Stopping Period Cravings??

Resist them as much as you can. The more you resist, the easier it is, the less you crave them.

I wish I had an answer. I crave chocolate like mad before my period and I HAVE to have it, no amount of will power or thought of weight loss will stop me. It sucks

I know a lot of people don't agree with the notion of 'clean eating', but since I've started eating about 90% clean I haven't had a single craving when it comes to that dreaded time of the month! I used to crave everything - chocolate, crisps, sweets, baby elephants... and I wouldn't think twice about just giving in to those temptations. But since I've started eating natural, unprocessed foods and cooking everything from scratch I've noticed that I don't crave a single thing any more! I've also noticed that I get less period pain AND my weight doesn't fluctuate at all! I used to be devastated when the scales wouldn't budge, or I'd gain a few lbs from water retention during my period. But for the past 4 months since I've been eating mainly healthy foods my weight has continued to go down, even during my period (which NEVER happened before!)

If that isn't the option for you, then I guess it's down to good old willpower! If I feel like binging, I usually try and remind myself of how bad I'll feel afterwards and how much I will regret it. Sometimes this helps, sometimes it doesn't. You could always go for a walk or something every time you feel a craving coming on - if you've done a bit of exercise you might not feel like eating junk food afterwards? And it might take your mind off it!

Or you could just try to keep things in moderation - have the foods you crave, but be very conscious of how much you're eating. Have enough to satisfy you, eat it slowly and savour it. I frequently tell myself 'Look, Nadine, the world isn't going to run out of chocolate tomorrow. You don't NEED to eat this right here and now, you've got a lifetime ahead of you to eat chocolate'. :P

I hope you manage to figure something out! I know how much of a nightmare it can be each month! Good luck

(Edit - I agree with the 80% cocoa chocolate that someone mentioned ^^. I eat 70-75% cocoa chocolate, as that's the highest cocoa content I can have without finding it disgusting haha, and it usually satisfies any chocolate cravings I have! It's still chocolate, but it's a slightly healthier option than a bar of Dairy Milk! :P )

I just go for smaller portions or subsitutes. Instead of a whole box i'll eat a snack bag of malteasers or if i'm craving sweets frozen grapes helps, and if i'm craving ice cream i'll get a wee pot of frozen yogurt or a weightwatchers ice cream. If i tried to resist i'd just end up binge eating.

There is a video on YouTube with Jillian Michaels that talks about helping with cravings.

She says when you are really crave something brush your teeth or use those Colgate Wisps. if you are on the go. If you have to eat something, they used pizza as an example, take 3 bites then walk away from it for 10 minutes. I guess you are supposed to not care about it anymore, but you at least got a taste.

Depends on whether its craving certain things like sugar, salt, chocolate etc or whether its just plain hungry. I'm always starving at that TOM. I've started increasing protein because I'm lifting and have found I'm less hungry than I've ever been before so maybe try high protein for a few days and see if that helps calm things down!!

I'm definitely more in the I just eat it category. As others have mentioned, I'll try to eat healthier versions or eat less, if possible. But if I'm craving something very specific and it's unhealthy but it's the only thing I want, I'll eat it.

Another thing I try to do is exercise more frequently so that I can eat more food if I need to. Exercising helps me feel better overall and often lessens cramps.

Of course, some days when I'm on my period and I feel like all I want to do is stay in bed, under the covers, and cry, I'll just eat what I want and know that I'll make it up on another day. In those cases, I log it and don't worry about it. If I'm eating healthfully and well for 20+ days a month and not-that-great for 5, I still make good progress on my weight loss goals.

It seems like I'll lose weight during the month, then once my period comes around, I crave things (and eat them)

Ah, that explains this.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1010314-woman-eating-her-husbands-ashes

Check out Metabolic Effect on Facebook - they recommend taking pure cocoa powder (not Nestle's or anything like that) and mix it with hot water.

I bought some organic cocoa powder today & can't wait to try it. I LOVE everything they say at Metabollic Effect. Very helpful.

I just sing and dance naked.

Seems to help.

Can't you just cross your legs??

I too had the same problem when I was doing a regular diet (500 calories less per day). I haven't had this problem whilst doing the 5:2 fasting diet but my periods have become irregular which could be due to work stress and / or menopause.

Well generally speaking you crave things because you need them.

Women will crave things high in sugar and high in salt because of the extra work your body is doing and because of the blood loss from your period. Your body needs them to keep themselves in tip top order. Bearing in mind that the average women on a seven day period will burn and extra 200-300 calories a day from all those wonderful cramps you can afford to indulge a little.

My theory is to work out exactly what my body is craving, and give it a healthier option. So one of my general favourites at that time of the month is red meat. I go crazy over bolognaises, lasagne's, steaks, and gods knows what else and knowing the craving is most likely to be the salt and iron in the meat that my body wants, I take an iron supplement every day from the day before and have a bolognaise with extra lean mince (the typically less than 5% fat ones). That usually kicks it for me.

Try making a list of the foods (and drinks!) you commonly crave when you're on your period and do some research about what nutrients are in each item - if you can find something similar in each then you know what you're missing every month and can plan for it

Just always ask questions, right? then would you need periods?

I have to say, I have never craved a period before. Maybe im odd. Oh wait...

because you are using them in moderation....look ^^^