I get so hungry before my period!

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butterflyx3
butterflyx3 Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
What do you do to not over eat?
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  • namrettik
    namrettik Posts: 127
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    Actually divide things into the suggested portions, chew slowly (enjoy all of the food's flavors!), drink some water between each bite.

    The first one is the best tip for me. I'm a speed eater (thanks, high school lunches), so I eat through everything and feel full 5-10 minutes later. If I already split off what a single portion of something is, I don't worry so much about overeating.
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
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    I try to make sure that I've eaten enough and have enough to healthy foods to snack on handy, so that I don't get to that "OMG I'm so hungry I have to eat NOW" stage. Drinking lots of water and keeping busy helps too. But I do have to have at least one piece of chocolate....that's built in to my calories. Some people say chewing gum helps, but that doesn't work for me.
  • rebelstreak85
    rebelstreak85 Posts: 8 Member
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    Oh this is a big problem for me too. My hormones go wild and not only do I have horrible cases of PMS, my appetite increases a lot and I get so many cravings. Is there a way to keep the hormonal levels balanced with certain types of foods?
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
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    That is the hardest thing for me - last week was my TOM and 3 out of 7 days I did not make good food choices, just felt constantly ravenous. This has been one of the worst months in recent memory. But I realized that I am also exercising really hard and have frequently been like 500 under my calorie goal.

    I think you have to make sure you're eating all the "allotted" calories and fill up on stuff that lasts like veggies & protien. WATER WATER everywhere too. Although you feel bloated and think maybe you don't need water, drinking more actually helps to flush it out of the system.

    The other thing I noticed is that I was not as busy in the evenings as usual - hubby changed his schedule so we were sitting and chatting more, watching more TV together and was munching more. So staying active, keeping the hands busy with something else will help too.

    Those are going to be my strategies for next month... good luck!
  • irishgal44
    irishgal44 Posts: 1,181 Member
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    Dealing with that right now. I've been so hungry today and it's due tomorrow. On top of it, the day before my period and the day after, I suffer from migraines...and the only thing that works is to drink my medicine down with a coke...no fun and empty calories.

    My only suggestion is get lots of exercise in that day and drink lots of water. Water intake beforehand helps with the bloating anyhow (at least it does for me). I couldn't survive off of 1200 calories today due to my hunger so I knew I had to run tonight in order to stop the hunger pains.
  • celstad
    celstad Posts: 1
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    With your period, your body may be trying to stock up on iron and other related building blocks. So green veggies like broccoli, spinach, green beans, lean red meat (eye of round is a good lean option). Also, citrus fruits may help reduce heavy flow.
    Try some whole wheat pasta or oatmeal as well as your body may be wanting carbs to stock up during your period. You can at least make them 'good carbs'. A 'good carb' is where the fiber grams are higher than the sugar grams.
    If you're getting hungry, foods with protien or slow burning foods like oatmeal will take longer to digest and make you feel fuller longer. The lower on the glycemic index the better.
    Hope that helps,
    -Chad
  • mcarpe52797
    mcarpe52797 Posts: 24
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    I'm dealing with that right now and have given in to a point. I'm not denying myself the cravings, but I am limiting my consumption. I find that drinking a 20 oz bottle of water before I eat helps a lot. Last month I would have eaten an entire bag of chocolate and this month I've had 5 pieces total, so I'm pretty proud of myself. So far my strategy of water and allowing myself a little indulgence has helped, so maybe it could help you? If you're just terribly hungry and not craving junk, maybe just drinking water and filling the hunger with vegetables would work too. I know I'm not ever as hungry as I thought I was when a big plate of broccoli is staring me in the face lol
  • JeanMargaret
    JeanMargaret Posts: 69
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    I have no answers, really. I just wanted to let you know that you're definitely NOT alone. I'm in the middle of my period right now & I'm JUST starting to feel like I'm getting back to myself. I get VERY tired, then cranky, then just out of sorts. I'm anemic and I have PMDD, so it's NOT the greatest combination of things. Still, for me, I've noticed (JUST TODAY) that I need EXTRA sleep during this time. More than the usual 7 1/2 I get on a regular basis. I need like 9 hours. NOW that I know that, I think I'll be more prepared and in better shape during my period. I've not exercise all week b/c I honestly could NOT muster up the energy. Today, I pray that this energy will remain and I'll get in a cardio session this evening. Hey, I'm changing my life here, so it's about making it through the best and worst and never giving up, right?

    Stick to it! No matter how difficult it gets or how many times you may have to sit out a few minutes, you'll always get back in.

    ;-)
  • ande2994
    ande2994 Posts: 136
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    Glad to hear I'm not alone in this! I'd been making real progress on not giving in to my night cravings, but gave in last night and tonight isn't looking much better. Is it good enough to do good three weeks out of the month and accept that I'll gain a portion of that back in the fourth week...?
  • 3LittleMonkeys
    3LittleMonkeys Posts: 373 Member
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    I try to have something on hand like homemade turkey chili. This is very filling for me. I usually eat it over green beans. But you could use spaghetti squash or bean sprouts too.

    Water helps alot.

    No, you aren't alone. It is something I struggle with every month.
  • Mamapengu
    Mamapengu Posts: 250
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    This is quite helpful, I always get so hungry and then irritable and then guilty either for snapping at someone or eating and then depressed. The week before is just no fun when I'm trying to count calories, that combined with gain from the bloating usually makes me just want to give up. I was worried about this month, but I'll take my vitamins, maybe a little extra iron, and try to have something filling on hand for 'emergencies.'
  • jcb2kds
    jcb2kds Posts: 40
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    I always get cravings the week before my period. I usually drink tons of green tea, which keeps me pretty full, and eat some oatmeal with cinnamon. Plus, I already know I'm gonna want chocolate so I keep a stash of those 100 calorie snacks like chocolate covered pretzels. It's still hard so I try to keep busy by reading, looking at these message boards, playing guitar, etc. Just keeping busy helps take my mind off of it.
  • rachyz88
    rachyz88 Posts: 32 Member
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    OMG! Ok im so glad im not the only one doing bad things and feeling soo hungry at a certain time of the month!

    I really fidn it hard... currently am :(
    I jus went over my calories due to this!
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    Your metabolism increases during your luteal phase (from ovulation to menstruation). You don't just feel hungrier... you ARE hungrier. If you have a small deficit (1/2 - 1 lb / week) it MAY hinder your weightloss. I've recently been testing on myself and find that increasing my calories during this phase INCREASES my weightloss. YMMV.

    http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&rlz=&q=luteal+phase+metabolism&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=ws
  • rachyz88
    rachyz88 Posts: 32 Member
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    Wow!! Thanks for that..... lots of info I never knew about :)
  • pinkgigi
    pinkgigi Posts: 693 Member
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    I have this problem too, and sometimes I just try to tough it out because I know I'll lose a ton of weight if I can. I also make sure I don't use it as an excuse to opt-out of exercise because I feel so much better if I make myself do it.

    GG
  • JMun
    JMun Posts: 409
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    Your metabolism increases during your luteal phase (from ovulation to menstruation). You don't just feel hungrier... you ARE hungrier. If you have a small deficit (1/2 - 1 lb / week) it MAY hinder your weightloss. I've recently been testing on myself and find that increasing my calories during this phase INCREASES my weightloss. YMMV.

    http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&rlz=&q=luteal+phase+metabolism&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=ws

    thx for that wee tidbit.
  • JMun
    JMun Posts: 409
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    I know no one really wants to hear this BUT I usually try to work out really hard on the first 2 days of my period. 60-90 minutes of cardio intervals. This always takes care of my cramps & bloat. The "after burn" is incredible for soothing cramps away.

    AND since I wear a HRM I allow myself to EAT ALL MY EXERCISE CALORIES (if I need to)!!

    I can haz chocolate?
    Heck yes I can!
  • Happyoceangirl
    Happyoceangirl Posts: 1,993 Member
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    All I have to say is.... ME TOO. the idea about stocking up on the good carbs make sense ( I always crave carbs more ) and makes a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter seem like a fine idea at 3:30 in the afternoon.
  • butterflyx3
    butterflyx3 Posts: 10
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    After looking around on the internet at some info, I dont feel so guilty! I still try to eat better, but Ive come to realize Im going to be extremely hungry and I need to eat... just good :)

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