PMS hunger

chattycathy42
chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
edited November 30 in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone have advice on controlling the PMS hungrier?? Mines going to be coming up soon and I don't want to fall off the wagon
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Replies

  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    Im due today and I have fallen off the wagon the past 2 days - bye wagon!!
    Pretty badly to be honest. =/
    Coupled with missing sleep and a teething baby its been rough. But I try to walk more than usual and choose low cal foods so I can eat a lot. I should have planned the grocery list better for this week.

    I get super hangry around this time so its best just to throw food at me and back away slowly.
  • LC107
    LC107 Posts: 41 Member
    I can't really offer advice on how to "control" the cravings, honestly, I just give in. Not a full on binge or anything but I often crave ice cream so I will go to Braums vs buying the whole container (so the whole pint/gallon isn't in my house) have a scoop or two, enjoy it, log it, accept it and move on. I usually just have the craving one or two days before my cycle so it doesn't destroy all my hardwork.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    To be honest, I capitulated on my PMS hunger and just accepted that that's 3-5 days a month I have to eat at maintenance or I become listless and angry at the same time (which is a deadly combination according to my coworkers because the anger will just jump up out of nowhere) or attack the fridge. Eating at maintenance has helped me keep all of that somewhat in check.

    In the long run, I figured that stalling on my weight loss for about 1 week every month is nothing in the long run. I Still end up losing 1.5kg a month, which I can live with just fine.
  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    Glad I'm not alone! It's sooo frustrating! I will try to deal with hunger pangs:/
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
    It's been a monthly struggle for over 30 years for me... can't wait till it's GONE.
    I usually have Skinnty Cow ice cream and chocolates for this time. Individual servings work well for me. If I have a whole bag of anything in front of me, it will be ALL gone. lol.
  • blabrecque_xo
    blabrecque_xo Posts: 65 Member
    Usually the last few days before I'm about to start, I feel like I could eat everything in the fridge!
  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    I thought about the same thing about doing just maintenance calories also. So that's my plan so I don't get discouraged! Thanks for the advice!
  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    blabrecque_xo wrote: »
    Usually the last few days before I'm about to start, I feel like I could eat everything in the fridge!

  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    I know the feeling!
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    To be honest, I capitulated on my PMS hunger and just accepted that that's 3-5 days a month I have to eat at maintenance or I become listless and angry at the same time (which is a deadly combination according to my coworkers because the anger will just jump up out of nowhere) or attack the fridge. Eating at maintenance has helped me keep all of that somewhat in check.

    I second this. It isn't always the case with me, only feel exceptionally hungry 1/3 cycles usually, but when I do, I just eat at maintenance for this 3-4 days when it is a problem. One less thing to worry about.

  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    That's definitely what I'm going do. Might be slower weight loss but I will stick with it
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Mine was so bad I was eating up to 3500 calories at times and I was still hungry. I ended up gaining some weight back because I couldn't keep a big enough deficit the rest of the time to make up for it...

    Then last month after a very bad day I decided to try some 'PMS tea' (I use Yogi red raspberry leaf), and just cut refined flours or sugars altogether until TOM showed up... and not only the hunger went away, I even managed to keep a deficit that week after that very bad day. It sucks because I love carbs and I'm a 'all in moderation' type of person (and that's how I lost the weight), but even one slice of bread at breakfast (even with eggs) set me off... so it's just safer this way.

    This month I started the tea again 10 days after TOM stopped and been mostly sticking to 'no refined carbs or sugars' again (having a treat here and there after dinner), and I honestly have no idea if I'm having TOM soon or not because I just haven't had any PMS symptom. It should be due less than a week and usually by now I'm starving.

    I have absolutely no idea if the tea is actually helping though. I know for a fact though that starting the day without refined carbs has made a HUGE difference in my hunger levels. And limiting them at lunch has definitely helped too. I just eat a lot of beans, lentils, steel cut oats... whole grain pasta seems fine too. Fruit doesn't seem to have any effect either (probably because fructose doesn't affect leptin). So yeah a LOT of fiber. And for me artificial sweeteners (except Stevia) have the same effects as sugar... making me crave carbs like crazy at that time.

    But yeah on day 3 of TOM I'm back to eating normally.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    O.W.T. about the tea - supposed to help during the later stages of pregnancy by toning the uterus, etc. All it did was give me cramps if I made it too strong. Never once thought how it would help during TOM. Wonder if I still have some from when I was pregnant last year.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    MommyMeggo wrote: »
    O.W.T. about the tea - supposed to help during the later stages of pregnancy by toning the uterus, etc. All it did was give me cramps if I made it too strong. Never once thought how it would help during TOM. Wonder if I still have some from when I was pregnant last year.

    That was a 'oh gosh I'm so sick of it, let's give it a shot' thing, LOL. My cramps were way worse last month though, so yeah, now that you mention it, maybe that's why. I typically drink one cup of that and two cups of another kind ('monthly comfort tea' on Amazon). They're tasty and I like tea, so whatever, even if it's not really doing anything, I still enjoy it.

  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    MommyMeggo wrote: »
    O.W.T. about the tea - supposed to help during the later stages of pregnancy by toning the uterus, etc. All it did was give me cramps if I made it too strong. Never once thought how it would help during TOM. Wonder if I still have some from when I was pregnant last year.

    That was a 'oh gosh I'm so sick of it, let's give it a shot' thing, LOL. My cramps were way worse last month though, so yeah, now that you mention it, maybe that's why. I typically drink one cup of that and two cups of another kind ('monthly comfort tea' on Amazon). They're tasty and I like tea, so whatever, even if it's not really doing anything, I still enjoy it.

    I hear you. Maybe during PMS but not during the actual visit?... perhaps it may be beneficial in some way. Id love a monthly comfort tea. Ever since the 3rd baby came its like my TOM's evil sister replaced my sweet & easy going TOM. Now I want to eat all of the things, and punch all of the things and cry over all of the things.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    Yeah, I already have dysmenorrhea- the Yogi tea didn't seem to help anything at all. :(

    I give in, eat a little more, and add a little more to my walks when I'm able. I figure, my body is miserable, it's trying very hard to tell me that it's in distress, and I should probably listen and give it what it wants. NOT to the tune of an entire pepperoni pizza and a half-gallon of Moose Tracks ice cream, but, you know, a couple slices of pizza and maybe a cup of ice cream. lol
  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    Lol! Will do!
  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    I am going to try to cut out the sugar because that does seem to set me on a rampage...and refined carbs!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    When my appetite spikes up premenstrually, I honor it and eat at maintenance for a few days.
  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    Sounds good! That's what I'm gonna do
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Mine was so bad I was eating up to 3500 calories at times and I was still hungry. I ended up gaining some weight back because I couldn't keep a big enough deficit the rest of the time to make up for it...

    Then last month after a very bad day I decided to try some 'PMS tea' (I use Yogi red raspberry leaf), and just cut refined flours or sugars altogether until TOM showed up... and not only the hunger went away, I even managed to keep a deficit that week after that very bad day. It sucks because I love carbs and I'm a 'all in moderation' type of person (and that's how I lost the weight), but even one slice of bread at breakfast (even with eggs) set me off... so it's just safer this way.

    This month I started the tea again 10 days after TOM stopped and been mostly sticking to 'no refined carbs or sugars' again (having a treat here and there after dinner), and I honestly have no idea if I'm having TOM soon or not because I just haven't had any PMS symptom. It should be due less than a week and usually by now I'm starving.

    I have absolutely no idea if the tea is actually helping though. I know for a fact though that starting the day without refined carbs has made a HUGE difference in my hunger levels. And limiting them at lunch has definitely helped too. I just eat a lot of beans, lentils, steel cut oats... whole grain pasta seems fine too. Fruit doesn't seem to have any effect either (probably because fructose doesn't affect leptin). So yeah a LOT of fiber. And for me artificial sweeteners (except Stevia) have the same effects as sugar... making me crave carbs like crazy at that time.

    But yeah on day 3 of TOM I'm back to eating normally.

    Glad to hear you found something that worked for you!
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    I either increase my calorie intake by 100-200 calories or I'll eat at maintenance. I'm already not feeling my best during my TOM, I'm not going to put up with unnecessary hunger as well.
  • KorvapuustiPossu
    KorvapuustiPossu Posts: 434 Member
    Oh so much yes! My TOM is a couple days away and I've been hungry all day..not starving but constantly thinking about food lol :D good thing I prelogged a good size evening snack so I won't be over my calories. :D but it is always a bit of a struggle... My self control is pretty good so I don't usually eat more, just try to keep my mind off things...and another thing I hate about TOM is that it always messes up my monthly challenges (doing Plank challenge to 3 min in 30 days)-now i'm at 2 minutes and here comes TOM with stomach and lower back pain...great...good luck planking like that :D:D guys have it easy!!! not fair..
  • justrollme
    justrollme Posts: 802 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Mine was so bad I was eating up to 3500 calories at times and I was still hungry. I ended up gaining some weight back because I couldn't keep a big enough deficit the rest of the time to make up for it...

    Then last month after a very bad day I decided to try some 'PMS tea' (I use Yogi red raspberry leaf), and just cut refined flours or sugars altogether until TOM showed up... and not only the hunger went away, I even managed to keep a deficit that week after that very bad day. It sucks because I love carbs and I'm a 'all in moderation' type of person (and that's how I lost the weight), but even one slice of bread at breakfast (even with eggs) set me off... so it's just safer this way.

    This month I started the tea again 10 days after TOM stopped and been mostly sticking to 'no refined carbs or sugars' again (having a treat here and there after dinner), and I honestly have no idea if I'm having TOM soon or not because I just haven't had any PMS symptom. It should be due less than a week and usually by now I'm starving.

    I have absolutely no idea if the tea is actually helping though. I know for a fact though that starting the day without refined carbs has made a HUGE difference in my hunger levels. And limiting them at lunch has definitely helped too. I just eat a lot of beans, lentils, steel cut oats... whole grain pasta seems fine too. Fruit doesn't seem to have any effect either (probably because fructose doesn't affect leptin). So yeah a LOT of fiber. And for me artificial sweeteners (except Stevia) have the same effects as sugar... making me crave carbs like crazy at that time.

    But yeah on day 3 of TOM I'm back to eating normally.

    Just over the past few days, I have learned this the hard way lol. The difference in my appetite is massive for me, after going overly carb-heavy with breakfast. Next time, definitely going to make sure to stick with just fruit for breakfast for a few days. (Usually I've never been much of a summer person, but now that I'm freezing cold so often, I'm super anxious for hot weather, especially since I generally crave carb-heavy breakfast foods a lot less than when I'm cold. ...I know that's kind of weird, but seasons/weather always affects my appetite so much!)

    And thank you for the tip, about the tea, too. Worth a shot.

  • jparks527
    jparks527 Posts: 17 Member
    I also fell off the wagon this week. Getting back on today. Having comfort food for lunch
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 427 Member
    I'll eat twice the fruits and veggies and then just go to bed early. I know I am getting enough nutrients- my brain is just a jerk!
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    last month i ate everything in sight for the first 2-3 days of my pms

    sometimes its like that some months im perfectly able to eat at maintenance during it

    don't beat yourself up if u slip
  • chattycathy42
    chattycathy42 Posts: 30 Member
    Yep!
  • spookycomet
    spookycomet Posts: 12 Member
    I've fallen off the wagon before for this as I always want to eat constantly. I have been getting by through a combo of the following: (1) drinking lots of water throughout the day; (2) chewing gum; (3) cutting up a ton of veggies so I can just nosh literally all day without guilt; (4) eating candy canes and lollipops so that I can get the sweet flavor but not eat too much because they take a long time to eat and/or (5) eating mints like altoids as the flavor left in my mouth is satisfying but discourages me from eating too much of anything else. Hang in there!!!
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    biscuits. they are my downfall in pms days - check my dairy. this week was loaded with them lol
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