OMG I knew it had to be true

Im_NotPerfect

My problem is that I get the cravings and hunger the week BEFORE my period. The week OF, it's same ol' same ol' for me. So, unfortunately...this doesn't apply...

bellefille

One small correction. You should not eat your left arm if you are craving carbs...everyone knows the left arm is all protein, the right arms is the one loaded with carbs.

I crave protein, particularly beef & liver. I would totally eat my left arm. :bigsmile:

Check your iron levels (not just your blood count) - your body is telling you that it needs more iron. I have recurring bouts of iron deficiency anemia and craving beef, liver, lettuce and ice (weird I know) are usually signs that my iron levels are low.

SimplyShanRunning

Ladies,

Do we really need to give ourselves permission to cave to cravings? Isn't a history of that kind of behavior what got many of us on MFP to begin with?

Make sure your nutrition is in order. If it is, pull up your big girl panties and know that your cravings will pass in a few days. Self sabotage will not get you closer to your goals.

^^This. And seriously. You have to be over 18 to be on this site, so I'm assuming you all are. Which means that most of you have had your periods for YEARS now...cravings, cramps, and all the things associated with periods should not come as a surprise to you at this point.

CarolinaGirlinVA

So what does a woman do if she doesn't get her period?

For the purposes of this discussion, I'd think she goes about her business as usual since it doesn't apply to her.

Not necessarily true. I had a partial hysterectomy which means no more bleeding, but since I still have my ovaries, I still have hormone cycles and do get PMS. To be honest, the first few months I thought my mood stabilizers had just stopped working!

For me, PMS involves bloating, crankiness, headaches, breast pain, fatigue and craving carbs. Salty one minute, sweet the next. I become an unstable b!tch in search of a Hershey bar and a nap!

ElizabethRoad

So what does a woman do if she doesn't get her period?

For the purposes of this discussion, I'd think she goes about her business as usual since it doesn't apply to her.

Not necessarily true. I had a partial hysterectomy which means no more bleeding, but since I still have my ovaries, I still have hormone cycles and do get PMS. To be honest, the first few months I thought my mood stabilizers had just stopped working!

For me, PMS involves bloating, crankiness, headaches, breast pain, fatigue and craving carbs. Salty one minute, sweet the next. I become an unstable b!tch in search of a Hershey bar and a nap!

Then eat a snack. Why are you making this so complicated? 150 extra calories a day isn't even enough to be discussing, and we have to get into the finer points of who should and shouldn't be eating them? If you're hungry, have a little snack. If you go over by 150 calories for a couple of days you're still in a deficit, whether you're on your period or not.

CarolinaGirlinVA

So what does a woman do if she doesn't get her period?

For the purposes of this discussion, I'd think she goes about her business as usual since it doesn't apply to her.

Not necessarily true. I had a partial hysterectomy which means no more bleeding, but since I still have my ovaries, I still have hormone cycles and do get PMS. To be honest, the first few months I thought my mood stabilizers had just stopped working!

For me, PMS involves bloating, crankiness, headaches, breast pain, fatigue and craving carbs. Salty one minute, sweet the next. I become an unstable b!tch in search of a Hershey bar and a nap!

Then eat a snack. Why are you making this so complicated? 150 extra calories a day isn't even enough to be discussing, and we have to get into the finer points of who should and shouldn't be eating them? If you're hungry, have a little snack. If you go over by 150 calories for a couple of days you're still in a deficit, whether you're on your period or not.

Not complicated, I was just explaining how hormones can affect women who do not have periods. To be honest, it wasn't something I thought about until it applied to me. I usually do have a snack and then workout. Helps elevate my mood and relieve tension. Nothing complicated about that.

TrishJimenez

Ladies,

Do we really need to give ourselves permission to cave to cravings? Isn't a history of that kind of behavior what got many of us on MFP to begin with?

Make sure your nutrition is in order. If it is, pull up your big girl panties and know that your cravings will pass in a few days. Self sabotage will not get you closer to your goals.

I am sorry but not everyone can ignore cravings as easily as you seem to suggest, and making someone feel guilty for not being able to just ignore it can lead to more self defeating behavior.

Learning how to manage it may be more helpful and the first step to doing so is to acknowledge the existence of the craving and to learn what is driving it hence the usefulness of this article. Managing a craving is not equal to caving to the craving, it is learning how to look for alternatives to satisfy the craving while acknowledging it - e.g. having a piece of dark chocolate instead of a bar of milk chocolate; or sucking cocoa beans instead of having chocolate.

That said, sometimes a craving for chocolate is just a craving for chocolate - in that case best eat the chocolate and factor it into your plan for the day.

This was my point exactly and while 150 calories is not a lot. If you are ignoring it by the end of the week it can put at an extra deficit of 1000. And if people are eating the minimum then it can make a huge difference. I am one of those people that "knowing is half the battle" if I KNOW that I am going to be a little hungrier and I know why and I know it isnt just my imagination and I am not crazy then it is easier to resist. And I need to cave in a little bit I know to keep it really small. Maybe a cheat meal or as someone said a small piece of chocolate. At least now I know I can go over by about 100 a day for a few days and not kill myself over it. I used to sometimes just throw my hands up in defeat the week before my period. As I was always STARVING when normally I wasnt, I was exhausted, I would not be able to sleep worth a damn, my body would hurt and ache with every joint throbbing. And these are just the physical symptoms. And my body would be screaming at me that if I would just eat a nice substantial meal and lay down in bed then it would all be better. If you dont know to expect this it can be overwhelming. Now I know I can go and eat a nice baked potato and a juicy steak that week and it wont throw everything off. Not feel guilty, my body will feel better and everyone is happy like I said "knowledge is power" and I know to keep it less then an extra 750-1000 calories total for the week. Whether I spread it out a little every day or save it until the pressure gets to bad. Its a lot better then breaking down and just giving into the pressure. Its called managing the situation. And you cant "manage" it if you dont have the information.

sheschemes

One small correction. You should not eat your left arm if you are craving carbs...everyone knows the left arm is all protein, the right arms is the one loaded with carbs.

I crave protein, particularly beef & liver. I would totally eat my left arm. :bigsmile:

Check your iron levels (not just your blood count) - your body is telling you that it needs more iron. I have recurring bouts of iron deficiency anemia and craving beef, liver, lettuce and ice (weird I know) are usually signs that my iron levels are low.

Have you ever tried iron supplements during those times? I always have trouble getting enough iron, but it turns in to such a huge craving right before my period.