WOMEN! We actually need more calories during "certain times

I get really bad cravings for carbs, chocolate, alcohol (love a brandy & coke) a week before mine. I use diet patches for that week to try and curb the cravings, they have helped and I can control the cravings better, I notice my body temp is higher so I sweat more if I do a workout then, I try and do a few more intense workouts that week to compensate for the cravings before the stomach cramps kick in.

I have noticed as I've got older (now 42) my monthlies are not as heavy and only get about 2 days of bleeding when used to be heavy for the entire week and the cramps were horrendous! Now I only get them the first day it starts and usually a few painkillers keeps it bearable until they wear off.

Will you still burn as many during this time as you get older and they are shorter or hit menopause?

I also read that you burn extra calories right before ur TOM. I makes sense to me. Your body starts producing extra hormones and doing extra things it normally doesn't do. I find myself wanting to eat everything around me the three days before do I giveyself an extra 100 on those days and I feel I've still been on track. I also think every body is different and even every month can be different and it's important to listen to your own body

Sorry people are "beating you up", I appreciate the post. Made me feel better about going over by 80 calories lol

I prefer chocolate. It solves all my problems.

I would be interested in who sponsored, and conducted those studies. I know we all want the validation that our cravings the week before are justified, but I'm just not sure I trust these studies. I saw no documentation that these were from an actual medial or dietetic sources. Also one of the articles seemed to contradict itself on the message it was trying to convey.

I get cravings right before that TOM, I usually post them on my profile page too haha. Usually for chocolate or ice cream- and I always have them! I always log them too and make sure I leave adequate room in my food diary for a splurge.

Exercise has been shown to help reduce cramps as well, so if I exercise and earn more cals plus reduce cramps, it's a win-win! I just don't see the little bit of metabolism boost to be enough to go over my calories for the day, especially since you really don't know how much more you are/aren't burning during that time. I'd rather bank the 150ish cals and put it toward my weight loss.

Everyone is always looking for some excuse/justification for eating more calories. Well, go ahead, eat all the calories you want. But don't wring your hands and furrow your brow when your weight loss stalls and stops. You want to lose weight, use math. If you want to try to lawyer math into allowing you to lose weight without a calorie deficit, you won't win.

Thanks for posting the articles so we can read the information from your source. I'll be sure to check these out later.

I haven't read the comments but that could explain why I'm always hungrier at that time of the month (and I'm not talking cravings - I just get really hungry). I still try to stay under my goal though... just make better choices.