Ladies....do you give yourself a "pass" during THAT time?

Nope, I modify my workout slightly(no inverted poses), but it's something that happens every month and it's not a disability so I keep at it. Treating yourself is fine as long as you stay accountable in my books.

Keep in mind weight fluctuation is VERY common and normal to fluctuate 0-5lbs (or so) during menstruation, and 0-3lbs (or so) during ovulation, this is common, temporary and normal.

I do my best, and often that means I do as well as any other day. But sometimes I will eat 100-300 more calories, or work in a treat or snack that I wouldn't otherwise have had. I operate the same as usual, it's just that I may have more cravings and more hunger that fall into what I don't ignore. (ex. feeling physically weak or sick from hunger or emotionally unstable from hunger, a craving that WILL NOT leave me in peace so why not just go eat the thing, etc) <-- All of these times, I will usually do the best I can to address them in a smart, minimally damaging to progress, but effective way. They just come up a bit more frequently at time of the month. (And I don't think doing this has ever hurt my progress.)

One thing that works for me in general is to have treats in the evening. If I have cookies with breakfast, that's totally like, past me who had those cookies. Current me wants more cookies. You know? Then you're stuck all day like, well, I already ate it so... Instead, if I want something extra special, I plan to have it at night. Not restrict all day and cave at night... plan. It works well for me. I could easily have had those two cookies and fudge bar, but like well after dinner, and then not felt like I needed more and more and more forever. It would feel super satisfying to me, whereas if I had it at lunch, after dinner, I'd be wanting more cookies.

Another trick is to pair my treat with something satisfying and healthy. It ups the calories, but it also will really fill me up. So instead of two cookies, but still hungry, ugh, it's two cookies and some greek yoghurt (full fat, flavoured). Way better than four cookies, or cookies and a fudge bar, or two cookies and still hungry, still bugged by cravings.

I'd also recommend trying extra hard not to have carb-heavy meals and snacks. Get your proteins and fats, as well as extra water. It will help with the hunger and the general uck feelings.

Phone accidental entered my last post unwritten.

Anyway, no. I don't give myself a pass. It's a week out of our month in which "passing" could easily negate all of our hard work. Try to focus on exercise during that time. It'll help a lot with pain. Eat things you enjoy within reason so you don't feel deprived.

I sometimes allow myself to eat ~200 calories more for a couple of days. My biggest symptom is extreme tiredness so eating extra isn't generally an issue for me. Oh, and I usually have one day when I pretty much hate everything about everything. It would be nice if all of that internal rage would burn extra calories but, alas, it does not.

jazmin220 wrote: »

BZAH10 wrote: »

No. And I think allowing it only sets you up for repeated slip-ups each month because in your mind you've already convinced yourself that you need to. Granted, I don't have periods anymore - had a medical procedure done when I was done having kids and haven't had to bother with that nonsense ever since.

I do understand that some have more trouble than others, but my first sentence still stands: if you allow it once, you will probably just continue a bad pattern when it probably isn't even necessary.

I agree with this post.

Also, I don't weigh myself during that time.

Normally I try to eat about 100 - 200 cals under my allowance for the day so I can save some up for the weekend. At "that time of the month" however I find I have to eat my full allowance for a couple of days as I an just so hungry. In the past if I didn't eat the extra I'd end up going nuts and eating even more calories (and those were not healthy choices).

Yep, totally. I give myself an extra 100-200 calories when it's really bad. I often fill myself up with the stuff I'm craving instead of my usual meals. Like, I'll stick to my calorie goal most of the time, but instead of having a sandwich for lunch, I'll have a scoop of Haagen Dazs - you get the picture. Not the most nutritious week in terms of hitting my macros and micros, but very satisfying.

I get one cheat day a week where I allow myself an additional 500 calories of food or alcohol (it's almost always alcohol) with any nutritional content provided I met my activity goals so I feel like it's a treat but it doesn't affect my progress. I don't weigh myself "that week" because bloating only discourages us. Getting healthy doesn't mean punishing ourselves all the time, but we don't get to take a break from being women, embrace it and continue to hold yourself accountable.

No, but I don't really have intense cravings or a ravenous feeling. Mostly just rage and hatred for everything. I eat chocolate and candy almost every day anyway so meh.

No, I do not give myself a pass. I will eat my exercise calories if I'm really hungry (normally I don't), but overeating will only keep me fat. It may be a cruel fact of life but there it is. I can't take my case to Mother Nature and have Her approve my extra calories for pass-through rather than absorption just because I'm exhausted, in pain and my 'mones are roiling (and God do they roil). I just can't, not happening.

So it's up to me...do I want to go crazy and stay fat, or do I want to stay on-plan and keep losing? That's not self-tough love or strong sassiness or determination or...anything but, well, biology. I can cry about it and stay fat or I can cry about it, stay on-plan and get thinner. (Or I could just not cry, hmm, never thought of that...well...nope. No. Gonna keep crying. That's just how I roll...)

Now, as far as certain specific things...I may eat overall crappier things (crapper as compared to an average non-hormone-ravaged day, I mean...everyone's definition of "crappy" is different), yes. I suppose in that way you could say I'm giving myself a pass, of sorts. Chocolate is everyone's PMS stand-by but I generally eat chocolate anyway on non-PMS days...I just plain like it. I may crave, say, some sort of takeout, which I will account for in my calorie goal. But sure, I eat it and enjoy it.

And yes, I get Godawful PMS...always have.