ladies...is it true that you need more calories during TOM??

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kalebsmama07
kalebsmama07 Posts: 503
in Health and Weight Loss
ladies...is it true....do you need more calories during TOM???
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  • Wolfena
    Wolfena Posts: 1,570 Member
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    I have heard that's true, but it's not very much.
  • lab_goddess
    lab_goddess Posts: 170 Member
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    I don't know if it is true, but i have terrible cravings the 2 or 3 days before TOM arrives!
  • tamheath
    tamheath Posts: 702 Member
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    Don't know if it's true that you NEED more calories during that time, but I know it's true that I EAT more calories during that time!:sad:
  • mcjabber
    mcjabber Posts: 374 Member
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    I'm pretty sure that is NOT true, although we certainly want to. What IS true, though, is if you really skimp a for a few days beforehand (I'm talking zero fat), you will delay your period for a little bit. The body flips out a little and holds on to those nutrients, or something. Of course, this is probably only true for women not on any form of hormonal birth control, I would assume. So my long winded point is that you need some fat in order to function normally. But not more than any other day. :happy:
  • Cina04
    Cina04 Posts: 609
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    I forgot where I read it from but a few months ago I read that you burn more calories during your period.

    Of course I don';t know if it's 100% true. I have to google it and see if I can find it again.


    **found something**
    http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_women_burn_more_calories_during_their_period

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/295115-calories-burned-while-on-your-period/
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
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    I never adjust my calorie intake based on my cycle. If I'm craving "bad" stuff, I workout a little more so I can have it. It's better for my brain if I do it that way. No guilt. :smile:
  • hartsmart
    hartsmart Posts: 141 Member
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    I always FEEL like i need more...ie i get light-headed and shakey with my normal diet and have to add a few calories here and there. probably just an iron deficiency thing though?? but when i do eat extra, i try to make sure i don't also skip my workouts, which i often want to do!!
  • eventuallyoneten
    eventuallyoneten Posts: 1
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    I know for sure that I burn more calories while I'm on mine. My body goes insane with cramping and cold sweats and whatnot. So the body is definitely working more than usual. I have a bad habit of skipping meals as well, and when I skip before my period, I find that it gets delayed. I think you just need to be eating healthy, low sodium meals though.
  • Buttsmom
    Buttsmom Posts: 351 Member
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    Don't know if it's true that you NEED more calories during that time, but I know it's true that I EAT more calories during that time!:sad:

    Same here:frown:
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
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    I doubt it is in any way close to significant.

    Personally, my cravings can be neatly matched up with minerals we women are typically deficient in: red meat - iron; fromage frais/yogurt - calcium; chocolate - magnesium. I found that supplementing can reduce cravings.
  • cddavis04
    cddavis04 Posts: 38
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    I think I read in a cosmo once that you burn a 100 extra calories during TOM but it's not like cosmo is a great scientific journal.
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
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    I've never heard it but......your temperature and pulse are just slightly higher when on so its possible that you would burn a few more that way and as most of us gain a few pounds in water weight you'd burn marginally more that way too but we're talking less than 100 i should imagine so you wouldn't need to eat more...don't let it be an excuse to give in to your cravings
  • xarrium
    xarrium Posts: 432 Member
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    I doubt it is in any way close to significant.

    Personally, my cravings can be neatly matched up with minerals we women are typically deficient in: red meat - iron; fromage frais/yogurt - calcium; chocolate - magnesium. I found that supplementing can reduce cravings.

    Agreed! I'm sure there is a bit of an increased "daily burn", but it's like when you're pregnant--you don't really need to eat more calories (or, the amount more isn't very much), you need to eat more nutrients.

    Also, I didn't know chocolate had magnesium. Sweet deal--you learn something new every day! (I must have a *severe* magnesium deficiency...:wink:)
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    It's not enough of an additional calorie need to worry about adding any to your intake. But you do need more iron then normal because you are losing it so make sure you are getting your 18mg per day of iron then.
  • LilynEdensmom
    LilynEdensmom Posts: 612 Member
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    I crave red meat and chocolate...I hadn't heard about needing more calories though during it.
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
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    I crave red meat and chocolate...I hadn't heard about needing more calories though during it.

    I tend to crave red meat too...I want meat so badly I feel like a cavewoman...i'd tear it off the bone with my teeth. When I crave beef, black pudding and cabbage I KNOW i'm low in iron
  • AKosky585
    AKosky585 Posts: 607 Member
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    I read in one of my books from a college biology class that the average female burns an extra 200-300 calories per day during TOM...which is why we often feel hungrier and crave things.
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
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    I read in one of my books from a college biology class that the average female burns an extra 200-300 calories per day during TOM...which is why we often feel hungrier and crave things.
    I've read that as well, I do think the cravings are real and not simply us imagining them. Our bodies do need more during that time unfortunately it's not more chocolate and salt though.:cry::wink:

    To the person(s) mentioning craving red meat, OMG, I thought I was the only one that had that craving at times. OMG...it's so strong I almost have to go run get a lean steak like it's a chocolate bar or something and make it for dinner. Every other time of the month it makes perfect sense to me it's all about iron, but during the time I have the cravings none of it seems to be logical. Guess it shows I'm not too logical at that time?:tongue:
  • ckmama
    ckmama Posts: 1,668 Member
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    When I was younger and the Rage was All Fat Free diets, my TOM went form 5-7 days, to 3 days max. I don't think you need more calories, i'm pregnant and it says i need 300 more a day and at that rate I'm piling on the weight. So I wouldn't change my calorie target during TOM.

    I would however decrease my sodium intake.
  • MissingMinnesota
    MissingMinnesota Posts: 7,486 Member
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    I crave red meat and chocolate...I hadn't heard about needing more calories though during it.

    I tend to crave red meat too...I want meat so badly I feel like a cavewoman...i'd tear it off the bone with my teeth. When I crave beef, black pudding and cabbage I KNOW i'm low in iron

    I am a huge red meat craver during my TOM but I know that is because I am anemic and it is even worse then normal during that time.

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