How do you cope with PMS?

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  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    Well I go downhill when im on my period as well. I dont exercise tho i still eat right and dont weigh myself because it makes me wanna cry. I retain alot of water so its like wth!!! After its done tho I have noticed that nothings changed so dont freak out as much. btw 9 days??? bless your heart.. Ive noticed as Ive lost these 29lbs my periods went from 7 to 4 days so for me its not as bad..Good luck and stay strong with the cravings

    From 7 to 4 days? Oh, wow!! I really hope that as I lose weight, I spend less time on my period. That would be *such* a relief!

    I might try not weighing myself, like you said. That sounds like it would spare me a ton of grief -- and, like you said, at the end of it, it's not like much changes. I'm typically about the same weight as when I started.
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
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    I usually keep my mouth shut and do as I'm told

    When will my husband learn this method?!

    If only men did this all the time :wink:
  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    I did do a tiny bit of reading last month and saw a suggestion from a trainer to keep sodium WAY low during PMS. I'm not certain but that could make me want to jump off a cliff. It seems I'm super cranky if I can satisfy whatever my craving is.

    Maybe the answer is to find some great choices that satisfy the need for generic cravings.....'salty'.....'sweet'.......'fattening' - hahahah! So maybe........toasted almonds........dark chocolate.........avocado.

    Hahaha! Omg, yes. My craving for salt almost doubles that time of month, so keeping sodium low would probably make me really crazy. On the other hand, it might be worth trying. Also, finding healthy options for cravings sounds like a great idea. I could live off of avocado (love the stuff), so going for that rather than fast food or super fatty cheese and butter dishes would probably be way better for me. Maybe for sweet, smoothies or juice sodas (izze's or martinelli's or something); and for salt, maybe pickles. :D
  • lisapickering
    lisapickering Posts: 374
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    Drink lots of water, don't weigh yourself, exercise -- it helps with the pain and cramping, it's normal that you are more hungry as your metabolism increases... I usually eat a bit more but try to make it healthy.
  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    I exercise with during my period, it really helps. I also eat dark chocolate with almond butter. The chocolate has a natural pain killer and the almond butter has magnesium which you really need when you have really bad cramps. Drink a lot of water. You could also try some green tea, it can help you stay full.

    Fantastic tips! Thank you! :) I don't normally eat chocolate or almond butter, so I'm going to have to give that a shot. And I normally avoid caffeine during my period, because it seems to make my cramping worse, but I lovelovelovelove green tea and the caffeine content is minimal -- so this is one of those tips that I am going to love using.
  • FabCheeky
    FabCheeky Posts: 311
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    I had some pretty extreme PMS and menstrual problems until I removed wheat, dairy and soy from my diet. If you get desperate enough, try it out for one month. See if it helps you as much as it has helped me. I found out from this trial and subsequent talks with my doctor that I was an undiagnosed Celiac and I was slowly killing myself.
  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    I usually keep my mouth shut and do as I'm told
    Smile and say 'Yes ma'am" and "You're right!"
    ....and get away as quickly as possible! :laugh:


    Hahaha! :D Your girlfriends must love you.
  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    Two parts Midol Complete and one part Dieurex. I call it my Midol cocktail. Gets rid of my achiness, cramps, bloat and all-around feeling of crudiness during my TOM. But I still avoid weighing myself during that week.

    Never heard of Dieurex before, but it looks like something I want to try. Thanks for suggesting it! :D
  • cartern1
    cartern1 Posts: 270 Member
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    I usually keep my mouth shut and do as I'm told
    Smile and say 'Yes ma'am" and "You're right!"
    ....and get away as quickly as possible! :laugh:


    Hahaha! :D Your girlfriends must love you.

    It's not worked for me, I'm still single. I'm thinking of changing my approach, give women an opportunity to vent the PMS at me and get it out of their system. I'll let you know how I get on....
  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    I am just like you..8-9 days!! Grrr such a bummer! I'm on day 6 today, so I completely understand... I am exhuasted, to the point of feeling like I can't move, but if I force myself, like I did today, I feel tons better. I just tell myself to relax a bit during TOM and do light activity, walking, pilates, stretching. That way I'm getting some movement and it helps with my energy. As far as food goes, I think the overeating stems from low iron and fatigue. Try to limit yourself, but indulge a little..it helps with my sanity. I made brownies the other day..and I actually measured it! It was worth every bite and I was down today.

    Yeah, I'm definitely thinking that light activity is the key here. Normally when I exercise, I do it for upwards of an hour (like hour long swims, or 3+ hours of ballroom dancing), so I'm thinking that if I do some lighter exercise that I won't dread it as much and won't push myself too hard.

    And, lol, those brownies sound delicious! :D
  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    It's not worked for me, I'm still single. I'm thinking of changing my approach, give women an opportunity to vent the PMS at me and get it out of their system. I'll let you know how I get on....

    Well, hopefully some girl figures out what they're missing out on soon enough. :) And generally, you can always placate a PMSing woman with a gift of chocolate, foot or back massage, or hot bath. If you find that you can't make it through the venting, you can generally use the chocolate as an easy out. (As an added bonus, it's hard to vent with a mouth is full of chocolate.)
  • FabCheeky
    FabCheeky Posts: 311
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    Paleo Brownies: Ingredients *16 ounces of walnut butter (take a baking bag of chopped walnuts and blend in food processor) * 1 egg * 1 cup agave/ honey- whichever is on hand--(I have successfully used less honey with great results) * 1/2 cup cocoa * 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract * 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt * 1 tsp baking soda * 2 ounces dark chocolate chopped (Green & Black's organic 85% is good) Directions 1. Blend butter, vanilla, egg, and agave/ honey 2. Add cocoa, salt, and baking soda 3. Once blended smoothly add dark chocolate 4. Pour into greased baking dish 5. Bake at 325, 30-35 minutes

    This will provide many great nutrients without giving you a ton of carbs. It's my go-to brownie, and I've been working my honey down. I've used as little as 1/2 c. but usually stay around 3/4 c. to keep it rich and decadent.
  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    In fact today at work (in a nursery) one of the kids poked my belly and said I had a baby in there. THANKS FOR THAT! Lol.
    ......
    Try go on a walk, no matter how short. It just gets you out the house and to have some time away from people. :smile:

    Omg! Hahaha, what is it with kids? They always seem to spot the most embarrassing things and make awkward yet hilarious statements or questions about them. I don't know if I'd have the patience to deal with that every day -- so I'm totally in awe of you for that. :D On the up side, a lot of what comes out of their mouths is really funny.

    And, yeah, it seems like going for a walk is the easiest way to keep exercising -- and having time away from people is definitely an added bonus.
  • cfremon
    cfremon Posts: 44 Member
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    I had some pretty extreme PMS and menstrual problems until I removed wheat, dairy and soy from my diet. If you get desperate enough, try it out for one month. See if it helps you as much as it has helped me. I found out from this trial and subsequent talks with my doctor that I was an undiagnosed Celiac and I was slowly killing myself.

    I'll probably give this a shot if increased water, light walks, and not weighing myself doesn't help. I have a few friends who have been diagnosed Celiac, and I really feel for them! It really affects what you can eat, and makes eating out and going to parties really tough.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I think I'm lucky. No unusual cravings before or during TOM, except I am constantly thirsty so I end up drinking gallons of water.

    One thing, though, is that I'm not an emotional eater at all. There is a theory that some women get intense cravings during/before their TOM because their bodies are trying to counter the unhappy with food. But since I normally don't turn to food to alleviate stress, that could be why I don't get TOM-related cravings.

    It may be worthwhile to try to replace emotional eating with another activity. Mine is playing video games and web surfing. Not productive at all, and not exactly healthy, but also not as fattening as binging! Changing a habit will demand constant attention/awareness and effort at first, but if you really want the change, it's worth it.
  • vthomeschoolmom
    vthomeschoolmom Posts: 18 Member
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    Yes I hear you about 9 days. I was at 14 before getting it all ripped out. (See your doc. 9 days may be indicative of problems. The long period might be related to any number of uterine maladies whose treatment is often covered by insurance.)

    First, for me I use St John's Wort to deal with the mood issues. Also increasing my frequency and lessening my intensity of exercise. The total is the same, but I do it more often and lighter in order to increase the mood boost.

    Sorry to hear it has you down. Dragishness.
  • FabCheeky
    FabCheeky Posts: 311
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    I had some pretty extreme PMS and menstrual problems until I removed wheat, dairy and soy from my diet. If you get desperate enough, try it out for one month. See if it helps you as much as it has helped me. I found out from this trial and subsequent talks with my doctor that I was an undiagnosed Celiac and I was slowly killing myself.

    I'll probably give this a shot if increased water, light walks, and not weighing myself doesn't help. I have a few friends who have been diagnosed Celiac, and I really feel for them! It really affects what you can eat, and makes eating out and going to parties really tough.
    It does affect everything about my life, but I've gotten SO healthy since finding out that all that "healthy and good for me" whole grain bread was killing me. There are several restaurants around here that I can modify my order and still eat out with everyone. Hey, white wine, silver tequila, and coconut rum are gluten free. I'll manage. ;)
  • Meleena0000
    Meleena0000 Posts: 2
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    If you have a healthfood store nearby, there is a great tea called PMS tea. It helps with the symptoms that you are describing, the only thing is that you have to drink the tea consistently for at least 3 weeks to notice any difference. I also really like a supplement by a company called Solaray and the name of the product is Mood (blend SP-39) with St Johns Wort. I take the supplement on nightly basis and I noticed that it helped within a couple of days of starting it. As far as exercise goes, during my period I take it easy with strenuous workouts. I try things like Yoga or just brisk walking instead of lifting weights.
    I hope this helps, because it helps me. Take Care
  • domesticgypsie
    domesticgypsie Posts: 14 Member
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    I feel horrible in the middle of my TOM. I'm 46 so I spot before it even starts. Then I bloat about 5 lbs. I have two days in the middle when my body acts like it wants everything to come out at once! I can't work out those days. I won't. I indulge myself with relaxation and as much rest as I can get. I crave chocolate ( I'm so common) and keep Skinny Cow in the freezer for my "Nature Walk". I think I do pretty good for a woman my age.
    One day at a time.... Or else I'm a lunatic!

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