How to stay on track during that time of the month??

Options
megkeage
megkeage Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am sure there must be a topic like this somewhere on here but since I am new
to this I must ask how you ladies stay on track during that time of the month?
I find it hard because I get so tired, crave sweets, and then feeling bloated
makes me feel so gross that I just want to give up! I know if I fall I need to get
back up and start again but I want to avoid falling....also getting a good nights sleep
is impossible for me because I have a 6 year old, a 2 year old, and a 6 week old.
Any advice is welcomed!! :) thx.

Replies

  • SmaugHugs
    SmaugHugs Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    I find I am craving chocolate when it is that time of the month. It is because my body is craving magnesium. I would gorge on mounds of milk chocolate because that is what my body had become accustomed to being in connection to the nutrient it needed.... if that makes sense. It did in my case, so I hope it might give some help.

    What I did was I stopped stuffing myself with chocolate and looked up magnesium rich foods. I still indulge in chocolate, but dark chocolate and in much smaller quanitities( I mean 4 bars of milk chocolate in one day, now 3 squares of dark ever 3 or 4). I now crave hummus and cucumbers during my period and I am more than okay with that.

    Cucumbers and tahini( which is in a lot of hummus)

    Peanut butter and apple slices ( this helps with my sweet and salty cravings)

    Bananas and dark chocolate are good sources of magnesium, so I melt some dark chocolate and dip the banana in, put in the freezer and have a choco-banana popsicle.

    Also, with the blood loss, it is important to keep up with your iron, either with a supplement or food, I personally love a big, juicy steak cooked up med-rare with mushrooms and onions sauteed in garlic butter. It is all about finding what your body is craving and finding a healthier alternative to satisfy it and just keeping up on your exercise,water and food tracking to keep yourself in a nice balance.
  • cnekniher
    cnekniher Posts: 71 Member
    Options
    I highly recommend bananas at the early portion of the TOM. I find that the potassium really helps with the pain from cramping.

    I also avoid fiber. I already feel bloated enough, I dont need another reason for that.
  • LessHeavyVeggie
    LessHeavyVeggie Posts: 208 Member
    Options
    1. avoid weighing yourself as a lot of women gain weight because of water retention around TOM (it can be up to, (maybe over?) 10lbs!)

    2. I tend to crave chocolate (I'm not usually a big fan of it the rest of the month) so last time I got a Freddo (small chocolate bar, not sure if available outside uk) which is only 95 cals. I left room for it in my allowance and ate it really slowly in the evening after dinner. I actually found it satisfied my cravings just as well as eating a load of chocolate quickly did before MFP. Maybe you can find a similar solution for your cravings.

    3. Exercise helps cramps! For me it does, anyway. I might not feel up to doing a crazy workout but when I force myself to go out for a walk for 45mins-1hour it seems to lessen the cramps and listening to music as you go works as a good distraction. So I don't feel bad about not doing any exercise!
  • happihazza
    happihazza Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    You should treat yourself. I find I crave chocolate and want A LOT of it!

    My sister gave me a tip that really helps. Try popping a few grapes in the freezer for a couple of hours along with some dark chocolate. When you come to eat your dark chocolate you won't be able to eat it quickly and it'll lat longer! Eating chocolate releases happy hormones which we all need at that time!!

    The one thing I have learnt is the more you hold back the more you will eat if you crumble.

    Hope this helps?
  • vegwrangler
    vegwrangler Posts: 143 Member
    Options
    I find that if I stay hydrated, eat all of the green leafy veggies, and cardio the crap out of myself I avoid the unpleasant side effects of womanhood completely. If I don't, I am literally doubled over for at least 3 days because if it doesn't hurt, it annoys me. I also second the dark chocolate and bananas idea :-).
  • megkeage
    megkeage Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    These are all really good ideas! I will be sure to try them out next month!
    I just weighed myself since its after....i did not weight myself during...and i didnt gain
    nor did i lose weight but as long as I didnt gain im happy!! Now its a new week
    so im back at the gym full swing! Thx for all the good advice :)

Categories