Female hormones, cycles and eating too much

CaliforniaRower
CaliforniaRower Posts: 187 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I had been so attentive to MFP until 3 days ago when I suddenly didn't care anymore if I went 300-500 calories over my "allowance." Watching myself eat like I was on auto-pilot made me do some research. Here's an article I found that really helped me understand that this kind of crazy eating is more hormonal than I could have ever thought possible. Meanwhile, pass the crackers...


https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/contemporary-psychoanalysis-in-action/201302/why-do-i-get-so-hungry-right-my-period

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Even if you don't give in to hormonal food cravings your body retains extra water weight around ovulation and periods which affects the scales

    I find it interesting to track these fluctuations as they help me understand my body more - I use a site called trendweight.com (which links from my MFP readings through my fitbit) but there are apps too like Libra

    this morning I'm up 2lbs on the last couple of weeks - pure hormonal water weight

    fascinating!
  • sclause
    sclause Posts: 86 Member
    I'm craving almond butter and cream cheese on toast. Damn you hormones!
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    I hear ya Rabbit. I've pretty much stuck to my goals (over by an average of 50 cals each day) and I've done 9 hours of unusual exercise this week (9 hours solid of lifting heavy boxes on Monday)- and the scales haven't budged. Plus I'm mega stressed so my period is a week late. (Not pregnant). I'm hoping it will drop once things start settling down. For now- I'll just keep going.......

    Wish it would hurry up though- my stomach and chest feel like water balloons and I'm fed up lustfully eyeing up chocolate!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Whitezombiegirl wrote: »
    I hear ya Rabbit. I've pretty much stuck to my goals (over by an average of 50 cals each day) and I've done 9 hours of unusual exercise this week (9 hours solid of lifting heavy boxes on Monday)- and the scales haven't budged. Plus I'm mega stressed so my period is a week late. (Not pregnant). I'm hoping it will drop once things start settling down. For now- I'll just keep going.......

    Wish it would hurry up though- my stomach and chest feel like water balloons and I'm fed up lustfully eyeing up chocolate!

    *emotes empathy*

    yeah..but you can rest assured that you've done all the right things and it will drop... eventually
  • kickassbarbie
    kickassbarbie Posts: 286 Member
    More empathy here! Just had this and now frowning over my food diary for last few days.

    Every month I get pms from hell and go over calories, I just go for it now (within reason), bloated, cranky, water weight me is bad enough. bloated cranky water weight me also thinking about food and not being able to eat it is just unfair on anyone who knows me! A hungry pmsing me is just terrifying.
    Once a month I go buy three 100 ml tubs of ben and jerrys and a french stick. Doesn't fit my calories but eh. Just go over a little, and maybe workout a little extra next week (i usually still lose/maintain) pms is the worst kind of munchies ever!

    (But don't ya just love it when suddenly the scales drop after the bloat? The weight you lost and the bloat weight!)
  • taelor2
    taelor2 Posts: 272 Member
    Last month I craved chocolate like it was going out of style! This month I'm trying so hard to run the opposite way ( granted that I have one of those large bags of m&ms in the freezer and when I need my fix I go grab 15 (51calories) maybe 2 or 3 times a day until I feel like I don't need them lol). I tend to try to drink more water also. Anyone else have anything they do to try and get past this TOTM to not and gain anything extra?
  • NoIdea101NoIdea
    NoIdea101NoIdea Posts: 659 Member
    I used to get caught out by binge urges; actually, not even binge urges, but I would just have days where my body wanted me to do nothing but eat. I can't describe it, it wasn't hunger or a craving for a particular food, I just felt like I needed to be eating constantly. I started keeping a track of it, and realize that there are two 'points' in my cycle that this occurs, every time; a week before I'm due on for 2 or 3 days, and then the first 2 or 3 days of my actual period. Knowing the cause has helped me control it a lot more :)
  • loserwinner140
    loserwinner140 Posts: 6 Member
    Now that I'm older and in that lovely stage called "perimenopause" where NOTHING is normal and cycles aren't predictable AT ALL, the hormone thing is even more difficult for me. I will have a period that lasts for 10 days and then maybe nothing for two or three months ... or maybe I'll have periods of 3 or 4 days every couple of weeks ... no rhyme or reason.

    The cravings are crazy sometimes. Most of the time I don't indulge my cravings, but water retention alone causes some pretty big swings in my weight - which messes with my head even though I KNOW I didn't "do anything" to cause a gain.

    When it comes to weight loss, we females definitely have a bigger challenge! :)
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member

    I am in maintenance now, and am a daily tracker with fitbit aria.

    I also like seeing the daily fluctuations. You see what day spiked? Happens every month and without fail a few days after that is that time for me.

  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    I think its interesting too. The scale the last 3 days has said I've gained 3lbs....but I know I should ovulate tomorrow - which explains it. I tend to have more cravings/retention around ovulation than my actual period.
  • helenarriaza
    helenarriaza Posts: 517 Member
    I'm currently encountering a hormonal sh*tstorm and pretty much my diet went to hell. My doctor is getting me tested for PCOS, PMDD and metabolic problems. :(
  • ActiveApril
    ActiveApril Posts: 73 Member
    NoIdea101NoIdea wrote: »
    I used to get caught out by binge urges; actually, not even binge urges, but I would just have days where my body wanted me to do nothing but eat. I can't describe it, it wasn't hunger or a craving for a particular food, I just felt like I needed to be eating constantly. I started keeping a track of it, and realize that there are two 'points' in my cycle that this occurs, every time; a week before I'm due on for 2 or 3 days, and then the first 2 or 3 days of my actual period. Knowing the cause has helped me control it a lot more :)

    I am also this way - there are points in my cycle where I feel like I NEED to eat EVERYthing. Keeping track does help, so I can make sure I have a lot of stuff on hand that is not energy dense. I've stopped trying to fight it because the relief (from monster appetite) I get the week after seems to balance things out.
  • Apud85
    Apud85 Posts: 74 Member
    TMI, but I'm ovulating today and I am STARVING. Does that happen to anyone else?? I'm eating about 1400 calories and have been fine up until today. Last week I was doing 1200-1300 and I was totally content. Today though, my stomach won't stop growling.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    yup happens to the best of us LOL

    this week is a double whammy, as all last week i was on vacation and eating all the things.... and so my body STILL wants to eat all the things, and its TOM and ... yeah... ugh. LOL
  • CaliforniaRower
    CaliforniaRower Posts: 187 Member
    edited April 2015
    loserwinner140 wrote: »
    Now that I'm older and in that lovely stage called "perimenopause" where NOTHING is normal and cycles aren't predictable AT ALL, the hormone thing is even more difficult for me. I will have a period that lasts for 10 days and then maybe nothing for two or three months ... or maybe I'll have periods of 3 or 4 days every couple of weeks ... no rhyme or reason.

    The cravings are crazy sometimes. Most of the time I don't indulge my cravings, but water retention alone causes some pretty big swings in my weight - which messes with my head even though I KNOW I didn't "do anything" to cause a gain.

    When it comes to weight loss, we females definitely have a bigger challenge! :)

    You n me both, Winner. I didn't even notice this kind of insane food craving until pretty much the day after my 50th birthday when my clock suddenly said, "Oh, gosh! Let's start perimenopause. Ready! Go!" It's been SO weird. I could have eaten 6x my body weight and now today, I'm human again. SO annoying!
  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
    I ovulated about 4 days ago. I've eaten all my calories today already and it's not even 11am!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    loserwinner140 wrote: »
    Now that I'm older and in that lovely stage called "perimenopause" where NOTHING is normal and cycles aren't predictable AT ALL, the hormone thing is even more difficult for me. I will have a period that lasts for 10 days and then maybe nothing for two or three months ... or maybe I'll have periods of 3 or 4 days every couple of weeks ... no rhyme or reason.

    The cravings are crazy sometimes. Most of the time I don't indulge my cravings, but water retention alone causes some pretty big swings in my weight - which messes with my head even though I KNOW I didn't "do anything" to cause a gain.

    When it comes to weight loss, we females definitely have a bigger challenge! :)

    It's hard to figure out the trends of cycles when the damned suckers keep changing! Mine is now between EIGHT and EIGHTY days. PMS seems to start on cue at day 24 of the longer cycles, which just isn't fair. :p
  • CaliforniaRower
    CaliforniaRower Posts: 187 Member
    I suspect that THIS hormone drama is WHY "middle aged women tend to gain weight." I was fine yesterday, exercised twice, felt pretty happy, like the worst had passed, was eating right and then I felt sick to my stomach after I'd completed my final entry, so I ate toast to try to calm it down...and then another piece when I was still ill....ugh! This is a CRAZY stage! I look at the posts from the women in their 30s who report they "easily lost 20 lbs in the last 40 days" and I just feel...jealous!
  • 00figg
    00figg Posts: 111 Member
    my daily routine is pretty set. so when i am extraordinarily hungry, you can bet your great aunt bippy hormones are the reason why. because i am now tracking and being pretty mindful of what is going on with my body, i am more conscious of these urges. so when they happen, i tend to make wiser food decisions when i stuff my face. :smiley:
  • GlacierGirl907
    GlacierGirl907 Posts: 40 Member
    edited April 2015
    I just started this fitness pal not to long ago but I did go to a new docs due to fibroids and she told me I have been in perimenopause for the last 6 years told be just ride the wave lol. Previous doc just told me nothing was wrong but when you go 6 months without a cycle or have it every other month or every 3 months you just never know anymore. um ya not normal lol. just use to the wonky crap now. Im 41 will be 42 in june yah lol.but I was not prepaired for the mood swings the mirgraines the weight gain and feeling hungry more about that time. I was a healthy 120 pounds and bam just like that went up to 157. now Im 140 just lost 10 per doing the bikini body mommy challenge and want to get down to 130.Wishing everyone lots of luck on your weight loss journey.
  • GlacierGirl907
    GlacierGirl907 Posts: 40 Member
    Apud85 wrote: »
    TMI, but I'm ovulating today and I am STARVING. Does that happen to anyone else?? I'm eating about 1400 calories and have been fine up until today. Last week I was doing 1200-1300 and I was totally content. Today though, my stomach won't stop growling.

    I just wanted to add my 2 cents if you dont mind I just ovulated finally lol 3 days ago and when I am I get so fricken hunrgy I crave cheese with mustard on it and tunafish weird I know but thats all I want and I feel like eating all day its never enough
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    Yep yep, I hear you guys too. I get cravings in the week before my period (or that bottomless pit eating thing where you want to constantly eat even when not hungry). One other thing I have noticed and it seems to be just me, when my period is just finishing I can't push too hard on my workouts as I get dizzy/faint low/blood pressured. I'll be happily doing heavy weights up to my period day, then bam, the next time I'm a weakling, then straight after that I'm back to normal. I do have very heavy periods now though due to having an IUD fitted (I used to be very light) maybe it's to do with that? Does anyone else get weakling syndrome?
  • GlacierGirl907
    GlacierGirl907 Posts: 40 Member
    edited April 2015
    I get more dizzy around that time as well but mine is related to the fact I have MDDS. Which is a rare balance disorder I got 8 years ago after taking a ferry ride for a week cause we were moving and had to take the ferry in the Bering sea and the sea's were so rough I never regained my balance back it took 7 years to finally get the right diganoses .So that being said hormones affect it makes it worse I'm usually laid up in bed for 3 days until she starts then it back to my normal rocking and such. The full name of it Mal de debarquement syndrome ( MdDS) is a rare and little understood disorder of the body's balance ...I wouldn't wish this on anyone and it doesn't go away.
  • hnyzthms
    hnyzthms Posts: 393 Member
    I am trying not to binge atm. My period is due to start on the 2nd May. My stomach is so bloated and I am graving chocolate so much.

    How long till bloated stomach goes do people find x
  • Apud85
    Apud85 Posts: 74 Member
    camilacreme wrote: »
    Yep yep, I hear you guys too. I get cravings in the week before my period (or that bottomless pit eating thing where you want to constantly eat even when not hungry). One other thing I have noticed and it seems to be just me, when my period is just finishing I can't push too hard on my workouts as I get dizzy/faint low/blood pressured. I'll be happily doing heavy weights up to my period day, then bam, the next time I'm a weakling, then straight after that I'm back to normal. I do have very heavy periods now though due to having an IUD fitted (I used to be very light) maybe it's to do with that? Does anyone else get weakling syndrome?

    I was like that my last period! I was working out and had to stop because I felt like I was going to pass out. Even walking out of the gym I felt like my legs were going to fall out from under me. I usually have a really heavy period near the beginning. I think it's related to temporary anemia from the loss of blood. Try to eat lots of iron-rich foods near the start of your period and that might help! That's what I did and I felt a lot better.
  • nikolausi88
    nikolausi88 Posts: 22 Member
    I too get super weak during that time. Usually the first day is the worst, I just sweat like a maniac and have no strength. If it gets too bad I take one of those slow release iron supplements and those help a lot, just time it around the worst cramps - stomach distress from the supplement on top those can be really unpleasant.
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    I get bad salty/crunchy cravings, and I really, really want to go buy a bag of salt and vinegar chips right now. Family size. And I'm not sharing.

    Before I was diagnosed with my iron deficiency, I had bad fatigue spells with my PMS. It's not so bad now that I've been supplementing, but the energy drop is still very noticeable.
  • Ame_ly
    Ame_ly Posts: 29 Member
    I've been missing my period for the last few months, but I remember I used to always be in the mood for chocolate a few days before getting it. :smiley:
  • CaliforniaRower
    CaliforniaRower Posts: 187 Member
    I take a natural iron supplement, probably 18 days out of the month (because I forget!) and I find it has helped a lot with the dizziness, but the weakness CERTAINLY holds true for the first few days. No idea why this happens to our bodies - must serve some random purpose. I keep reminding myself the reason so little is known about menopause is because most women didn't LIVE that long two generations ago. (OK, and most doctors are men...)
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    Wow - good to see i'm not alone in the weak/dizzyness stakes. I'll try the iron supplement. I have some at home but always forget to take them. What an unfortunate thing for us to have to go through every month eh... bloody hormones! :)

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