Period binging
mobogogo
Posts: 24 Member
Hey girlies!!
Any other girls get an uncontrolable craving for food and an increase of appetite before and during your period? I am sick and tired of it! I feel like all my hard work for the month is gone in that week and some! I don't eat junk During that time but i eat A LOT of healthy good food (eg sugar- i eat a lot of fruit/ yogurt and honey) and generally 200-500 calories over my calorie count... And it pisses me off!!! My unterus becomes my brain! Haha
Any other girls get an uncontrolable craving for food and an increase of appetite before and during your period? I am sick and tired of it! I feel like all my hard work for the month is gone in that week and some! I don't eat junk During that time but i eat A LOT of healthy good food (eg sugar- i eat a lot of fruit/ yogurt and honey) and generally 200-500 calories over my calorie count... And it pisses me off!!! My unterus becomes my brain! Haha
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Replies
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When I have had truly uncontrollable cravings for food, professional assistance was a huge help. If you're not restricting too much (that is, you're eating enough the rest of the time) and you can't control what you eat, it may be helpful for you as well.
If they're just really strong cravings that you can control (they're just really strong), you have some options. Some women choose to eat at a calorie level to maintain at these times. Others remind themselves of their overall goals and choose not to eat more. The choice is really up to you.1 -
Are you eating 200-500 calories over your deficit, or are you in a caloric surplus of that amount?
When I have a day like that, I find that it's easier to eat at maintenance that day instead of trying to stick to my deficit when all I want to do is eat everything in sight. Keep in mind that if you eat at maintenance you might not see a loss, but you also won't see a gain either (except for the typical water retention many of us notice around that TOM).
Alternatively, you could throw in a little extra exercise to offset the additional calories.5 -
When my appetite spikes up premenstrually, I switch to maintenance level calories for a few days and mostly eat more of what I normally eat.
I believe @Francl27 has reactive hypoglycemia premenstrually and found it helpful to limit simple sugars for a week or so prior.2 -
I used to increase my carb intake during those 10 miserable days. I'd stay closer to maintenance level but eat almost nothing but carbs. Seemed to help most of the time and kept me from binges.2
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I struggle with it too. I find it hits me hard for a few days about 1-2 weeks before my TOM and I physically feel bloated. This past time it happened, I let myself go and ate everything in sight for a couple of days. i then convinced myself that I could do just fine without logging. Well, after a week or two of that, I gained a pound or two. UGH.
The next round, I'm going to give myself permission to eat at maintenance for a few days and see if that helps me cope better mentally. Wonder if I should change my MFP settings and then move it back again? I hate seeing that red number! Does it mess anything up if I do this?3 -
I drink a LOT of water, or at least try to. Sometimes I'll put a Snapple tea packet in it to get the sugar I'm craving. I'm in the same boat right now and its like sugar and salt are my only means of survival!
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kshama2001 wrote: »When my appetite spikes up premenstrually, I switch to maintenance level calories for a few days and mostly eat more of what I normally eat.
I believe @Francl27 has reactive hypoglycemia premenstrually and found it helpful to limit simple sugars for a week or so prior.
Yep. The only thing that helps me is to switch to a low carb diet at that time.. if I have even a slice of toast in the morning (even with eggs), it sets me off and I'm starving/craving carbs all day, to the point where I can't function and get dizzy if I don't eat. It's seriously awful (but hasn't happened in a couple months now thankfully).
That's why sometimes when I read that 'it's a choice' or 'it's an excuse' BS it drives me nuts, lol. Hormones can seriously mess you up. But OP, even if you eat 200-500 over your calorie,s you're still probably at maintenance or under, so just don't sweat it!10 -
I struggle with it too. I find it hits me hard for a few days about 1-2 weeks before my TOM and I physically feel bloated. This past time it happened, I let myself go and ate everything in sight for a couple of days. i then convinced myself that I could do just fine without logging. Well, after a week or two of that, I gained a pound or two. UGH.
The next round, I'm going to give myself permission to eat at maintenance for a few days and see if that helps me cope better mentally. Wonder if I should change my MFP settings and then move it back again? I hate seeing that red number! Does it mess anything up if I do this?
I change my settings. This will also change my macros and re-input my last added weight, so I change the macros back and delete the extra weigh-in.1 -
I eat at maintenance during those couple of days. Its better than slapping those around me.5
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Yep. The only thing that helps me is to switch to a low carb diet at that time.. if I have even a slice of toast in the morning (even with eggs), it sets me off and I'm starving/craving carbs all day, to the point where I can't function and get dizzy if I don't eat. It's seriously awful (but hasn't happened in a couple months now thankfully).
That's why sometimes when I read that 'it's a choice' or 'it's an excuse' BS it drives me nuts, lol. Hormones can seriously mess you up. But OP, even if you eat 200-500 over your calorie,s you're still probably at maintenance or under, so just don't sweat it!
I'm oddly relieved to hear you say this - this is why I have pretty much cut out all traditional breakfast foods out of my diet because I finally figured out that that bowl of cereal (or toast, or pancakes, or waffles) made me HUNGRIER than if I didn't eat it at all! So weird.
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YES, I feel like I am starving around that time. It is most definitely a hormonal thing, and judging from the posts here it affects some of us more than others. I don't have specific cravings, I just constantly feel hungry no matter what I've eaten or how much water I've had. I just try to eat a ton of low calorie veggies, drink way more water, and do my best to work out longer and try to burn more calories than usual to make up for any increase.1
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The 2 days before i come on i crave carbs like no tomorrow. If I eat a carb free meal I'm physically hungry until i carb up! Then I crave chocolate for the next 3 days. Not sugar... just chocolate. Which normally I never chose to eat, i much prefer savoury snacks! It's crazy how much our hormones can change our mood and appetite!2
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Yep. The only thing that helps me is to switch to a low carb diet at that time.. if I have even a slice of toast in the morning (even with eggs), it sets me off and I'm starving/craving carbs all day, to the point where I can't function and get dizzy if I don't eat. It's seriously awful (but hasn't happened in a couple months now thankfully).
That's why sometimes when I read that 'it's a choice' or 'it's an excuse' BS it drives me nuts, lol. Hormones can seriously mess you up. But OP, even if you eat 200-500 over your calorie,s you're still probably at maintenance or under, so just don't sweat it!
I'm oddly relieved to hear you say this - this is why I have pretty much cut out all traditional breakfast foods out of my diet because I finally figured out that that bowl of cereal (or toast, or pancakes, or waffles) made me HUNGRIER than if I didn't eat it at all! So weird.
Lol yeah. I still have some French toast or something some days and just know I'll regret it later. It's better if I use whole grains though - steel cut oats are fine, for example. But unfortunately bread is rarely 100% whole grains.
Funny enough I NEVER got the chocolate craving thing until last month, when my PMS symptoms were otherwise not too bad. So odd.1 -
Yeah, we get it....but this is not what she was asking for help for. Simply saying, "control it!" is not useful advice.
I drink a LOT of water, or at least try to. Sometimes I'll put a Snapple tea packet in it to get the sugar I'm craving. I'm in the same boat right now and its like sugar and salt are my only means of survival!appetite is a desire to eat
hunger is a requirement to eat
sorry but the desire to eat is all on you and you can control it you are choosing not to.
works for a lot of people. Knowing we can control it is sometimes the best thing as lots of times we feel it's out of our control when in fact it is in our control.
either want to lose the weight or you don't.
I totally understand what you're saying. And it's great that "mind over matter" works for you. But I think it's unfair to assume it works for everyone. And saying that the urge to binge once a month means someone doesn't want to lose weight isn't a great motivator. It is a judgment, and many of us don't need any more negative judgments than we already get. We're on this site to support each other. I'm not saying we should just enable each other and say it's fine, but maybe a little more empathy and something more helpful than basically saying it's all in your head would be a little more productive. And there is actually science that supports the fact that for some women hormonal changes can cause very real feelings of cravings and insatiable appetite. There is also science that supports that constant denial of cravings can lead to a more drastic fall off the bandwagon than sensibly deciding to indulge in a manageable way.
I find when cravings hit that if I allow myself that one piece of dark chocolate (or whatever it is) at the time, I'm a lot less likely to eat the whole bag at the end of the week because I've tried to deny my craving.18 -
I drink SO MUCH WATER while I'm on my period. I have nearly uncontrollable cravings as well, so during that week I make sure to keep junk OUT of the house and I exercise a lot more to ease the cramps and help reduce the cravings (or at least reduce the amount of time I could be spending shoving food in my face
).
Wine. I drink wine on my period. And maybe I'll keep a King Size Reese's in the freezer...6 -
Well it's a thing for me anyway. Last few days, not so great...
And I don't think that hunger from hormonal swings is the same as head hunger/desire to eat. You might have that too, but feels like physical hunger to me.
Many of us are looking forward to Lyle McDonald's upcoming book for women.Then there is the menstrual cycle, the variation in hormones which occurs every month which complicates the entire system. Many aspects of female physiology from appetite, whether they burn primarily carbohydrates or fats for energy, energy expenditure, even coordination can change at different parts of the cycle and ignoring this when describing diet or exercise programs is a mistake (3). Yet that’s exactly what most programs do.
Even there there is enormous variability in a woman’s response to their menstrual cycle with some women seeing profound shifts in everything from appetite to mood to exercise performance along with the tendency to have problems with their cycle and others seeing almost none. I’ve long said that “You are not different” but far more so than men, women are unique and delicate flowers.
Here are a couple of excerpts he has posted. There is a video interview around here somewhere too.
bodyrecomposition.com/announcements/women-training-and-fat-loss.html/
bodyrecomposition.com/womens-physiology/research-on-women-why-isnt-there-more.html/
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Well it's a thing for me anyway. Last few days, not so great...
And I don't think that hunger from hormonal swings is the same as head hunger/desire to eat. You might have that too, but feels like physical hunger to me.
Many of us are looking forward to Lyle McDonald's upcoming book for women.Then there is the menstrual cycle, the variation in hormones which occurs every month which complicates the entire system. Many aspects of female physiology from appetite, whether they burn primarily carbohydrates or fats for energy, energy expenditure, even coordination can change at different parts of the cycle and ignoring this when describing diet or exercise programs is a mistake (3). Yet that’s exactly what most programs do.
Even there there is enormous variability in a woman’s response to their menstrual cycle with some women seeing profound shifts in everything from appetite to mood to exercise performance along with the tendency to have problems with their cycle and others seeing almost none. I’ve long said that “You are not different” but far more so than men, women are unique and delicate flowers.
Here are a couple of excerpts he has posted. There is a video interview around here somewhere too.
bodyrecomposition.com/announcements/women-training-and-fat-loss.html/
bodyrecomposition.com/womens-physiology/research-on-women-why-isnt-there-more.html/
Definitely not the same. I think the people who say it's a choice just haven't experienced it. I mean, I honestly can't remember experiencing it myself until last year (35) - or maybe I just never really realized it because I would just eat when hungry and didn't count calories anyway - so I suppose I can give them the benefit of the doubt for being so narrow minded...
Personally though, I've learned that when hormones are concerned, I'd NEVER judge anyone for what they could be experiencing. I never judged women who gained weight while pregnant (I can't even begin to imagine how awful it must be). Can't even imagine what people going through hormone therapy must feel like - heck I remember being pretty hungry when I did IVF already (and progesterone pills making me pass out - good times).
Bottom line - we all react differently to hormones. Just because someone doesn't experience something, doesn't mean it's not very real for others.5 -
I never thought to put myself in maintenance when my cycle comes around. Thank you for that tip. In all honestly my cycles were very irregular(because of my weight) I never noticed it then of course I wasn't counting calories either. But now, That I have a cycle every month (actually miss it skipping months like it used to) I find when that time comes around I have cravings for almost everything. I can't stand it, lol. Always want a craving for something sweet.2
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I'm a beast around that time, on so many levels...including hunger.3
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Well it's a thing for me anyway. Last few days, not so great...
And I don't think that hunger from hormonal swings is the same as head hunger/desire to eat. You might have that too, but feels like physical hunger to me.
Many of us are looking forward to Lyle McDonald's upcoming book for women.Then there is the menstrual cycle, the variation in hormones which occurs every month which complicates the entire system. Many aspects of female physiology from appetite, whether they burn primarily carbohydrates or fats for energy, energy expenditure, even coordination can change at different parts of the cycle and ignoring this when describing diet or exercise programs is a mistake (3). Yet that’s exactly what most programs do.
Even there there is enormous variability in a woman’s response to their menstrual cycle with some women seeing profound shifts in everything from appetite to mood to exercise performance along with the tendency to have problems with their cycle and others seeing almost none. I’ve long said that “You are not different” but far more so than men, women are unique and delicate flowers.
Here are a couple of excerpts he has posted. There is a video interview around here somewhere too.
bodyrecomposition.com/announcements/women-training-and-fat-loss.html/
bodyrecomposition.com/womens-physiology/research-on-women-why-isnt-there-more.html/
Here's the video. It's long; I watched it while doing yoga warmups:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k&index=4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr
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Well it's a thing for me anyway. Last few days, not so great...
And I don't think that hunger from hormonal swings is the same as head hunger/desire to eat. You might have that too, but feels like physical hunger to me.
Many of us are looking forward to Lyle McDonald's upcoming book for women.Then there is the menstrual cycle, the variation in hormones which occurs every month which complicates the entire system. Many aspects of female physiology from appetite, whether they burn primarily carbohydrates or fats for energy, energy expenditure, even coordination can change at different parts of the cycle and ignoring this when describing diet or exercise programs is a mistake (3). Yet that’s exactly what most programs do.
Even there there is enormous variability in a woman’s response to their menstrual cycle with some women seeing profound shifts in everything from appetite to mood to exercise performance along with the tendency to have problems with their cycle and others seeing almost none. I’ve long said that “You are not different” but far more so than men, women are unique and delicate flowers.
Here are a couple of excerpts he has posted. There is a video interview around here somewhere too.
bodyrecomposition.com/announcements/women-training-and-fat-loss.html/
bodyrecomposition.com/womens-physiology/research-on-women-why-isnt-there-more.html/
Definitely not the same. I think the people who say it's a choice just haven't experienced it. I mean, I honestly can't remember experiencing it myself until last year (35) - or maybe I just never really realized it because I would just eat when hungry and didn't count calories anyway - so I suppose I can give them the benefit of the doubt for being so narrow minded...
Personally though, I've learned that when hormones are concerned, I'd NEVER judge anyone for what they could be experiencing. I never judged women who gained weight while pregnant (I can't even begin to imagine how awful it must be). Can't even imagine what people going through hormone therapy must feel like - heck I remember being pretty hungry when I did IVF already (and progesterone pills making me pass out - good times).
Bottom line - we all react differently to hormones. Just because someone doesn't experience something, doesn't mean it's not very real for others.
Ya, I remember lots of people being judgey when you were sharing your experience before you figured out what was going on and how to fix it. It was a medical issue that had nothing to do with you "not wanting it badly enough" so I'm sure the judgment wasn't helpful. I'm really glad you figured it out.3 -
I just give my body what it wants. My body is trying to tell me that it's in need. I eat at maintenance those days, and if my body wants some chocolate or some steak, I just eat them. I know when my period is going to happen, and I can squeeze in extra exercise before and after to compensate. It's just two or three days. (I also have hell periods that leave me curled up on the floor in agony... it's not worth it to me to fight to try to lose an extra 1/4 pound those days. I'd rather care for my entire body as best I can.
Now, this doesn't mean that I scarf an entire Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar! It means I have a couple squares of chocolate bar, or have a hot chocolate. Nor do I eat an entire 12 ounce steak- I eat 4 or 6 oz of steak.
The real downfall for me is pizza... once I start craving that pepperoni with extra cheese, I pretty much have to hide my phone to keep from calling for takeout! 
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Some women don't understand because it doesn't impact them the same. I was one of those women. Never had cramps, bloating, cravings, headaches...nada. Had a period and that was it. Then I had a kid and a miscarriage. Now I get the chocolate and carb cravings. I bloat and once every 3-4 cycles, I get cramps that feel like they are going to literally kill me. I now feel bad for feeling that women were being dramatic or exaggerating. I get it now. It sucks. It's real. And it isn't easy for everyone.6
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I read some time ago that this is a time when you can lose extra weight if you don't give into the urges to overeat. Not sure if it's true, but worth a try?0
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I read some time ago that this is a time when you can lose extra weight if you don't give into the urges to overeat. Not sure if it's true, but worth a try?
Yeah it's possible that your body burns more calories during that time... which would make sense considering what happens to it, lol.4 -
LazyButHealthy wrote: »Think the issue is probably more your tone rather than content.
Just a guess.
how can you "read" tone. I am not speaking I am typing...no tone including in font unless I missed the memo that normal font indicates tone...I thought I had to use "italics"
Based on this thread I see that misogyny is alive and well...god forbid a woman doesn't just agree with other women...gives another option/opinion....nicely done ladies...nicely done.
If I was a lesser woman I would be devastated...*roll eyes*
So now you're calling women who don't agree with you misogynists...other than terminology, how is that different from what you're complaining about?4 -
I read some time ago that this is a time when you can lose extra weight if you don't give into the urges to overeat. Not sure if it's true, but worth a try?
When I eat at maintenance for a few days around my period, I do have a weight loss whoosh 7 days after it begins.
My appetite spikes up premenstrually and I add an extra snack and a larger meal or treat, which is all I need. (Not speaking for other women.) If I were to use that appetite spike as an excuse to #eatallthethings, as I have done in the past, I wouldn't have that weight loss whoosh. (This is not meant to apply to women whose appetite spikes dramatically due to medical issues that I do not experience.)2 -
I make sure to fit some chocolate into my diet, that helps with other cravings some how.3
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kshama2001 wrote: »LazyButHealthy wrote: »Think the issue is probably more your tone rather than content.
Just a guess.
how can you "read" tone. I am not speaking I am typing...no tone including in font unless I missed the memo that normal font indicates tone...I thought I had to use "italics"
Based on this thread I see that misogyny is alive and well...god forbid a woman doesn't just agree with other women...gives another option/opinion....nicely done ladies...nicely done.
If I was a lesser woman I would be devastated...*roll eyes*
So now you're calling women who don't agree with you misogynists...other than terminology, how is that different from what you're complaining about?
the women who called me misogynist names are the ones or painted me with the brush of being judgemental because my opinion differs from theirs or those who assumed tone or those who assumed "she must be having her period" or those who "assume" I just don't get it because of how I deal with it... is who I am referring to...not those who are disagreeing with me...have at....debate is often healthy and brings out options for those people with the issues to try...
Interesting...because I didn't care for your tone either, I missed that comments directed against you were indeed misogynistic. So now I learned something about myself.I find it amusing people assume I don't get cravings based on my cycle...interesting.
I get cravings noted it in my last reply. However I know that giving in to cravings to the point of overeating I will feel worse the next day and understand the difference between appetite and hunger.
I ate chips last night but didn't go over...satisfied the craving and my appetite.
and I find it amusing that I am called names, attacked and told I am mean because I have a different opinion on how to deal with it...smh.
oh well you ladies go and eat all the food you want during your cycle...I will continue on my way keep this 55lbs off and still eating all the foods I want but just in reasonable portions.
Again... you have no idea what other women experience. Sure I have the regular cravings that test my willpower but are not horrible (I mean, I DID lose 80 pounds and been maintaining for 2 years after all), and yeah, I might have a couple extra cookies when that happens. But before I figured out the problem, most of my 'cravings' left me weak, dizzy, and shaking. Do you REALLY think that it's as easy as deciding not to eat when that happens? it's not mental... it's PHYSICAL. Would you tell a diabetic having a low sugar episode not to eat? Seriously I'm shaking my head there...
So, again... extremely judgy about something that you clearly don't understand. I mean, sure, most women probably don't experience such issues, but some do, and I give them the benefit of the doubt instead of getting on a high horse about how I'm so much better at dieting than them...
being a diabetic and having your period are different...please.
My brother is a diabetic and if he didn't eat he would die...we won't...and no where did I say "don't eat" I said don't over eat just because "increased appetite"...wow...
ETA: again assuming things not written...no where did I say I was better at "dieting" than anyone else...
You are coming across as if you think you are better at dieting. Perhaps it would behoove you to find a way to express the same information in such a way that doesn't provoke such a strong negative reaction. You may want to be helpful, but your delivery is causing communication to fail.2 -
Cravings around your period could be because your deficient in something. I know personally for me, I am so hungry and thirsty a week prior and a week after my period due to anemia. I crave a lot of meat- which I don't necessarily like but If I want a juicy burger or something I'm going to get it. Hormones, and other disruptions of your body can cause cravings. If it fits I'll eat it, if I'm over a few calories guess what I'm not going to die over eating for a week. Life is so dang short to be so consumed with calorie counts everyday of your life. If you want a treat eat it, just don't make a habit of over eating every single day. You didn't get fat from one bad week of eating, like your not going to get thin with just one good week of eating. It's life just roll with the punches.5
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