Terrified of my period coming - appetite increases

juststartedrunningagain

I’ve turned 40 something and every month carb cravings are a nightmare two weeks leading up to TOM. Is anyone else struggling and how do you prearm yourself against the war of hormones?

quiksylver296

I'm usually only starving for 2-3 days during that cycle, and I just eat up to maintenance calories on those days. If it were two whole weeks, I'd probably have to rethink my approach.

kimny72

quiksylver296 wrote: »

I'm usually only starving for 2-3 days during that cycle, and I just eat up to maintenance calories on those days. If it were two whole weeks, I'd probably have to rethink my approach.

Same! I also found making sure I take a nice brisk walk or two on those days helps to level out my mood a little, so I'm not as likely to self-pity snack. But for 2 or 3 days I ignored my macros and ate my maintenance calories. Now that I'm in maintenance, I allow myself to go over by maybe 200 calories, and then once I'm feeling better I go back into a deficit for a couple of days to balance out the ledger.

concordancia

I only get about a week of PMS, but I also get a few days around ovulation. Yay? Bloating and/or constipation can also put pressure on my unhealthy spinal discs and severely limit my ability to exercise.

It all starts with a plan. My eating plan includes lots of yummy meals so that when I whine "Why can't I have pizza?" the answer is "Because you already ate your lamb chops with brussel sprouts and sweet potato!" OR "Because you just had pizza a few days ago and there just isn't a healthy way to fit it in again until next week."

On a good day, I remind myself that it is just a craving and stick to the plan. I may have to do something to distract myself: come on the forums, do a short yoga session, go for a walk...
On an OK day, I measure out an amount that still fits in my calorie goals and just eat fewer veg or meat or whatever I had planned.
On a bad day, I fall back into the habits that made me obese in the first place and then feel mentally and physically terrible and get back up on the horse the next day.

Sabine_Stroehm

My own experience: yes, I'd be ravenous, I'd probably eat at maintenance, maybe more. But then once ToM actually started I would have little appetite, and I would NOT actively try to eat "all my calories". It all worked out fine.

laurenq1991

I have the opposite problem. I gain water weight in my abdomen for a few days before and a couple of days into it, and it makes me feel gross and not want to eat anything. But conversely, when it actually comes, my physical and mental energy is completely gone for 2-3 days and I can't do anything besides the bare minimum, so I don't exercise during that time. I also have to make sure I have ready-to-eat foods like yogurt and peanut butter around beforehand or else I probably won't eat enough because I won't have the energy to cook. My periods have always been pretty heavy but I've gotten tested for hormonal imbalances, PCOS, nutritional deficiencies, etc. and they didn't find anything. Anyone else have this problem?

concordancia

laurenq1991 wrote: »

I have the opposite problem. I gain water weight in my abdomen for a few days before and a couple of days into it, and it makes me feel gross and not want to eat anything. But conversely, when it actually comes, my physical and mental energy is completely gone for 2-3 days and I can't do anything besides the bare minimum, so I don't exercise during that time. I also have to make sure I have ready-to-eat foods like yogurt and peanut butter around beforehand or else I probably won't eat enough because I won't have the energy to cook. My periods have always been pretty heavy but I've gotten tested for hormonal imbalances, PCOS, nutritional deficiencies, etc. and they didn't find anything. Anyone else have this problem?

From the beginning, mine were so heavy that my mom kind of freaked out. The last time I was on the pill, I just kept bleeding for weeks. My iron is in the normal range when I bleed the worst. I get ravenous for a couple of days, then feel sick and blah for a couple of days. I find that if I can get light exercise, I do feel better on those blah days.

laurenq1991

concordancia wrote: »

From the beginning, mine were so heavy that my mom kind of freaked out. The last time I was on the pill, I just kept bleeding for weeks. My iron is in the normal range when I bleed the worst. I get ravenous for a couple of days, then feel sick and blah for a couple of days. I find that if I can get light exercise, I do feel better on those blah days.

I actually had no idea that my period was considered unusually heavy until a couple of years ago when I came across information on the internet about it. Somehow during all those hours we spent in health class in middle and high school, they never bothered to tell us. My mom had heavy periods too and I don't think anyone ever told her either, so she never told me. Doctors have said it's just the way my body is and to just live with it. The only solution would be to go on the pill but my doctor specifically advised against it because it would probably make my anxiety worse (and I had one experience with a similar medication that caused depression so I agree). Honestly though, the bleeding is gross but I can live with it, it's the exhaustion that interferes with my life, and I'm not really sure what the cause is.

concordancia

laurenq1991 wrote: »

concordancia wrote: »

From the beginning, mine were so heavy that my mom kind of freaked out. The last time I was on the pill, I just kept bleeding for weeks. My iron is in the normal range when I bleed the worst. I get ravenous for a couple of days, then feel sick and blah for a couple of days. I find that if I can get light exercise, I do feel better on those blah days.

I actually had no idea that my period was considered unusually heavy until a couple of years ago when I came across information on the internet about it. Somehow during all those hours we spent in health class in middle and high school, they never bothered to tell us. My mom had heavy periods too and I don't think anyone ever told her either, so she never told me. Doctors have said it's just the way my body is and to just live with it. The only solution would be to go on the pill but my doctor specifically advised against it because it would probably make my anxiety worse (and I had one experience with a similar medication that caused depression so I agree). Honestly though, the bleeding is gross but I can live with it, it's the exhaustion that interferes with my life, and I'm not really sure what the cause is.

For me, the exhaustion is highly correlated to the bloating. If I give in and binge on salt and chocolate and salt and chocolate, and don't get enough water, I can feel that extra weight. It isn't like the flu where if I try to push through it just gets worse and worse. If I get up and move around, it is the same or better. I mean, sure, it feels like you are bleeding to death and your blood turned to lead at the same time, but I 80% of the time I can make it through whatever I set my mind to. The other 20%, leave me the *kitten* alone, I will mess up whatever it is.

ie, We were working on our boat one day and I just laid down to take a nap. Every time my husband walked by me "You could do X, You could do Y." I finally chose something to do and managed to slice myself open within two minutes. He let me take a nap after that, though!