Please help!!! Girl issues

rebecca8787
rebecca8787 Posts: 35
in Health and Weight Loss
One for the ladies..

So, when it's that time of the month, I CRAVE sugar. its like I feel I cant sleep unless ive had some, and by some i mean the bad stuff, cookies or hot chocolate or sugary cereal. I also crave carbs. i know this is normal but my period can last over 7 days some months, and by the time those 7 days are over, ive put on like 4lbs even when the water retention and general yucky bloating is gone. it really gets me down! ontop of this its the usual emotional stuff, and I don't like exercising during that time either cos my stomach hurts so badly..


What do you girls do to keep on track when it's like that, or do you just say screw it and start again when it's over? Please help!

Replies

  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    heya!

    From my personal experience, oral contraception (i.e. the pill) made my symptoms about 1000 times worse. All I could think about was sugar all the time and it was unbearable! I stopped taking it and all the cravings almost disappeared.

    You just have to try and be strong, and NOT HAVE CRAP IN YOUR HOUSE! It is that simple. When you go to the supermarket, avoid the centre of the store and ONLY walk around the edge. I did my week's long grocery shopping yesterday (still need to get fish most days though) and the only 'processed' foods I had in my trolley were tofu and milk, if that even counts?

    I find fresh honey, as in honey from a local which hasn't been treated to be runny all the time, is really good in a cup of chai tea to make is sweet and give me the hit i need. There are lots of sweet fruits like blueberries, pineapple, strawberries, some apples etc that can help out with cravings as well :)

    Just keep junk food out of your house completely, and make it a treat thing. I only eat out on weekends so try to avoid the stuff all week to save up for it. Remember to log it all too, gives you a shock and helps you stay motivated to avoid it.

    It will take time, but you will get there. I am so much stronger than I used to be! Keep exercising as well to keep the damage down.

    Good luck :) Hope me ramble is helpful
  • kindasortachewy
    kindasortachewy Posts: 1,084 Member
    Live Active Sugar Free Milk Chocolate Bliss Pudding Snack

    Its chocolate pudding and it taste sinful! Only 60 calories and it curbs my sweet tooth
  • ClassicStyles
    ClassicStyles Posts: 49
    I agree that you should not have the "go to food" in the house. Keep your cabinets free of garbage food and you wont have it handy to eat.

    Substitute sugar free gum or something that is tasty and healthy for you. Truth is the sugar is self addicting.. you start it.. it is hard to stop.. same with sugar filled carbs. Keep em as far away as you can.

    Good Luck.
  • Soxgirl97
    Soxgirl97 Posts: 44 Member
    It is so hard!! I crave junk food during that time of the month too. I try to find something sweet that won't blow my calories. I love strawberries and whipped cream. Angel food cake isn't too terrible in terms of calories but if I baked a cake I'd eat the whole thing. Lol. Or you could dip a few strawberries in dark chocolate. If I try to completely ignore the craving it often backfires and I binge. It's better for me to eat something sweet and move on. The biggest thing for me is not having the junk food in my house.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    I give myself the first day as a free day, no worries about my macros, just eating what sounds good, and only trying to keep it in at my calorie goal. After a day full of way too much sugar, I'm happy to go back to my normal eating patterns
  • lucyford22
    lucyford22 Posts: 198 Member
    Maybe try some of those cinnamon capsules? When I take them my carb and sweets cravings literally disappear...I'm not diabetic that I know of but I know that it is a way of controlling blood sugar.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    Go for natural sugars - FRUIT! :D That will quench the cravings and it is healthy and will keep you on track.
  • amoglesby
    amoglesby Posts: 1
    I totally agree with the other ladies. If its not in your house then you are way less likely to eat it.

    Another thing that I learned in University when I did the South Beach diet is that you really do have to retrain your body to not crave those bad foods. Try to look for things such as the sugar free puddings, frozen yogurts not ice cream, and instead of sugary cereals try eating the chocolate Special K (if they still make it). I live in South Korea, so these things are definitely hard to come by, but if I was in the states these are the things I would be looking for during my time of the month.

    Good luck, stay strong, and post if you are stressed. That's what we are here for. ^^
  • lovemitch125
    lovemitch125 Posts: 257 Member
    Eat special hershey's dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is good for you and not too bad on calories so no need to feel too guilty. BUt I do agree, it helped me so much when I just stopped bringing the stuff in the house. Now the only chocolate I have are skinny cow ice cream sandwiches, Whonu cookies (tastes like oreos but have about half of your vitamins for the day) and chocolate chunk granola bars haha. I barely eat horrible sweets anymore cuz its not there to grab. :)
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    I tend to crave chocolate especially during that time. I've found that making a smoothie with cocoa powder and stevia to sweeten and a few frozen cherries tricks my body into believing I gave it a milkshake. Or make your own hot cocoa with unsweetened cocoa powder, some milk of some kind, and a bit of something your calories can take to sweeten it.
  • lovemitch125
    lovemitch125 Posts: 257 Member
    Another good idea: SPECIAL K chocolatey drizzle bars. Kinda tastes like chocolate chip pop tarts but theyre 100 calories and theyre special K haha.
  • startheory
    startheory Posts: 63
    Ugh. I know what you mean.. going through this battle right now. Have you heard of L-Glutamine? Its an amino acid thats found naturally in your body. Anyway I came across a forum that promoted the use of it to curb sugar cravings. I bought it and have been using it monthly for these cravings. For me personally, it helps! I just took some an hour ago and the cravings left within 10 minutes.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    for me, I allow myself a few hundred calories a day for the worst 2-3 days. enough to incorporate something sweet, but not so much that I go over maintenance. Allowing myself to have a reasonable amount of something prevents me from that feeling of deprivation that can eventually lead to needing to eat EVERYTHING. Obviously, if you are the kind of person for whom one bite leads to a binge, this is not a good idea.

    You still might consider raising your calories to closer to maintenance for those bad days. That will give you more calories to work with, but still give you the structure you need to not gain. Try to fill those calories with protein and good fats... those are the things that make us feel sated.
  • rebecca8787
    rebecca8787 Posts: 35
    Thanks for all your ideas,

    I'm pretty good when it comes to doing a sensible food shop, unfortunatly IF Im craving I will raid my partners side of the food cupboard though and thats where the cookies are.....i'm going to tell him to just hide them from me and I'm going to take your tips and advice instead. I have done well for the past week but now its that time of the month I just feel like killing someone if I don't get some chocolate hahah jk!

    also, im from the uk so im going to look up some of the stuff suggested, as i have not heard of it and I am not sure they sell it over here..

    thanks again and keep em' coming ! xxxx
  • rebecca8787
    rebecca8787 Posts: 35
    L-glutomine? Never heard of this? will look it up :)
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I am a few years past your challenge, but more protein on a steady basis helps me cure my sugar cravings. A recommended amount is 1 gram of protein per pound of lean mass, for most women that is 100 grams per day. Helps with the iron, too. I think that the body will crave quick energy if you don't give it enough slow release energy. Sugar is quick energy, protein is slow release.
  • PamGeirng
    PamGeirng Posts: 165 Member
    I crave chocolate during that time so I make a chocolate 3-2-1 cake and add 1/2 tablespoon of Adams creamy peanut butter and 6 dark chocolate chips to it before cooking for 1 min. It fixes my chocolate craving. I usually have a 1/4 cup of frozen yogurt on top of it when it is done. I just make sure that it fits into my calories for the day. Also, I have very hard 7 day periods with terrible cramps and I just workout through the pain and I end up feeling better.
  • meganmjo
    meganmjo Posts: 9
    Weight watchers smart ones smart delights. http://www.eatyourbest.com/products/smart-delights.aspx,
    Brownie a la mode, Double fudge cake, peanut butter cup sundae, and turtle sundae are my favorites, about 140 calories each. they are small but they hit the spot. If you are watching sugar limit yourself, some even have a little fiber, but the calories are not that much.
  • MandyPhoe
    MandyPhoe Posts: 94 Member
    First off, don't get discouraged. Hormones can really drive a person crazy but at the end of the day, it is how you manage them. Along with everyone who has said to avoid keeping a 'go to' stash, here are a few things for you to consider. I am not an expert but it has worked for me;

    1) I believe that cravings are a sign that something is lacking from your diet. The time of the month can be VERY taxing on your body so perhaps you want to look at your food diary and really analyse what you are lacking. If it is sugar, then look for real and good stuff. Get your sugar from fruits, veg and whole grain cookies if you must.

    2) If you need sugar, try looking at 'cleaner' options. Instead of going for high-fructose corn syrup in stuff, look for REAL sugar (applies if you are not diabetic of course). I personally buy 'naughty' snacks that are slightly more expensive because it makes me think twice about wolfing the whole lot down.

    3) Always be on the look out for alternatives! Not all alternatives are made the same. What has worked for me in the past is looking for naughty alternatives which are kind of good for you in a way that you manage to clock in your nutritional needs as well. The objective is to satisfy cravings, NOT stuff your face with empty calories. For example;

    When I am craving....

    Crisps >>>> Crispbread + Hommus/ Cottage Cheese/ Guacamole
    Chocolate >>> (who am I kidding??? There is no alternative for chocolate) I usually go for dark chocolate for anti-oxidants / 'airy' chocolate bars (i.e. Cadbury Flake/ Aero/ Wispa) ---- I just have one bar and that is that. I also have a love for chocolate mousse which comes in low-fat options. One thing that I also do is Greek yoghurt with 1 tsp of nutella
    Soda >>> which I actually don't drink. I usually go for fresh juices, sans added sugar
    Cookies >>> I usually go for wholegrain options here. There are plenty of recipes online which help you make better, hi-fibre cookies

    4) This is the most important thing --- WATCH your salt intake and DRINK lots of water. It makes a world of difference in terms of how much you bloat after your snacking. I also try to avoid late night snacking as well because it makes me feel rather heavy the next day... Perhaps you want to try that if you haven't already,

    I hope this helps :)
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 638 Member
    If theres any time during the month that I'm going to give into my cravings and exceed calories... its right before and during that TOM.

    I've been keeping Special K meal bars on hand (chocolate peanut butter is just like a reeses cup to me!) and those help with the sweet cravings. But sometimes you just have to give in and not feel bad about it. For the past couple weeks I've been eating within my calories. it doesn't matter what the macros, just not exceeding my calories. I've been losing.

    That said- if I use my daily allowance to eat a cupcake, a giant piece of cake, and a few cookies, right before that TOM, and don't go over... I dont feel guilty.
  • rebecca8787
    rebecca8787 Posts: 35
    mandy, great post. thanks for your ideas.

    and every one elses! i didnt give into my sweet cravings today. i did wake up very hungry tho and with a bad stomach, however i still managed 15 mins of zumba.
  • omari2013
    omari2013 Posts: 17
    Hi, I am with you in solidartiy. I too, do not feel like excercising because I just feel crappy and stomach really hurts. I'm sometimes in a foul mood for no apparent reason and generally hate the world on the " first" day. I try to subsitute the sugar cravings with fresh fruit and pretend they are snickers and skittles...lol:) Reverse psychology for my pea-brain. If that doesn't work, I just give in and try to do extra hard work-outs as soon as I am recovered. Hormones are bigger than us and men don't understand how strong the urges are...do what your body needs and don't feel guilt at all.

    Great post and question for all of us ladies on here.... It's rough.

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