How to stop cravings when you are on you TOM?

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Replies

  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    I increase my fiber, protein, water and fats, as well as do more cardio. Also, I add 1TBS of cocoa powder to my coffee.

    If I feel like eating something, I will eat it in moderation and log it so that I don't feel deprived.

    Is that plain cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix? Do you add sugar or another sweetener? Is it hard to mix up? I might have to try this.

    It's just good old plain cocoa powder, no sweetener. I like my coffee black without sweetener, so it works well for me.
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
    BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »
    I dont have this problem ( lucky me) But a group member of us does and she solved it for her this way.

    She makes 12 packages with food for a day like that. And every 2 hours she is allowed to eat one package.
    The packages range from 25 calories up to 300 depends...some just have a calorie stick or a tomato. Others a piece of chocolate or crisps etc.

    For that day she allows herself 1800 calories. When she doesn't eat everything she still has her deficit. When she eat all packages she ate at maintenance so no harm done. She started doing this after she couldn't get any control to her bings. She also says exercise helps her a lot. Going away from home for some hours with enough water and coming back eating one pack with a protein bar and she has to wait 2 hour for the next pack...if she wants/need it.

    She controls it very good now didn't hear anything about her wanting to bing anymore. Her normal diet, no problem at all but it is 2 days during her TOM she does this when she have to.

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    That's an awesome idea!
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
    MondayJune22nd2015 wrote: »
    Our bodies do extra work during our TOM, so you can consume 100 (lightest menstrual flow day) - 300 (highest menstrual flow day) more Calories a day then & you should still lose weight. However since it seems that you'd go significantly over that allowance, while in deficit, I'd try maintenance 1st & then add 100 - 300 Calories, if you still aren't satisfied. I usually just do my deficit plus 100 (regardless of menstrual flow).

    That's interesting! I may do that at the start and see if that helps to stop my cravings, because I'll have those extra calories
  • Jmgkamp
    Jmgkamp Posts: 278 Member
    I found that I'm starving for 2 days and then my hunger is gone for 2 days so for me it evens out. Still, after 9 months, I'm always freaked out... like "oh NO! I'm going to wreck my whole new lifestyle..." And then 2 days later I get my period and I'm like "oh yeah... I forgot." Every month.
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
    Jmgkamp wrote: »
    I found that I'm starving for 2 days and then my hunger is gone for 2 days so for me it evens out. Still, after 9 months, I'm always freaked out... like "oh NO! I'm going to wreck my whole new lifestyle..." And then 2 days later I get my period and I'm like "oh yeah... I forgot." Every month.

    Yes! I'm either super hungry or have no appetite when it comes to that time of month.. And the first thing I always think is I'm undoing all my progress, but I'm trying to stop that haha
  • blkandwhite77
    blkandwhite77 Posts: 281 Member
    I sat here today sucking on a tablespoon of chocolate frosting in fatty heaven. Now I made sure it was 1 tablespoon but it eased my sugar craving. (And yes it was almost heavenly) lol
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I used to eat a pint or two of Ben & Jerry's premenstrually. Now, when I note that my appetite has gone up, I look at the calendar, confirm I'm premenstrual, and switch to maintenance calories for a few days. Eating an extra 500 calories of regular food seems to have wiped out the cravings. I do take magnesium, which is also supposed to help with cravings and PMS.

    I don't stop exercising completely, but do modify it according to what my body is up for. This month I was up for cleaning gutters and yard work, lol.

    I'm thinking of sticking to maintenance for the first 2-3 days and slowly go back to my deficit as the week goes on. I have trouble exercising during that time because I feel so sluggish

    Good idea. If you're tired, you're tired. The idea that you should not listen to your body just because some people think it's important to tough it out is silly, imo. It's just a few days. Try some of the things people have said, maybe it'll help, but if you're worn out and especially if you're in pain, it's ok to sit out for a very short while.
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    I increase my fiber, protein, water and fats, as well as do more cardio. Also, I add 1TBS of cocoa powder to my coffee.

    If I feel like eating something, I will eat it in moderation and log it so that I don't feel deprived.

    Is that plain cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix? Do you add sugar or another sweetener? Is it hard to mix up? I might have to try this.

    It's just good old plain cocoa powder, no sweetener. I like my coffee black without sweetener, so it works well for me.
    Thanks for mentioning this!

    I've read about plain cocoa powder in water, too! Supposedly it helps cravings due to the serotonin release. I've been meaning to try it, but the actual chocolate bars were just too accessible this week. :s Will have to remember for next time.
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
    I always get the worst pain either the day before or the day of getting my period and so normally than I'm not hungry. But as soon as those cramps/pain is gone my appetite wants to indulge on fatty foods and chocolate.. I am thinking of just doing maintenance so I can still have some treats.
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
    However I have so much trouble exercising when I'm on my monthly, not sure if it's just a loss of motivation or if it's something to do with my iron levels but I literally could sleep 12hrs a day through that week
  • krithsai
    krithsai Posts: 668 Member
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    However I have so much trouble exercising when I'm on my monthly, not sure if it's just a loss of motivation or if it's something to do with my iron levels but I literally could sleep 12hrs a day through that week

    Rest up then. There's no medal for being all macho about it :smile: I feel like a champ on day 1 and by day 2, I feel like I'm going to bleed to death. One day at a time is what it's all about!
  • krithsai
    krithsai Posts: 668 Member
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    I always get the worst pain either the day before or the day of getting my period and so normally than I'm not hungry. But as soon as those cramps/pain is gone my appetite wants to indulge on fatty foods and chocolate.. I am thinking of just doing maintenance so I can still have some treats.

    For the pain, take a pain killer(Midol is the work of god!) the moment you feel cramps coming on. This helps way more than waiting for full fledged cramps to take me down. If it's so unbearable that you can't go about your day to day life, definitely speak to your obgyn. There's no need to bear that kind of pain. My friend gets prescription pain killers that she takes twice a month and she's golden.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    However I have so much trouble exercising when I'm on my monthly, not sure if it's just a loss of motivation or if it's something to do with my iron levels but I literally could sleep 12hrs a day through that week

    I'm anemic, have to supplement aggressively, and get my iron levels checked yearly. When it's untreated I have major fatigue.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    tomatoey wrote: »
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I used to eat a pint or two of Ben & Jerry's premenstrually. Now, when I note that my appetite has gone up, I look at the calendar, confirm I'm premenstrual, and switch to maintenance calories for a few days. Eating an extra 500 calories of regular food seems to have wiped out the cravings. I do take magnesium, which is also supposed to help with cravings and PMS.

    I don't stop exercising completely, but do modify it according to what my body is up for. This month I was up for cleaning gutters and yard work, lol.

    I'm thinking of sticking to maintenance for the first 2-3 days and slowly go back to my deficit as the week goes on. I have trouble exercising during that time because I feel so sluggish

    Good idea. If you're tired, you're tired. The idea that you should not listen to your body just because some people think it's important to tough it out is silly, imo. It's just a few days. Try some of the things people have said, maybe it'll help, but if you're worn out and especially if you're in pain, it's ok to sit out for a very short while.

    Ya, my comments should not be interpreted as not listening to your body, which I feel is very important, but rather knowing the difference between what one is capable of doing vs feeling like doing.
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    However I have so much trouble exercising when I'm on my monthly, not sure if it's just a loss of motivation or if it's something to do with my iron levels but I literally could sleep 12hrs a day through that week

    I'm anemic, have to supplement aggressively, and get my iron levels checked yearly. When it's untreated I have major fatigue.

    I might look into getting my iron levels checked out because it's been happening quite constantly over the past six months..
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    I'm going to go with 'Eat what you like in moderation'. No one likes TOM - it's miserable and irritating. Sometimes having that little piece of chocolate gives us that boost that a mile long run won't at that moment in time! Of course, log your snacks and try not too go drastically over your calorie allowance. Each TOM that occurs, find ways of making yourself feel better than don't necessarily revolve around food. Sure, chocolate and snacks are amazing - but so is a nice, long hot bubble bath and a good book.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Jmgkamp wrote: »
    I found that I'm starving for 2 days and then my hunger is gone for 2 days so for me it evens out. Still, after 9 months, I'm always freaked out... like "oh NO! I'm going to wreck my whole new lifestyle..." And then 2 days later I get my period and I'm like "oh yeah... I forgot." Every month.

    Lol every single month. But once TOM shows up my appetite goes down a lot. The problem for me is that I'm hungry all the time for pretty much one week before TOM shows up, so I manage to reign it in for a few days but eventually I'm so sick of being hungry that I have a really bad day... sometimes two. But it's not chocolate that I crave, just bread and other not specifically sweet carbs (an English muffin would satisfy me more than chocolate or a cookie, for example). I'm trying to eat more fruit when it hits now... we'll see. Yesterday I managed to make it tolerable by having an orange.
  • prettysoul1908
    prettysoul1908 Posts: 200 Member
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    TMI!!
    Does anyone else get really bad cravings when they're on they're time of month?
    What do you do to stop these cravings? Or do you try and eat them in moderation?
    I really don't want to undo any progress I've made and I always seem to binge big time! :neutral:

    I wish I saw this thread before making my post! Lol. I have the same issue. My hunger is out of control while I'm ovulating.

    I got some great feedback on what others do and I've since decided to adopt proper planning and logging during that week. I am building the things I'm craving into my daily calories. I've been going over but not by a huge amount. I hope this works for me because I get an irrational hunger during this time and I HATE feeling deprived.
  • KT_3009
    KT_3009 Posts: 1,042 Member
    mhaskins08 wrote: »
    KT_3009 wrote: »
    TMI!!
    Does anyone else get really bad cravings when they're on they're time of month?
    What do you do to stop these cravings? Or do you try and eat them in moderation?
    I really don't want to undo any progress I've made and I always seem to binge big time! :neutral:

    I wish I saw this thread before making my post! Lol. I have the same issue. My hunger is out of control while I'm ovulating.

    I got some great feedback on what others do and I've since decided to adopt proper planning and logging during that week. I am building the things I'm craving into my daily calories. I've been going over but not by a huge amount. I hope this works for me because I get an irrational hunger during this time and I HATE feeling deprived.

    That's what I'm thinking of doing.. Plan in advance so I don't have as much of an urge to binge and staying at a maintenance for the days I struggle the most with :)
  • Hell_Flower
    Hell_Flower Posts: 348 Member
    Cheerios0392 wrote: »
    i used to eat like a bottomless pit right before my period. it felt impossible not to, no matter how much I ate I felt hungry. like i went to an all you can eat buffet a few times during that part of my cycle and i wasn't even full when i left whereas usually id be rolling on the floor in pain. then i would get the worst period pain for 2 days which made doing normal activities, let alone working out, feel impossible. the only thing that's helped me is going on the pill. but eating at maintenance if you can manage to is probably a good plan. another idea would be to eat a little less the week before / after that pre-menstrual week so you can eat more during it.


    Hahah...oh god.

    I went to a buffet in Vegas when I had that peak EAT ALL THE FOOD BUT NEVER FULL hormone freak out.

    I. Got. Asked. To. Leave.

    Not kidding. 125lb me, sat by myself in the Mandalay Bay buffet because my husband and in-laws had had enough food after a 2 hour sitting and there was me...still eating plate after plate of food.

    Sort of disgusted. Sort of proud.


    Anyway! When it's peak season for me, usually for 2-3 days before my TOM I don't eat regular meals, like a few others. I dont want broccoli or salmon or plain chicken or porridge. I want a family sized bar and Dairy Milk and a multi-pack of crisps. So I'll switch out to maintenance and just eat those things and snack the whole damn day. Again, it evens out a couple days into my TOM when I lose all my appetite and only hit maybe 1,000 calories a day.

    Not healthy and probably doesn't help the rage, but what can you do eh.
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