That time of the month! / periods

I'd recommend red raspberry leaf tea or supplements (red raspberry leaf, not the ketones), they make a huge difference in pain level and PMS symptoms. I have especially bad periods for a diagnosed but non-repairable condition, so I have to find a way around using it as my excuse. Using a stationary bike isn't so bad while you're feeling crappy since you get to sit down lol! And yes, the exercise-induced endorphins will help you feel better, even if it's hard to think about getting up.

OP I am the SAME way. Some months are worse than others. I actually made a post on this subject last month when I was really struggling. During the months it's really bad, I sometimes put myself in maintenance mode and allow myself more calories. And I eat what I'm craving and fit it in if I can. I don't skirt around my cravings and try alternatives that aren't as good, I just eat what I'm craving. I've found it's best to go that route as I will eat less if I just satisfy those cravings rather than searching for other foods that are not so great substitutes. I get insanely hungry. It's hard to describe it to those that don't experience it, but it's an actual physical hunger and it's constant. My stomach growls, I get light headed...just hungry to the point of complete distraction and nothing takes it away completely. I just muddle through the best I can as that's about all we can do. Good luck to you. I know it sucks, but as long as you're staying on track most of the time, you will continue to lose. I've lost over 80 pounds while still struggling with this every month.

JNV7594 just stated how I feel! I can't describe the hunger. I do as JNV7594 said & just eat a LITTLE of what I crave & chalk the calories up as 'crap that happens'. If I stress over it, my blood pressure goes up & I feel like crap even more.
Also during that time, I base my calories off my weekly allowance & not daily. You'd be amazed at how little you actually go over.
I have actually found that light, LIGHT, yoga helps more than anything with the cramps. I don't know why and I don't care, it just helps more than the Rx the docs give me. I also do an easy head to toe stretch every night to help me sleep through the night.

Until she went on the pill, my sister used to get really really bad cramps and basically "couldn't function" at all. Although, I think everybody's pain tolerance is difference, and I obviously have no idea what kind of pain she was actually experiencing. I don't think "something is wrong with you" if its so bad that it keeps you from doing normal things. I get pretty bad cramps, but luckily Midol helps me. Without it, I am stuck on the couch not moving, because it hurts pretty bad. Luckily, I only get that for one day so I just skip exercising that day. I do get cravings too, for chocolate, and I try to allow myself a little bit throughout the week. I find that if I tell myself I can't eat something, I'm going to want more of it, and its going to be that much more difficult to control the craving. But if you can't stop at 1 cookie, then that's more about self control and less about having your period/cravings.

Oh, and P.S. - I could diet and exercise until I'm blue in the face during the week I have my period. But I have NEVER lost any weight that week. In fact 99% of the time I'm up at least a pound on the scale that week, sometimes 2 pounds. and it usually takes at least another 2 weeks for that to come off. Guessing its water retention.

I tend to over eat when I'm on my period but I grit through the pain and still work out. I have a headache 3/5 of the time anyway so I've developed a pretty suitable pain tolerance. You just got to do it, whatever you chose to do, and move on.