Ladies: How Do You Handle Bloating & Cravings

katiepaulson1997
katiepaulson1997 Posts: 15
in Health and Weight Loss
So we all have (or have had) a period at some point in our lives. I know a lot of others like myself often experience cravings for fatty or sugary foods like chocolate or potato chips and may experience quite a bit of bloating. What I want to know is how some of you out there deal with all that. As far as the bloating I am on birth control and have tried several diuretics and "time of the month" medications (midol, pamprin, etc.) to try to deal with the extra bloating and nothing seems to help. I would love suggestions on what other things have worked for you (preferably something that doesn't involve other pills).

Another problem I have is the dreaded cravings. They are pretty bad and I must admit that no matter how hard I try I usually end up giving in to them. When I want something sweet I try eating some fruit instead. That does nothing. When I want something salty instead of potato chips I go for my veggie straws. (130 calories per serving and man are they good!) I know that protein is also filling so I also try eating nuts and similar things (not trail mix though). None of these seem to help any. Just wondering how everyone else has managed to beat the cravings. Thanks for reading.:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • allie_00p
    allie_00p Posts: 280 Member
    For cravings, my big thing is usually chocolate, so I get some dark chocolate and keep it in the freezer. Sometimes I still go overboard with it, but as long as I'm eating it consciously I usually get to a point where I'm satisfied enough and haven't blown my day off track.

    As far as the bloating - water. All the water.
  • orangesmarties
    orangesmarties Posts: 49 Member
    I would stay well away from diuretics, most of them cause an inflammatory response that can make you feel incredibly bloated.
    The two things I can recommend are loads of water, to keep the belly bloat to a minimum, and some herbal teas: I like lemon and ginger during the day. Often when I'm craving something, I actually just want a taste in my mouth. So before you reach for the junk, try a tasty tea. And camomile tea helps relax your tummy before you go to bed. If you still want to binge out, try more water, or a strong cup of black coffee. The smell puts me right off eating.
    If you really have the munchies, try to have something light and crunchy on hand, like rice crackers, and portion them out in a little bowl.
  • strassenkoenigin
    strassenkoenigin Posts: 259
    I resigned lately to the fact that I cannot eat bread or cakes without going overboard. I love good bread and home baked cakes, but I am not able to exercise portion control if these things are in my house. I tried everything, hiding the stuff, buying the smallest bread I can find, baking very small cakes, but as a single person the portion are still too big and I always eat it all. So the only solution is not to eat it at all, which is really sad.

    I am convinced that the flour they use today in all baked goods is genetically altered and addictive, because I grew up in Europe and everybody always ate lots of bread and cakes and did not put on weight. I also did not have these huge cravings I have today.
  • Fit_Chef_NE
    Fit_Chef_NE Posts: 110 Member
    For bloating I drink water. ALL. THE. WATER. :tongue:

    Okay, not ALL the water, but I drink between 64-100oz per day, depending on how hot it is, how much I work out etc. It has made a HUGE difference in my bloating, even during my TOM. Still, nothing makes the bloating go away altogether during those few days. I just deal with it and stay away from the scale.

    I deal with my cravings by not having unhealthy things around the house and buying a few healthier alternatives for days when I just can't help myself. Dark chocolate with berries is my go-to cravings snack and it really does the trick. I eat between 10-20 grams of dark chocolate (I eat 90%, but that is too bitter for most people. Stick with something over 70%) and half a cup of raspberries. It kills my chocolate craving right on the spot.

    I simply do not indulge my sugar cravings at all. I eat pretty low carb and low sugar as it is. I use will power. There isn't really any other way around that.
  • Beckboo0912
    Beckboo0912 Posts: 447 Member
    Bloating is a fact of life, it sucks but it happens to all. Cravings, I hold out, I can handle cravings of something salty but forget it when it's sweets, especially starburst favereds. So I hold out until it's not as strong and then I can indulge and not eat the whole dang 5lb bag. Otherwise I'm screwed.

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