We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Ladies-ravenous on your period?
Replies
-
I thought they were the new "like"?
LOL. Who can even keep track these days!0 -
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
However, the OP never said she gets sick, just that she gets hungry. 0 -
blktngldhrt wrote: »
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.
0 -
i bit my boss's face off - does that count?0
-
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...0
-
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.0
-
I use one hand to shovel food in my mouth and the other to high-five my husband for not getting me pregnant.0
-
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.0 -
hummingbirdhope 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!
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.
0 -
Turning_Hopes_to_Habits wrote: »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.0 -
-
hiker_chick wrote: »Lalalindaloo wrote: »
Nope. Me too. Or, we're both weird.
Twice a monthers.. How lucky are we?0 -
I use one hand to shovel food in my mouth and the other to high-five my husband for not getting me pregnant.
0 -
Lalalindaloo wrote: »
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.-1 -
-
Lasmartchika wrote: »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.
0 -
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!0 -
hummingbirdhope 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.0 -
hiker_chick wrote: »
Count me in here, too.
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.0 -
Eating small snacks all day is not a bad idea at all, because clearly big meals are not helping lol. I'll keep that in mind!0
-
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.
I actually didn't think it was you. You don't seem the petty type 0 -
Oh the cravings. Yeah they come after me as well. I don't feel like I'm dying of hunger, but I do find that the little voice in the back of my head telling me to eat the whole bag of cheetos and drink 4 cokes, gets a lot louder during my TOM.0
-
blktngldhrt wrote: »Does anyone else have issues during ovulation, as well?
Yes, sometimes. It's aggravating because I get bottomless stomach for 2 or 3 days a few days before my period starts, and for the first day of my period, too. So I try to be in a deficit (because I am trying to lose the last bit of weight) most of the time so there's some room for going over on those hungry hormonal days. I generally don't go over too hugely-- the most is about 400 calories-- since I would feel sick if I overate beyond about that much.Lalalindaloo wrote: »
Nope. Me too. Or, we're both weird.
And I get that too! Again, only sometimes! It is weird but maybe not unusual if you know what I mean?
0 -
[quote="hiker_chick;30585773I 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.
Now I want some cocoa almonds.0 -
I do believe it is a craving for iron, at least for me. I make sure to eat plenty dark, leafy greens and add an iron supplement. I also purchase the Lindt 85% chocolate, and have a piece here and there. Did you know that dark chocolate is high in iron?
Some of you suggested that adding extra calcium and fats to your diet during this time helps. That is interesting. I am due quite soon and I will try this to see if it helps.0 -
klbaierwalter wrote: »Oh the cravings. Yeah they come after me as well. I don't feel like I'm dying of hunger, but I do find that the little voice in the back of my head telling me to eat the whole bag of cheetos and drink 4 cokes, gets a lot louder during my TOM.
Oh man. I don't even like soda and end up craving it during my tom
0 -
Blegh... Mother Nature strikes again. I've been ravenously hungry all this week, and, as soon as my curse comes, I am too nauseated to eat. I'm tempted to curl up in a corner, try to eat a small dinner, and use the leftover calories for whenever I am feeling better.0
-
oh god yes.. nobody better come between me and my huge chunk of dead cow when i have my period.
haven't had much success eliminating it, but keeping my blood sugar balanced has improved it.0 -
lol I just feel like this all the time period or no period0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.5K Introduce Yourself
- 44K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.1K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 442 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 927 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.7K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions