One for the ladies... PMS Cravings - tips please

I tend to go a little psycho around PMS time.... I'm like the tazmanian devil running through the house, looking through the fridge... eating anything and everything.

I don't have much as far as tips go, but keep healthy snacks handy. You say you live at home with your parents, otherwise my other suggestion was going to be when you're NOT pmsin'g, go get your groceries for the week and don't pick up any of the "bad" stuff so it's not in the house.

I find if the junk food isn't in the house, I am not likely to run out and get it (although I have..) If I'm really craving chips or soda.. and I don't have any in the house, I'll have to settle for what I do have, which is hopefully fruit, veggies, rice crisps, crackers, etc.

Its hard. I live down the street from a bulk barn.. which is basically anything you want, in bulk. It's not unheard of for me to drive myself down there and pick up bags of candy during this time

I once asked a personal trainer at my local gym about this. The response I got was unexpected to say the least. I was told that I had 'notions'. Anyways, turns out he was right. I did have notions. I was making excuses. You are making excuses. Just don't eat it. Or eat it in moderation. Its PMS. Meh. Get on with it.

For me, I have to indulge in the craving else I'll end up eating 5 servings instead of 1. So if I'm craving chocolate, I'll have 6 Hershey's Dark Chocolate Bliss candies instead of opening a large bag of M&Ms and eating half of it. I also tend to eat my craving food in smaller bites and chew it a lot. Makes it last longer so I'm less likely to go back for more. I work the craving into my calorie budget and do my best to not go over by too much. The other thing is to consider how much of a deficit you're eating at. If you're eating at a 700 calorie deficit and go over by 200 one day, you still have a 500 cal deficit and over 7 days, you should still see a loss.

When I was weaning myself off sodas, I would chew minty gum since no soda tastes good with minty gum. Also, I'd wait at least an hour and drink at least 8-16 oz of water before I had the soda. Have you looked at seltzer water and adding fruit, especially citrus, to it? I know there are many "water infusion" recipes out there and would think they'd work with seltzer or club soda instead of plain water.

Can't help you with the exercise. I live in North Carolina so working in hot, humid conditions is normal. Just drink plenty of water before and after (during as well if it doesn't make you nauseous like it does me) and maybe look at working out early in the AM before it gets too hot or late in the evening as the sun's going down.

Also, I plan my days by adding lunch and dinner to my diary when I log breakfast. I'll also pre-log my pre-workout snack on those days as well. I work best when I can see how many extra calories I have to work with so I can weigh my options when it comes to snacking and cravings.

But yeah, PMS sucks!!

that's a good point.... I do the same thing, if I'm craving and don't indulge, i'll end up eating 5 servings instead of 1. You have to satisfy your cravings. Just do it in moderation, and make the smartest choice possible. Easier said than done, I totally understand!!

If you find yourself on the couch eating ice cream by the spoonful out of the bucket, then maybe, just maybe, you need to rethink why you're doing that, because PMS isn't the only reason, though the emotions that come with PMS might be.

Around when I PMS I make this tortilla pizza under 300 calories and a crap load of protein.

flour tortilla (I use 365 organic homestyle)
pizza sauce-under 1/4 cup (I use Ragu homestyle)
1 oz sharp cheddar (cooks better on tortilla bc mozzarella is usually high moisture)
1 oz turkey pepperoni

bake at 450 for a while then I put to 475 until it gets crispy

I know it is full of preservatives probably and it isn't "clean" so it still is probably something you don't want to eat everyday

I get cravings right before my period and I just adjust my other meals to accomodate. I love love love ice cream, and I can usually budget for it. Sometimes I just eat at maintenance for a couple of days, I have a 500 calorie deficit so if I go over by 500, I'm, at worst, breaking even and a push is a win in my books

I find the healthier I eat throughout the month really curbs my pms, when I am not eating healthily I'm like a grisly bear but when I'm eating well it doesn't seem to bother me and I have very slight craving that I satisfy with fruits or a small bite size chocolate

I once asked a personal trainer at my local gym about this. The response I got was unexpected to say the least. I was told that I had 'notions'. Anyways, turns out he was right. I did have notions. I was making excuses. You are making excuses. Just don't eat it. Or eat it in moderation. Its PMS. Meh. Get on with it.

Funny, an awful lot of women make excuses for similar food at the exact same time. Weird. lol

Interesting responses; I am post menopausal thank god but still get cravings and have been getting steroid injections for pain which stimulate your appetite. (god I sound OLD) But for stuff everyday esp when overwhelmed, confused, hot and tired, thirsty and hungry, I sometimes eat half of what I want just to get the taste. I think seriously trying to lose weight you have to say no to yourself alot. I think there is no "blanket" answer but you can just take one craving at a time and deal with it in the most self loving and mindful way so as not to hurt yourself and your progress. It really helps being a nurse and seeing how obesity and inactivity cripples people as they age. Hang in there........ one day at a time.

I once asked a personal trainer at my local gym about this. The response I got was unexpected to say the least. I was told that I had 'notions'. Anyways, turns out he was right. I did have notions. I was making excuses. You are making excuses. Just don't eat it. Or eat it in moderation. Its PMS. Meh. Get on with it.

Funny, an awful lot of women make excuses for similar food at the exact same time. Weird. lol

:laugh:

You may be right. Personally, I prefer my attitude. It gets me from a to b just fine. Each to their own. The laughing face there???? I don't get it.

It's best to avoid caffeine although I can't say I abide by this one.

I think if what you're craving isn't completely sabotaging you, then go for it.

Try to keep your water up, as that helps guard against water retention (oddly), and exercise as much as you can (helps with the mad moods).

I give in to the urge for stodge at the dreaded time. It's comforting. Chocolate helps keep the mood up and isn't inherently evil (especially if you eat the good stuff).

PMS is real. Hormones are real, just because we can't see them doesn't make them not there. When you get older and grow chin hair and the hair on your head starts to thin, you realize that hormones ARE real. Guys should know that. They are also prone to giving in to their hormones. That is why they are like dogs when they see a pretty lady walk by. The difference is that they don't have cyclical hormones, so they don't notice that they are acting like fools because they have hormone overload (especially the young ones). They are just dogs ALL the time, while we women have our hormone problems for a week or so out of an entire month. Just ask a pregnant lady if hormones are real or not. Guys need to keep their ignorant opinions and ideas to themselves.

I keep a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips on hand, and when my PMS chocolate cravings are raging, I have a tablespoon or sometimes two. The chocolate cravings are pretty easy to satisfy, but I crave starches like breads, pasta, cookies, cupcakes, etc., and that seems harder to satisfy and easier to go overboard with.

I just eat what I crave with no regrets. Sorry, the only advice I can give is to not punish yourself. Also, I have read that PMS actually increases your calorie burn somewhat. (some sources state about 100 calorie extra per day)