Ladies only...

reneealyse

I was doing really well with my eating and exercise - still hadn't seen a difference on the scale but had seen a difference in the way my clothes fit so was going to take measurements soon. BUT...

One week before my monthly visitor came calling I felt sluggish, no energy, didn't want to exercise and wanted to eat everything in the house, and in the supermarket. Within a few days My clothes are too tight again, I'm bulging out in bits and the places that were starting to look better are just back to being fat. Now it's actually that time and I made myself go to the gym this morning even though I really didn't want to. I feel like absolute crap with major tummy pains but I feel good knowing that I actually went to the gym and I'm eating well again today - not craving everything and anything bad.

This happens to me every single month without fail, any progress I make goes right out the door the week before. Does this happen to anyone else? Also, is there anything to stop that happening other than forcing myself into the gym and away from the food? I'm ravenously hungry during this time, which is a total pain.

rachelbethany

My appetite is definitely affected by my hormones. Sometimes I lose my appetite and sometimes I, like you, am ravenous. But there's always a huge change in my eating patterns the week before my period. I get horrible cramps and breakouts and things along with it, too, but those symptoms have been made some better by taking birth control over the years.

I do find that forcing myself to go the gym usually lessens my cramps. I can have the most debilitating, can't walk kind of pain, but running and doing lots of stretches usually makes me feel BETTER somehow.

I've also been very anemic at times for various reasons, and my iron is always lower around the time of my period. Sometimes I think my body has trained itself to crave iron-rich foods (or just food in general, ha!) to help with all the iron lost during that time of the month.

Try taking a vitamin or iron supplement for a while and see if your cravings change. If they don't, just opt for things like fruit and try to remind yourself that lots of bloating/water retention can happen along with PMS. So any weight you feel you've gained is probably not "real."

missc1990

Hi

I found taking magnesium gets rid of my cramps. take it a couple of days before you know you will get them and that should be it

it also helps with my cravings.

i make sure i drink heaps of water and keep exercising - that way I still feel good .

C

kfitzs

i give in and let myself have a lil bit of the things i want ive just got to keep it in moderation and try to fit it in my calories. I think it helps if u can take something for the cramps as i think sometimes i confuse them with hunger.

iceqieen

Yebb. To counter it :

* Ignore the need to eat everything - OR - choose berries and veggies to eat lots of - OR - Eat the stuff I want but make sure I have the calorie allowance for it
* Do exercise - helps with the pain. Do not let the ughness stop you.
* Drink allot of water. Seems to help with the pain.
* Ignore the bloating, it will go away after TOM is over.

luzmidd

I hate it... happens to me as well. For those 3-5 days I don't gym as hard as the rest of the month, I only do light cardio and yoga. Yoga really helps with the cramps. Also, a friend once said that if your body is really craving something, then it probably needs it... All in moderation though. And camomile tea... about 4 cups a day for me. At least you know you are not alone :-)

LReneeWalker

hysterectomy

psiren28

I get this too, the week before I have a huge appetite and no energy for exercising. I usually allow myself extra calories for that week and just accept that I might not lose anything or gain a little that week. In the long run it's only 1 week out of 4 so I'm still able to lose weight.

You say the progress you've made goes out the door because of this week, do you mean for that week you don't lose or you haven't lost anything overall? How long have you been trying to lose weight?

I always feel bloated at that TOM and my clothes fit a little tighter but it soon goes back to normal.

If I look back at my weight chart it's like this: 3 weeks = loss, 1 week = gain / stay the same. Over the course of 2 years it hasn't been a big problem, 3 steps forward for 1 step back is still forward overall.

Best of luck, I hope you find something that works.

LauraSmyth28

Yep me too. Last week I had a bad week, eating the wrong things and had to really force myself to do any exercise. Yesterday TOM arrived. I had no appetite at all and probably won't be very hungry until it's gone. I have bad cramps (I get them in my thighs for some reason) but some exercise will help, it usually does.

It's a curse it really is.

luzmidd

I have bad cramps (I get them in my thighs for some reason) but some exercise will help, it usually does.

I get them in my thighs as well! Weird! And my lower back, kills me! It was better when I was on the pill but I've gone off now and WHAM! cramps are back with a vengeance!

luvmydog2

hysterectomy

Didn't work for me ..still get those feelings at age 64 yrs been told its hormones ....

vthetigercat

This does happen to me, but I look at it as an opportunity. The other three weeks of the month I stay true to my diet, taking in treats here and there. About every three weeks if you schedule that as the time to give your body more rest, you will come back even stronger at the beginning of the next month.

We tend to overestimate how much this week will negatively effect us, but we should look at it as a time for reflection and recovery, rather than a curse. Through health and fitness I've learned to listen to my body in other ways, so why fight this?

Take more active rest days, like some outdoor lightweight cardio. It will definitely calm you. Also, engaging in physical activity with friends tends to make one forget how pissed off they are that they're menstruating. Get a sports massage, do a couple of ice baths, just take care of yourself.

mouth21333

My eating changes around my period as well. The week before it, I am always hungry! then the week during I have trouble eating. What I do for the week before, is have nothing but healthy food around, so you have no choice but to eat that. Drink tons of water, it does really help. As for the pain and cramping, I got on birth control for that reason. It helps a lot. Also keep moving, even if its to take a walk. Hope this helps!

reneealyse

hysterectomy

Not for me - I'm 26 with no kids and hopes of having some!

reneealyse

My appetite is definitely affected by my hormones. Sometimes I lose my appetite and sometimes I, like you, am ravenous. But there's always a huge change in my eating patterns the week before my period. I get horrible cramps and breakouts and things along with it, too, but those symptoms have been made some better by taking birth control over the years.

I do find that forcing myself to go the gym usually lessens my cramps. I can have the most debilitating, can't walk kind of pain, but running and doing lots of stretches usually makes me feel BETTER somehow.

I've also been very anemic at times for various reasons, and my iron is always lower around the time of my period. Sometimes I think my body has trained itself to crave iron-rich foods (or just food in general, ha!) to help with all the iron lost during that time of the month.

Try taking a vitamin or iron supplement for a while and see if your cravings change. If they don't, just opt for things like fruit and try to remind yourself that lots of bloating/water retention can happen along with PMS. So any weight you feel you've gained is probably not "real."

I used to be anaemic also but that was years ago when I was sickly thin. I thought it went away once I put on weight but I walked into a health food shop with my mum at Christmas time and the lady took one look at my eyes and said "the whites are blueish, you're low in iron".

caterpillardreams

This does happen to me, but I look at it as an opportunity. The other three weeks of the month I stay true to my diet, taking in treats here and there. About every three weeks if you schedule that as the time to give your body more rest, you will come back even stronger at the beginning of the next month.

We tend to overestimate how much this week will negatively effect us, but we should look at it as a time for reflection and recovery, rather than a curse. Through health and fitness I've learned to listen to my body in other ways, so why fight this?

Take more active rest days, like some outdoor lightweight cardio. It will definitely calm you. Also, engaging in physical activity with friends tends to make one forget how pissed off they are that they're menstruating. Get a sports massage, do a couple of ice baths, just take care of yourself.

Very positive outlook
thanks

reneealyse

I hate it... happens to me as well. For those 3-5 days I don't gym as hard as the rest of the month, I only do light cardio and yoga. Yoga really helps with the cramps. Also, a friend once said that if your body is really craving something, then it probably needs it... All in moderation though. And camomile tea... about 4 cups a day for me. At least you know you are not alone :-)

I crave EVERYTHING in sight at that time. I buy takeaways, a block of chocolate or icecream, a bag of chips, drink milos or hot chocolates and this time I attacked the deli ham in the fridge when I couldn't find anything bad in the house! Once, last year I was really craving chocolate cake mixture - not the cake the batter! So I made up a batter, poured enough in a tin to make a small cake then sat there and ate the rest of the batter! It's like I'm crazed when this happens! :devil:

None of it makes me feel better though, I have a yoga DVD that I've never used so I might try that next time, thanks.

Mirandas5bgirls

I was doing really well with my eating and exercise - still hadn't seen a difference on the scale but had seen a difference in the way my clothes fit so was going to take measurements soon. BUT...

One week before my monthly visitor came calling I felt sluggish, no energy, didn't want to exercise and wanted to eat everything in the house, and in the supermarket. Within a few days My clothes are too tight again, I'm bulging out in bits and the places that were starting to look better are just back to being fat. Now it's actually that time and I made myself go to the gym this morning even though I really didn't want to. I feel like absolute crap with major tummy pains but I feel good knowing that I actually went to the gym and I'm eating well again today - not craving everything and anything bad.

This happens to me every single month without fail, any progress I make goes right out the door the week before. Does this happen to anyone else? Also, is there anything to stop that happening other than forcing myself into the gym and away from the food? I'm ravenously hungry during this time, which is a total pain.

The best thing to do is drink hot water with fresh lemons every morning and night- u are just retaining water and need to eliminate it... Also, don't stop excercising during that time after it is over you will see weight loss if u keep it up.

reneealyse

I get this too, the week before I have a huge appetite and no energy for exercising. I usually allow myself extra calories for that week and just accept that I might not lose anything or gain a little that week. In the long run it's only 1 week out of 4 so I'm still able to lose weight.

You say the progress you've made goes out the door because of this week, do you mean for that week you don't lose or you haven't lost anything overall? How long have you been trying to lose weight?

I always feel bloated at that TOM and my clothes fit a little tighter but it soon goes back to normal.

If I look back at my weight chart it's like this: 3 weeks = loss, 1 week = gain / stay the same. Over the course of 2 years it hasn't been a big problem, 3 steps forward for 1 step back is still forward overall.

Best of luck, I hope you find something that works.

I haven't lost anything overall. I've been trying for about 6months but keep slipping back to old habits. I've been REALLY trying for about two months but I still haven't seen any progress. I actually feel like I make progress the way my body looks and the way things fit but then I jump on the scales and it's the same. I know it's not all about scales though so was gearing up to weigh myself then my visitor came and my body went back to bulgy and bloated. I'm unsure if it's just bloating though because my eating goes bad and exercising stops during that time so I feel like I keep bouncing back to fat me.

The thing is this also happens when I don't have my period. If I skip the gym for three days or more and my eating slips, the weight comes straight back, it's so fast that even my BF doesn't believe me when I say I can't skip the gym for more than a day or I get beefy again. But it actually does happen. My clothes start getting too tight again. It's wierd and annoying and I'm a bit worried about getting preggers one day because if that's what happens when I don't exercise, what happens when I CANT exercise?!

I know this sounds completely nuts but it's definitely not in my head because my body changes, I can see it and my clothes are tighter, people at work notice too because I see them look at my tummy on a bad day.

reneealyse

This does happen to me, but I look at it as an opportunity. The other three weeks of the month I stay true to my diet, taking in treats here and there. About every three weeks if you schedule that as the time to give your body more rest, you will come back even stronger at the beginning of the next month.

We tend to overestimate how much this week will negatively effect us, but we should look at it as a time for reflection and recovery, rather than a curse. Through health and fitness I've learned to listen to my body in other ways, so why fight this?

Take more active rest days, like some outdoor lightweight cardio. It will definitely calm you. Also, engaging in physical activity with friends tends to make one forget how pissed off they are that they're menstruating. Get a sports massage, do a couple of ice baths, just take care of yourself.

This is good advice, I can rest but maybe just be more strict with my eating because eating bad and not exercising is not working well!

reneealyse

I was doing really well with my eating and exercise - still hadn't seen a difference on the scale but had seen a difference in the way my clothes fit so was going to take measurements soon. BUT...

One week before my monthly visitor came calling I felt sluggish, no energy, didn't want to exercise and wanted to eat everything in the house, and in the supermarket. Within a few days My clothes are too tight again, I'm bulging out in bits and the places that were starting to look better are just back to being fat. Now it's actually that time and I made myself go to the gym this morning even though I really didn't want to. I feel like absolute crap with major tummy pains but I feel good knowing that I actually went to the gym and I'm eating well again today - not craving everything and anything bad.

This happens to me every single month without fail, any progress I make goes right out the door the week before. Does this happen to anyone else? Also, is there anything to stop that happening other than forcing myself into the gym and away from the food? I'm ravenously hungry during this time, which is a total pain.

The best thing to do is drink hot water with fresh lemons every morning and night- u are just retaining water and need to eliminate it... Also, don't stop excercising during that time after it is over you will see weight loss if u keep it up.

Thank you. Does the lemon and water help with water retention? I drink between 2 and 3 litres of water a day (that's 67 - 101 liquid oz a day - sorry unsure if that's what you guys measure, I'm in New Zealand so I use the metric system :embarassed: ) That's 9-12 glasses a day

But I heard that drinking a lot of water is good as it helps eliminate water retention - even though that seems like an odd logic

chantels1

And no matter what you do, do not step on that scale 3 days before your period until it's gone! OMG I gained almost 2 lbs overnight before my period came! I was moody to begin with and that really pissed me off!!!

JustPeachy044

I have read that getting plenty of dairy can help alleviate PMS. Also, eat flaxseed every day, 1 to 2 T. When I have been good about doing the flax seed, my cramps and other hormonal PMS issues are greatly reduced. maybe it could help with your cravings too?

reneealyse

And no matter what you do, do not step on that scale 3 days before your period until it's gone! OMG I gained almost 2 lbs overnight before my period came! I was moody to begin with and that really pissed me off!!!

Good point! I get moody too and my BF enjoys winding me up so when I'm in a bad mood and he blames PMS (even when it is PMS) it makes me furious! He thinks it's funny which infuriates me more.

reneealyse

I have read that getting plenty of dairy can help alleviate PMS. Also, eat flaxseed every day, 1 to 2 T. When I have been good about doing the flax seed, my cramps and other hormonal PMS issues are greatly reduced. maybe it could help with your cravings too?

Dairy generally makes me feel bloated but I might look into that. At the risk of sounding stupid: Is flaxseed just like taking a tablespoon of little seeds? Cause I'd imagine that would be quite difficult to swallow?

Mirandas5bgirls

Thank you. Does the lemon and water help with water retention? I drink between 2 and 3 litres of water a day (that's 67 - 101 liquid oz a day - sorry unsure if that's what you guys measure, I'm in New Zealand so I use the metric system :embarassed: ) That's 9-12 glasses a day

But I heard that drinking a lot of water is good as it helps eliminate water retention - even though that seems like an odd logic
[/quote]

No too much water can cause bloating too and remove electrolytes from your body... u really only need 64oz of water a day- Drinking a cup of hot water with lemon will help flush any excess water weight out of ur system, especially during your cycle. I would suggest the young lady 1st get on a healthy diet and excercise routine for 30 days and then see how her cycle is the following month.

shelley7890

This will maybe sound harsh Hun but use some willpower and just say no to it all. If u really want to lose it then no is the best word for u. Eat healthy it might help ur cramps too. When I was eating crap my cramps were double and exersice is great to rid them too

FR89

i feel really sleepy and crave my comfort foods.. :frown:

k2charmed4u

I know exactly what you mean I've had problems ever since I was a teenager. Doctors gave meds to help with the pain etc but didn't really help. Then I was told to try Evening Primrose Oil (supplement tablets) and they worked a dream for me the pain seemed to ease quite a bit and it helped to keep my spirit up and resist the temptation of food and my exercise levelled out during these times of the month. It might not work for everyone but it did for me :happy: you have to take them everyday even when not that time of the month so it builds up in your system ready.

niksinnotts

yes i also tried evening primrose oil and it worked a treat, i have recommended it to friends before for cramps and general horribleness at tom. :flowerforyou:

alexsmith01

For me cramps aren't tooo much of an issue, unless I eat chocolate, for some reason, so I try avoid chocolate if I'm also very grouchy and lethargic haha.

My main issue is just being really lethargic, my brain goes a little fuzzy that time of month and I have no focus, and just don't feel like getting off my butt to cook, exercise etc.

Because of my birth control (Jadelle, implant in the arm) my "visitor" doesn't come monthly, it's kind of all over the place, so I won't have it for 2-3 months, then I'll have it for like 3 weeks. On day 7 right now, and feeling ripped off because last time was less than a month ago, even if it was really light. But it's meant I've had a big break from exercise because I'm just too tired, and today had to force myself to do a pretty low impact exercise and it was really hard! Soooo annoying, argh!