Ladies.. Period Cravings

carlymaceachern
carlymaceachern Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When I'm on my period I'm constantly fighting that junk food craving. What healthy alternatives do you use to indulge on those brutal days that still satisfies your cravings? I found a recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes on PaleOmg.com that satisfies, what about you?
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Replies

  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Magnesium-rich foods... almonds, lots of spinach, mustard greens, chard. Nutritiondata.com doesn't provide logging like MFP but it does provide a detailed nutrient break down for one day at a time. If you track one day, you can see if a supplement might help you, too. I don't have cravings when my meals are super dense nutritionally. Not as clever as pumpkin pancakes, I realize.
  • carlymaceachern
    carlymaceachern Posts: 16 Member
    Thanks @ahoy_m8‌ :)
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    Popcorn. I crave salt, and making my own popcorn means it's healthier than microwaved, even with a little drizzle of butter, and I can put all the salt I want on it! You can also use sugar instead of salt if you crave sweet, but you'll need to keep track of how much.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Fudge pops. Jello pudding cups. Popcorn. Mac & cheese single serve cups (I add steamed broccoli to mine). Chocolate yogurt (Greek or regular).
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    edited February 2015
    I just eat what I want, but keep myself in my calorie goal. I'll eat the chocolate, but instead of an entire bar, I'll eat 1/2 of a serving (or the full serving if I can fit it in), and then move on.
  • byvanzant
    byvanzant Posts: 18 Member
    I totally know how you are feeling! I have to force myself to just go outside and walk regardless of what the weather is like..like today was under 20 degrees...otherwise I will eat the house! I am trying to distinguish between cravings and true hunger so I normally try the water trick and the get up and move trick and it seems to be helping. Lucky for me I dont have chocolate in the house otherwise it would be all over!!
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    jdhcm2006 wrote: »
    I just eat what I want, but keep myself in my calorie goal. I'll eat the chocolate, but instead of an entire bar, I'll eat 1/2 of a serving (or the full serving if I can fit it in), and then move on.

    ^^This is me. Today I ate nothing but takeout type stuff today (I crave salty/greasy during my period). Some wings, chips, and a double cheeseburger. So what? It wasn't the most balanced days (I'm mindful of this 95% of the time). But for 1 or 2 days a month, dangit! I'm going to eat a few comfort things as long as I stay within my calorie goal.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Why don't you just eat your junk food? I have no idea if my 3 brownies tonight was prompted by my period but either way I ate them because I had the cals and I wanted them.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    IN for chocolate!!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    edited February 2015
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Why don't you just eat your junk food? I have no idea if my 3 brownies tonight was prompted by my period but either way I ate them because I had the cals and I wanted them.


    xucahmqdyvbr.jpeg
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    Sometimes you just need to indulge in whatever you like. When you know your period is coming up you could always save some calories & eat your favorite foods be it sweets or salty. From my experience sometimes substitutions can work & other times you'll still want to eat what you were originally craving in the first place.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    Why don't you just eat your junk food? I have no idea if my 3 brownies tonight was prompted by my period but either way I ate them because I had the cals and I wanted them.


    xucahmqdyvbr.jpeg

    They basically looked like this. I made REAL brownies for the first itme in like... more than a year. No added protein, no substitute ingredientsto make them "healthy" like I used to do years ago. just normal (albeit box mix) brownies that are DELICIOUS. I forgot how soft and chewy and fudgy brownies are
    13634300731559302005.GIF
  • daretodream71
    daretodream71 Posts: 2
    Peanut butter on a spoon with dark chocolate chips. yummm.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    dunnodunno wrote: »
    Sometimes you just need to indulge in whatever you like. When you know your period is coming up you could always save some calories & eat your favorite foods be it sweets or salty. From my experience sometimes substitutions can work & other times you'll still want to eat what you were originally craving in the first place.
    I never know when my period is coming because I don't track it. It's regular, but I just alwasy somehow forget that three weeks have gone by since my last period.. it always feels like it's been years in between.
  • nam985
    nam985 Posts: 140 Member
    I allow myself to indulge within reason. I'm a greasy/salty/deep fried girl when I am PMS'ing, and crave potato chips and dip in the worst way. Since I only have a period 3-4 times a year (yay for continuous bc!!!) it really isn't a huge deal if I put away a big bag of chips over a day or two.
  • carlymaceachern
    carlymaceachern Posts: 16 Member
    daretodream71 wrote: »
    Peanut butter on a spoon with dark chocolate chips. yummm.

    Yum that sounds great :)

    I usually do indulge but I'm trying to find some satisfying alternatives so I have cals for nutrition!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    carlymaceachern wrote: »
    daretodream71 wrote: »
    Peanut butter on a spoon with dark chocolate chips. yummm.

    Yum that sounds great :)

    I usually do indulge but I'm trying to find some satisfying alternatives so I have cals for nutrition!

    Just because you indulge on low-nutrition food doesn't mean you're overall failing to meet your nutritional needs. Diets are a context, they do not occur within a vacuum. Unless all day every day is PB with chocolate, you are fine to over-indulge.
  • Shellsmiley
    Shellsmiley Posts: 323 Member
    edited February 2015
    I usually crave chocolate. What I do is make homemade hot chocolate by adding 2 teaspoons of demerara sugar (it's what I prefer, you can use whatever sugar or sweetener you like) and 1 tablespoon of cocoa. It usually does the trick. If it doesn't, I'll make some homemade brownies or cake and insist my friends take most of it home and leave myself 1 piece per day of my period. It usually does the trick to nix my cravings. :) I don't limit myself from eating chocolate, I just don't buy pre-made brownies or eat store bought junk food. I insist on making it myself so I know the exact ingredients that go into it. :)
  • Nottafattie
    Nottafattie Posts: 140 Member
    OP, I get where you're coming from. It's always nice when I find something that fills a nutritional need while feeling indulgent. It's like having the best of both worlds because then you really deny yourself nothing. It's not that I can't work around the junk I used to eat, but I love it when I find something that works just as well for me and doesn't leave a nutritional void.

    That being said, I saw something about taking a few strawberries, coring them out and filling them with a touch of cheesecake filling before drizzling them lightly with chocolate. I think three good sized berries gets you around 100 cals, but I haven't tried it for myself (yet).
  • wendyceline25
    wendyceline25 Posts: 1
    Bacon is surprisingly very healthy, despite what most people think! I also eat a lot of bologna and meats like that.
  • htowey
    htowey Posts: 31 Member
    edited February 2015
    "ana3067 wrote: »
    1I never know when my period is coming because I don't track it. It's regular, but I just alwasy somehow forget that three weeks have gone by since my last period.. it always feels like it's been years in between.

    ^^this i actually forget that periods are a thing that actually happen until the day my cycle starts haha sadly i've indulged a little too much exceeding my calories for the past 2 days with cupcakes
  • Arliah
    Arliah Posts: 266 Member
    It's that week of the month for me, and so far I got my cravings under control, but I know that tomorrow or the day after I will probably be craving chocolate. I try to mitigate that by having a protein bar or hot chocolate with milk. But sometimes not even that works and it HAS to be chocolate, so I give it, log it and get on with my life (although I don't like to look at my diary when it's messed up like that).
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I'm there right now and yesterday I ate everything in the house. LOL Not healthy, but it happens.

    Peanut butter is usually my go to. I have crazy peanut butter cravings right before I start. I think it's the fat. I eat a ton of peanut butter and I'll start the next day, like clockwork.
  • pamfin
    pamfin Posts: 169 Member
    I actually did a little research into this last month and found a report (not sure how accurate it was) that said that women crave chocolate during their periods because it's a mood lifter at a time when hormones can make you a little depressed or down. It also said that your body craves quick to digest energy foods because it can be so draining.

    I'm going with the theory that I'm going to eat what I fancy and not beat myself up over it because it's only for a few days a month. :smile:
  • klund13
    klund13 Posts: 98 Member
    I had a weight watchers fudge pop last night. It is huge and only 100 calories. Totally hit the spot.
  • jackjackattck
    jackjackattck Posts: 117 Member
    I typically just eat whatever I am craving, but like others have said on here.. in moderation and within my calorie goal! I get painful periods, so I am often not in the mood to cook or attempt to find/make healthy snacks. Sometimes ordering pizza or going to the drive though is all I can manage to do. But I still track the calories and make sure it fits into my day! One of my MAJOR cravings is pizza with ranch dressing and red wine.. and almost every month I tend to have it at least one of the days. I just make sure I have 1-2 slices of pizza and stop.. and not have 4 or 5!

    One thing that helps me keep my indulgences in check is that I am bloated and gain close to 5 lbs during that time. When I already feel fat, it is easier to tell myself to put the food down so I don't bloat up more.

    Luckily for me, I always start on Friday evening and the worst is over before I go back to work Monday. This helps, because I can get away with eating only one or two larger meals throughout the day since I am sleeping in and not tied down to a schedule.
  • callyart
    callyart Posts: 209
    I am going through this right now and it is not going well! I am thinking as long as I keep my exercising up and don't go over maintenance calories then I'm fine! I seriously don't worry about going over when I'm on.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    klund13 wrote: »
    I had a weight watchers fudge pop last night. It is huge and only 100 calories. Totally hit the spot.

    Those things are huge; especially, for the small amount of calories.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    I feed me. Whatever I want. Kill my cravings in one day only. I'll exercise... I'll go over anyways. I don't freak out, don't worry about it, continue on my way the next day. I still lose weight. It's not a race.
  • SandyCoils
    SandyCoils Posts: 164 Member
    I succumbed to the craving of Duncan Hines Cream Cheese frosting straight from the can earlier this week. I had a total of 8 tablespoonfuls between a 2 day period and threw the remainder of the can in the garbage. I try my best to beat PMS & cravings at their own game, but I am no match for them. Their double teaming tactics are too much for me. If I do give in, most times once I have a small taste, I'm good to go and that's all I really needed anyway.

    I have found that fresh fruit helps with mine - especially bananas & cherries. Cherries just seem so naughty to eat - almost like it's too good to be true. I think it's because their "finger food-ish" which makes me think I'm snacking. They're also nice and sweet, and then I don't crave sweets or too many carbs when I have them.

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