Periods & food. How do you stay in control?

Hello,
If you're talking about the pain of a period, you can actually get your doctor to prescribe you a strong ibuprofen that's what I take for my period pains.

However, if you are referring to the food that you crave on your period, or I know that I do anyway, the chocolate and greasy pizza. Just keep in mind that these things will NOT make it better. In fact, they will make the pain a ton worse.

Keep in mind that period pains and cravings do not last forever.

Magnesium supplements can help with your period im not sure if it helps with cravings but I try to make clean/ healthier versions of sweet foods that I like or eat fruit or high% cocoa dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.

I eat at TDEE or above on the days I'm really hungry during my period. This has not sabotaged my weight loss long term. I focus on eating more carbs and sticking to my protein goal. I allow myself dark chocolate and any other treats I'm craving, in moderation.

I got rid of my period XD
IUDs for the win

just say no.....

I'm on awesome birth control that stops my period So I don't care about PMS any more woooooo

I don't always stay in control. I have 10 periods a year which are a complete non-event in that I get no period pain, cravings, mood swings etc. Then about every 6 months I have the period from hell and I am a moody, ravenous, cramping mess. It's the one thing I don't beat myself up over if I over indulge a bit. When I was restricting calories I'd allow myself maintenance calories on those days to help get through, now I allow myself enough calories that I can 'catch up' by having a small restriction for a few days afterwards to counteract it.

Eat regularly.

Make sure you're eating protein with every snack or meal.

Get enough sleep and water.

Talk to your doctor about prophylactic Advil. I take Advil the day before my period is due which helps with the pain but talk to your doc first to make sure it's okay with your current medical regimen.

I also take Diurex to help with "the bloat", which helps with the pain but again, check with your doc first.
Incorporate the foods you're craving into your food plan.

Hot tea, hot tea and more hot tea.

Exercise, particularly vigorous cardio, has helped me with period pains and cravings.

Finally, muscle through it.

It's hard and takes willpower, yes. There's a lot more to it though. Our bodies crave things when we have a deficiency of something. For example, iron. This is something many of us ladies become low on during our cycle. Do some research and try adding iron rich foods into your diet during the period. Maybe that will help a bit....

Normally im just too sick to do anything, including eating....

I may not be the best person to give advice, but what works for me seems to be working. I crave chocolate and lots of it when I first start my period, and then the cravings drop off. To be honest, I totally give in every month and eat chocolate. BUT I only eat the super dark kind. It's real hard to eat a lot of that stuff, so I get my chocolate fix AND I don't overdo it (also, dark chocolate seems to satisfy my craving better than milk chocolate). Then, for the rest of the week, I go back to eating normal. I guess it all really depends on what you have trouble with, but giving in and satisfying the craving (in a slightly healthier way) seems to work. Only so long as I remember that eating chocolate isn't an every day thing!

Remember, you are in control. You decide what you need and what you don't need. If you need whatever it is you are craving, do it and savor that little bit you have. If you don't need it, distract yourself until you forget about it.

will power, low intensity work outs to generate calories for chocolate and lastly low calories hot chocolate.

*many hugs*

I usually give myself little cheat meals on my period... but drinking green tea and lots of hot drinks works and exercise.

I have PMS Tea from Traditional Medicinals. It's supposed to reduce PMS-induced bloating. It's full of herbs and stuff. It tastes... gross. Honestly. It tastes like chewing on unrefined wheat and flowers. But I keep drinking it instead of eating the things I'm craving. That way even if I do give in (to my salt craving, always salt) hopefully it'll reduce the "fat feeling" I get afterwards, which is the worst part.

I've also read the process of menstruation burns a few calories so if I were at a big deficit I would allow myself maintenance if I need it and move on with my life. You're gonna lose all that water and stuff anyway.

Dear MrsBibz,

It can be very frustrating to have the water weight and the craving for more calories that come along with your cycle. Most of the time a woman only "needs" about 500 more calories during the week but most women tend to eat an additional 500+ a day. That's also what can undo all of your efforts during the three other weeks. Take whatever medications work to control your pain symptoms and hang on through the cycle to your eating/exercise plan and when those five to seven days are over you will drop all and sometimes more than you gained initially.

Lose the weight now. I'm in perimenopause and have recently had a cycle that wouldn't quit w/o medical intervention. It had lasted for 42 days straight. Now that was a bummer.

In the mean time, be happy that you have having normal female issues and revel in your female power.