Period Weight -___- (girls only!)

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angiechimpanzee
angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
There have probably been dozens of questions on this topic, but mine's a bit more specific.

I've been avoiding weighing myself pretty much since last Saturday because I started to feel period symptoms approaching (I mainly just go by sore boobs as a warning). Welp, last Saturday I was 123.4 after a week of hard work, great eating & working out. I gathered the courage to weigh myself this morning (since I like to weigh at least every Saturday no matter what happens) and 126.4! I'm shocked & kind of scared.

Last weekend was supposed to be my "cheat" weekend but it went overboard, eating loads of refined carbs & sugar. I was over my maintenance level (not my target for weight loss), by like 400 both days. I had two more bad eating days this week that were slightly worse, Monday and Wednesday, so in total I was in excess of about 1800 calories.

BUT, heres the catch - I made up for them. On the other three days of the week, I had a deficit of like 700 each day, cancelling out the extra calories I'd eaten the other days. So that's why I'm thinking, it can't possibly be because of my eating?

But then 3 pounds of just water weight that's supposed to magically disappear once my period comes and goes? I could understand one or MAYBE two, but three? I don't think I've ever had THAT much of a flunctuation solely because of my period. This might be an irrational fear but I'm scared that the past weeks excellent work has just gone to waste because of this unexplainable weight gain. I don't trust that it'll all just fall off once my period's over (which hasn't even started btw). And even if it does, what about the deficits I accumulate during my period? For example, lets say they're substantial enough for me to lose 2 pounds. Am I supposed to be five pounds less once my period's over then? I just don't think it'll happen.

Idk, what are you girls' experiences with period weight gain? Do you just see your period as a week to ignore your weight, disregarding any gains, & start weighing again once it's over or what? Or do you actually lose all the water weight + more once it is over?

Replies

  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    3 lbs sounds pretty normal. I don't tend to gain that much, but I know plenty of people do. If you know you've been on track with your eating, then don't worry about it. Definitely don't be "shocked and scared" about it. There's not much you can do about it, so why don't you at least put off worrying about it for a couple of weeks and see if it comes off? If you had a lot of carbs and sodium for your cheat weekend, you will also have retained water from that.
  • jgsparks89
    jgsparks89 Posts: 85 Member
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    I have gained anywhere from 3 to 5 lbs in the week before/week of my period. It's definitely water weight related to hormones, because I often find that the week after my period I will be a pound or two lower than my pre-period weight. Don't let it stress you out. I guess it's one of the crappier things about being a woman, but hey...what can you do? Good luck with your goals :)
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,036 Member
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    I'm up two from that right now. Threw me back in the 140s dang it!
  • cjroberts08
    cjroberts08 Posts: 42
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    I usually gain around 5 to 7 pounds for that week. Each person is different and their body will do what it needs to.
  • pigeonhugger
    pigeonhugger Posts: 81 Member
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    normal. i am normally up 3-4 lbs for about a week prior to and the week of menstration. boo
  • titi4j
    titi4j Posts: 97 Member
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    I usually and always have gained 5-7lbs of period weight. It freaks me out every month and sure enough it drops back off a week later. You would think after all these years I would avoid the scale or not get freaked out by it. I think 3lbs could definitely be water weight in your case. I usually gain it in the week leading up to my period. Hang in there girl!:wink:
  • wtfusernameisnttaken
    wtfusernameisnttaken Posts: 192
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    Mine fluctuates BIG TIME, I was 222 prior, and during I went up to 228 - 6lbs!!! Within a day or so after ending though, I'm usually a lb below what it was prior so... I don't worry too much. Just mother nature bloating/retaining water/trying to kill me. LOL Good Luck!
  • Hey__Im__Krista
    Hey__Im__Krista Posts: 124
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    ive gained up to 5lbs on a period week.
  • Jovan0609
    Jovan0609 Posts: 233 Member
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    I generally gain about 5 pounds of water weight which comes off by the end of my period, so I really wouldn't stress it too much. Your body needs that extra weight to do what it's going to do in the most healthy manner. Just keep doing what you're doing. I'll take 3 weeks of "happy weight days" over the 1 week of "water weight days." Don't get discouraged....I think we will ALL be looking for Eve so we can fight her for eating the apple and putting us through this...LOL!! Stay encouraged chica... :happy:
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
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    ever since i started tracking my sodium intake, i dont gain but i dont lose either
  • LeggyAmericanGirl
    LeggyAmericanGirl Posts: 285 Member
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    I weigh right before it hits so I know my true loss . I can gain up to 7lbs and it takes a good week to get the water weight off.
  • tcat2012
    tcat2012 Posts: 60 Member
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    3 is about what I gain too; don't stress!
  • lcn1220
    lcn1220 Posts: 124 Member
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    I gain about 5-7 lbs during TOM...and takes about a week to clear off. -.- Stopped weighing myself during that time and most days ;). Already in a bad mood during that time, why make myself mental with the scale?
  • I_love_frogs
    I_love_frogs Posts: 340 Member
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    Usually a week or so before my period, my weight stops dropping, and i crave salt and sweets like crazy. About 3 days before I start, I gain about 4-8 lbs <ARGH> and then boom it hits me. After the first two days of bleeding, I tend to start dropping again, and within a week I am around where I was before and slightly less. Then it starts dropping again.

    I have noticed that in that preweek time before I actually start, I am so tired I can barely stay awake to eat, and all I want to do is to sleep (and eat red meat), So I know I don't eat as well as I do normally....a bit higher sodium and sugar I am sure, as well as a huge increase in the meat. Then after two days officially bleeding I am not as dead tired anymore and am good to go, back to normal. I often wonder if its because when I start I am really REALLY heavy too and it just wears me out....no idea, the Dr isn't worried so, ok :)

    Its really irritating!!
  • SnazzyTraveller
    SnazzyTraveller Posts: 458 Member
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    It goes away. I'd say stop weighing yourself in and around that time and also I would try to stay away from eating less cals one day, simply because you went over the day before (especially if you're only then eating 700/day).
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
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    and for that being a woman sucks.
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
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    Actually, you can retain up to 5 lbs in water during your period and actually just during a day regardless of your period. Check you sodium levels. The other think you can do is if you typically retain water around your time you can start drinking PMS tea 10 days before it's due (3-4 cups per day)

    http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/pmstea

    There are a couple of herbs in it that will help reduce the water retention; but that's not all. If you suffer from PMS symptoms it is due to a build up of hormones in your organs and the flushing of the system through the PMS tea will also aid in flushing out these excess hormones and reduce your PMS symptoms (I drink it and my husband makes sure I'm always WELL stocked).

    For breast tenderness you can take Dong Quai - I also take this starting 10 days before due and this will reduce your tenderness:

    http://www.puritan.com/dong-quai-605?searchterm=dong quai&amp;rdcnt=1&amp;sortorder=2&amp;Page=1#tab=tab-1

    For those suffering from the mood swings - take Vitex (Chastetberry) - you can get a capsule and the extract. Take the capsules one per day 10 days before you're due and on those days you are really on edge -- take the extract on top of it

    http://www.puritan.com/vitex-chasteberry-581?searchterm=vitex&rdcnt=1&sortorder=2&Page=1#tab=tab-1

    The other thing that helps with PMS suffering is reduce or eliminate dairy and gluten -- these are know contributors to PMS symptoms.
  • angiechimpanzee
    angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
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    Whew I'm glad its not just me! Okay, I'll just keep working out & eating right, and have faith that it'll all drop off by next Saturday. *crosses fingers* Thanks guys!
    It goes away. I'd say stop weighing yourself in and around that time and also I would try to stay away from eating less cals one day, simply because you went over the day before (especially if you're only then eating 700/day).
    Well on those make up days, I didn't really eat less than I typically aim for.. I just exercised a bit more. My nets were actually like 900ish those days, and since I wasn't eating junk food & I was actually doing my workouts, they ended up completely offsetting the overeating days. To be honest it didn't even feel like I was putting in that much effort to "make up for my bad days". It just worked out that way.

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