I get so hungry before my period!

butterflyx3

What do you do to not over eat?

namrettik

Actually divide things into the suggested portions, chew slowly (enjoy all of the food's flavors!), drink some water between each bite.

The first one is the best tip for me. I'm a speed eater (thanks, high school lunches), so I eat through everything and feel full 5-10 minutes later. If I already split off what a single portion of something is, I don't worry so much about overeating.

DianaPowerUp

I try to make sure that I've eaten enough and have enough to healthy foods to snack on handy, so that I don't get to that "OMG I'm so hungry I have to eat NOW" stage. Drinking lots of water and keeping busy helps too. But I do have to have at least one piece of chocolate....that's built in to my calories. Some people say chewing gum helps, but that doesn't work for me.

cora88888

Oh this is a big problem for me too. My hormones go wild and not only do I have horrible cases of PMS, my appetite increases a lot and I get so many cravings. Is there a way to keep the hormonal levels balanced with certain types of foods?

jkestens63

That is the hardest thing for me - last week was my TOM and 3 out of 7 days I did not make good food choices, just felt constantly ravenous. This has been one of the worst months in recent memory. But I realized that I am also exercising really hard and have frequently been like 500 under my calorie goal.

I think you have to make sure you're eating all the "allotted" calories and fill up on stuff that lasts like veggies & protien. WATER WATER everywhere too. Although you feel bloated and think maybe you don't need water, drinking more actually helps to flush it out of the system.

The other thing I noticed is that I was not as busy in the evenings as usual - hubby changed his schedule so we were sitting and chatting more, watching more TV together and was munching more. So staying active, keeping the hands busy with something else will help too.

Those are going to be my strategies for next month... good luck!

irishgal44

Dealing with that right now. I've been so hungry today and it's due tomorrow. On top of it, the day before my period and the day after, I suffer from migraines...and the only thing that works is to drink my medicine down with a coke...no fun and empty calories.

My only suggestion is get lots of exercise in that day and drink lots of water. Water intake beforehand helps with the bloating anyhow (at least it does for me). I couldn't survive off of 1200 calories today due to my hunger so I knew I had to run tonight in order to stop the hunger pains.

celstad

With your period, your body may be trying to stock up on iron and other related building blocks. So green veggies like broccoli, spinach, green beans, lean red meat (eye of round is a good lean option). Also, citrus fruits may help reduce heavy flow.
Try some whole wheat pasta or oatmeal as well as your body may be wanting carbs to stock up during your period. You can at least make them 'good carbs'. A 'good carb' is where the fiber grams are higher than the sugar grams.
If you're getting hungry, foods with protien or slow burning foods like oatmeal will take longer to digest and make you feel fuller longer. The lower on the glycemic index the better.
Hope that helps,
-Chad

mcarpe52797

I'm dealing with that right now and have given in to a point. I'm not denying myself the cravings, but I am limiting my consumption. I find that drinking a 20 oz bottle of water before I eat helps a lot. Last month I would have eaten an entire bag of chocolate and this month I've had 5 pieces total, so I'm pretty proud of myself. So far my strategy of water and allowing myself a little indulgence has helped, so maybe it could help you? If you're just terribly hungry and not craving junk, maybe just drinking water and filling the hunger with vegetables would work too. I know I'm not ever as hungry as I thought I was when a big plate of broccoli is staring me in the face lol

JeanMargaret

I have no answers, really. I just wanted to let you know that you're definitely NOT alone. I'm in the middle of my period right now & I'm JUST starting to feel like I'm getting back to myself. I get VERY tired, then cranky, then just out of sorts. I'm anemic and I have PMDD, so it's NOT the greatest combination of things. Still, for me, I've noticed (JUST TODAY) that I need EXTRA sleep during this time. More than the usual 7 1/2 I get on a regular basis. I need like 9 hours. NOW that I know that, I think I'll be more prepared and in better shape during my period. I've not exercise all week b/c I honestly could NOT muster up the energy. Today, I pray that this energy will remain and I'll get in a cardio session this evening. Hey, I'm changing my life here, so it's about making it through the best and worst and never giving up, right?

Stick to it! No matter how difficult it gets or how many times you may have to sit out a few minutes, you'll always get back in.

;-)

ande2994

Glad to hear I'm not alone in this! I'd been making real progress on not giving in to my night cravings, but gave in last night and tonight isn't looking much better. Is it good enough to do good three weeks out of the month and accept that I'll gain a portion of that back in the fourth week...?

3LittleMonkeys

I try to have something on hand like homemade turkey chili. This is very filling for me. I usually eat it over green beans. But you could use spaghetti squash or bean sprouts too.

Water helps alot.

No, you aren't alone. It is something I struggle with every month.

Mamapengu

This is quite helpful, I always get so hungry and then irritable and then guilty either for snapping at someone or eating and then depressed. The week before is just no fun when I'm trying to count calories, that combined with gain from the bloating usually makes me just want to give up. I was worried about this month, but I'll take my vitamins, maybe a little extra iron, and try to have something filling on hand for 'emergencies.'

jcb2kds

I always get cravings the week before my period. I usually drink tons of green tea, which keeps me pretty full, and eat some oatmeal with cinnamon. Plus, I already know I'm gonna want chocolate so I keep a stash of those 100 calorie snacks like chocolate covered pretzels. It's still hard so I try to keep busy by reading, looking at these message boards, playing guitar, etc. Just keeping busy helps take my mind off of it.

rachyz88

OMG! Ok im so glad im not the only one doing bad things and feeling soo hungry at a certain time of the month!

I really fidn it hard... currently am
I jus went over my calories due to this!

baisleac

Your metabolism increases during your luteal phase (from ovulation to menstruation). You don't just feel hungrier... you ARE hungrier. If you have a small deficit (1/2 - 1 lb / week) it MAY hinder your weightloss. I've recently been testing on myself and find that increasing my calories during this phase INCREASES my weightloss. YMMV.

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&rlz=&q=luteal+phase+metabolism&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=ws

rachyz88

Wow!! Thanks for that..... lots of info I never knew about

pinkgigi

I have this problem too, and sometimes I just try to tough it out because I know I'll lose a ton of weight if I can. I also make sure I don't use it as an excuse to opt-out of exercise because I feel so much better if I make myself do it.

GG

JMun

Your metabolism increases during your luteal phase (from ovulation to menstruation). You don't just feel hungrier... you ARE hungrier. If you have a small deficit (1/2 - 1 lb / week) it MAY hinder your weightloss. I've recently been testing on myself and find that increasing my calories during this phase INCREASES my weightloss. YMMV.

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&rlz=&q=luteal+phase+metabolism&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=ws

thx for that wee tidbit.

JMun

I know no one really wants to hear this BUT I usually try to work out really hard on the first 2 days of my period. 60-90 minutes of cardio intervals. This always takes care of my cramps & bloat. The "after burn" is incredible for soothing cramps away.

AND since I wear a HRM I allow myself to EAT ALL MY EXERCISE CALORIES (if I need to)!!

I can haz chocolate?
Heck yes I can!

Happyoceangirl

All I have to say is.... ME TOO. the idea about stocking up on the good carbs make sense ( I always crave carbs more ) and makes a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter seem like a fine idea at 3:30 in the afternoon.

butterflyx3

After looking around on the internet at some info, I dont feel so guilty! I still try to eat better, but Ive come to realize Im going to be extremely hungry and I need to eat... just good

deenaspell

I have been dealing with this for the past week and going over my calories shamelessly. I feel like a crazy person who is just out of control!! I also skipped my last period (no, I'm not pregnant), so I guess I'm making up for that?! GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! I hate being a woman sometimes.

CarlieeBear

Thank you to the original poster! I get so insatiably hungry right before my period! I tend to have the best results from eating meat and carbs, but have wondered if I get so hungry because my body needs extra nutrients for what's coming. I think the post I quoted below indicates I may be right...phew! That means I can eat more as long as my body is telling me it's hungry (not just psychological cravings, but physical hunger).

Your metabolism increases during your luteal phase (from ovulation to menstruation). You don't just feel hungrier... you ARE hungrier. If you have a small deficit (1/2 - 1 lb / week) it MAY hinder your weightloss. I've recently been testing on myself and find that increasing my calories during this phase INCREASES my weightloss. YMMV.

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&rlz=&q=luteal+phase+metabolism&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=ws

amann1976

you sure you spelled the word starting with "h" you were trying to use correctly

Cupcakehippiemommy

I drink twice as much water and twice as many servings of veggies

kimosabe1

I just had mine and usually i eat fiber bars for a healthy snack....

RubyRubixcube

hey ladies,

check out this group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/8450-totm

for all your period woes!

stephdeeable

Girl, I am with you. All I crave before my period is comfort food, meat and potatoes. Especially now that it's getting colder. I'm going for a two hour walk tomorrow so that I can treat myself to a chili and baked potato at Wendys.

citygirl04

That's the one week a month I don't care. We deserve extra calories.

DenyseMarieL

I am the same way, and I am so glad there are others that have the same trouble and can offer advice! My worst craving is for chocolate, and it's bad enough at the best of times, let alone at THAT time. I always give in. I have done really well the last couple of weeks, so this month things will be different. I am going to use some of the ideas on here and hope they work! Us women have such a challenge!

NatashaShen

So glad I found this post! I'm not looking forward to this week...its my time
I cramp so bad I might not exercise like I should. I'm taking some of the advice from here and stocking up on veggie portions.