That time of the month...an excuse or legitimate?

Qarol · January 2014

The worst symptom I experience is crushing depression. And for me, extra cardio the week before I'm due is essential. Doesn't make it all better. Doesn't have to be intense cardio. But without it, I'm a big ole mess.

And as for cramps, well, my husband helps out with that... :smokin:

Saucy_lil_Minx · January 2014

I workout, cramps ease with activity, and it shortens my cycle length. I allow myself :happy: some :happy: treats on my cycle or I would be grouchy. I surround my self the rest of the time with healthy snack choices to avoid the binge that come with my cycle. I sometime feel like I am out of my mind while it is my TOM, and exercise helps with that BIG TIME!

deksgrl · January 2014

I usually skip the first 2 days because those are the worst for me.

kaotik26 · January 2014

You can try!:devil:

Saucy_lil_Minx · January 2014

HAAAAAAAA HAHAAA! EWWWW! HAAAA! OMG that is so funny! Everyone turned and looked at me b/c I laughed so loud!!!!!

wyattj99 · January 2014

It's an excuse, the more you push yourself to workout during that time the better you will feel in the end.

Linnaea27 · January 2014

I usually take the first day of my period off from heavy exercise. I often feel totally disgusting and crampy on that one day, and I just don't feel like pushing myself. After the first day, when I feel less gross, I will do some lighter-than-usual or sitting-down exercise (like riding a bike) or if I weirdly have a lot of energy, I'll do a regular workout. Once the first 2 days have gone, I feel back to normal and exercise as usual.

I think if you feel crappy for 5 or more days, it's not worth the strength loss and consequent feeling of lethargy and grossness to rest on all the days. Maybe rest for the first 2 -- make those your rest days for the week-- and do at least light workouts or go for walks the rest of the days. I've found that working out somehow for a solid hour makes me feel great even if PMS or my period were getting me down before.

I get dreadful food cravings too, especially the few days before when I am a PMS grouch in the extreme. Usually I just want lots of chocolate-- which I have, and then I am careful not to eat other high-calorie things for my meals that day so I'm not overeating too much.

It seems like as one gets more accustomed to cleaner eating (more veggies, fruits, whole grains, good-quality meats), cravings for white food like pasta and very sweet chocolates decrease. The one other weird craving I usually do indulge is for red meat, but that can be prepared very healthily or even eaten in jerky form!

daniellabella986 · January 2014

OMG I'm cracking up because I remember that episode!!!!!!!! Hahaha! I would do something when you're not feeling it, not necessarily a heavy cardio session (which for me would be equivalent to sneezing like that pic lol), but go for a walk or something. Really anything to keep your body moving. If it really is that bad for you, take a day off and see how you feel the next - take lots of Ibuprofen and caffeine can help. For me, I've noticed that since I've been eating better and working out more, my period has not only gotten lighter & shorter, but the symptoms aren't as bad (I always get affected the week of, not the week before like some people). Don't get me wrong, I'm still a raging, hangry, water-retaining b*tch who shouldn't be around people or bakeries, but after doing some type of workout I always feel better and less bad about myself. When aunt flo makes you feel like a fat a**, get off it and prove her wrong!

Saucy_lil_Minx · January 2014

This is pretty close to how I am. My problem is not actually while my Aunt Flo visits, but the week or two prior to Aunt Flo's visit.

I break out two weeks before, and put on 5 lbs. of water weight.
Then 1 week before I am cranky, and tired.
When Aunt Flo visits other than cramping (which eases with exercise) I am done being a hot mess! However, I do want to eat more...which makes since when you are losing blood volume your body wants to replenish it quickly so it needs more fuel!

I also find if I take an iron supplement regularly my fatigue, and cravings are MUCH less!

VelcroButt · January 2014

I have terrible periods. I take the first day of my period as a rest day because of the cramps and I usually have an upset tummy that day too. 2nd day I work out but only at home. TMI but the flow is very heavy that day and I don't want to risk embarrassment. After that I'm back to my normal schedule. My cramps are much better now that I'm older and have had children, but when I was younger they were incredibly painful. Like to the point I passed out on more than one occasion. I would never expect someone to push through that kind of pain and I certainly don't think it's an excuse.

As far as cravings go, if I'm really wanting something I will try to just have a small portion. I often want potato chips so I'll go to the convenience store and get a snack-size bag. I think if I got a regular-size bag I might eat the whole thing so I avoid doing that.

Linnaea27 · January 2014

This is fascinating!!! I wish I'd known that as a teenager/in college-- I might have dared to get the nose stud I so dearly wanted!!!

ashantiallen96 · January 2014

I know that sometimes my sister will not exercise during her period, but i only miss exercise during the first two days of my period when i get lethal cramps. I typically get very nauseous during the first few days, so unless i have ibuprofen i only exercise the remaining 3 days out of the 5 days i'm going through it. I remember once trying to exercise before work since i heard that it can levitate cramping and i was out of ibuprofen. I would NEVER make that mistake again. For some reason the cramping became unbearable and i had to call out otherwise i would be puking everywhere. But with ibuprofen i exercise like normal

PBsMommy · January 2014

I have always had rough periods. Before my daughter I had short but extremely painful periods and after her and having and IUD implanted I have long, sometime extremely long, moderately painful periods.

I have found cardio workouts on my period actually helps with cramps and other pains. Lifting helps but doesn't seem to have as good as effect as cardio. Sometimes I switch my workouts around to do cardio on my heaviest, more painful days and move the lifting to lighter, less painful days.

Unless you have a serious case of something crazy related to your period, I think not working out because you are experiencing what every other fertile woman on the planet experiences once a month is an excuse and a lousy one at that. But that's just my opinion.

mittenswillet · January 2014

here! here!

I cant WAIT for bloody menopause! every month i wished id made an appointment the month before to have my ovaries ripped out.....
i hate my tom, always have, always will, but i still walk to the shops even though i have zero energy and feel like hell and my gorgeous husband always offers ibuprofen and comfort.

KnM0107 · January 2014

Well I have an active job (lawn care/tree removal) and can't take time off eat month because I have PMS... If I can go to work, I can workout.

Honestly, it happens every month. I have dealt with it since I was 14. Cramps, headaches, fatigue, stomach ache ect. The world doesn't stop so neither do I. It is an excuse IMO (unless there are severe medical issues).

Jkn921 · January 2014

3-5 days I rest and take it easy as it's personally very uncomfortable for me. I'm still in a deficit most of the time so it's fine. I don't think it's an excuse for myself as I am really tired in that week and whenever I did exercise, it caused my cramps to hurt more.

hilts1969 · January 2014

a recent study found periods are no more painful than paper cuts, for more info go to www.dramaqueen.com

19TaraLynn84 · January 2014

So obviously a male. I don't even have to check your profile.

hilts1969 · January 2014

harsh but fair

albayin · January 2014

I am curious about the method used to measure "pain level"...

hilts1969 · January 2014

periods were classed as a 2/10 paper cuts were 4/10 with an a4 sheet of paper on the index finger

19TaraLynn84 · January 2014

Even if this were true, paper cuts don't hurt for a week. Nice try, though.

cafeaulait7 · January 2014

It wasn't even a nice try. Unless he was just passing on what his 10-year-old son said to tell us. It's an average joke for a kid that age, maybe.

hilts1969 · January 2014

it wasn't based on length more on pain tolerance, it also found that most period pains seemed to affect woman on a friday or monday whereas paper cuts could inflict people randomly between monday through friday

hilts1969 · January 2014

children tend to depress me in fairness, i tend to avoid them where possible

kaotik26 · January 2014

Paper cuts don't make me curl up in the fetal position and want to cry sometimes either.

hilts1969 · January 2014

Us men laugh in the face of pain, that is why women never go to war, world war two would still be going on if we had period and chocolate breaks

19TaraLynn84 · January 2014