Why you gain weight on your period

AlisonKTrader
AlisonKTrader Posts: 56 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Sorry boys for the TMI. I was so frustrated that I had just hit a milestone by finally getting under 130lbs and then boom I was right back up again. I couldn't figure it out. Then I started my period and the numbers started dropping. I was curious, did some googling and found this article. It's great! Explains so much and made me feel a lot better. So ladies if you're curious you should absolutely check out the article.

Replies

  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    good to know!
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
    It's funny, my period started today & I'm actually down 1.5 lbs.
  • AlisonKTrader
    AlisonKTrader Posts: 56 Member
    See! It's totally a thing. I thought it might have been a myth and then it happened to me too. I was so relieved I wasn't being bad and gaining fat instead of water.
  • agreenid
    agreenid Posts: 218 Member
    That is awesome to know, thank you!! I got on the scale earlier this week and yesterday and just couldn't seem to reconcile the numbers even though I knew I was doing the right things... yesterday afternoon I started mine. Made myself go to the gym anyway and kind of phoned in a workout (was super tired and just feeling off) but still did slightly over 4 miles. Got on this morning and was down a pound and a half!
  • AlisonKTrader
    AlisonKTrader Posts: 56 Member
    Men have it so easy it seems. They don't have to worry about this kind of gain/loss every month on top of the usual gain/loss struggles. SO annoying! lol
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    alisonkrupp wrote: »
    Men have it so easy it seems. They don't have to worry about this kind of gain/loss every month on top of the usual gain/loss struggles. SO annoying! lol

    EVERYONE has weight fluctuations. Women have more hormonal fluctuation, sure. But everyone's weight fluctuates based on time of day, amount of water weight from things like sodium or water retention, sore muscles retaining water from yesterday's workout, you name it.

    Weight loss is not linear. If you're expecting yesterday's good day to show up on today's scale reading, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Yes, there's a cause-and-effect relationship between your eating/exercise and your weight loss, but it's simply not that direct or immediate. You'll see it over time in the trendline, but certainly not every day or every week.

    Just stick with it and trust the process.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I retain water terrible right through the week of my period, which was this week. Overnight last night it mostly disappeared. I now try to remember this when I'm wondering why my waist measurement has suddenly increased an inch!
  • AlisonKTrader
    AlisonKTrader Posts: 56 Member
    I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I wasn't saying that we all don't go through the fluctuations on the daily. I was only making the connection to this specific instance. I like to know the reasons of my extreme fluctuations. It's how my mind works. Im very analytical.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    alisonkrupp wrote: »
    I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I wasn't saying that we all don't go through the fluctuations on the daily. I was only making the connection to this specific instance. I like to know the reasons of my extreme fluctuations. It's how my mind works. Im very analytical.

    I hear ya. I've gotten to the point that I'm actually happy when TOM shows up, because I can expect to drop some of that water weight shortly afterwards.

    Data is good.
  • Phoenix_Down
    Phoenix_Down Posts: 530 Member
    I gain about a week before and my hunger either goes away completely, or I want to eat everything in sight. I drop the weight shortly after I start.
  • claudiasusana93
    claudiasusana93 Posts: 7 Member
    Iv been exercising this week like religiously been good on my meals and my weight kept going up and i did the same thing looked online and found the same article made me feel so much better!
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    edited May 2015
    Thanks for posting. Was thinking about this just this morning.

    You know how after a big workout muscles retain water for repair? I was wondering if there is a relationship between abdominal contractions (cramps) and muscular water retention. My daily fluctuations are usually within half a pound either way (i.e. not huge fluctuations). Sometimes I see 1lb drop on the first day, and sometimes I see a 1lb gain. I'm like segacs, in that I'm just glad to know it will be back to normal soon!
  • AlisonKTrader
    AlisonKTrader Posts: 56 Member
    Phoenix_Down wrote: »
    I gain about a week before and my hunger either goes away completely, or I want to eat everything in sight. I drop the weight shortly after I start.

    OMG the same thing happens to me! Last week it was a craving for cake! lol I never crave cake. It was so weird. I, of course, had a slice of cake btw. hahaha you have to give in to cravings sometimes :wink:
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I gain when I ovulate too, and I eat a lot of sodium. I swear there is only a small window every month when I can get an accurate reading.
  • AlisonKTrader
    AlisonKTrader Posts: 56 Member
    That's frustrating, but at least you know your fluctuations :smile:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited May 2015
    Ha! I was going to start a thread about this but you beat me to it :)

    The article says:

    “Weight gain happens five days before your period, but you’ll be back to normal once you start,”

    Yes, I would expect to lose the weight within a few days after I start. I have fibroids and extremely heavy bleeding. However, I don't get that big drop until more than a few days after. For example, my period started last Friday but the drop was Friday yesterday. I was in a calorie deficit before and during my period. (Although I am eating exercise calories and am learning that maybe I shouldn't.)

    I've been wondering why it takes so long for the drop. It may have something to do with my change of diet pre-menstrually to indulge food cravings. (Still in a deficit; see above.)

    I generally get less exercise during the two heavy days of my period and for two days after, although on this time on Mother's Day I walked around a botanical garden for two hours with my family.
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