One for the ladies - period, bloating, cramps & cravings
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Many, many women experience cravings (especially carbs), painful cramps and mood swings around period time. Many bloat up, too. For lots of us, it gets worse as you get older.
In my twenties, I used to think those women who complained were making mountains out of molehills. I never said that, thank god, but I thought it. I had the self-centered view of the world so many young people have: It's not a problem for me, so it mustn't be a problem for anyone. Those women are just drama queens and big babies.
I'm really glad I never said it. My manners covered up my stupidity. I lucked out there. And by the time I was in my forties, I knew what those women had been talking about!
When I started losing weight, I noticed that in addition to carb cravings, I'd have some protein cravings and a decreased need for food after the period. So, I didn't feel badly about chowing down before it because I knew I'd be having a day of 600 calories after it started. It all worked out, calorie-wise.
Maybe you'll find that you have days afterwards where you don't want food, too. Other people here have found the same thing I did, so maybe you will, too.
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UltimateRBF wrote: »
Stop eating what you want and eat what you need. Your period is not an excuse to overeat. The alternative is to have a huge setback every month and never lose weight.Also, I'm a chocoholic when I'm on my period... bars, cake, brownies... you name it. I'm cutting sugar out of my diet as much as possible... so what are some good alternatives to hit that craving for chocolate?
Spoken like a man who has never dealt with PMS and has NO idea what it's like. I'm with the others that say they go into maintenance mode. I usually eat at maintenance mode during that week, sometimes above. There have been times I have been able to stay at a deficit (which is why I didn't mention maintenance in my post above...OP sounded like that wasn't a road she was wanting to take), but it was definitely a struggle. I am CONSTANTLY hungry during that week. And I am talking stomach growling, feeling faint if I don't eat, I can't even get to sleep at night hungry. It's that bad. It's not an "excuse" and those that have actually been through it know what I'm talking about. Anyway, I've still managed to lose my weight while mushing through PMS week every month. Am I losing it slower than I would if I didn't increase my calories? Of course. But I would rather lose a little slower than be completely miserable one week out of the month. I've still lost over 100 pounds in just over a year which is nothing to sneeze at.
Nope, he's right even though he's a man and doesn't know what it's liiiike! Having your period isn't a good reason to act the martyr, or the victim.Your over consumption of food is not actual hunger but rather a sign of depression. The craving for food is mostly mental and tied to chemical imbalances. These can be treated with diet changes and pharmaceutical strategies. If you're eating an entire pizza and still craving food you probably should seek professional help to deal with these issues.Food craving is positively related to depression during the menstrual cycle. Food craving is more intense when depression is severe, and depression is greater during the premenstrual phase. Food craving is linked to depression in women with PMS. These changes in appetite and cravings indicate the probability of active or passive over consumption of food during the premenstrual phase and in women with PMS. In turn, this suggests a potential for weight gain;
http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/12/6/1142.full.pdf
LOL! *sigh* You need to understand the difference between craving and physical hunger, and again, you are REALLY in no position to preach at women about how they should and shouldn't feel during PMS. And no journal entry is more of an authority on my body than I am...good grief. I've been on this earth for 40 years. I know my body better than anyone over at Oxford. Have a good day, Waffle. A conversation with you is pointless. Oy.
Explaining what I and many other women go through and how we deal with it is not taking a victim role. It's stating a fact. And did you forget what the topic of the OP's post is? It's not like I just started talking about this out of thin air. Good grief, you people. And he's not right in MY situation or in the situations of others that post here. He may be right in yours, but you can't make a blanket statement about all women and say here handle it like this and if you don't you're weak. Different women have different experiences and can offer different advice. That's what threads like this are for. They don't need shame cast on them by men who have no idea what they are talking about and can offer no sound advice from personal experience. Honestly, women of all people should stick together on this topic.
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AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »You have no concept of what PMS hunger is like, no. And PMS hunger is like no other hunger I have ever dealt with in my life. For some of us, it's constant and unrelenting for a week no matter how much you eat. I can eat an entire pizza and literally be hungry an hour later. When I am going through my PMS hunger phase, I get so hungry I can't concentrate, I can't think clearly, I can't sleep, I feel faint, and that is AFTER I eat a normal amount of food. The rest of the month I'm fine, and it actually balances out because I lose my appetite once my period starts. You need to quit lecturing women on a subject you really know nothing about. This is not like regular run of the mill hunger that people experience when cutting calories. I've experienced both and this is much, MUCH worse.
You're wasting your breath, lol. He just has no clue.
I have plenty of clue. It's not normal. Not every woman deals with this. If it's that bad, really, you should see a doctor and have your hormones checked, because it sounds like th symptoms of someone who's BC pills are the wrong type.
Yeah, I was just about to add something similar because I was beginning to wonder if I was odd that I don't feel the need to eat everything on sight for a week once a month. Sure, I can sense a few extra cravings here and there, so I eat some dark chocolate pieces and move on and I'm fine. I would also suggest you see a doctor for this because this just does not seem normal.
exactly this. I had PMDD, endometriosis, and fibroid tumors in my uterus and still didn't have this appetite issue. Overeating like this is not normal, and not a period type thing, either.
Not a period type of thing? What planet do you people live on? Google PMS cravings. Good grief.
And with that I'm done. I just remembered why I haven't posted on these forums for months.
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domgibson88 wrote: »Im getting my period tomorrow and that comes with MAJOR chocolate cravings...I make homeade granola bars (just made some today) I blend some pitted dates with hot water and put them in a pot and heat it with peanut butter, honey and a bit of vanilla, then when it comes to a boil I pour it over oats, chia seeds, ground flax seed and chocolate chips....then pour it on a pan with wax paper and feeeze them... They stay gooey in the freezer....when you cut them up into portions 1 granola bar is 200 calories DONT start snacking on them and just keep them for a craving or just needing a pick me up...they control cravings for me and fill me up and are super healthy but calorie dense...better than a chocolate bar and your body will understand the ingredients
pm me for exact recipe if you want it..its super easy
Was it these? https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-granola-bars/
They were good...except for the chia seeds sticking to my teeth...maybe next time I will add them to dates and water - I don't have the problem with chia seeds sticking if they've been allowed to soak.0 -
AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »You have no concept of what PMS hunger is like, no. And PMS hunger is like no other hunger I have ever dealt with in my life. For some of us, it's constant and unrelenting for a week no matter how much you eat. I can eat an entire pizza and literally be hungry an hour later. When I am going through my PMS hunger phase, I get so hungry I can't concentrate, I can't think clearly, I can't sleep, I feel faint, and that is AFTER I eat a normal amount of food. The rest of the month I'm fine, and it actually balances out because I lose my appetite once my period starts. You need to quit lecturing women on a subject you really know nothing about. This is not like regular run of the mill hunger that people experience when cutting calories. I've experienced both and this is much, MUCH worse.
You're wasting your breath, lol. He just has no clue.
I have plenty of clue. It's not normal. Not every woman deals with this. If it's that bad, really, you should see a doctor and have your hormones checked, because it sounds like th symptoms of someone who's BC pills are the wrong type.
Yeah, I was just about to add something similar because I was beginning to wonder if I was odd that I don't feel the need to eat everything on sight for a week once a month. Sure, I can sense a few extra cravings here and there, so I eat some dark chocolate pieces and move on and I'm fine. I would also suggest you see a doctor for this because this just does not seem normal.
exactly this. I had PMDD, endometriosis, and fibroid tumors in my uterus and still didn't have this appetite issue. Overeating like this is not normal, and not a period type thing, either.
Not a period type of thing? What planet do you people live on. Google PMS cravings. Good grief.
Just because you find a symptom during a Google search doesn't mean it's a good excuse to sit back and let it rule your life. Empower yourself as a woman don't use PMS as a reason to overeat. I've said many different times that overeating is often a masking behavior to cover up other issues, and seeking therapy to discover the root of the problem can often be the beginning of the healing process.
Telling yourself (the general you, not the specific you) and others that excessive hunger and overeating are just PMS symptoms and therefore somehow not your fault is enabling.0 -
Many, many women experience cravings (especially carbs), painful cramps and mood swings around period time. Many bloat up, too. For lots of us, it gets worse as you get older.
In my twenties, I used to think those women who complained were making mountains out of molehills. I never said that, thank god, but I thought it. I had the self-centered view of the world so many young people have: It's not a problem for me, so it mustn't be a problem for anyone. Those women are just drama queens and big babies.
I'm really glad I never said it. My manners covered up my stupidity. I lucked out there. And by the time I was in my forties, I knew what those women had been talking about!
When I started losing weight, I noticed that in addition to carb cravings, I'd have some protein cravings and a decreased need for food after the period. So, I didn't feel badly about chowing down before it because I knew I'd be having a day of 600 calories after it started. It all worked out, calorie-wise.
Maybe you'll find that you have days afterwards where you don't want food, too. Other people here have found the same thing I did, so maybe you will, too.
I wish I had those! I'm less hungry once it starts (after the first day) and I have lower calorie days, but they are rare. I went from 2000+ calories over 2 weeks ago to a 1600 deficit last week (I'm at maintenance but pretty much keep a deficit because of that cursed PMS week).
But it could be worse, I've never experienced those chocolate and sweet cravings that a lot of women have during their period. The cravings just stop (although it's not sweets I crave during PMS, but 'bready' things). But yeah I'm definitely not going to come and post that they're just using an excuse just because I haven't personally experienced it.
I'm just glad I never got pregnant because I don't want to imagine how many pounds I would have gained.0 -
AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »You have no concept of what PMS hunger is like, no. And PMS hunger is like no other hunger I have ever dealt with in my life. For some of us, it's constant and unrelenting for a week no matter how much you eat. I can eat an entire pizza and literally be hungry an hour later. When I am going through my PMS hunger phase, I get so hungry I can't concentrate, I can't think clearly, I can't sleep, I feel faint, and that is AFTER I eat a normal amount of food. The rest of the month I'm fine, and it actually balances out because I lose my appetite once my period starts. You need to quit lecturing women on a subject you really know nothing about. This is not like regular run of the mill hunger that people experience when cutting calories. I've experienced both and this is much, MUCH worse.
You're wasting your breath, lol. He just has no clue.
I have plenty of clue. It's not normal. Not every woman deals with this. If it's that bad, really, you should see a doctor and have your hormones checked, because it sounds like th symptoms of someone who's BC pills are the wrong type.
Yeah, I was just about to add something similar because I was beginning to wonder if I was odd that I don't feel the need to eat everything on sight for a week once a month. Sure, I can sense a few extra cravings here and there, so I eat some dark chocolate pieces and move on and I'm fine. I would also suggest you see a doctor for this because this just does not seem normal.
exactly this. I had PMDD, endometriosis, and fibroid tumors in my uterus and still didn't have this appetite issue. Overeating like this is not normal, and not a period type thing, either.
Not a period type of thing? What planet do you people live on? Google PMS cravings. Good grief.
And with that I'm done. I just remembered why I haven't posted on these forums for months.
I did. Have you tried these types of suggestions?
TOP TIPS TO BEAT PMS CRAVINGS
From chocolatey treats to salty snacks, many women experience intense cravings and ravenous appetites a week or two before their periods. Experts have their theories on what causes these monthly hankerings.
For one, scientists believe low progesterone and high estrogen levels generate a drop in blood sugar levels, which leads to sugar cravings. Eating sugary treats will raise blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, the quick fix is followed by sharp blood sugar declines, creating a roller coaster of irritability, anxiety, and more sugar cravings.
Another cause of cravings may be due to serotonin levels, which are generally lower during PMS. Serotonin is the feel-good chemical in your brain. When levels are low we crave sugars and especially other carbohydrates like potato chips. That's because the body uses carbs to make serotonin.
One thing's for sure, cravings can occur like clockwork and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Because they're practically predictable, women can take several positive measures to prevent monthly pig-outs. Here are the top ways to curb those inevitable cravings.
Eat six mini meals. Eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps cravings from becoming binges. Try eating six smaller meals instead of the usual three bigger ones. Space them out about every three hours to give your body constant fuel.
Choose complex carbs. Fiber-rich foods are complex carbs that take longer for your body to break down and absorb, further curbing your cravings. Eat more whole-grain breads and cereals, and produce like legumes, fruit, and starchy veggies, which are on the complex-carb list.
Go for protein. By including protein at every meal or snack you help moderate blood sugar imbalances and slow the digestive process to keep from feeling hungry. Choose better-for-you protein options like eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, even peanut butter.
Maintain magnesium intake. Research indicates women can experience low levels of magnesium during PMS. Peanut butter, almonds, cashews, brown rice, sunflower seeds, and most beans are great sources of magnesium. It should be noted that chocolate is also rich in magnesium (which may further explain the cravings), but it's also high in fat. If you simply must have chocolate, try to make it a small piece of high-quality, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, which typically has more calories and fat.
Relax and take a deep breath. Cravings can worsen in times of stress. By learning relaxation techniques and practicing them whenever you feel anxious or stressed, you can curtail the snack attacks.
Bring on the sunshine. The lack of sun can reduce serotonin levels, which leads to increased appetite and cravings. Get outdoors or let the sunshine in to raise serotonin levels and reduce sugar and carb cravings.
Get moving. Exercise boosts endorphins and decreases the appetite, but it's not just scheduled exercise that can help. Being more physically active throughout your daily routine can also make a difference. Walk the dog, vacuum the floor, take the stairs, and simply keep moving.
Take heart. Cravings aren't the only thing on the premenstrual rise. The female metabolism also increases a week before menstruation. So if you cave in to a craving you'll be happy to know our bodies may burn an additional 100 calories a day during this time. It's a small way of counteracting extra eating!0 -
It's just ridiculous to allow ourselves to be ruled by food that way.0
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kshama2001 wrote: »AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »You have no concept of what PMS hunger is like, no. And PMS hunger is like no other hunger I have ever dealt with in my life. For some of us, it's constant and unrelenting for a week no matter how much you eat. I can eat an entire pizza and literally be hungry an hour later. When I am going through my PMS hunger phase, I get so hungry I can't concentrate, I can't think clearly, I can't sleep, I feel faint, and that is AFTER I eat a normal amount of food. The rest of the month I'm fine, and it actually balances out because I lose my appetite once my period starts. You need to quit lecturing women on a subject you really know nothing about. This is not like regular run of the mill hunger that people experience when cutting calories. I've experienced both and this is much, MUCH worse.
You're wasting your breath, lol. He just has no clue.
I have plenty of clue. It's not normal. Not every woman deals with this. If it's that bad, really, you should see a doctor and have your hormones checked, because it sounds like th symptoms of someone who's BC pills are the wrong type.
Yeah, I was just about to add something similar because I was beginning to wonder if I was odd that I don't feel the need to eat everything on sight for a week once a month. Sure, I can sense a few extra cravings here and there, so I eat some dark chocolate pieces and move on and I'm fine. I would also suggest you see a doctor for this because this just does not seem normal.
exactly this. I had PMDD, endometriosis, and fibroid tumors in my uterus and still didn't have this appetite issue. Overeating like this is not normal, and not a period type thing, either.
Not a period type of thing? What planet do you people live on? Google PMS cravings. Good grief.
And with that I'm done. I just remembered why I haven't posted on these forums for months.
I did. Have you tried these types of suggestions?
TOP TIPS TO BEAT PMS CRAVINGS
From chocolatey treats to salty snacks, many women experience intense cravings and ravenous appetites a week or two before their periods. Experts have their theories on what causes these monthly hankerings.
For one, scientists believe low progesterone and high estrogen levels generate a drop in blood sugar levels, which leads to sugar cravings. Eating sugary treats will raise blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, the quick fix is followed by sharp blood sugar declines, creating a roller coaster of irritability, anxiety, and more sugar cravings.
Another cause of cravings may be due to serotonin levels, which are generally lower during PMS. Serotonin is the feel-good chemical in your brain. When levels are low we crave sugars and especially other carbohydrates like potato chips. That's because the body uses carbs to make serotonin.
One thing's for sure, cravings can occur like clockwork and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Because they're practically predictable, women can take several positive measures to prevent monthly pig-outs. Here are the top ways to curb those inevitable cravings.
Eat six mini meals. Eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps cravings from becoming binges. Try eating six smaller meals instead of the usual three bigger ones. Space them out about every three hours to give your body constant fuel.
Choose complex carbs. Fiber-rich foods are complex carbs that take longer for your body to break down and absorb, further curbing your cravings. Eat more whole-grain breads and cereals, and produce like legumes, fruit, and starchy veggies, which are on the complex-carb list.
Go for protein. By including protein at every meal or snack you help moderate blood sugar imbalances and slow the digestive process to keep from feeling hungry. Choose better-for-you protein options like eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, even peanut butter.
Maintain magnesium intake. Research indicates women can experience low levels of magnesium during PMS. Peanut butter, almonds, cashews, brown rice, sunflower seeds, and most beans are great sources of magnesium. It should be noted that chocolate is also rich in magnesium (which may further explain the cravings), but it's also high in fat. If you simply must have chocolate, try to make it a small piece of high-quality, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, which typically has more calories and fat.
Relax and take a deep breath. Cravings can worsen in times of stress. By learning relaxation techniques and practicing them whenever you feel anxious or stressed, you can curtail the snack attacks.
Bring on the sunshine. The lack of sun can reduce serotonin levels, which leads to increased appetite and cravings. Get outdoors or let the sunshine in to raise serotonin levels and reduce sugar and carb cravings.
Get moving. Exercise boosts endorphins and decreases the appetite, but it's not just scheduled exercise that can help. Being more physically active throughout your daily routine can also make a difference. Walk the dog, vacuum the floor, take the stairs, and simply keep moving.
Take heart. Cravings aren't the only thing on the premenstrual rise. The female metabolism also increases a week before menstruation. So if you cave in to a craving you'll be happy to know our bodies may burn an additional 100 calories a day during this time. It's a small way of counteracting extra eating!
I've tried all that and everything I could find with google lol. Nothing helps me. I take 3 magnesium pills, go way over on fiber and protein, exercise every day, and it doesn't help. I've even tried fish oil because I saw somewhere that it could help (it doesn't). The only thing I haven't tried is having a lot of mini meals because I'm just too hungry to just eat a small amount of food, but eating a huge amount of food at once doesn't seem to help either (you'd think that 1200 calories of pizza would fill me up - it doesn't). I'm trying new combinations every month, maybe eventually I'll figure it out?
But that's different from OP's problem. I think that OP can probably benefit from magnesium pills.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »You have no concept of what PMS hunger is like, no. And PMS hunger is like no other hunger I have ever dealt with in my life. For some of us, it's constant and unrelenting for a week no matter how much you eat. I can eat an entire pizza and literally be hungry an hour later. When I am going through my PMS hunger phase, I get so hungry I can't concentrate, I can't think clearly, I can't sleep, I feel faint, and that is AFTER I eat a normal amount of food. The rest of the month I'm fine, and it actually balances out because I lose my appetite once my period starts. You need to quit lecturing women on a subject you really know nothing about. This is not like regular run of the mill hunger that people experience when cutting calories. I've experienced both and this is much, MUCH worse.
You're wasting your breath, lol. He just has no clue.
I have plenty of clue. It's not normal. Not every woman deals with this. If it's that bad, really, you should see a doctor and have your hormones checked, because it sounds like th symptoms of someone who's BC pills are the wrong type.
Yeah, I was just about to add something similar because I was beginning to wonder if I was odd that I don't feel the need to eat everything on sight for a week once a month. Sure, I can sense a few extra cravings here and there, so I eat some dark chocolate pieces and move on and I'm fine. I would also suggest you see a doctor for this because this just does not seem normal.
exactly this. I had PMDD, endometriosis, and fibroid tumors in my uterus and still didn't have this appetite issue. Overeating like this is not normal, and not a period type thing, either.
Not a period type of thing? What planet do you people live on? Google PMS cravings. Good grief.
And with that I'm done. I just remembered why I haven't posted on these forums for months.
I did. Have you tried these types of suggestions?
TOP TIPS TO BEAT PMS CRAVINGS
From chocolatey treats to salty snacks, many women experience intense cravings and ravenous appetites a week or two before their periods. Experts have their theories on what causes these monthly hankerings.
For one, scientists believe low progesterone and high estrogen levels generate a drop in blood sugar levels, which leads to sugar cravings. Eating sugary treats will raise blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, the quick fix is followed by sharp blood sugar declines, creating a roller coaster of irritability, anxiety, and more sugar cravings.
Another cause of cravings may be due to serotonin levels, which are generally lower during PMS. Serotonin is the feel-good chemical in your brain. When levels are low we crave sugars and especially other carbohydrates like potato chips. That's because the body uses carbs to make serotonin.
One thing's for sure, cravings can occur like clockwork and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Because they're practically predictable, women can take several positive measures to prevent monthly pig-outs. Here are the top ways to curb those inevitable cravings.
Eat six mini meals. Eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps cravings from becoming binges. Try eating six smaller meals instead of the usual three bigger ones. Space them out about every three hours to give your body constant fuel.
Choose complex carbs. Fiber-rich foods are complex carbs that take longer for your body to break down and absorb, further curbing your cravings. Eat more whole-grain breads and cereals, and produce like legumes, fruit, and starchy veggies, which are on the complex-carb list.
Go for protein. By including protein at every meal or snack you help moderate blood sugar imbalances and slow the digestive process to keep from feeling hungry. Choose better-for-you protein options like eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, even peanut butter.
Maintain magnesium intake. Research indicates women can experience low levels of magnesium during PMS. Peanut butter, almonds, cashews, brown rice, sunflower seeds, and most beans are great sources of magnesium. It should be noted that chocolate is also rich in magnesium (which may further explain the cravings), but it's also high in fat. If you simply must have chocolate, try to make it a small piece of high-quality, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, which typically has more calories and fat.
Relax and take a deep breath. Cravings can worsen in times of stress. By learning relaxation techniques and practicing them whenever you feel anxious or stressed, you can curtail the snack attacks.
Bring on the sunshine. The lack of sun can reduce serotonin levels, which leads to increased appetite and cravings. Get outdoors or let the sunshine in to raise serotonin levels and reduce sugar and carb cravings.
Get moving. Exercise boosts endorphins and decreases the appetite, but it's not just scheduled exercise that can help. Being more physically active throughout your daily routine can also make a difference. Walk the dog, vacuum the floor, take the stairs, and simply keep moving.
Take heart. Cravings aren't the only thing on the premenstrual rise. The female metabolism also increases a week before menstruation. So if you cave in to a craving you'll be happy to know our bodies may burn an additional 100 calories a day during this time. It's a small way of counteracting extra eating!
I've tried all that and everything I could find with google lol. Nothing helps me. I take 3 magnesium pills, go way over on fiber and protein, exercise every day, and it doesn't help. I've even tried fish oil because I saw somewhere that it could help (it doesn't). The only thing I haven't tried is having a lot of mini meals because I'm just too hungry to just eat a small amount of food, but eating a huge amount of food at once doesn't seem to help either (you'd think that 1200 calories of pizza would fill me up - it doesn't). I'm trying new combinations every month, maybe eventually I'll figure it out?
But that's different from OP's problem. I think that OP can probably benefit from magnesium pills.
Have you tried therapy? I'm not joking or being rude, I'm seriously asking.0 -
If nothing helps, nothing helps. Eat less the rest of the month or accept the impact of the extra eating.0
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I always gain about a kilo too around the period time - just before and it lasts a few days then goes away.
As for cravings, insterestingly I have gone from having an almost-week-long ravenous-beast mode to a ONE DAY ravenous beast mode. During ravenous beast mode I feel like I'm a bottomless pit and can eat non-stop without feeling full. Generally I will crave some sort of chocolatey cakey goodness too. So what I now do is for this one day I will eat ONE treat. generally it will make me feel like crap afterwards anyway and therefore curb the ravenous beast mode. These days will inevitably put me above my 1700 cals, but I do all I can to keep it under 2000.
So generally after my third meal (second lunch) I'll have a "dessert" of caramel slice or what have you. Sometimes I can't even eat the whole thing.
Other way to go about it is as been mentioned before - dark chocloate (85%). And try not to make the binge last for too long!
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Oh my... Thank-you to all the helpful posts.
I don't get cravings like I want to eat everything I see... just chocolate (which I don't eat normally since I'm diabetic). I've tried the sugar free chocolates... they're horrible and remind me of what eating wax must be like.
Yes, I've read about exercise to lessen pains... was just checking to see what other women find helpful. It's amazing how different we all are, even when we go through the same thing (s). I exercise lightly through the week and had planned to step it up... but my period came early this month... I'm thinking the diet may have caused it. I even bought an elliptical but the aliens ripping apart my ovaries yelled when I got on this afternoon and I stopped.
I'm on 1,400 calories / day which I'm actually finding OK... I'm a larger gal so my maintenance would be 2,400... I think I'd feel guilty eating that many calories at this stage.
I may check into the supplements... I'm not keen on appetite suppressants or other diet pills though... or laxitives. That sounds kind of like a nightmare for someone with a phobia of public restrooms lol
God... if it was easy we'd all be skinny
That 1000 calorie cut might also be impacting your cravings...0 -
I eat alllll the time when I'm on my period aka now. It sucks. I still manage to get my workouts in, kinda have no choice. Luckily, my cramps don't hurt as bad while working out, it's just when I stop I want to die. It only last for about 2 days, but still I want to die. I'm glad other people see where I'm coming from lol0
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My doctor has mentioned awhile ago that I could benefit from a magnesium supplement. It would be great if it helped curb wanting to eat everything in sight due to hormones. Going to try it for a few months. Tired of the white knuckle approach.
Lol @ guys posting in a period thread and being taken aback that their perspective isn't needed.0 -
susan100df wrote: »My doctor has mentioned awhile ago that I could benefit from a magnesium supplement. It would be great if it helped curb wanting to eat everything in sight due to hormones. Going to try it for a few months. Tired of the white knuckle approach.
Lol @ guys posting in a period thread and being taken aback that their perspective isn't needed.
lol @ having to have a vagina to know about hormonal-influenced depression (as Waffle was the first to point out) and Francl's doctor (because "prozac" is code for that).0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »You have no concept of what PMS hunger is like, no. And PMS hunger is like no other hunger I have ever dealt with in my life. For some of us, it's constant and unrelenting for a week no matter how much you eat. I can eat an entire pizza and literally be hungry an hour later. When I am going through my PMS hunger phase, I get so hungry I can't concentrate, I can't think clearly, I can't sleep, I feel faint, and that is AFTER I eat a normal amount of food. The rest of the month I'm fine, and it actually balances out because I lose my appetite once my period starts. You need to quit lecturing women on a subject you really know nothing about. This is not like regular run of the mill hunger that people experience when cutting calories. I've experienced both and this is much, MUCH worse.
You're wasting your breath, lol. He just has no clue.
I have plenty of clue. It's not normal. Not every woman deals with this. If it's that bad, really, you should see a doctor and have your hormones checked, because it sounds like th symptoms of someone who's BC pills are the wrong type.
Yeah, I was just about to add something similar because I was beginning to wonder if I was odd that I don't feel the need to eat everything on sight for a week once a month. Sure, I can sense a few extra cravings here and there, so I eat some dark chocolate pieces and move on and I'm fine. I would also suggest you see a doctor for this because this just does not seem normal.
exactly this. I had PMDD, endometriosis, and fibroid tumors in my uterus and still didn't have this appetite issue. Overeating like this is not normal, and not a period type thing, either.
Not a period type of thing? What planet do you people live on? Google PMS cravings. Good grief.
And with that I'm done. I just remembered why I haven't posted on these forums for months.
I did. Have you tried these types of suggestions?
TOP TIPS TO BEAT PMS CRAVINGS
From chocolatey treats to salty snacks, many women experience intense cravings and ravenous appetites a week or two before their periods. Experts have their theories on what causes these monthly hankerings.
For one, scientists believe low progesterone and high estrogen levels generate a drop in blood sugar levels, which leads to sugar cravings. Eating sugary treats will raise blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, the quick fix is followed by sharp blood sugar declines, creating a roller coaster of irritability, anxiety, and more sugar cravings.
Another cause of cravings may be due to serotonin levels, which are generally lower during PMS. Serotonin is the feel-good chemical in your brain. When levels are low we crave sugars and especially other carbohydrates like potato chips. That's because the body uses carbs to make serotonin.
One thing's for sure, cravings can occur like clockwork and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Because they're practically predictable, women can take several positive measures to prevent monthly pig-outs. Here are the top ways to curb those inevitable cravings.
Eat six mini meals. Eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps cravings from becoming binges. Try eating six smaller meals instead of the usual three bigger ones. Space them out about every three hours to give your body constant fuel.
Choose complex carbs. Fiber-rich foods are complex carbs that take longer for your body to break down and absorb, further curbing your cravings. Eat more whole-grain breads and cereals, and produce like legumes, fruit, and starchy veggies, which are on the complex-carb list.
Go for protein. By including protein at every meal or snack you help moderate blood sugar imbalances and slow the digestive process to keep from feeling hungry. Choose better-for-you protein options like eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, even peanut butter.
Maintain magnesium intake. Research indicates women can experience low levels of magnesium during PMS. Peanut butter, almonds, cashews, brown rice, sunflower seeds, and most beans are great sources of magnesium. It should be noted that chocolate is also rich in magnesium (which may further explain the cravings), but it's also high in fat. If you simply must have chocolate, try to make it a small piece of high-quality, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate, which typically has more calories and fat.
Relax and take a deep breath. Cravings can worsen in times of stress. By learning relaxation techniques and practicing them whenever you feel anxious or stressed, you can curtail the snack attacks.
Bring on the sunshine. The lack of sun can reduce serotonin levels, which leads to increased appetite and cravings. Get outdoors or let the sunshine in to raise serotonin levels and reduce sugar and carb cravings.
Get moving. Exercise boosts endorphins and decreases the appetite, but it's not just scheduled exercise that can help. Being more physically active throughout your daily routine can also make a difference. Walk the dog, vacuum the floor, take the stairs, and simply keep moving.
Take heart. Cravings aren't the only thing on the premenstrual rise. The female metabolism also increases a week before menstruation. So if you cave in to a craving you'll be happy to know our bodies may burn an additional 100 calories a day during this time. It's a small way of counteracting extra eating!
I've tried all that and everything I could find with google lol. Nothing helps me. I take 3 magnesium pills, go way over on fiber and protein, exercise every day, and it doesn't help. I've even tried fish oil because I saw somewhere that it could help (it doesn't). The only thing I haven't tried is having a lot of mini meals because I'm just too hungry to just eat a small amount of food, but eating a huge amount of food at once doesn't seem to help either (you'd think that 1200 calories of pizza would fill me up - it doesn't). I'm trying new combinations every month, maybe eventually I'll figure it out?
But that's different from OP's problem. I think that OP can probably benefit from magnesium pills.
Nothing fills you up? Are you sure? If 1200 worth of pizza doesn't work, try 3000 instead. I recommend you start with two pizzas. Surely that will fill you up. If not, increase by pizza increments until full and then you will know how many pizzas you can have to finally feel full each month.0 -
Well, that didn't go so well.
Anyway, what I have found is that having a hot cup of tea is usually very soothing. And sometimes a heating pad, too. I used to have major chocolate cravings, but I haven't the past few months. I guess it could be a coincidence that this disappearance of the chocolate cravings went away after I made a change to avoid added sugars to my diet. I still get plenty of sugar from fruits & veggies, though, so maybe it is all psychological.
Exercising really does help, but sometimes I have to really talk myself into it, on a particularly painful day. The stretching in yoga is something that I always end up glad that I made myself do. There are a few yoga routines on youtube specifically for TOM.
ETA: Or maybe just eating better overall means I'm getting some kind of nutrients now that I was lacking or imbalanced with before?0
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