Help!! Ladies!? (TMI about TOM)

pinkyjane48

Fellas, I warn you b/c my hubby hates this topic- Chick stuff follows, so get out while you can!!

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That said,
I am having an issue. Every month my darling Aunt Flo visits me in Cramp City and puts a dent in my weight loss pattern. Here are my main issues- any tips on how to stay on the wagon?

-I gain between 5-7 lbs of bloat weight every month for about 10-12 days (usually 3 days before, 5-7 days during and 2 after.) I literally have 2 different sized jeans that I have to wear because of it.
- The first 2 days are usually so bad (cramps) that I have passed out before, and running/exercise actually makes it worse. (Found that out the hard way !)
-Cant have birth control- Apperantly those "may cause blood clots" statements on the commericals applies to me but thank goodness, theres nothing "medically wrong with me" to fix- Just have to load up on motrin.
-I AM SO HUNGRY all day long. Today I am just drinking water with crystal lite and it helps a little to curb the cravings to healthier snacks, but 3 days in, I'm OVER it.

HOW HOW HOW do I stay within my 1330 cal limit (since I cant exercise without winding up curled in a ball on the floor) and/or get a pattern going with this inturruption?? I KNOW I'm not the only one, but in the last 10 years, I still can't get around this!!

vrdz3215

How about setting aside some calories each day to allow for 1 treat that you really want during TOM...its all about moderation. I feel your pain, because TOM is a B#$%^ when it comes to weight loss, and in general for that matter, and I am currently so bloated that i feel like I am going to burst!
I try to set aside a few cals for a treat and I exercise more so I can eat more. I understand that is a dilema in your case but may be just walking instead of intense cardio would ease the cramps some? Doing something is better than doing nothing....hope that helps some!

pinkyjane48

Thats a good point. I always do that. Walking would be a good idea at least to use that time block that I usually go to the gym with.

:flowerforyou:

Chenoachem

There is a section in "Lifetime of Running" (a book I have been reading) for ladies. It said that some woman need to consume up to 500 calories more during TOM. This is normal. If you do not, then you will only get light headed, dizzy and tend to eat worse things. What I have found is to give into the hunger but eat healthier things. I find that I do not gain weight in the end if I give into these cravings but do if I don't eat more.

This section in the book also suggests that working out can increase blood flow (as we know) and to help that take tylenol or motrin before working out as it will cut down on blood loss.

I used to have really bad cramping. The trick is really to drink lots of water. I found that the more I worked out when it wasn't my TOM the better the time during my TOM got. Now I barely notice it and I am up to working out for cardio 6-7 hours per week + strength training+ Yoga.

Sorry you feel like this but I hope some of this helps. Your not alone. There are a lot of good references out there for athletes and how to deal with TOM.

rlberg55

Avoid SALT! all salt! that will help you so much. Also, you might want to try some multivitamin supplements especially for PMS symptoms, as well as calcium and magnesum, that will ease the cramps. Additionally, there are teas you can buy that help with cramps and bloating a lot.

vrdz3215

Avoid SALT! all salt! that will help you so much. Also, you might want to try some multivitamin supplements especially for PMS symptoms, as well as calcium and magnesum, that will ease the cramps. Additionally, there are teas you can buy that help with cramps and bloating a lot.

What are the teas? and where can I buy them?

pinkyjane48

There is a section in "Lifetime of Running" (a book I have been reading) for ladies. It said that some woman need to consume up to 500 calories more during TOM. This is normal. If you do not, then you will only get light headed, dizzy and tend to eat worse things. What I have found is to give into the hunger but eat healthier things. I find that I do not gain weight in the end if I give into these cravings but do if I don't eat more.

HOLY CROW!!! I did NOT know that! (gotta get me that book!) Thanks for the tip- I thought I was growing a second stomach lol. I definately need to get my butt in gear during non-tom; lol I dont even have any reasons why I can't seem to get that to happen other than I just am not consistant.

And rlberg55, I didnt know that about magnesium either- Thats a good tip! I'm going to have to pull back on them Lean Cuisines. They are so good and handy, but that sodium is killing me. 650 mg per box? dang!

vrdz3215

And rlberg55, I didnt know that about magnesium either- Thats a good tip! I'm going to have to pull back on them Lean Cuisines. They are so good and handy, but that sodium is killing me. 650 mg per box? dang!
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I know the sodium in Lean Cuisines is ridiculous..but they are so easy! Guess ill have to change my dinner for tonite

Learning2LoveMe

Funny you should mention this as my Jillian e-mail of the day just went into this topic a few days ago. Here is what it said (if nothing else the less-bloating tips will help):

Five Tips for Taming PMS
Here's a statement I don't think too many women will disagree with: Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is a little slice of hell on earth. In the five to seven days before their period, up to 75 percent of women experience at least one unpleasant symptom in the constellation that PMS can cause — from the stereotypical cramps and moodiness to insomnia, fatigue, and nausea. One in 20 women experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a serious and often disabling condition that can cause persistent depression, marked anger or irritability, and severe aches and pains.
The good news is that there are ways to tame PMS naturally. Try these five tips:

Exercise! You may not want to, but get in your workout anyway. The endorphin rush will help relieve cramps and raise your levels of serotonin, a mood-lifting neurotransmitter.

Get some R&R. Adequate sleep and less stress will put you in a better hormonal position to handle the physiological imbalance that PMS brings.

Cut out most alcohol, caffeine, and salt. Alcohol can exacerbate feelings of depression, so steer clear. Reducing caffeine may minimize breast tenderness and irritability, and cutting salt can reduce bloat.

Minimize simple sugars. Ideally, you're doing this all the time, but it's especially important before your period. Simple sugars may increase inflammation, making cramps feel worse. Eating regular meals and snacks with fiber and protein will help keep your blood sugar stable, which is a lot better for those raw nerves than blood-sugar swings.

Consider supplements. Calcium may reduce symptoms of PMS, so shoot for at least 1,200 mg a day. Magnesium is also helpful, as are B complex vitamins. To reduce the inflammation of cramps and breast tenderness, try a primrose-oil supplement; it's a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that may work in ways similar to ibuprofen.



Hope this helps!

zebras

I'm feeling your pain! I'm sitting here waiting for the Advil to kick in myself to kill the cramps. I have found that on weeks that I'm really following good eating and good exercising, the cramps are almost eliminated. However, I had a bad eating/exercising weekend, and am having my point proven to myself!

LeanLioness

Avoid SALT! all salt! that will help you so much. Also, you might want to try some multivitamin supplements especially for PMS symptoms, as well as calcium and magnesum, that will ease the cramps. Additionally, there are teas you can buy that help with cramps and bloating a lot.

I agree with everything in this statement above, except avoid ALL salt..............

I have switched to sea salt (organically farmed and dried) and it makes a HUGE difference along with calcium and magnesium.

Learning2LoveMe

Also I've heard you burn around an extra 300 calories a day during your TOM - so an extra snack will never hurt, and also explains the increased hunger.

LeanLioness

Avoid SALT! all salt! that will help you so much. Also, you might want to try some multivitamin supplements especially for PMS symptoms, as well as calcium and magnesum, that will ease the cramps. Additionally, there are teas you can buy that help with cramps and bloating a lot.

What are the teas? and where can I buy them?

Yogi teas have a PMS formula that works fabulously!!!

kimgibbons

Try working out (even just light walking) first thing in the morning. I find I don't usually get crampy until a bit later in the day. This might not be the case for you though.

pinkyjane48

Get some R&R. Adequate sleep and less stress will put you in a better hormonal position to handle the physiological imbalance that PMS brings.

Cut out most alcohol, caffeine, and salt. Alcohol can exacerbate feelings of depression, so steer clear. Reducing caffeine may minimize breast tenderness and irritability, and cutting salt can reduce bloat.

Whoops and Whoops after that bachelorette party weekend

April0815

Bump

iRun4wine

Also I've heard you burn around an extra 300 calories a day during your TOM - so an extra snack will never hurt, and also explains the increased hunger.

Almost wish I didn't know that :blushing:

...so tempting.

Luckily for me, I have cramps but not horrible discomfort when it's my TOM, and *thank goodness* they make me not hungry at all :bigsmile:

pinkyjane48

Dang it. Just looked at that Healthy Choice mixer I had for lunch- 600mg of sodium. MAN!