For Ladies....Is is true or just an excuse??

sbwood888
sbwood888 Posts: 953 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Ladies--do you think that it is true that we really retain water weight during our periods? Sometimes I wonder if we make all kinds of excuses during that time to eat more / feel ok about the scale going up, etc. I started this morning. (sorry if TMI) and I also got on the scale this morning expecting to see at least a LITTLE bit of a loss. I was EXACTLY the same. Do you think it could be water weight REALLY??:huh:
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Replies

  • fuzzymel
    fuzzymel Posts: 400 Member
    Its true for me but the weight does go away again so it only lasts a few days. I know I am not eating more on those days.
  • dawny78
    dawny78 Posts: 132 Member
    I haven't a clue if its true or not but my weight normally stays the same for me :)
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
    Yes, most women do retain water. Not everyone. In the long run it doesnt really matter. For about a week you retain extra water. It is meaninless. You haven't gained fat, you may still be losing fat but it's masked by the water retention. You can minimize it by exercising and drinking more water. I do think we often make more of it than it is. But I think that's because we all obsess way too much about what the scale says. We keep telling ourselves that it's not about the number, but I don't think we really beleive it.

    And yes, I do think that we sometimes use it as an excuse to eat more and give into cravings. I know that I do.

    Not to say that it isn't darned uncomfortable though.
  • whittrusty
    whittrusty Posts: 533 Member
    My weight is always higher that week, even though my food and work outs are exactly the same. But after about a week, it's all gone plus some. So, it's definitely not an excuse for me, but I think if you're using your period as a free pass to eat more, then you're treating it as an excuse!
  • peimomof2
    peimomof2 Posts: 79 Member
    Yes, most women do retain water. Not everyone. In the long run it doesnt really matter. For about a week you retain extra water. It is meaninless. You haven't gained fat, you may still be losing fat but it's masked by the water retention. You can minimize it by exercising and drinking more water. I do think we often make more of it than it is. But I think that's because we all obsess way too much about what the scale says. We keep telling ourselves that it's not about the number, but I don't think we really beleive it.

    And yes, I do think that we sometimes use it as an excuse to eat more and give into cravings. I know that I do.

    Not to say that it isn't darned uncomfortable though.



    What you said i think sums it up perfectly!
  • madijo41
    madijo41 Posts: 367 Member
    I bloat up like a water balloon. I put on my 'fat' pants for a couple of days, then I drop back down.
  • melkeps
    melkeps Posts: 17 Member
    I think its true, but i dont have it during that week, but the week before.
    My breast swell almost a size and i feel bloated. The day my period starts i almost feel the water flow away.
    Hormones are so good :)
  • katschi
    katschi Posts: 689 Member
    I do. As soon as it's done, I usually go down a pound or two.
    When our bodies are building muscle, the muscle hangs on to water to help repair itself. The same thing probably happens when our bodies are shedding the uterine lining. It's just natural and not anything to fret about.

    I'm also much hungrier several days beforehand and for the 3 weeks after I have no problems with food.
    I've decided to go with the flow, so to speak, and give myself a few extra calories 3 or 4 days before and stay off the scale for the duration and stop fighting or bemoaning Mother Nature.
    I actually think it makes sense that we have cravings as it probably takes extra calories for the process to take place. I don't think it's an excuse to "pig out" though. Just add a few calories to the day.
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    I do not think it is an excuse. I know that for myself, I have had a few times I've tried on and bought new clothes during pms time and then found two weeks later they were way too big (and this is not at a time I was trying to lose weight!) due to bloating, etc. being gone away. I haven't figured out my pattern this time around, but I definitely agree that water weight does happen.
  • Rupeedoo
    Rupeedoo Posts: 46
    interestingly...i was discussing this was a gastroenterologist recently who explained that it isn't water retention but that food digests slower and fills up the intestines. nice! Anyway, that's the reason for the majority of 'period cramps' (although not all) and why bellies bloat and weight is gained.
  • kelly_a
    kelly_a Posts: 2,010 Member
    I think it's different for all of us. I tend to gain water weight the week prior, then lose it the week of. I noticed the pattern after really watching my diet,(for many, many months) eating similar foods, keeping sodium low and exercise consistent. I don't let it bother me anymore.
  • catherine1979
    catherine1979 Posts: 704 Member
    I always see a small (1-2 pound) gain right before but it immediately goes away in 3-4 days.
  • darwintheboxer
    darwintheboxer Posts: 51
    interestingly...i was discussing this was a gastroenterologist recently who explained that it isn't water retention but that food digests slower and fills up the intestines. nice! Anyway, that's the reason for the majority of 'period cramps' (although not all) and why bellies bloat and weight is gained.
    For me, menstruation is always accompanied by constipation. It sucks. I tend not to gain very much (pound at most) but feel so uncomfortable those first few days. Luckily I rarely get cramps, and when I do they are easily remedied with a little ibuprofen.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
    I don't gain from water retention. I gain because I went overboard on the salty snacks that I'm addicted to. I never use my cycle as an excuse. I just try to keep mindful of my behavior during that time of the month and any time of the month. Also, I don't stop exercising during TOM. That's just lame to me.
  • tats76
    tats76 Posts: 9
    I think it depends on each individual. I know I get cravings, but nothing outrageous (and I've discussed this with my nutritionist and endocrinologist, so I'm not "just saying" that). :wink:

    The most difficult part for me is that I get severe cramps. And by severe, I mean agony. Add that to my wild mood swings (thank you hormones!) :explode: and my cycle is a pretty heinous thing to go through. My energy level drops, so it's always extra difficult to keep my motivation up.

    I think some people might use it as an excuse, but I know in my case, the pain I go through is real, and that, more than bloating or anything else, makes it difficult to keep going.
  • p_cakes
    p_cakes Posts: 282
    If I'm about to start, which I am this week. I don't worry much about that whole week. I'll weigh myself but I won't let it get to me if I've gained.

    I also don't change the way I eat or exersize. I eat the same things, I may add in a piece of dark chocolate, but that's nothing out of the norm for me. haha. And exersizing helps my cramps so sometimes I find myself working out more to make myself feel better.
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
    I always gain a few pounds the week leading up to it. My cravings usually get a little bit worse. My motivation doesn't go away much. The weight gain drops a day or 2 before I start. And I know it's water retention because those 2 days leading up to it I'm constantly running to the restroom. Sorry for the TMI
  • gebnpb
    gebnpb Posts: 166
    Not sure... I think everyone is different. If I really watch what I eat during my tom I can usually loose a few extra pounds & it stays off so I don't think I'm just loosing water weight. I also only seem to get extra hunrgy a few days before I start. Now thats the battle of me!!:tongue:
  • Supa817
    Supa817 Posts: 17 Member
    I bloat up like a water balloon. I put on my 'fat' pants for a couple of days, then I drop back down.

    This is me... I don't think it's an excuse at all, it's just the way the body works for some poeple. I have a pretty flat stomach normally but when it's that time of the month it is noticably bigger because of the bloating (usually accompanied by a 2-3lb gain on the scale). I don't obsess over it. I'm in this for the long haul so a couple of lbs fluctuation here or there doesn't bother me.
  • Mirabilis
    Mirabilis Posts: 312 Member
    That gastroenterologist might not realize that intestinal cramps and uterine cramps don't feel at all the same. They aren't the same thing. One has to do with what you ate and the other has to do with muscle spasms in something that REALLY isn't your intestines. Seriously. You can probably guess what I'm thinking about that GE heh.

    I get constipated during TOM too. It's annoying but suggests water retention as well.
  • Rupeedoo
    Rupeedoo Posts: 46
    That gastroenterologist might not realize that intestinal cramps and uterine cramps don't feel at all the same. They aren't the same thing. One has to do with what you ate and the other has to do with muscle spasms in something that REALLY isn't your intestines. Seriously. You can probably guess what I'm thinking about that GE heh.

    I get constipated during TOM too. It's annoying but suggests water retention as well.

    He said not all the cramps were intestinal... ie that some were due to the menstruation process. He's one of the best gastro guys in UK...that's good enough for me! haha x
  • MommyRobot
    MommyRobot Posts: 268 Member
    I asked my trainer this last month. He said you can "gain" up to 10lbs during TOM, but it will go away as soon as it's gone. So I just remember that when i've got it!
  • JeanK56
    JeanK56 Posts: 76
    Yes it's true.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Definitely true. If you drink extra water you might be able to avoid some of that water retention, but it's true that it happens. This might be a little oversharing, but I've noticed that after the first couple of days of my period, I will spend a day peeing like every 15 minutes. It's because I'm shedding that excess water.
  • lesley1981
    lesley1981 Posts: 329 Member
    It is most definitely true! My weight fluctuates by a whole 7lbs around the time of my period, I;m not eating differently or exercising differently during this time!
  • xnattiex
    xnattiex Posts: 143 Member
    It's true for me, Last month for 2 weeks i had "put on" an extra 5 lbs, but i wasnt eating bad things, then all of a sudden poof its gone with another 3lbs gone aswell Like everyone says i think it depends on how your body works, mine obviously like me being a bloater lol
  • FiercelyFit
    FiercelyFit Posts: 7
    i do think that we retain water weight during that time and generally feel more bloated. at least I do. However i do think that some people over exaggerate the need to want chocolate. I think I too make excuses during that time so I can have chocolate.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    interestingly...i was discussing this was a gastroenterologist recently who explained that it isn't water retention but that food digests slower and fills up the intestines. nice! Anyway, that's the reason for the majority of 'period cramps' (although not all) and why bellies bloat and weight is gained.

    My guess it's both. I do retain water because I feel the bloat all over - not just my belly. I tracked for the first time and I was up 4 pounds on the first day. By the end of the week those 4 pounds were gone.

    One note: eating healthier foods and cutting out sugar and all that crap has taken away all of my PMS symptoms. My boobs no longer swell and get sore the week before. I don't get irritated as much and my cramps during have really lessened. And it's running a day shorter than it used to.
  • eveunderground
    eveunderground Posts: 236 Member
    Yes, it's true. I used to think it was actual weight gain, I would panic and think I needed to get more strict with my diet, until I noticed it was cyclical.
  • tamanella
    tamanella Posts: 500 Member
    Yes, it is true. I always retain water and sometimes I stay the same weight and sometimes I can gain upto 10lbs! It's terrible! But a few days later then I'm down the 10 and sometimes another pound or two because I stayed on my program. So don't lose heart if things are not going down for a few days! You'll see it when it flushes out of your system! Good luck!!
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