question for the ladies

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emadigan
emadigan Posts: 89 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
A friend and I were discussing the other day how our menstrual cycles affected our weight. First, during a certain week every month, our weight inexplicably goes up and then goes back down again after. Since I weigh myself every week, I have noticed that this happens every single month, so I've attributed it to my menstrual cycle. My weight will go up as high as 5 pounds and then immediately go back down again after. Has anyone else noticed this? If so, how do you deal? Do you record it as a weigh-in or just ignore that week?

Also, I find myself a lot hungrier during my period. The same foods that fill me up other weeks, leave me hungry during this one week. Has anyone else experienced this?

I was just wondering if anyone else noticed if their menstrual cycles affected their weight loss at all.

Replies

  • kata5
    kata5 Posts: 10 Member
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    that is true about your cycle and I mark mine in my calendar so I know when it will happen and so I personally know it was not caused by me. but your weight should not go up by much and a few days after the cycle is done the pounds should be gone.
  • ScottyLikesCake
    ScottyLikesCake Posts: 54 Member
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    We talk about this frequently at my slimming group.

    Most of us (excl the 2 men!) have noticed that our monthly cycle effects our weight lose and record this in our record books with a little star (we even call it star week). We still weigh in but ignore the gains in that week if they follow a pattern.
  • Awineburg
    Awineburg Posts: 196
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    It might be water weight. Those pesky little Hormones to!
  • cflorkie
    cflorkie Posts: 92 Member
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    I look more bloated, but actually weigh less. Like 1-2 pounds less, at the start of my cycle.

    I do know that feeling about food. Its the only time I find the need to eat chocolate.
  • cheshirequeen
    cheshirequeen Posts: 1,324 Member
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    completely agree. i was on a hunger spree yesterday. i had to exercise a lot just to stay even.i started on sunday. not sure if its fortuneate or not, but i bleed on and off all month. because of my anemiai have my period for 5 days or so, and then i gain some, and it goes away. i dont honestly weigh during that week. when its over thats when i weigh. i dont like disappointing myself. i just remember this is just a bump in the road. although the closer i get to my goal weight, the less water weight i gain, now only like 1-2 pounds instead of 5.
  • emmyvera
    emmyvera Posts: 599 Member
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    yep, i go up anywhere from 2-3 lbs that week or for about 3-4 days. i just ignore it and drink lots of water to help me feel less bloated. i weightmyself quite frequently and i have a bad habit of not doing a weekly looksy & check-in together. i'm working on that.......

    but that week, i don't even post it. i just watch it and it always goes right back down.

    good luck!
  • super_chkin
    super_chkin Posts: 5
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    I use to beat myself up over this every month! I tend to retain fluid easily anyway, so seeing a 5 to 7lb jump was not uncommon. So I stop weighing myself when I know it's on it's way. And during, I avoid as much sodium as possible, drink plenty of water and green tea, and keep the scale absolutely off-limits. Once it's over, I feel good and am ready to get back on track again.
  • Determinedchica
    Determinedchica Posts: 17 Member
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    YES THANK YOU!!! My husband thinks I am making this up! But, I am the same exact way and I notice the more stress I have right before the more weight I gain it seems... could be totally un-related who knows?? I used to get really depressed thinking that I had at some point ate something or didn't exercise enough... and blame myself. But, by now I am like Kata5 I just realize that is what it is and I don't worry about adding my weight until I am over my cycle. To me, that is what really matters. As, long as I go back down I'm cool with it... Now, if I'm over my cylce and all that five pounds doesn't come off all the then I know it's really time to step my game up and keep a very close I on what I eat.
  • fuhrmeister
    fuhrmeister Posts: 1,796 Member
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    My weight definalty goes up during my period. most of it is water weight so I do not record it as a gain unless it stay up about two days after my period is over. I avoid the scale at all cost during this tme b/c it only upsets me.

    And yes I defiantly want different food at that time. I really crave hamburgers!
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    I have noticed that I do put on weight before and lose it all after. I think it's got a lot to do with the way it makes me eat though.

    I tend to get the munchies for really fatty and sugary processed food about a week before my period. Then when it happens I don't want to eat anything. I feel bloated and horrible and the idea of food makes me feel sick.
    So it's possible I eat my calories for the week of my period on the week before. LOL
  • ajhamby4
    ajhamby4 Posts: 2
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    Over the course of the last few years, I managed to lose 30 pounds on my own, prior to MFP. Most of my significant weight loss came following my cycle. And I don't mean the difference that was obviously caused by the cycle. If I weighed 175 prior to bloating and then weighed in at 180 while bloated, following my cycle, my weight loss would be the most drastic . . . like 170. This was the only time I saw larger changes on the scale, any other time of the month the changes were much smaller . . . so I tend to look forward to that particular week just to see what the end result will be!
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    Yup, I vary by about 5 lbs every month, too-- usually starting about 2 days before my period actually begins, and lasting about 4 days. How I deal with it is that although I weigh 2-3X per week (it's a body-awareness thing. .. not an obsession thing. . .) I only record my weight on Mondays.

    So, this past Monday--which fell in the middle of my period--my net weight loss from the previous Monday was only 0.6 lb. But I expect that next Monday it will go down a lot more!
  • superwmn
    superwmn Posts: 936
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    I have that weight spike and do not weigh in during it. It's not a TRUE gain of 5-8lbs so there's no need.

    I am hungrier during my period, but if my stomach isn't growling, I know that my body isn't TRULY hungry and distract myself or avert the cravings with substitutes. If my stomach is growling, I eat another 200 calories or so and wait again for true hunger to return. It's all about listening to my body and distinguishing true hunger from a craving :)

    Charmagne
  • myukniewicz
    myukniewicz Posts: 906 Member
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    im on my cycle now (booo!) and i just stay clear of the scale. i wont weigh myself this week because i know the fluctuations from bloating and what not.

    i do crave more foods, like yesterday, i was much more hungry all day long even though normally, i would be completely satisfied.
    just don't give into your cravings! :D i didn't and i am proud of myself. (now if i can only do that for a few more days!!! lol)
  • sunshinesukie
    sunshinesukie Posts: 22 Member
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    Yes .. Yes .. Yes .. to all of the above. They don't call it the 'curse' for nothing do they?

    Me and my friends call it 'star week', as one of the earlier members called it, it just makes it easier to explain why you don't want that weeks weight to count.
  • minni2906
    minni2906 Posts: 182
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    I wanna throw a new question in on this...

    I don't actually get my period because I'm on the shot. Technically there is still a cycle going on though, right? So would I still have that one week of random weight gain? Cause if so, I'm not seeing it! lol. Or, since the shot is a steady dose of hormone, whereas the pill is a single dose followed by a sugar pill which completes the cycle, would I not have that week or random weight gain?
  • emadigan
    emadigan Posts: 89 Member
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    Wow! I guess I'm not the only who experiences a big jump in weight. The first couple months, before I noticed the pattern, I recorded the weight gain, but now I don't record it, though I do still weigh myself.

    The hardest part, I think, is dealing with the hunger and cravings.
  • elid
    elid Posts: 209 Member
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    I wanna throw a new question in on this...

    I don't actually get my period because I'm on the shot. Technically there is still a cycle going on though, right? So would I still have that one week of random weight gain? Cause if so, I'm not seeing it! lol. Or, since the shot is a steady dose of hormone, whereas the pill is a single dose followed by a sugar pill which completes the cycle, would I not have that week or random weight gain?

    Your cycle is thrown way out of whack on any hormonal contraceptive. Even on the pill, the bleeding is just from withdrawal of hormones, not from the actual menstrual cycle. You probably wouldn't have the typical week of water weight gain, since you don't have a "cycle" per se.
  • minni2906
    minni2906 Posts: 182
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    I wanna throw a new question in on this...

    I don't actually get my period because I'm on the shot. Technically there is still a cycle going on though, right? So would I still have that one week of random weight gain? Cause if so, I'm not seeing it! lol. Or, since the shot is a steady dose of hormone, whereas the pill is a single dose followed by a sugar pill which completes the cycle, would I not have that week or random weight gain?

    Your cycle is thrown way out of whack on any hormonal contraceptive. Even on the pill, the bleeding is just from withdrawal of hormones, not from the actual menstrual cycle. You probably wouldn't have the typical week of water weight gain, since you don't have a "cycle" per se.

    Thanks! That's what I figured, but wasn't sure.
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    You are as normal as about half the population of the entire world. Congratulations! No oddities here!

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