Ladies-ravenous on your period?

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  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    VeryKatie wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    I do notice more intense cravings... but the only tip I have is to make note of how you are feeling and notice that it's because of your cycle. After that, it's a matter of just saying "No". It takes will power, just like any day. You just have to try a little harder and think about it. Also... more sleep! And your body might be craving iron filled foods too so try to eat red meat and dark green veggies.

    Just like all those posts asking if people exercise during their period - stop letting something so insignificant (and frequent) run your life. Get used to it, you've likely had it for many years and will be dealing with it for many more to come. Just think of it like having a runny nose for a week.

    This.

    Periods should not be an excuse to avoid exercise or gorge ourselves. They happen every month for many years - it's not like it's a surprise.

    LOL that this post got flagged.

    Of course it did! It doesn't include any coddling. Flags are the new dislike! ;)

    I thought they were the new "like"?

    LOL. Who can even keep track these days!
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    What I'm saying is that it's not always just 'cravings'. It's way past cravings, at least for me. For me, a craving is really wanting to eat something specific, and yes it's a totally mental thing... but for me at that time of the month it's way more physical than mental and it's pretty much impossible to ignore it. I did it for a day and ended up starving even more the next day... I guess the more I resist, the worse it gets.

    So yes I'm taking it personally when people insinuate that some people use hormones as an excuse to overeat... I always take responsibility for my overeating and my bad choices, but when that time of the month hits, there's no willpower that's going to help, unless I want to just be physically sick from lack of food. So I want to smack people silly if they start insinuating that I just don't have any willpower... considering I've lost 81 pounds and have no problem eating 1700 calories most of the time otherwise (and if I slip on those days I have no problem admitting that it's my own fault).

    For what it's worth, I'm also that person who pretty much ended up passing out every time she had to have progesterone pills or shots while doing IVF. So I guess I'm pretty sensitive to hormonal changes.

    Now, I appreciate the magnesium and iron advice and will definitely keep those in mind for next month (assuming it doesn't happen again this month) and will try to remember to take those multivitamins too....

    Ok.. except some people REALLY DO use that excuse. You might be one of the people my advice wouldn't apply to. I never insinuated that you have no willpower - you hadn't even commented yet :wink: However, the OP never said she gets sick, just that she gets hungry.
  • hiker_chick
    hiker_chick Posts: 16 Member
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    cloudbustr wrote: »
    Opposite, either normal hunger levels, or I lose my appetite. It's bizarre.

    Well that's lucky. I feel the same during ovulation as I do during my period. I even get cramping and breast tenderness. I guess I'm weird.


    I'm the same way...you are not alone.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    i bit my boss's face off - does that count?
  • Blainey93
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    I get insane cravings for sweets for about a week straight, especially when it's night time and I don't have much better to do but snack! I'll go all month not bothering with chocolate, then all of a sudden all I'm thinking about is how large Daim dairy milk bars are only £1 in the shop...
  • purplemystra
    purplemystra Posts: 159 Member
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    I know exactly how you feel. Once a month I want to eat everything in sight. No matter what I eat I'm never full. Sorry but so far I haven't figured out how to handle it. I usually just give in.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    I use one hand to shovel food in my mouth and the other to high-five my husband for not getting me pregnant.
  • Turning_Hopes_to_Habits
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    It's physical hunger for me, not mental or emotional. Yes, I usually let myself eat more, just make sure it's not junk. Or try to, anyway, that's not always a battle I win.

    But a few days later, I lose all interest in food except for taste. I often get to dinner time and realize I haven't eaten at all that day, and if I decide to make it a fast day, it's no problem at all. I'll wake up the next morning still not hungry. I once decided to go without eating until I got hungry just to see how long it took. I broke down and had dinner on the third day because it just wasn't healthy. But I still wasn't hungry and nothing sounded good for dinner, I just had whatever.

    The problem is, I have to keep control of the hungry days, because I can easily eat 4000 calories a day for a few days and 2-3 days of eating very little still doesn't make up for the calorie excesses of the hungry days. I mean, look at the math: 2-3 days eating all I want, even healthy food, will get me to between 3-4K calories. The very best I could possibly do on the not-hungry days is not eat at all , and that only makes up for 1500 calories a day. So, that's not a workable work-around! It does not all balance out-not if I'm not careful.

    I have to keep a lid on the hunger with healthy foods as much as I can, because being that hungry and simply saying "mind over matter" has not proven at all successful for me. Seriously, I can go to bed hungry every once in a while, but when it's period hunger? It hurts and my stomach makes too much noise to let me sleep anyway. So, I do my best to fill up and stay full on oatmeal, vegetables with some fat, fish, and use fruit for the sweet tooth. On a good month, it works.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    The 3 days before I'm on my period, I can eat upwards of an extra 1000 calories a day. I eat nutritious foods & give in to cravings, but on those nights I just can't stop!

    I stopped that fight. There is always a day or two per month where I'm just never full. I don't mean I feel munchy I mean my stomach is growling, I feel lightheaded, and no matter what or how much I eat my stomach feels like I haven't eaten in days. I try to minimize the damage with fresh fruits and vegetables. As many as I want and I don't count them. I find that at least helps me control the junk.... Protein seems to help me. It's the one time I allow myself as big a serving of steak as I want. Nothing with it, just a mongo giant size of your freaking head steak.

    Plenty of people (on MFP) talk about this as bogus and an 'excuse to eat' but after 30+ years of periods.... they can bite me. I'm glad for the people who don't feel like that, but I do.
  • hummingbirdhope
    hummingbirdhope Posts: 101 Member
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    It's physical hunger for me, not mental or emotional. Yes, I usually let myself eat more, just make sure it's not junk. Or try to, anyway, that's not always a battle I win.

    But a few days later, I lose all interest in food except for taste. I often get to dinner time and realize I haven't eaten at all that day, and if I decide to make it a fast day, it's no problem at all. I'll wake up the next morning still not hungry. I once decided to go without eating until I got hungry just to see how long it took. I broke down and had dinner on the third day because it just wasn't healthy. But I still wasn't hungry and nothing sounded good for dinner, I just had whatever.

    The problem is, I have to keep control of the hungry days, because I can easily eat 4000 calories a day for a few days and 2-3 days of eating very little still doesn't make up for the calorie excesses of the hungry days. I mean, look at the math: 2-3 days eating all I want, even healthy food, will get me to between 3-4K calories. The very best I could possibly do on the not-hungry days is not eat at all , and that only makes up for 1500 calories a day. So, that's not a workable work-around! It does not all balance out-not if I'm not careful.

    I have to keep a lid on the hunger with healthy foods as much as I can, because being that hungry and simply saying "mind over matter" has not proven at all successful for me. Seriously, I can go to bed hungry every once in a while, but when it's period hunger? It hurts and my stomach makes too much noise to let me sleep anyway. So, I do my best to fill up and stay full on oatmeal, vegetables with some fat, fish, and use fruit for the sweet tooth. On a good month, it works.


    Yes! I totally understand this. I was doing the math too. Between yesterday & today I've eaten almost exactly 3,500 calories over.
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    I use one hand to shovel food in my mouth and the other to high-five my husband for not getting me pregnant.
    :laugh:
  • brynnsmom
    brynnsmom Posts: 945 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    I use one hand to shovel food in my mouth and the other to high-five my husband for not getting me pregnant.

    This totally made my day.
  • blktngldhrt
    blktngldhrt Posts: 1,053 Member
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    cloudbustr wrote: »
    Opposite, either normal hunger levels, or I lose my appetite. It's bizarre.

    Well that's lucky. I feel the same during ovulation as I do during my period. I even get cramping and breast tenderness. I guess I'm weird.


    I'm the same way...you are not alone.
    cloudbustr wrote: »
    Opposite, either normal hunger levels, or I lose my appetite. It's bizarre.

    Well that's lucky. I feel the same during ovulation as I do during my period. I even get cramping and breast tenderness. I guess I'm weird.

    Nope. Me too. Or, we're both weird.

    Twice a monthers.. How lucky are we?
  • blktngldhrt
    blktngldhrt Posts: 1,053 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    I use one hand to shovel food in my mouth and the other to high-five my husband for not getting me pregnant.

    i004amk0nqvb.gif
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    PRMinx wrote: »
    VeryKatie wrote: »
    I do notice more intense cravings... but the only tip I have is to make note of how you are feeling and notice that it's because of your cycle. After that, it's a matter of just saying "No". It takes will power, just like any day. You just have to try a little harder and think about it. Also... more sleep! And your body might be craving iron filled foods too so try to eat red meat and dark green veggies.

    Just like all those posts asking if people exercise during their period - stop letting something so insignificant (and frequent) run your life. Get used to it, you've likely had it for many years and will be dealing with it for many more to come. Just think of it like having a runny nose for a week.

    This.

    Periods should not be an excuse to avoid exercise or gorge ourselves. They happen every month for many years - it's not like it's a surprise.

    LOL that this post got flagged.

    Wasn't me, I swear!

    And yeah it seems to happen during ovulation for me (with cramping and all the good stuff), sometimes it lasts until I get my period. It varies from month to month.
  • Lalalindaloo
    Lalalindaloo Posts: 204 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    I use one hand to shovel food in my mouth and the other to high-five my husband for not getting me pregnant.

    This made me laugh out loud. For a while.
  • MariaAlexandra
    MariaAlexandra Posts: 126 Member
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    I've learned to just give in to the cravings. For me, that ravenous feeling lasts only one day if I give in and eat whatever. If I try to fight and struggle with it, it'll last several days. :flowerforyou:

    haha that's exactly what I do. Besides, it is only one day; one day a month is not that bad. :)
  • Yes! The week before I crave sweets and usually the first day (which was yesterday) I eat a huge burger and fries.

    One tip I do have when you're craving sweets is frozen grapes! They almost taste like a dessert and you don't feel guilty when you munch away on em!
  • ljmorgi
    ljmorgi Posts: 264 Member
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    The 3 days before I'm on my period, I can eat upwards of an extra 1000 calories a day. I eat nutritious foods & give in to cravings, but on those nights I just can't stop!

    Any suggestions that have worked for you?

    On those days it seems that whether I eat 100 calories or 500 calories at once, I'll still be hungry thirty minutes later, so I eat small snacks and space them out. Generally I try to eat reasonably nutritious things, but if I'm specifically craving chocolate, I'll have a little chocolate too.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    cloudbustr wrote: »
    Opposite, either normal hunger levels, or I lose my appetite. It's bizarre.

    Well that's lucky. I feel the same during ovulation as I do during my period. I even get cramping and breast tenderness. I guess I'm weird.


    I'm the same way...you are not alone.

    Count me in here, too.
    ljmorgi wrote: »
    The 3 days before I'm on my period, I can eat upwards of an extra 1000 calories a day. I eat nutritious foods & give in to cravings, but on those nights I just can't stop!

    Any suggestions that have worked for you?

    On those days it seems that whether I eat 100 calories or 500 calories at once, I'll still be hungry thirty minutes later, so I eat small snacks and space them out. Generally I try to eat reasonably nutritious things, but if I'm specifically craving chocolate, I'll have a little chocolate too.

    I also find that it doesn't matter if I eat a little or a lot, it's the frequency of the need to eat that hurts me. I try to pair my smallish snacks - so I'll have a few almonds with my square(s) of chocolate. Then the almonds (temporarily!) fill the hole and the chocolate fills the craving part and all of me is happy...for another hour LOL.