Ladies, TOTM.... how do you cope?

TwinThompson

So it’s that time of the month 😐 please tell me I’m not alone in struggling!
A tiny bit background: I was always told I had PCOS due to my weight, acne, and zero menstrual cycle. Fast forward ten years, I’m nowhere near my lightest weight (in just shy of 18st, I was 14st when I was about 20-24yrs), but they reckon the weight loss has kick started everything and my body seems to have discovered hormones it never knew it had!! And I’m getting every single symptom... the bloat, food cravings, pain, tiredness, mood swings (my god, the mood swings!!) How does everyone cope?? Is there any top tips for the bloating?? I’m trying not to beat myself up because I caved on the sugar cravings today 😕 and I’ve totally given up on exercising until I’m not in as much discomfort.
I’m not liking this part of the weight loss, not liking it at all! I’m 31, totally not used to dealing with these things and I’m a whimp lol

hippysprout

There's not a lot you can do about the cravings. I give myself permission to indulge a bit when the cravings are harsh, and sometimes can even bank some calories in advance to cover it.

Bloating is irritating, and I'm open to hearing ANY ideas to combat it, I've yet to successfully do so.

Meanwhile, if your cramps are bad, consider flex discs. They reduce cramping immensely and to be honest, IMO, are incredibly more comfortable than tampons.

TwinThompson

hippysprout wrote: »

There's not a lot you can do about the cravings. I give myself permission to indulge a bit when the cravings are harsh, and sometimes can even bank some calories in advance to cover it.

Bloating is irritating, and I'm open to hearing ANY ideas to combat it, I've yet to successfully do so.

Meanwhile, if your cramps are bad, consider flex discs. They reduce cramping immensely and to be honest, IMO, are incredibly more comfortable than tampons.

I’ll definitely google the flex discs!

maiomaio71

The cravings are hard, but I tend to indulge in a couple of dates. They are really sweet, have fibre and aren't too calorie heavy. You can easily just have two or three. It helps curb the cravings.
Bloating varies depending on food. I find if I eat bread then I bloat. Otherwise I'm ok. Also apples make me bloat for some reason. Take a close look at your diary and see what you're eating and what makes it worse/better. Good luck!

Jackie9003

I'm hurtling towards menopause so mine are completely random at the moment, I indulge in the cravings a little and have a maintenance day or 2, also I have a drawer of 100cal snacks so even if I go mad and eat 4 it's only 400 cals - it doesn't do any harm it just slows things down. Bloating and water I just ignore, it's frustrating but because I weigh daily I know what it is and that it'll sort itself out.

tinkerbellang83

I tend to get my craving and get very irritable about a week before my period and the first couple of days of ovulation. I usually try to increase carbs and eat maintenance those days so although it slows my weight loss it doesn't adversely affect it, unfortunately if I don't pay attention and forget it's due I turn into a crazed binger. So this cycle I am trying something different a 2lb per week deficit for Days 1-14 and 0.5lbs per week deficit/maintenance for Days 15-28.

It never crossed my mind to try this until I listened to a podcast by James Smith

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4b8CBCifsS1hwccMhAXPLt?si=ALlRD4phQMiyxw_OqbA7lA

TwinThompson

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

I tend to get my craving and get very irritable about a week before my period and the first couple of days of ovulation. I usually try to increase carbs and eat maintenance those days so although it slows my weight loss it doesn't adversely affect it, unfortunately if I don't pay attention and forget it's due I turn into a crazed binger. So this cycle I am trying something different a 2lb per week deficit for Days 1-14 and 0.5lbs per week deficit/maintenance for Days 15-28.

It never crossed my mind to try this until I listened to a podcast by James Smith

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4b8CBCifsS1hwccMhAXPLt?si=ALlRD4phQMiyxw_OqbA7lA

Thanks! I think that might be quite helpful for me!!

tinkerbellang83

TwinThompson wrote: »

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

I tend to get my craving and get very irritable about a week before my period and the first couple of days of ovulation. I usually try to increase carbs and eat maintenance those days so although it slows my weight loss it doesn't adversely affect it, unfortunately if I don't pay attention and forget it's due I turn into a crazed binger. So this cycle I am trying something different a 2lb per week deficit for Days 1-14 and 0.5lbs per week deficit/maintenance for Days 15-28.

It never crossed my mind to try this until I listened to a podcast by James Smith

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4b8CBCifsS1hwccMhAXPLt?si=ALlRD4phQMiyxw_OqbA7lA

Thanks! I think that might be quite helpful for me!!

Hope it works out! I will let you know how I get on by the middle of next month which will be end of the next cycle

Jackie9003

I'm not doing very well this month, I've had 3 days where I could eat just about everything in sight, I've resisted during the day but night time munchies have been a killer. And I started getting hot flushes over the weekend

kosseychick

I'm going through perimenopause.... man that sucks... the hot flashes, the night sweats, the mood swings , the acne...lol... good times😊. Only good thing is not having Aunt Flow show up. I'm hoping this doesnt drag on for too many years. I'm into year 2 now.

Jackie9003

kosseychick wrote: »

I'm going through perimenopause.... man that sucks... the hot flashes, the night sweats, the mood swings , the acne...lol... good times😊. Only good thing is not having Aunt Flow show up. I'm hoping this doesnt drag on for too many years. I'm into year 2 now.

Good grief, I've only just started with this hot flush nonsense but have been irregular for the last couple of years.

TwinThompson

I’m not liking the sound of what I’ve got to come....

kosseychick

Hopefully you ladies have a smooth transition. Some people do😊. It ebb and flows for me. I can go for a few months with no issues and then it comes and kicks my *kitten*. The Joy's of being a woman..lol

jafinnearty

It's a frustrating thing, for sure! I gain water weight during that time, as well as during the fertile time, so it's frustrating! Fortunately, though, I am on a medication that helps control the mood swings and the cramps. I still get the bloating and fatigue though.

Every woman just needs to find the best things for themselves, which I know is the opposite of helpful!

Elliephantcrossing

It's frustrating! I'm TOM's visiting currently, and it brought with it a 4-pound gain. I try to quash my cravings for junk with coffee or yogurt. I know if I indulge in those cravings, it will lead me down a bad path.

TwinThompson

The worst part for me is I tell myself it’s only a day or two, how much damage could I possibly do... and I cave 😕

Jackie9003

What irritates me the most is the amount of time it takes to regulate, 4lb gain overnight takes about a week to come off again. I use Happy Scale so can see that my trend is OK and I know I haven't gained fat but it's still disappointing to see.

ConfidentRaven

I gain during ovualtion and then just before tom I will do the water weight bounce, up, down, up down usually between my low weight and whatever tom thinks I should gain. About a day or two into I will water drop like crazy. This month ovualtion fell during my diet break and tom came just after I restarted at lower calories.

In the past I tried to stay on track with lower calories, I did something a little different this time though. Usually the day before or of tom I get really hungry, so I ate at maintenance calories that day, and I'm not sorry that I did. It kept me from binging or feeling run down. I did stay away from the things that I binge on though just in case it got away from me. And yes it probably means that I'll lose a little less this week, but I decided my sanity and my family's heads were more worthwhile.

wannabeskinnycat

hippysprout wrote: »

Meanwhile, if your cramps are bad, consider flex discs. They reduce cramping immensely and to be honest, IMO, are incredibly more comfortable than tampons.

I have no idea what to suggest for the bloating & mood swings as I'm still trying to figure mine out. I wanted to recommend something similar to the flex disc (I had to google that) I've been using a Moon Cup for about 15 years. I originally wanted something that wasn't bleached as that's definitely an area that does not need to be bleached and didn't want to pay silly prices for the unbleached pads/tampons. I tried a Moon Cup and wow my cramps disappeared instantly! I've never gone back and never would. No idea why they work but they are genuis

conniewilkins56

Oh girls!....wait a few more years until you “ go thru the change”..... you ain’t seen nuthin yet!......

kosseychick

@conniewilkins56 ... isnt this the truth.. I'm going through perimenopause, somedays it's absolutely brutal..

wannabeskinnycat

@conniewilkins56 @kosseychick yeah it's not something I'm looking forward to

Penguinswaddlenotme

I'm having mine right now. This month has been good with cravings...last month however was a different story. FH has said that because of his weakness with junk food, if he finds any in our home, he's going to throw it out...Since we've moved in with each other last year, I haven't been buying treats like I used to.

I'm curious as to how my cycle is going to change when I change contraceptives next month and how it might change my cravings and cramping.

ConfidentRaven

I’m in peri menopause and 20 days of weight bounce while tom runs late is not my idea of a fun time. Then to have tom show for a couple of days ten days later was even less fun. Don’t get me started on any of the other crap.

These days the only way I know for sure that it’s showing soon is that I’m one of those lucky women (sarcasm) who gets a sore throat about two days before it shows, and a headache the day before that lasts until it shows.

kosseychick

I'm in perimenopause as well.. seem to get my little friend once or twice a year... such a treat... it just appears no notice, nothing.. always have to carry something on me... such a pain in the *kitten*... be so glad when it's gone for good.

conniewilkins56

I have gained and lost weight so many times, my poor hormones didn’t know how to react...first time I lost a significant amount of weight,I got pregnant with our daughter after nine years trying to have a baby...after I regained the weight I lost my periods stopped again....lost weight in my early 50s and they started again as regular as clockwork lol....finally in my late 50s after I was getting really tired of this I went to the doctor for tests....I had a tumor on my appendix that was ready to burst and a mass on my uterus and another growth on an ovary...had them removed and TOM stopped!...nothing was cancerous and I never really went thru “ the change”....I don’t miss it a bit!....good luck girls!