Major binge before period

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cmarangi
cmarangi Posts: 131 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I generally eat pretty consistently primal and keep my calories to 1550 a day. I work out three days a week minimum doing crossfit. Most of the month I have no issues with hunger or feeling pretty great.

I knew my period was about to start yesterday within a day or so, so I expected cravings etc. I generally get pretty hungry three days before but I'm able to up my protein etc and I do okay. But this pms was pretty hormonal this month.

Long story short, I felt crummy when I woke up. Ate a high protein breakfast and was still feeling crummy an hour and a half laster so ate some broccoli and more chicken breast. Still hungry so had cottage cheese. Still felt horrible like my blood sugar was low so I had some sugar from candy. (I realize this isn't the healthiest source but I was at work, no fruit, and I felt terrible) Started to feel better, then all hell broke loose and I had a crazy carb day, close to 300 (normally keep it 150 or lower). Never once did I get full yesterday and I ate about 1600 extra calories.

So my question is, did my body just need it, so stop freaking out, and go with how I felt? Or should I compensate this week for the overage? Thanks, hope not too much TMI

By the way, started my cycle this morning. :wink:

Replies

  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
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    I'd just log it and move on :). That's like, what, a little over 200 cals extra per day if you divide the 1600 out over the whole week?
  • lemmie177
    lemmie177 Posts: 479 Member
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    I've read that pms cravings have to do with a drop in serotonin right before a period (which carbs help with). So, I keep cocoa powder on hand for that, but honestly, sometimes it just doesn't cut it and I carb out like you did. My preemptive damage control is just to keep yams or potatoes on hand, else I'll gravitate towards chips and the like.

    On the other hand, considering you do fairly high-intensity exercise and are on lowish carbs on a regular basis, you may have needed them. Hard to say. We also burn a few hundred more calories during the 2 weeks before a period. Long story short, I wouldn't try and compensate, just keep in mind for next month and business as normal. :)
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    I have this every month and TODAY is the DAY lol :)
    I don't plan to do anything. I plan to eat all I want. This is what I usually do and end up around 2000cals. I eat at 1300 on normal days. 2000 is around 300 above my maintenance so I can gain about 40 grams weight (i.e. less than 0.1 lbs) - not bothered at all! I never had bad consequences so I just plan to indulge again :) (Not that I have a choice really - I'm ravenous in days like these).
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
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    Just eat!
  • cmarangi
    cmarangi Posts: 131 Member
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    Thanks all! I try to listen to my body but sometimes it lies! :wink:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    It happened to me every month for over a year. The only way I stopped it is by avoiding all refined flour and sugar those days - even one piece of toast with breakfast sets me off, even if I have a lot of protein and fat with it! Unfortunately it's not regular so sometimes I find out too late that it's going to be one of those days...
  • anamibell
    anamibell Posts: 63 Member
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    same.
    Can't do anything about it
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
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    I get the same ravenous hunger and irritability. Dark chocolate usually helps. Don't beat yourself up about it though!
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
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    I'm feeling surprised that I'm not more hungry, I expected it. But I say listen to your body and you did the right thing by eating. Log it and you can always cut a few extra calories from the rest of the week. I have a rare evening out tomorrow night, I know there will be pasta and lots of wine. So I plan to eat 1200 calories for at least two days next week just to balance it out.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    I eat at maintenance if I have to. Or go by my weekly deficit and balance it out.

    For me, I don't seem to get excessively hungry, but I feel absolutely exhausted the day before. Being nice to myself, skipping the gym, and taking a nap has helped a lot.
  • kthompson601
    kthompson601 Posts: 174 Member
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    I go through this too. It took me a while to match it up with my period; I actually only noticed it when I used that MFP bar graph that shows calories consumed for the past 90 days. I saw a huge spike on the 11th of each month and though, "Wow, there is some sort of pattern there, you need to investigate that." And when I did, I realized I was having a little meltdown in the days immediately before my period.

    I discovered that, around the same time each month, for three or four days I'd be ravenously hungry, unable to be satisfied with my food despite being just fine on other days. I'd consume my usual meals, and yet be constantly hungry, a deep gnawing and feeling of dissatisfaction, completely fixated on food. I'd hold off as long as possible, but eventually I'd cave and have a terrible binge, right around the 11th. Last time I gorged on candy at work, then followed it up with a family size bag of potato chips. I'd then be lethargic and not feel well, so I'd skip my workout. Then I'd feel very depressed and angry with myself, saying I was lazy and a pig and I would gain all the weight back. It was an awful cycle, and it is only this last month that I realized it happens right before I start my period.

    Obviously there is a connection, and knowing about it is part of the battle. So I think this time, I will allow myself a few hundred more calories once I start feeling the ravenous hunger, instead of trying to hold off and then giving into a big binge, and maybe try a little self-care if I do skip a workout: have a long bath, then put on some great smelling lotion, light candles, meditate, and forgive myself. I can just say, "You're hormonal. It's just one workout. This feeling will pass and in two days you'll be right as rain, back to satiety with 1500 calories and with the energy to workout like normal."

    I think the best thing you can do is 1) eat more if you need it, 2) practice self-care and, most importantly, 3) do not mentally beat yourself up if you have a crappy day or two. It happens. You recognize it's a hormonal response. It is only temporary and you can still be successful at weight loss even if you have a few days a month where things go poorly.
  • peacemongernc
    peacemongernc Posts: 253 Member
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    I had a discussion about this with my doctor yesterday. I told her I was going to eat maybe 100 cal above maintenance for the few days when I'm prowling the house for food instead of fighting it so hard, and try to eat as nutrient dense as I possibly can... eating more nuts and berries and things that make me feel better without sending me into a week of uncontrollable sugar cravings. She said that I was on the right track, but should also add a tablespoon full of coconut oil to my day when the cravings start. She said to eat 1 T of that, and then leave the kitchen for about 30 minutes and do something not food related. The idea of eating a T of fat sort of turns me off, but I'm going to give it a try. It will be fantastic if it actually makes a difference in fighting off the desire to eat all day long!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    peacemongernc wrote: »
    I had a discussion about this with my doctor yesterday. I told her I was going to eat maybe 100 cal above maintenance for the few days when I'm prowling the house for food instead of fighting it so hard, and try to eat as nutrient dense as I possibly can... eating more nuts and berries and things that make me feel better without sending me into a week of uncontrollable sugar cravings. She said that I was on the right track, but should also add a tablespoon full of coconut oil to my day when the cravings start. She said to eat 1 T of that, and then leave the kitchen for about 30 minutes and do something not food related. The idea of eating a T of fat sort of turns me off, but I'm going to give it a try. It will be fantastic if it actually makes a difference in fighting off the desire to eat all day long!

    Interesting. I've never tried coconut oil actually.

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