Ladies: Pre-period binging?

Options
purplishblue
purplishblue Posts: 135 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Every month like clockwork, a week before my period I get ravenous! It's like my stomach is a black hole. What do you girls do about this? The worst part is I also bloat, so for that week every single month I freak out that I'm eating and gaining weight. Then I get my period and realize I was freaking out for nothing lol, and I go back to normal. One thing to note, I do get a bit anemic during that time of the month, do you think there's any possibility hunger could result from that? I already take 100% iron every day on top of the foods I already eat, so I don't know if I can really get more iron.
«1

Replies

  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    Options
    I know exactly what you mean. I can bloat 2/3 dress sizes easily, and I will eat any chocolate I can find! I can't comment on the anaemic part, but for the binging part I generally just try to preplan that week with lots of salty and sweet snacks to keep the cravings at bay.
  • MelissaDoc
    MelissaDoc Posts: 71 Member
    Options
    My stomach also turns into a Black hole around my TOM. I just keep "dangerous" foods out of the house, like a jar of Nutella lol, and instead get snack sized ice cream bars from a really good brand. The higher quality chocolate shell satisfies my craving and the face that each is individually wrapped helps with the over eating.

    As far as the anemia, if you are taking the iron supplement regularly (and don't have other health problems), you probably aren't really anemic due to an iron deficiency. Instead you are probably just tired due to the loss of blood, changes in hormones, etc, and because of this, your body is telling you to eat for energy.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
    Options
    Eating a piece of fruit when you take your iron tablet helps you to absorb it (something high in vitamin C)
  • KuroNyankoSensei
    KuroNyankoSensei Posts: 288 Member
    Options
    Attacked me hard this week for some reason. Overate by 2, 500 calories (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ . . .

    . . . but burned most of it off ┬──┬ ノ( ゜-゜ノ).
  • BaconSlanger
    BaconSlanger Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    Attacked me hard this week for some reason. Overate by 2, 500 calories (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ . . .

    . . . but burned most of it off ┬──┬ ノ( ゜-゜ノ).


    Bawhahahah, you're flipping of the table with the negative,
    then setting it back down with the positive made my day.
    That was glorious.
  • super_J73
    super_J73 Posts: 257 Member
    Options
    I can't get enough chocolate and salty treats that week. It's awful.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
    Options
    get off the food and get on the booze, it works
  • wahwahwah2
    wahwahwah2 Posts: 6
    Options
    Ohhh god today I almost binged because of my TOM lol. I was craving sweets like something fierce oh my. I ended up having a piece of bread with peanut butter and honey and I felt a lot better. Beforehand I had a lunch of brown rice w/ black beans and mixed veggies on the side and after I had warmed almond milk w/ cinnamon and honey... My body still wanted carbs though! So I had the bread. I felt so deprived. It sucks so bad because I literally have no energy still and do not want to run even if it means the end of me. I'll probably get up and do it still because I start school in a week and the body I have after my period is always the best it ever is, and I want to look my best for when school starts .. Still craving ice cream though -_-

    But luckily enough we don't have any ice cream in the house ;) I'll probably just keep snacking on peanut butter and honey spoonfuls lol.
    But my period hasn't even officially started. It will most likely start tonight... Oh *kitten*..
    But anyways just make sure that what you're snacking on is healthy yet satisfying. Make homemade peanut butter cookies! I have a really yummy and simple recipe. It's on the back of the Kraft p.b jar. Only calls for a cup of p.b of your choice, 1/2 cup sugar (i use brown sugar), and I believe one egg. Super simple and quick. Plus it's not a splurge to have even three to four of the cookies (makes about 11-12 cookies)... Just a lot of sugar if you eat them all :) So it's best to save them for the entire week of hell and "crime scene in my pants".
  • JumpingDog
    JumpingDog Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    I wouldn't call it binging. I call it "I'm crazily hungry for real" and my solution to this is to eat food. Then again, I don't crave sweet foods or chocolate or whatever. I am just really hungry and I need an extra meal to make that go away (today I should have had dinner or 2nd lunch but my stomach had other plans).

    Any time I'm craving chocolate, I'm craving the emotional pleasure of eating chocolate (I had one square yesterday for that reason). I think it's just easier to cave to wants for comforting foods when you don't feel good. I also get lazy when I'm in pain and cookies are easy. I have a lot of nausea too and high fiber/protein foods don't feel as good in my stomach as carb-y snacks.

    Really though, eat and indulge sensibly. There is a limited amount of weight that you can actually gain in one week.
  • ecka723
    ecka723 Posts: 148 Member
    Options
    It is very common for women who are ravenous during PMS and the initial days of their period because, while you may not realize it, your body is burning way more calories during this time with all the hormone changes and everything else that goes on in your body.

    I try to stick to higher protein foods, let myself have that little bit of chocolate and try to make the best choices. For me, I avoid salty food even more during this time because I know if I give in to that, I start to crave EVERYTHING.
  • Tmoxson
    Tmoxson Posts: 19 Member
    Options
    Oh definitely! There are only 2 days in my food journal that include entries such as "Kit Kat," "Twix," "Malteasers," etc. :ohwell: I will bloat at least one pants size during those 2 days regardless of diet and exercise, so I indulge. Makes no difference in the overall goals.
  • ellenvmelon
    ellenvmelon Posts: 11
    Options
    Yes yes yes yes yes. My life right now...l feel like I've ballooned so it's not the best for the self esteem eh.! I bought PRUNES today so at least the sugar wasn't super processed!?
  • kimmie790
    kimmie790 Posts: 26
    Options
    Do not drink tea and coffee with or straight after food. It blocks your intake of iron.
    I'm the opposite of anaemic (hemachromatosis) so I have to block as much as possible.

    As for bingeing at TOM, I think its the law that you have to....if I don't I turn into an angry ginger gnome!!!
  • The_Godwin_72
    The_Godwin_72 Posts: 102 Member
    Options
    THANK GOD it's not just me! Shewwww... I made a protein shake- Creamy Chocolate into frozen treats and I got a couple really good ideas off the P28 website for protein treat.
  • MaxxieTibbyMom
    MaxxieTibbyMom Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    Thank you all for sharing!! And yes, thank God it is not just ME!! I feel so normal now.

    What I do is I binge in spinach the week before. I blend 3 to 4 cups of raw spinach, 1 apple, 1 banana, and water as my breakfast. I do add protein powder or chia seeds to up my protein intake. During the period I have hard boiled eggs in the fridge for snacks and dipping it in salt and white pepper mix when I crave salt. I also get unsweetened black chocolate from Trader Joe’s to satisfy my chocolate craving. Honey is my go-to for sweet. For preparation I cook a lot of vegetables over the weekend to have food in the fridge, so that when I stumble home from work starving I don’t have to think too much and make decisions (my head is usually clouded by then, does yours too?).

    I hope these helps. Please let me know what you think!!!
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    Options
    Attacked me hard this week for some reason. Overate by 2, 500 calories (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ . . .

    . . . but burned most of it off ┬──┬ ノ( ゜-゜ノ).

    Kinda off topic but could someone explain these emoticons?

    (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ . . . <-- I see angry face with arms.. what's the rest?
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    Options
    Thank you all for sharing!! And yes, thank God it is not just ME!! I feel so normal now.

    What I do is I binge in spinach the week before. I blend 3 to 4 cups of raw spinach, 1 apple, 1 banana, and water as my breakfast. I do add protein powder or chia seeds to up my protein intake. During the period I have hard boiled eggs in the fridge for snacks and dipping it in salt and white pepper mix when I crave salt. I also get unsweetened black chocolate from Trader Joe’s to satisfy my chocolate craving. Honey is my go-to for sweet. For preparation I cook a lot of vegetables over the weekend to have food in the fridge, so that when I stumble home from work starving I don’t have to think too much and make decisions (my head is usually clouded by then, does yours too?).

    I hope these helps. Please let me know what you think!!!

    Great ideas! I think upping protein is important during those days.
  • JumpingDog
    JumpingDog Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    Attacked me hard this week for some reason. Overate by 2, 500 calories (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ . . .

    . . . but burned most of it off ┬──┬ ノ( ゜-゜ノ).

    Kinda off topic but could someone explain these emoticons?

    (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ . . . <-- I see angry face with arms.. what's the rest?

    That's an angry person flipping a table.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
    Options
    It's a table!! So the second one is an emotion-less person floating off from a table?
  • Lilaca84
    Lilaca84 Posts: 17
    Options
    Do not drink tea and coffee with or straight after food. It blocks your intake of iron.
    I'm the opposite of anaemic (hemachromatosis) so I have to block as much as possible.

    As for bingeing at TOM, I think its the law that you have to....if I don't I turn into an angry ginger gnome!!!

    Angry Ginger Gnome BAHAHAHAHA! :D
    I close my office door 1 day a month and all the men know to speak softly to me if they MUST speak at all lol....I turn in to Angry Hermit :)

Categories