For Humans With Uteruses

Cricketchirps13

Hello!
I use a birth control that has stopped my menstrual cycle for about a year. I just started getting my period again recently and I just started my fitness journey. I weighed myself the other day and was disheartened seeing I hadn’t lost anything but may have gained a pound! I didn’t realize at the time that I was PMSing...
I’d like to hear how folks deal with the menstrual cycle in their fitness journey. How do you deal with the physical, hormonal, and emotional challenges that come with it?

MaltedTea

Why... since we have no choice until menopause kicks in, I just ride it out 🤷🏿‍♀️

TMI for those without uteruses but the first day?! I swear I could go rounds with The Hulk and win by KO. My energy is on 10 so it's not uncommon to find me running longer, lifting heavier, etc that day.

If you're into tracking your cycle then you can try experimenting with week-by-week eating hacks. Didn't do anything for me per se but I do know some cravings I have at certain times of month can be curbed because I anticipate them by now.

So TLDR, I see it as less of a challenge and more of an opportunity. But every one is different when it comes to this (and their body's responses).

CryingBlue

For me personally not being on any hormonal anything. I find the week before my period I don't lose any weight, but once it starts I see the numbers move.

KickassAmazon76

I almost always spike in weight the week before/during. I feel cranky and moody and enjoy boxing a lot more.

I am not the greatest at being in tune with my body, so I don't know when I feel stronger or weaker, I just take each day as it happens. I just know to when to watch for a scale jump.

I also know I have some uterus issues that cause (sometimes strong) back and abdominal cramping as it gets closer to that time, so I am a bit more careful on my lifts. It's hard to tell when it's that internal issue or a bad lift and I don't want to hurt myself.

Not sure if that's helpful.

azulvioleta6

The plural of uterus is uteri.

That is the downside of weighing yourself every day. Once you see these fluctuations a few times, you will start to see what pattern your body follows.

I no longer have a uterus, but I still have minor fluctuations. Instead of letting the scale rule you, look at trends upwards or downwards.

girlwithcurls2

MaltedTea wrote: »

Why... since we have no choice until menopause kicks in, I just ride it out 🤷🏿‍♀️

TMI for those without uteruses but the first day?! I swear I could go rounds with The Hulk and win by KO. My energy is on 10 so it's not uncommon to find me running longer, lifting heavier, etc that day.

If you're into tracking your cycle then you can try experimenting with week-by-week eating hacks. Didn't do anything for me per se but I do know some cravings I have at certain times of month can be curbed because I anticipate them by now.

So TLDR, I see it as less of a challenge and more of an opportunity. But every one is different when it comes to this (and their body's responses).

I LOVE THIS. I wish I had known to try something like this in my younger pre menopause days. Your body is so powerful in so many ways (not the least of which is providing a growing place for another human being for 10 months...) Powerful stuff, learning about your own body. I'm not taking on @MaltedTea on that first day

Cricketchirps13

Thank you all!
Azulvioleta6, thank you for that correction. I totally thought about it before typing it but my phone didn’t correct me so I just went with -es. I always thought the plural of penis should be peni... but it’s penises... the English language is so inconsistent!

I love how different everyone is. I will definitely avoid the scale at that time of the month and pay more attention to the way I feel energy-wise.

I also appreciate the responses because we definitely need to end the stigmas around menstrual cycles. At least half of the population has to deal with them at some point so I hope we can get to a point in our society where it’s okay to talk openly about female reproductive issues and female reproductive health. Thank you for having to courage to comment!

MaltedTea

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

The plural of uterus is uteri.

That is the downside of weighing yourself every day. Once you see these fluctuations a few times, you will start to see what pattern your body follows.

I no longer have a uterus, but I still have minor fluctuations. Instead of letting the scale rule you, look at trends upwards or downwards.

Uteri is most often used but uteruses is also acceptable, and this across multiple English language dictionaries. And, just for giggles, know that both vagina and uterus are considered "male" when speaking in French (a language, which I speak, that insists on attributing gender to every noun) 🤷🏿‍♀️

DancingMoosie

Tracking weight every day+ using a period tracking app will help you figure out if your weight trends correlate to your cycle. Mine trends up around ovulation and then down a little after the flow...

Cricketchirps13

MaltedTea wrote: »

azulvioleta6 wrote: »

The plural of uterus is uteri.

That is the downside of weighing yourself every day. Once you see these fluctuations a few times, you will start to see what pattern your body follows.

I no longer have a uterus, but I still have minor fluctuations. Instead of letting the scale rule you, look at trends upwards or downwards.

Uteri is most often used but uteruses is also acceptable, and this across multiple English language dictionaries. And, just for giggles, know that both vagina and uterus are considered "male" when speaking in French (a language, which I speak, that insists on attributing gender to every noun) 🤷🏿‍♀️

That’s hilarious! I love the French language but I’m new to it. I sometimes wonder how gendered nouns will work as the world becomes more politically correct. Whatever happens, I just love the sound of the French language. It really is speaking in cursive!

AshHeartsJesus

Yep it was on here from other ladies that I learned my flucuations are a B during ovulation and then a nice drop afterwards. I read somewhere some women have up to a ten lb "weight" gain. Mine usually only goes up 2-3lbs at the worst. It is shaky feeling when you are trying to figure things out. 🙀

Lord Jesus guide 💟

Speakeasy76

It's not as stressful for me as it used to be because I've come to accept it, but I can upwards of 5 pounds around ovulation, and ironically a bit less right before/during my period. I'm tracking my cycles now with my Fitbit so that does help a bit, plus I can tell when it's ovulation/period bloat vs. my regular digestive issues bloat.

KickassAmazon76

Speakeasy76 wrote: »

It's not as stressful for me as it used to be because I've come to accept it, but I can upwards of 5 pounds around ovulation, and ironically a bit less right before/during my period. I'm tracking my cycles now with my Fitbit so that does help a bit, plus I can tell when it's ovulation/period bloat vs. my regular digestive issues bloat.

I get the hiccups frequently when I'm ovulating. How crazy is that?

siberiantarragon

I don't worry about the weight aspect of it since I'm in maintenance. My goals are to eat more nutritionally dense foods, eat out less often, and exercise more.

I have PCOS so my periods are very heavy and can be painful, and they also drain my energy during and usually after. My sleep quality is also worse during that time. I have the most difficulty eating healthy during that time, because I crave junk food more, my mood is usually worse, and also I have less energy to actually make food. Ironically though, I have less of an appetite during my period, because of the cramps and bloating, and sometimes have to force myself to eat enough.

In the past I would often just live off fast food during that time, which was not good, but this week I did pretty well with healthy eating. So far the strategy of keeping a variety of healthy but easy-to-prepare foods around has been mostly working to reduce the proportion of junk food I eat during that time.

Also, any strenuous exercise is completely out of the question during that time of the month, and sometimes even going for a long walk isn't possible, depending on how bad it is. I just moved to a town with a nice track and swimming pool, so I'm waiting to use them right now. But I have been managing a daily walk of 3-4 miles this week, so, that's pretty good.

I usually get worsened anxiety/depression before and during my period which sucks. I'm not really sure what to do about that besides waiting it out. Maybe magnesium supplements? I eat a lot of magnesium-rich foods as it is though.

Lietchi

I've been on my weight loss journey for 17 months, so experience has taught me that I always see a weight increase around my period and then a 'whoosh' (precise timing varies). So I know not to worry.

Secondly, I often have a few days with lower energy (or bad cramps). I don't avoid exercise during my period, but I do adapt: if I start exercising and feel that my energy level is too low, I might go for a lower intensity or a shorter workout. This is less of an issue for strength training, more so for cardio.
Same flexible approach for calorie intake: I might allow myself to eat a bit more on days where I feel I need it. Especially salty/protein rich foods (I figure my body is trying to tell me something when I crave these foods).

Another quirk I've noticed since buying my fitness tracker is that my heart rate is lower on my period. I consistently get lower calorie burns for exercise/steps while on my period, one of the quirks of HR-based calorie estimates

RelCanonical

I had a pretty regular period for a while so I would weigh myself five days after my cycle starts (I don’t weigh daily) because that seemed to be the ideal time for fewer water weight fluctuations.

wunderkindking

I mean mostly I go with it and use that weight uptick right before I start as a sign that I'm GOING to start. My periods aren't completely regular so it's a handy indicator.

And only really count my weight about a week after it's stopped.

callsitlikeiseeit

1. our bodys weight is not stagnate. it fluctuates up and down, dependent on a variety of factors.
2. track your cycle and you can learn when to expect SOME of those changes/deviations in weight
3. If you find you are obsessive over daily fluctuations, weighing less frequently - once a week, once every 2 weeks, once a month, etc may be a wise choice

My own weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds on any given day. I know this. Knowing your body and how it works/responds to ... just life... can help alleviate a lot of anxiety over scale movement.

ojade9800

This makes so much more sense now! For a good week or so Ive been a bit higher even though ive been eating better and I completely forgot that you gain before a period! I knew one was due soon because Ive been moodier (no I don't track my period) but at least my mind can relax quite a bit now.

Cricketchirps13

@siberiantarragon I’ve had a couple periods where I was basically bedridden for a couple days so I’m so sorry to hear that all or most of your periods are so bad. I’ve had a few friends over the years who have PCOS so my heart goes out to anyone who deals with that. It sounds like you’re doing a really good job handling it with making healthy food choices available and adjusting your exercises.
I’m no expert but I have heard that raspberries are great when you have your period because they have anti inflammatory properties. Have you ever heard of that? The person who told me that was a bit strange so maybe it’s not true. I’m a huge fan of pineapple and I’ve heard similar things about that as well.

Cricketchirps13

@Lietchi that’s so interesting about the heart rate! I’ll have to check that out for myself!

@callsitlikeiseeit I agree with you. I definitely don’t try to weigh myself daily and I’m trying to focus on how I feel and how my clothes fit more. Also, The dog in your profile picture is wicked cute!!!

siberiantarragon

crbellville4365 wrote: »

@siberiantarragon I’ve had a couple periods where I was basically bedridden for a couple days so I’m so sorry to hear that all or most of your periods are so bad.

Usually I can avoid the worst of the cramps and remain mobile if I take two ibuprofen the moment my period starts, and then take two again a few hours later, the moment the first two start wearing off (repeat cycle as needed). But if there's any latency between getting it and taking the ibuprofen, then that increases the risk of having really bad cramps. Like sometimes if it starts in my sleep, or for some reason the ibuprofen doesn't work right away, I will be rolling around in pain for hours and throwing up LOL. In that case I usually go lie down in a hot shower for an hour or so and that generally helps. But I never go anywhere without ibuprofen for this reason. Not being able to exercise has more to do with the heaviness aspect than the cramps, though (sorry if that's TMI) so unfortunately there's not much I can do about that.

I’ve had a few friends over the years who have PCOS so my heart goes out to anyone who deals with that. It sounds like you’re doing a really good job handling it with making healthy food choices available and adjusting your exercises.

Yeah, it's a work in progress, although I did eat way too much junk food today. Another reason why I'm trying to eat less junk food is because, unfortunately, having PCOS increases my risk for type 2 diabetes, which already runs in my family. My doctor said I had no sign of insulin resistance so far, but, I'd like to keep it that way.

I’m no expert but I have heard that raspberries are great when you have your period because they have anti inflammatory properties. Have you ever heard of that? The person who told me that was a bit strange so maybe it’s not true. I’m a huge fan of pineapple and I’ve heard similar things about that as well.

I've never heard of that, but raspberries are my favorite fruit, so I'll take any excuse to eat more of them LOL. I think most fruits are considered to be anti-inflammatory though, but I know berries have a lot of antioxidants.

callsitlikeiseeit

crbellville4365 wrote: »

@Lietchi that’s so interesting about the heart rate! I’ll have to check that out for myself!

@callsitlikeiseeit I agree with you. I definitely don’t try to weigh myself daily and I’m trying to focus on how I feel and how my clothes fit more. Also, The dog in your profile picture is wicked cute!!!

that's holly, one of our great Pyrenees. We have two who are working dogs (we have a farm)