Ladies Help - Time of the month cravings!

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tanya_03
tanya_03 Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello ladies,

I was hopine you could help me... I am back on healthy eating/weight loss, but one of my biggest downfalls is once I have my time of the month I am CONSTANTLY hungry and craving junk food, I'm hoping it's not just me haha

What I usually do is try and fill up on "good" carbs to try and fill me up for longer, but I'm wondering if there is a better way for me to go about it? Thank you!

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  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    When that happens to me (for me it's the week before TOM), I focus on whole grains, veggies, protein, fat, and avoid refined sugars and flours as much as possible (especially for breakfast). That way my appetite is more in control and it seems to help with the cravings some.

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Only you know how strong your cravings are, but I find that I can get through most of mine without getting off-track. I will often pick one day and be a bit more flexible with myself (which means purchasing something I don't usually have in the house, like a chocolate chip cookie or a chocolate bar). I will think about what I want the most and have that. If it's a chocolate bar, I may buy a bigger one and break it into pieces to have over a couple of days (this works for me, YMMV).

    I drink lots of water and I make sure not to skip my workouts. Exercise helps control my hunger. I try to plan meals that fit my goals but that I'm really excited about eating -- this helps too. If I know I've got a great lunch or dinner planned, it's easier for me to say no to sudden cravings.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    For me, having what I'm craving stops the craving. I did the whole "make healthier choices" and I ended up eating the "healthier" foods plus whatever I craved, thus going over calories and enjoying the inevitable guilt. Now I have the craved item and I'm done. Monday, I craved dark chocolate rosebuds so I ate 21 grams and *poof* craving gone.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    For me, having what I'm craving stops the craving. I did the whole "make healthier choices" and I ended up eating the "healthier" foods plus whatever I craved, thus going over calories and enjoying the inevitable guilt. Now I have the craved item and I'm done. Monday, I craved dark chocolate rosebuds so I ate 21 grams and *poof* craving gone.

    That's what I typically do when it's no PMS time... but at that time, if I start giving in, it just never really stops, lol. My willpower just goes straight out of the window.

    But yeah, it's worth giving it a shot. Just make sure to figure out what you're really craving and just have a little bit of it and see if it helps.
  • supersimonesquirrel
    supersimonesquirrel Posts: 74 Member
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    I always get extra hungry for about 2 days a month. I find giving into the cravings works best, but I still try keep within my daily goals. If I want oreos then I will have 2-4 instead of a whole pack. Grapes and cherries work too as they are very sweet. It is always sweet foods for me at that time haha :smile:
  • tanya_03
    tanya_03 Posts: 14 Member
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    Great ladies, thank you for all the suggestions! I would like to give into my cravings, but I'm afraid once I have had a taste I may loose self control haha trial and error I suppose
  • olgas158
    olgas158 Posts: 3 Member
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    IIf I am craving, I usually tell myself, "OK. I will eat it but tomorrow". It helps me to stay on track one day more. Next day when I stay on the scale, I usually lose more weight than I expected. In days of crayving your body burn fat much more than usual.
  • SassyMommasaurus
    SassyMommasaurus Posts: 380 Member
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    I time it so by the time TOM rolls around, the kids have all eaten their junk food in the house and I wont go grocery shopping until after it's over lol.
  • catic32
    catic32 Posts: 105 Member
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    My appetite increased and I crave sweets (who doesn't) But I eat whatever I want. Within reason. If I want cookies I'm going to eat cookies. I'm not going to eat 12 cookies, but if I want 4 I'll eat 4. Or I've been known to eat an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's in one sitting. But one or 2 days isn't going to ruin my overall health.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    I have had symptoms of what may very well be PMDD, which is basically a more severe form of PMS for most of my adult life, and one of the symptoms I've had is almost uncontrollable cravings.

    These are cravings that I can't ignore, and I compare them to Dexter's "Dark Passenger" because they get in the driver's seat for 7-10 days out of the month when I turn into a different person almost entirely.

    What works for me USUALLY is to eat more carbs during those days. Like sometimes I'll just live on crap food for a week (but within my calories, or sometimes at maintenance). And it's really just for survival, for me anyway. It tempers the horrible symptoms and food cravings. I say usually because it doesn't always work, but it seems to most of the time.

  • dearcassandrab
    dearcassandrab Posts: 145 Member
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    I feel your pain! I'm always worried about losing control. But. I find, as a sugar ADDICT, if I give into a smaller craving for something not as bad on occasion it keeps me on track. When I want a coke I'll let myself have some sweet tea once or twice a week. When I want candy or some other refined crap, I eat a bow of cereal. It's really kept
    me from binge eating Hershey's kisses.

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