That's a good 40 years of menstrual cycles. Take the time to learn what is going on with your body, if you don't know already. And if you have a daughter, make sure she understands it as well.
My daughter is 10 and we've been discussing this stuff for half of her life already. She's comfortable asking both me and my husband/her dad about it. It's not embarrassing, it's not gross. It's your body. Understand it.
What you pass on to your children depends a lot on your experiences. I talked to my daughter about puberty and periods and whatnot but would never have thought to talk about weight fluctuations during periods because I didn't know about them until I joined MFP. It's never happened to me and it never came up in any reading I've done on the topic.0 -
counting_kilojoules wrote: »I am really surprised every time a woman posts that she doesn't know that this is normal. We need to do a better job of being educated about our bodies. Girls usually start getting periods between ages 9 and 13 and the average age of menopause is 51. That's a good 40 years of menstrual cycles. Take the time to learn what is going on with your body, if you don't know already. And if you have a daughter, make sure she understands it as well.
My daughter is 10 and we've been discussing this stuff for half of her life already. She's comfortable asking both me and my husband/her dad about it. It's not embarrassing, it's not gross. It's your body. Understand it.
What you pass on to your children depends a lot on your experiences. I talked to my daughter about puberty and periods and whatnot but would never have thought to talk about weight fluctuations during periods because I didn't know about them until I joined MFP. It's never happened to me and it never came up in any reading I've done on the topic.
Nearly every time I read a woman talking about her period or PMS refers to bloating. That's why I'm surprised that women are surprised when they gain weight.0
This discussion has been closed.
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