PMS weight gain

therobinator
therobinator Posts: 832 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
So, after a very successful first week wherein I lost 4.8 pounds.....I did relatively well last week, my 2nd week. I weigh in on Wednesdays. Sure, I had some days when I went overboard (bad me), but the last three days before weigh in I did AWESOME. I still gained 0.3 poinds this week, though. I really, truly think it was due to PMS.

Do you experience weight gain with PMS? How much weight? How many days before the start of AF do you have the extra weight? And when does it go away?

Thanks!! :)

Replies

  • abomba
    abomba Posts: 1 Member
    I gain anywhere from 2 - 5 pounds the week before - I'm basically just puffy all over!
  • Yasmine91
    Yasmine91 Posts: 599 Member
    I do, I gain around 2-4lbs :P

    The weight will go as soon as your period finishes since it's all water weight.
  • katrinavw
    katrinavw Posts: 21
    I recently gained 2 pounds because of PMS... and the day after my pms ended... it seemed like i lost those two pounds!

    I defiantly felt REALLY bloated though.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    Sometime gain, sometimes just not losing.

    It happens for me right before ovulation and then again during menses. So I lost in a stair-step pattern with a big week and a small week alternating pretty much the entire time.
  • 0Jaime0
    0Jaime0 Posts: 26
    I hate weighing during PMS and during the dreaded week!! I ALWAYS gain at least 3-5 pounds and its sooo frustrating!!! It gets me scared, but its always reassuring to weigh after its all said and done and be back to my regular weight. Oh, the joys of being a woman!
  • fitterpam
    fitterpam Posts: 3,064 Member
    I typically gain 2-3lbs about a week before and then it doesn't go away until after I'm done.
  • CGerman
    CGerman Posts: 539
    I start gaining 5-6 before my period starts, usually 3-4 lbs. Once I actually start it comes back off within a couple days. If I have a weigh in while I'm up I just don't log it since I know I'm up and I know it's all water weight. I drink extra water to help out, and try to lower my sodium that week too.
  • ChubbieTubbie
    ChubbieTubbie Posts: 481 Member
    It's so frustrating! My period was late by a week, so I've been holding on to the same weight for weeks now with going up and down a pound. Finally started yesterday and I gained a pound yesterday while eating under my calorie goal. Being a girl sucks sometimes!!!
  • ahsongbird
    ahsongbird Posts: 712 Member
    I gain between 2-5 lbs a day b4 mine starts no worries :)
  • Ford4x4lady
    Ford4x4lady Posts: 18
    I gain 2-5 pounds right before mine starts.. from looking at the other posts seems very normal.
    It always seems to go away as soon as I'm done.
  • editress
    editress Posts: 25 Member
    I do gain during PMS and find when I really watch my sodium I don't gain or I gain very little. If you are eating a lot of processed food it is amazing how quickly sodium adds up. Really watch salty or processed foods during this time. I am new to MFP and did Weight Watchers for years. I am a clean eater but even unprocessed food has sodium and once I start putting veggie burgers or Thomas bagel thins in my tracker I was over my sodium intake for that day. Maybe the week during PMS you should change one of the nutrition you are tracking to sodium to see if you are going over your daily number.
  • Douniap
    Douniap Posts: 841
    I gain anywhere from 2 to 4 pounds easy..
    it is a natural thing due to hormonal changes and water retention.. Part of being a female:wink:
  • redhotsmacker
    redhotsmacker Posts: 227 Member
    My weight usually plateaus a couple of days before...then as soon as I start, I drop about 1-2lbs in the first 2 days...I guess its not so bad...but if I don't watch the calendar, then I am usually wondering why I'm stuck.....Really throws your head for a loop sometimes....
  • nhanson62493
    nhanson62493 Posts: 10
    i usually put 2 lbs on then the week after lost 5 lbs. This time i have lost 2 1/2 lbs so i am hoping next week when i get weighed i have lost 4 lbs
  • maroon58
    maroon58 Posts: 289 Member
    i gained 2lbs during and made sure to drink as much water as possible. my weigh in day was on my last day so i gained an ounce. next day i re-weighed myself and had lost close to 3lbs. next time, i am going to wait 1-2 days after my tom to do a final weigh in. so yes, its normal!
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
    Ok, I am bumping this back up to the top because I have a follow up question. I showed a gain of 0.3 pounds on the weigh-in day before my period started, my period ended yesterday or the day before (depending on what you call "ending") and today I weighed in and gained another 0.9 pounds.....

    So, how long before and after the period can this PMS weight stick around? I know I went over my calories a little bit this week, but I certainly don't think enough to actually GAIN weight.

    I also just ntoiced, thanks to another thread re: what nutritional content people are tracking on their diaries, that I am probably eating way too much sodium. So, I have swapped out Protein tracking for the Sodium tracking, since I always get more than enough Protein and it's not something I am trying to limit, whereas I would want to limit Sodium and therefore should see it on the tracker. Looking back at previous diary days now, it looks like most of my sodium is coming from whenever I eat bready things…..so if I limit those in exchange for more proteins or whole veggies, I will not only lower my sodium but also lower my carbs. Twofer!
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    I know the TOM water is gone because I pee, pee, pee for 1-2 days. At the end of that, my weight is back where it was.
  • Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet
    Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet Posts: 486
    I was so frustrated after working out 6 hours this weekend and coming under my calorie goal by 600 each day that I appeared to gain back the past 4 pounds I just lost! I hope it's PMS :-O
  • serenatoVII
    serenatoVII Posts: 3
    I gained 2-3 pounds due to PMS, and I know it will go away, but it's still annoying to have the scale tell you that you've gained a few pounds (especially after I've been working out) T-T

    Luckily it goes away after my period...
  • dieKriegerin77
    dieKriegerin77 Posts: 62
    I can gain up to 5lbs in water weight with ease! It goes away quickly, too. But... ugh.
    PMS is the devil.
  • gwacieee_
    gwacieee_ Posts: 3 Member
    PMS weight gain (and other related symptoms like breast tenderness etc) starts 2 weeks before the period! It lasts until you have your period!
    I've been really good calorie-wise and exercise-wise but the scale hasn't been budging, then this morning I tried on my "goal to fit into skinny pants" and it got snug compared to the other day. I was aghast! Then I checked my period diary and true enough it was PMS! Ugh! I won't bother to check the scale until this is over. I'll just rely on my tape measure or skinny pants' fit.
    I plan to do damage control measures: have Swedish/Shiatsu body massages, cut back on salty food, limit simple carbs, eat more fruits, drink more water, stay away from soda and continue working out!
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    Different people are different.

    Track your weight for a while and you should see the natural monthly cycle. For me I basically work at weight loss all month but see all the results in one week. So I usually register one big drop (big by my standards) in a month, two weeks where I stay about the same and one week where I go up. Of course I could just weigh once a month but I like seeing the trends.

    The week before my period I retain water like crazy. I don't really care about the weight (since I know what it is) but the downside is that I'm often constipated that week... despite eating ridiculous amounts of fibre. Once my period starts... woosh... all the cells seem to give up their water and I actually feel like a balloon deflating.
  • Willowana
    Willowana Posts: 493 Member
    My weight fluctuates daily. I'm accustomed to seeing the up/down rollercoaster. PMS and TOM don't seem to have much bearing. I still lose even when I'm full swing..... unless of course I'm hitting the chocolate like a crack fiend. I do tend to get hungrier and crave more during that time, which can affect my calorie goals if I'm not careful. But as long as I keep myself in check, it's not normally a problem.
  • Mmmmona
    Mmmmona Posts: 328 Member
    I find I am the opposite. Last week I got my rag on Tuesday and by Sunday I had lost five pounds. I don't know if it is from the nausea (eating less) or the extra exercise (helps cramps) but I always see a huge loss during that time.
  • JBsCrazyGirl
    JBsCrazyGirl Posts: 337
    I be perfectly honest, as SOON as I feel those lovely cramps coming by...
    I hide the scale, drink more water, and concentrate on NOT eating whatever food I can think of that will make me feel better :laugh:

    I do want to see how much "water weight" or "PMS weight gain" is on or off me. Already go through enough during that time with other stupid emotions.

    Just make your body feel good in healthy ways during that time :flowerforyou:
  • gwacieee_
    gwacieee_ Posts: 3 Member
    So nice to know about your monthly weight loss cycle! I think I'm similar. I work it consistently more or less then see my weight stay the same or fluctuate for a week it two then lose. I couldn't pinpoint what I did specifically (was it the Tae Bo? Was it the Hiphop Abs?) so I guess it's just how my weigh loss cycle works.

    Re the weight gain I'm glad it doesn't bother you, it irks me though because my clothes get tight :( and yes I also get constipated! I try drinking lots of water and eat more fruits to alleviate this. Psyllium fiber doesn't work for me too, I'm a person who easily gets dehydrated and taking this makes me more constipated! It somehow becomes a hard mass in my tummy since I easily lack water. Fruits help me in this regard :)

    I can relate with the deflating balloon feeling! Such a relief! :)
    Different people are different.

    Track your weight for a while and you should see the natural monthly cycle. For me I basically work at weight loss all month but see all the results in one week. So I usually register one big drop (big by my standards) in a month, two weeks where I stay about the same and one week where I go up. Of course I could just weigh once a month but I like seeing the trends.

    The week before my period I retain water like crazy. I don't really care about the weight (since I know what it is) but the downside is that I'm often constipated that week... despite eating ridiculous amounts of fibre. Once my period starts... woosh... all the cells seem to give up their water and I actually feel like a balloon deflating.
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