Ladies only please - TOM question

chloecox
chloecox Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I'm due on next week and am dreading the normal binge feeling I get for the first few days, normally end up stuffing myself with Pringles etc and then feeling crappy :(

Has anyone got any good suggestions for how they stop themselves bingeing or some ideas for healthier foods to munch on to satisfy the food cravings??
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Replies

  • cjs3001
    cjs3001 Posts: 273 Member
    TOM is such a pain to deal with. I would suggest not fighting it if you are struggling but maybe try and have things like really dark chocolate so you don't eat as much or roasted/salted nuts instead of crisps? You could also try and plan lower cal/fat meals so that if you do snack it's not on top of a normal days eating. I normally try and drink as much water as possible at the start too to stop me feeling so bloaty and disgusting and that can help with filling you up a bit too. You've just got to find out what works for you. Hope it's not too horrible!
  • chloecox
    chloecox Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks! I will defo pick up some dark chocolate when I go food shopping, salted nuts is a good idea as well, I always seem to crave salt haha!
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    I second drinking lots and lots of water. Also, I find it's the saltiness I crave, so perhaps you could try an alternative, like cracker chips (Special K has a version) that aren't as calorie-dense.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Keep raw almonds handy - they are great with a small piece of dark chocolate! Munch of crunchy things like sugar snap peas, baby carrots, sliced red bell pepper - and dip 'em all in hummus. Mozzarella cheese sticks with sliced apples, or apples dipped in peanut butter is another good one.

    Just don't buy Pringles! :tongue:
  • Silver14
    Silver14 Posts: 141
    TOM sucks. I myself get very hungry and fatiqued. Due to that though, it makes me want to eat HEALTHIER, because healthy foods fill me up more and give me more energy! A good way to fix those binges i find, is keep healthy watery food cut up in the fridge. Celery and carrot sticks, apple, watermelon, plums, cherries, cucumbers etc. also tea and water with them. Sit down and take time to enjoy the freshness of the healthy food. Think about how it makes you feel. Fresh, healthy, energetic. Then think about how eating those Pringles will make you feel. Guilty, bloated, full, upset, regretfull, etc. If you do find yourself running to the kitchen apafter the watery food, try some filling almonds, Greek yogurt etc, stuff that tastes great and is healthy! Good luck chica :)

    Seconding dark chocolate and peanut butter, great "comfort" foods :)
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    It's natural and normal to feel extra hungry. For me, knowing that little piece of information helps me not feel so out-of-control when the hunger does hit. I just go ahead and eat. I try to make sure that my 'extra' eating is healthy, I don't just gorge on snacks and sweets. I give myself slightly larger portions at mealtimes, trying to focus on proteins. And I snack on proteins and produce. Water and other fluids help a lot too, and are just generally a good idea anyway. Milk does wonders for filling up the empty tummy feeling! But I really try to remind myself that it's only for a few days, I'll feel 'normal' again by the end of the week...so it isn't an excuse to go all willy-nilly, just a valid reason to increase calories temporarily.

    For the fatigue that I'm getting now that all my period symptoms are changing with old age...I find that I need extra iron on those first couple days. I try to eat more iron rich foods, but even that wasn't quite enough. I now take a slow-release iron supplement for the first two days only. It actually sort of curbs the hunger and makes an enormous difference for the fatigue.
  • EllytoSkinny
    EllytoSkinny Posts: 21
    Oh,I do love me some Pringles, but they are my downfall. :)

    I crave salt and chocolate during my TOM, but try to eat a full meal, drink a lot of water, then have a little bit of what I am craving as a treat. I will eat less of it that way, and enjoy it rather than whoof it down (is that a word? well, it is now. :)

    I will have a few (maybe 5-7) tortilla chips with or without some guacamole to curb the salt craving, then a few small squares of really good dark chocolate if I want chocolate. It is much more satisfying than a full size Snickers bar. :)
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    rather than whoof it down (is that a word? well, it is now. :)



    It's "wolf it down" but "whoof" works too, lol.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    I'm on my TOM right now and I just binged today -.-

    I would suggest drinking more hot tea and doing mild exercise.
  • chloecox
    chloecox Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks lovely ladies for your suggestions!! Im due on tomorrow and feel so bloated its horrible :( but have kept it healthy and done lots of exercise today so I can treat myself with something salty and crispy ha! I will defo try and increase my water intake over the next few days to try and help with the bloating, nothing worse then feeling like a pig :(
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
    Use the search function. This topic has been covered 3 times in the past hour.

    All you ladies live together or something?
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    While I am not a lady, I have had talk with some classmates/teachers in regards to change in appetite in TOM during my family and maternal nursing class.

    It is important to get protein in before TOM. Your body anticipates the blood loss and gets ready to produce RBCs.

    Its kind of amazing about how the body has all of these functions and all of these needs.

    I will say bloating with women is hard also do to the fact estrogen controls sodium retention. It sucks, it would drive me crazy.

    Dont stress yourself out too much about it. Its a normal function, you cant do anything to stop it(atleast not dangerously) and nothing good will come from worrying too much about it
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    This is normally where I would say something snarky and mean, but I am on strike two.

    Your cravings are caused, in part, by certain deficiencies, such as iron and calcium, and also because of elevated levels of cortisol:seratonin levels.

    To help combat this, eat some snacks with complex carbs and healthier fats, like peanut butter. To help raise your seratonin levels, exercise.
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    This is normally where I would say something snarky and mean, but I am on strike two.

    Your cravings are caused, in part, by certain deficiencies, such as iron and calcium, and also because of elevated levels of cortisol:seratonin levels.

    To help combat this, eat some snacks with complex carbs and healthier fats, like peanut butter. To help raise your seratonin levels, exercise.
    ....
    iron may be a factor, women are very susceptible to anemia. but for "health fat" and complex carb and to raise seratonin levels that is ridiculous
  • pet1127
    pet1127 Posts: 572 Member
    Use the search function. This topic has been covered 3 times in the past hour.

    All you ladies live together or something?


    LMAO
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    For salt and chocolate cravings, emerald 100 calorie packs of cocoa roast almonds are delicious! Watermelon is also good to help with bloating, and its cool and refreshing:)
  • Garlicmash
    Garlicmash Posts: 208
    I found out during testing for coeliacs that low calcium is a cause of pms,and un till the last 2 yr i never had it. But after i got it seriously nasty as in waving knives about nasty I bought a bottle of calcium tablets and was the complete oppersite the following month.
    Extremely calm and no snap rage. I found from tracking on here that my calcuim is always very low because of being allergic to gluten so lots of dairy is out of the question.
    I had to start taking iron again aswell cause it was far to low and made me really ill,I now know why some women feel sick .they must be low on iron.

    I can't say I get a regular monthy crave around that time,I haven't noticed any any way.

    though saying that I just finished mine last week and chocolate had been on my mind but that may have been cause i hadn't had any for a while.

    oh I do have a tin of rice pudding on the sore days if I feel crapy,I don't really want to eat anything else but I don't crave it
  • DixieDarlin1987
    DixieDarlin1987 Posts: 553 Member
    I always crave chocolate so I agree with the dark chocolate thing and also maybe try some chocolate protein bars/shakes. They're not quite as yummy, but it works for me. They have come out with some pretty good ones....I LOVE the Pure Protein brand in the Chocolate Deluxe and Peanut Butter Chocolate flavors. and they have 20g of protein! :)
  • Lipstickcherry
    Lipstickcherry Posts: 122 Member
    I pack as much protein as I can into my food daily as I get hungry easy. Even trying to not eat me or dairy, it's still pretty easy.
    Concentrate on getting your protein up in what you eat. That is what I do. Even if I need to have a protein shake.
  • pittbullgirl
    pittbullgirl Posts: 341 Member
    While I am not a lady, I have had talk with some classmates/teachers in regards to change in appetite in TOM during my family and maternal nursing class.

    It is important to get protein in before TOM. Your body anticipates the blood loss and gets ready to produce RBCs.

    Its kind of amazing about how the body has all of these functions and all of these needs.

    I will say bloating with women is hard also do to the fact estrogen controls sodium retention. It sucks, it would drive me crazy.

    Dont stress yourself out too much about it. Its a normal function, you cant do anything to stop it(atleast not dangerously) and nothing good will come from worrying too much about it

    I vote you "most informed, polite man in the interwebs" ;):flowerforyou:
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    Take a multivitamin and get over it?
  • pittbullgirl
    pittbullgirl Posts: 341 Member
    Use the search function. This topic has been covered 3 times in the past hour.

    All you ladies live together or something?

    LOL!!:laugh:
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
    Use the search function. This topic has been covered 3 times in the past hour.

    All you ladies live together or something?

    LOL!!:laugh:

    :laugh:

    These are actually driving me slightly crazy today.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
    Start by thinking about why we crave certain foods it could be your having a deficiency in a vitamin. Try taking a multi vitamin if your not already. Women can get an iron deficiency try eating iron rich foods like baby spinach. Eating smaller meals more often is a good way to also fight that. Don't have your trigger foods in the house and look at ways you can curb your cravings. Mine is chocolate so I use Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut spread with my apple. MEASURE IT! It only has like 5 g of sugar has healthy fats and is a really taste guilt free food. If its salt I am craving I make roasted chickpea or some Air popped popcorn with nutritional yeast :)
  • robot_potato
    robot_potato Posts: 1,535 Member
    Iron and protein. I crave protein around 'that time', like I wake up in the morning and my body is freaking out like it desperately needs protein, so I will often have steak and eggs on those mornings, and I am usually ok the rest of the day. I avoid bread, chips, crackers and other such things during that time as I know I will end up eating a whole loaf or bag or whatnot. I have that kind of stuff when I am not so prone to binging.
  • Yoshimi1977
    Yoshimi1977 Posts: 34 Member
    While I am not a lady, I have had talk with some classmates/teachers in regards to change in appetite in TOM during my family and maternal nursing class.

    It is important to get protein in before TOM. Your body anticipates the blood loss and gets ready to produce RBCs.

    Its kind of amazing about how the body has all of these functions and all of these needs.

    I will say bloating with women is hard also do to the fact estrogen controls sodium retention. It sucks, it would drive me crazy.

    Dont stress yourself out too much about it. Its a normal function, you cant do anything to stop it(atleast not dangerously) and nothing good will come from worrying too much about it

    I vote you "most informed, polite man in the interwebs" ;):flowerforyou:

    I second that! :-)
  • MandyJokl
    MandyJokl Posts: 26 Member
    Buy a large bar of dark chocolate. Split it into pieces. Wrap individually in foil and then put them all in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. When you are craving chocolate take a piece out and nibble on it. Lasts longer as it is so cold. And because you have unwrapped it, and eaten it all psychologically it feels like you don't need as much.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    Um, yeah, will power.

    You don't need crap just because your period is due.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    While I am not a lady, I have had talk with some classmates/teachers in regards to change in appetite in TOM during my family and maternal nursing class.

    It is important to get protein in before TOM. Your body anticipates the blood loss and gets ready to produce RBCs.

    Its kind of amazing about how the body has all of these functions and all of these needs.

    I will say bloating with women is hard also do to the fact estrogen controls sodium retention. It sucks, it would drive me crazy.

    Dont stress yourself out too much about it. Its a normal function, you cant do anything to stop it(atleast not dangerously) and nothing good will come from worrying too much about it

    I vote you "most informed, polite man in the interwebs" ;):flowerforyou:

    I second that! :-)


    Yep, he's going to be a great nurse!
  • sfdf40
    sfdf40 Posts: 32 Member
    You HAD to mention Pringles!!!!!!! Now I want some..........


    Sorry- no helpful advice.

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