Vicious Cycle
Replies
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getupforchange wrote: »Controversial suggestion maybe, but have you considered getting medical help? If your period in one way or another affects 3 out of 4 weeks a month it might be worth going on the pill for example. That way you can reduce or completely get rid of the pain and definitely reduce the heaviness and duration of the period giving you more time to be you and stick to your routine.
Other than that exercise usually helps even though you have to force yourself to get started and drinking lots of water and staying away from sodium will help to not feel so bloated.
This was going to be my suggestion as well.0 -
This may be harsh, but we all started the monthly cycle between age 12-14 (obviously exceptions to that), you need to learn how to control those PMS symptoms in one way or another. Its life. It happens. If losing and maintaining weight is what you want? Then learn the deal with the cravings. If not, go out and indulge if it makes you happy. I have many friends who complain monthly about their symptoms, and I tell them the same thing. You need to learn to deal with it and not use it as an excuse.0
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Jules_farmgirl wrote: »This may be harsh, but we all started the monthly cycle between age 12-14 (obviously exceptions to that), you need to learn how to control those PMS symptoms in one way or another. Its life. It happens. If losing and maintaining weight is what you want? Then learn the deal with the cravings. If not, go out and indulge if it makes you happy. I have many friends who complain monthly about their symptoms, and I tell them the same thing. You need to learn to deal with it and not use it as an excuse.
Clearly OP isn't using it as 'an excuse' as she wants to lose weight and find ways to deal with it and that's why she posted about it. Using it as an excuse would be eating too much and not caring a bit 'because it's PMS'... which clearly isn't the case here (and if it was just an excuse we probably wouldn't feel so horrible about it either).
I'm not speaking for everyone, but PMS never bothered me before I lost the weight. Heck I can't even remember how it was, frankly. I guess I just ate more because I was hungrier and that was the end of it. I suppose that's part of why PMS is so much harder now - I actually care (and I'm older, possibly peri-menopausal, and I have way less fat reserves on me, so maybe it's actually worse).
I'll just finish with yet another reminder that we all experience PMS differently (heck... I experience it differently every single month) and it's very easy to say 'don't use it as an excuse and just deal with it' when you've possibly never experienced it as badly as OP (or your friends) have. I've gone from so hungry that I had to eat 4000 calories 3 days in a row to being so depressed that I got suicidal again. Unless you've gone through such extremes, you really have no business judging others and claiming it's 'just an excuse'.13 -
Ibuprofen as soon as the pain hits, or even before, if you're regular enough to feel the first twinges.
I was a teenager before ibuprofen was OTC and had to suffer horrendous cramps. When it became available without a prescription and I read an article about how NSAIDS are prostaglandin blockers, I bought some, and I took FIVE, and I was stunned with how much less pain there was. It was literally a miracle drug.
When I was young, doctors were still saying that if you had cramps it was because you were "rejecting your femininity." Now we know a lot more about what causes many PMS symptoms and we can manage them much, much better. If my cramps were all in my head, why did a handful of ibuprofen make them pretty much stop?
My cramps were so bad that I ended up having a 9-pound baby without any pain meds, because I told myself I'd wait until labor was as bad as my worst cramps - and it never got that bad. All the breathing and relaxation tecnquies I used to get through school and work were more than enough to have a baby with. The pain is real.
The appetite? That's also hormonal but you're not going to find any real medication options. I'd wonder if you treated the pain and prostaglandin effects if you might just *feel* better about the whole process and the eating thing would be easier to cope with?6 -
Clearly OP isn't using it as 'an excuse' as she wants to lose weight and find ways to deal with it and that's why she posted about it. Using it as an excuse would be eating too much and not caring a bit 'because it's PMS'... which clearly isn't the case here (and if it was just an excuse we probably wouldn't feel so horrible about it either).
I'm not speaking for everyone, but PMS never bothered me before I lost the weight. Heck I can't even remember how it was, frankly. I guess I just ate more because I was hungrier and that was the end of it. I suppose that's part of why PMS is so much harder now - I actually care (and I'm older, possibly peri-menopausal, and I have way less fat reserves on me, so maybe it's actually worse).
I'll just finish with yet another reminder that we all experience PMS differently (heck... I experience it differently every single month) and it's very easy to say 'don't use it as an excuse and just deal with it' when you've possibly never experienced it as badly as OP (or your friends) have. I've gone from so hungry that I had to eat 4000 calories 3 days in a row to being so depressed that I got suicidal again. Unless you've gone through such extremes, you really have no business judging others and claiming it's 'just an excuse'.
I have gone through extremes my whole life, including being in a hospital on morphine from my ovarian cysts, which cause severe pain during BOTH ovulation AND TOM.
Doesn't mean that I make sure everyone around me knows its happening and I definitely don't let it effect my day to day.1 -
Ibuprofen as soon as the pain hits, or even before, if you're regular enough to feel the first twinges.
I was a teenager before ibuprofen was OTC and had to suffer horrendous cramps. When it became available without a prescription and I read an article about how NSAIDS are prostaglandin blockers, I bought some, and I took FIVE, and I was stunned with how much less pain there was. It was literally a miracle drug.
When I was young, doctors were still saying that if you had cramps it was because you were "rejecting your femininity." Now we know a lot more about what causes many PMS symptoms and we can manage them much, much better. If my cramps were all in my head, why did a handful of ibuprofen make them pretty much stop?
My cramps were so bad that I ended up having a 9-pound baby without any pain meds, because I told myself I'd wait until labor was as bad as my worst cramps - and it never got that bad. All the breathing and relaxation tecnquies I used to get through school and work were more than enough to have a baby with. The pain is real.
The appetite? That's also hormonal but you're not going to find any real medication options. I'd wonder if you treated the pain and prostaglandin effects if you might just *feel* better about the whole process and the eating thing would be easier to cope with?
It doesn't affect my eating, personally, lol. But yeah... miracle for cramps. I saw all those warnings about how Ibuprofen is dangerous not too long ago and I frankly thought 'I don't care. I can't imagine ever stopping them'.
For what it's worth, I used to have to take 3 for it to work... when I lost the weight, I found that 2 worked fine. The worst really is when it doesn't work and I have to take Tylenol too... but alternating both seems to work (again, every 2-3 hours, if any wears off I'm in trouble).
I've had cramps like that lasting for 10 days too some months... Horrible. I used to throw up from them when I was a teen. I didn't actually discover Ibuprofen until I moved to the US at 23.. I used to take something else in France that more or less worked (Doliprane was the name).0 -
Prevention:
I would suggest not having the food in the house that is causing the cravings. Have healthy snacks (fruits, veggies, nuts) available and allow yourself to eat them as you need to. Don't feel guilty about it. Know it's a healthy snack and it is helping you get through a rough time. The problem with guilt is once it hits you get into the 'Well I already failed I might as well go full force' attitude.
Possible Solutions:
Also as mentioned previously in the comments you really should speak to a doctor about your periods there are serious medical reasons this may be happening. insists on testing don't let your doctor blow you off!!!
One more thing, have your Vitamin D level checked. Studies have found that Vit D helps relieve menstrual cramps http://www.medpagetoday.com/obgyn/generalobgyn/31388 (not sure if I am allowed to post URLs if not and it is removed search Vitamin D and Menstrual Pain.
For the pain hold heating pads on the area. Get one of the wheat ones you can toss in the microwave to heat I can suggest a wonderful one I use for my back pain if you like just ask, and take whichever pain pills you can get relief from
Now I know the above-mentioned ideas/suggestions deal with the pain part of your problem, not the binge eating part of it but I think if you can control one part the other will follow.
I will keep you in my thoughts I know it's not fun. Hope you can find some relief soon.3 -
What to do to fight this vicious appetite 2 weeks out of the month? I am getting my cycle soon and I know because I want to take a bite of my desk right now. I don't track it at all but I know from the incredible overwhelming sensation of hunger I'm having. I feel out of control when this happens. I only have one normal week a month. One week of hunger followed by another week of hunger, headaches and cramps. Then the most horrible heavy period and it's over. The pain is horrible the hunger is horrific it is all a nightmare. Does anyone have any tips or trips to get through this a little better? Surgery is not an option. Something has to work besides Strawberry Ice Cream. I don't even want to log in this damn coca cola and doritos I'm eating. My husband wants to walk tonight and I want to hang on the couch. SMH
Also did I say that it takes away all my motivation to work out.
I'm not sure how much BC helps. I still get those uncontrollable cravings. Mine is not hunger. It's just an overwhelming desire to eat that is accompanied by anxiety until the craving is satisfied.
I was actually looking forward to them this month so that I could have some yummy treats. I normally only eat my treats during this time because I am not good at moderating and they lead me to overeat. So, one day out of every 4 weeks or more, I normally will have an all out sweet treat fest!. I was expecting the mild cravings to hit over the weekend followed by my uncontrollable urge to eat the sweets by Monday or Tuesday morning. Well instead on Monday night and Tuesday, I had the most horrible cramps as well as insomnia since Saturday night. I normally don't get either of these. My only symptom is normally this uncontrollable urge to eat and maybe a little less patience with others.
I guess no treats this time for me. As far as advice is concerned, I have none because I give in to my urges and overeat. Thankfully, it's only one day and I eat at a deficit the rest of the time to make up for my "HUGE" indulgence. So, it has not impacted my weight.
I wish you the best because I know that many women don't experience the out of control urges that other women get, and it's difficult to understand that exercising, eating at maintenance and all the other wonderful tips just don't work when the changes in progesterone, estrogen, cortisol, and serotonin whipsaw you at once.
Good luck!1 -
Christine_72 wrote: »Also wanted to suggest/ask about BC, the Pill took care of most of my extreme PMS, and shortened and lessened my TOM. Some brands can increase your appetite or have their own side effects, but it sounds like it can't be worse than you are experiencing. I also had a doctor before I decided on BC that suggested a calcium/magnesium supplement, though I admit I don't remember why/how that would help.
I also agree with the previous posters that exercise and hydration help too. The thing with exercise is you have to remember how you feel when you are done, as opposed to how you feel when you start. I find when I feel crampy and grumpy, I never feel like moving, but a brisk walk leaves me feeling much better.
ALWAYS log, even if it looks awful, sometimes we don't realize how much of what we think we have no control over is actually just habit. Sometimes seeing it in writing helps motivate you to at least make better choices in comfort eating LOL.
I don't mean this as an insult, but just wanted to add, do a gut check and make sure it really is that bad, and not just something you have gotten used to using as a crutch. I'm not saying you are, I completely relate to what you are going through, but I've also known some people who get great comfort from convincing themselves they are in too much pain/too many cravings/etc to lose weight.
In all seriousness, if you are legit struggling through three weeks every month, and all your current doctor can suggest is surgery, get a second opinion. A lot of women have to deal with a few days a month of discomfort/pain and cravings, but what you are describing is not normal. Good luck :drinker:
I often wonder how much of some women's pms symptoms is mental. .. Not saying this is you OP, not at all!
They know tom is approaching and the panic sets in, they resign themselves to the fact that they are going to eat the house down, not exercise etc etc Do this for enough years and it becomes an auto pilot thing. The mind is powerful and mysterious, what will happen is what you expect to happen.
This month proves that's not the case for me. I didn't get the cravings and I was actually expecting and looking forward to the treats. I got other horrible symptoms that I don't normally get like cramping, nausea and insomnia. So, since I didn't get the cravings, I didn't use it as an opportunity to eat. Not sure about other women. But I also know that horrible PMS symptoms hit some, but not all women, like a ton of bricks. It can be so bad that it impacts their quality of life, and one of those symptoms among many others is uncontrollable food cravings.1 -
Oh you're so not alone. You described me completely. It's awful and unfortunately a lot of people really don't get it... And the last few months my cycles have one lasted 3 weeks, so it's pretty much non stop hell.
First, medicate. I pretty much have to alternate Advil and Tylenol (or store brands, but it has to be soft gels or it takes too long to work) every 2-3 hours for days. I start as soon as I get up. Once the pain is gone, it's much easier to get moving.
Exercise more. Seriously. My last bad PMS day was bad, but I try to stay active and end up burning off a big chunk of the surplus (I laugh at the 'eat at maintenance' posts. Maintenance doesn't even get close to cutting it for me). I've increased my activity and walk whenever I have 30 minutes to kill (instead of just sitting down and watching TV or browsing the web or something - exceptions being in the morning while I drink my coffee and at night when the kids are in bed).
Find what foods REALLY satisfy you. That horrible hunger feeling... what can you eat in reasonable quantities to make it go away? For me, I've found that just a plain English muffin will work much better than ice cream or cookies (I might crave them but they really don't satisfy me and I can't stop eating them if I start at that time). The key is to eat as little as possible of the thing that will satisfy you, and avoid the stuff that won't, no matter how tempting.
The whole mental thing... I know it's not it for me because sometimes I skip a period and it doesn't happen to me at all. I always kinda feel insulted when people suggest it though! And yeah, some cycles it doesn't happen more than maybe a day and I'm so grateful.
And my best advice if you don't want to gain weight from that - eat less on the easier days. It sucks, but that's pretty much how I've managed not to gain back the weight in 2.5 years (I've gained back a couple pounds when Holidays and special events fell on usually 'normal' days and I wasn't able to keep a deficit that 'easy' week, but that's pretty much it and my clothes still fit the same).
Yeah, the suggestion is a put off to some degree. I guess sometimes it's hard for people to believe that something can be real for others, if they don't experience it themselves.
It is real for sure!!3 -
leejoyce31 wrote: »Oh you're so not alone. You described me completely. It's awful and unfortunately a lot of people really don't get it... And the last few months my cycles have one lasted 3 weeks, so it's pretty much non stop hell.
First, medicate. I pretty much have to alternate Advil and Tylenol (or store brands, but it has to be soft gels or it takes too long to work) every 2-3 hours for days. I start as soon as I get up. Once the pain is gone, it's much easier to get moving.
Exercise more. Seriously. My last bad PMS day was bad, but I try to stay active and end up burning off a big chunk of the surplus (I laugh at the 'eat at maintenance' posts. Maintenance doesn't even get close to cutting it for me). I've increased my activity and walk whenever I have 30 minutes to kill (instead of just sitting down and watching TV or browsing the web or something - exceptions being in the morning while I drink my coffee and at night when the kids are in bed).
Find what foods REALLY satisfy you. That horrible hunger feeling... what can you eat in reasonable quantities to make it go away? For me, I've found that just a plain English muffin will work much better than ice cream or cookies (I might crave them but they really don't satisfy me and I can't stop eating them if I start at that time). The key is to eat as little as possible of the thing that will satisfy you, and avoid the stuff that won't, no matter how tempting.
The whole mental thing... I know it's not it for me because sometimes I skip a period and it doesn't happen to me at all. I always kinda feel insulted when people suggest it though! And yeah, some cycles it doesn't happen more than maybe a day and I'm so grateful.
And my best advice if you don't want to gain weight from that - eat less on the easier days. It sucks, but that's pretty much how I've managed not to gain back the weight in 2.5 years (I've gained back a couple pounds when Holidays and special events fell on usually 'normal' days and I wasn't able to keep a deficit that 'easy' week, but that's pretty much it and my clothes still fit the same).
Yeah, the suggestion is a put off to some degree. I guess sometimes it's hard for people to believe that something can be real for others, if they don't experience it themselves.
It is real for sure!!
It's definitely real. No one is saying you're not experiencing what you say you're experiencing.But I see this all the time at my work. Women go crazy when you suggest that your brain can affect what you feel physically. I used to have terrible period pains until I saw an endocrinologist and realized my hormones were normal and I was very depressed. And once I went on anti depressants the symptoms improved dramatically. It still hurts but not the way it used to.
People with amputated limbs still feel pain in them. The mind is an amazing thing and to discount the idea that some of this could be mental rather than physical is doing yourself a disservice .3 -
I guess i'm a bit jaded when i hear the word pms. It makes me think of my ex sister in-law
Every month for 2 weeks she would moan about pms, she would be parked on the couch with her chips and chocolate and was a total B*tch.
Except she was like this every other day of the month too! But for 2 weeks she had an "excuse" for being like that..4 -
Sounds good ladies. Thank you for the suggestions. First let me say I am 45...of course I have seen the doctor about this and have had many forms of birth control. Never a good reaction to any of them. So I just deal with it. I promise, the pain, the cramps the appetite is not in my head. It is all very real. I can go through almost a whole bag of napkins in one cycle. I will say this. If I work out it is not as heavy but I do still get every thing else. I think the suggestion about drinking a lot of water is one that I will try. Honestly I don't drink a lot of water. I am not using this as an excuse or a crutch of any sort. You all are right I have to keep pushing through. So that is what I intend on doing. I just can't with another birth control. Nothing good ever comes from it for me.
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I completely understand.. 1st of all the pains are sometimes unbearable, codeine sometimes doesn't even take the edge off.. the week leading up to it, the hunger takes over. I used to give in and could easily do a few chocolate bars (I have an extremely sweet tooth) however I then discovered dark chocolate (above 75%) I now have 2 cubes every night the week before and it seems to help with cravings, plus I swear it's easing the water retention and headaches.. it may be all in my head but it seems to help..0
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I'm another who had problems with PMS and was annoyed when someone tried to tell me it was just an excuse. One of the worst problems for me to deal with was emotional. I have incredible respect for people who can stay calm in emotionally charged situations. I aspire to that, but when I was PMSing it got much more difficult. I can remember sitting at home in front of my desktop playing spider solitaire, with no particular thought in my head except the game, tearing up out of the blue, and realizing I was PMSing. For years before that I felt the emotion (anger/frustration/sadness) then looked for an outside cause, which meant I made mountains out of molehills. In later years I learned to recognize the exaggerated response and just pulled back from interactions. If you've never experienced this part of PMSing I can see how it might seem "fake", but it's not.2
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May I suggest you talk to your doctor about a progesterone replacement. I work in a pharmacy where the pharmacist compounds hormones specially for people with hormone problems it really helped with my endometriosis which it sounds like you may have.1
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Hi, I suffered for years with severe pain and dizziness and fainting. Heating pad for at home and they have those little pads they sell for your stomach, your shoulder, etc. that are warm and they are adhesive. Back in the day we used to have to crush the aspirin and put it into foods. I remember buying a book about 35 years ago about PMS. I think it said brewers yeast might help but not sure. You can check on-line to see if there are any new vitamins/minerals that are recommended. And reading everyone's responses, I think I may have just figured out something - why I have always binged. Could have started when I was eating normal portions but then had the craving to eat because of PMS. Then the extra weight got me dieting and the cycle began of yo-yo dieting/binging. It is very real what you are going through. Tell that to the policeman who was called with me fainting sitting on a stoop. He called my work and told them I wouldn't be in and then got me a taxi. (On another note, he kept on asking me if I had a boyfriend. I was too sick to think about giving him my number lol) Hugs and more hugs0
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Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »Oh you're so not alone. You described me completely. It's awful and unfortunately a lot of people really don't get it... And the last few months my cycles have one lasted 3 weeks, so it's pretty much non stop hell.
First, medicate. I pretty much have to alternate Advil and Tylenol (or store brands, but it has to be soft gels or it takes too long to work) every 2-3 hours for days. I start as soon as I get up. Once the pain is gone, it's much easier to get moving.
Exercise more. Seriously. My last bad PMS day was bad, but I try to stay active and end up burning off a big chunk of the surplus (I laugh at the 'eat at maintenance' posts. Maintenance doesn't even get close to cutting it for me). I've increased my activity and walk whenever I have 30 minutes to kill (instead of just sitting down and watching TV or browsing the web or something - exceptions being in the morning while I drink my coffee and at night when the kids are in bed).
Find what foods REALLY satisfy you. That horrible hunger feeling... what can you eat in reasonable quantities to make it go away? For me, I've found that just a plain English muffin will work much better than ice cream or cookies (I might crave them but they really don't satisfy me and I can't stop eating them if I start at that time). The key is to eat as little as possible of the thing that will satisfy you, and avoid the stuff that won't, no matter how tempting.
The whole mental thing... I know it's not it for me because sometimes I skip a period and it doesn't happen to me at all. I always kinda feel insulted when people suggest it though! And yeah, some cycles it doesn't happen more than maybe a day and I'm so grateful.
And my best advice if you don't want to gain weight from that - eat less on the easier days. It sucks, but that's pretty much how I've managed not to gain back the weight in 2.5 years (I've gained back a couple pounds when Holidays and special events fell on usually 'normal' days and I wasn't able to keep a deficit that 'easy' week, but that's pretty much it and my clothes still fit the same).
Yeah, the suggestion is a put off to some degree. I guess sometimes it's hard for people to believe that something can be real for others, if they don't experience it themselves.
It is real for sure!!
It's definitely real. No one is saying you're not experiencing what you say you're experiencing.But I see this all the time at my work. Women go crazy when you suggest that your brain can affect what you feel physically. I used to have terrible period pains until I saw an endocrinologist and realized my hormones were normal and I was very depressed. And once I went on anti depressants the symptoms improved dramatically. It still hurts but not the way it used to.
People with amputated limbs still feel pain in them. The mind is an amazing thing and to discount the idea that some of this could be mental rather than physical is doing yourself a disservice .Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »Oh you're so not alone. You described me completely. It's awful and unfortunately a lot of people really don't get it... And the last few months my cycles have one lasted 3 weeks, so it's pretty much non stop hell.
First, medicate. I pretty much have to alternate Advil and Tylenol (or store brands, but it has to be soft gels or it takes too long to work) every 2-3 hours for days. I start as soon as I get up. Once the pain is gone, it's much easier to get moving.
Exercise more. Seriously. My last bad PMS day was bad, but I try to stay active and end up burning off a big chunk of the surplus (I laugh at the 'eat at maintenance' posts. Maintenance doesn't even get close to cutting it for me). I've increased my activity and walk whenever I have 30 minutes to kill (instead of just sitting down and watching TV or browsing the web or something - exceptions being in the morning while I drink my coffee and at night when the kids are in bed).
Find what foods REALLY satisfy you. That horrible hunger feeling... what can you eat in reasonable quantities to make it go away? For me, I've found that just a plain English muffin will work much better than ice cream or cookies (I might crave them but they really don't satisfy me and I can't stop eating them if I start at that time). The key is to eat as little as possible of the thing that will satisfy you, and avoid the stuff that won't, no matter how tempting.
The whole mental thing... I know it's not it for me because sometimes I skip a period and it doesn't happen to me at all. I always kinda feel insulted when people suggest it though! And yeah, some cycles it doesn't happen more than maybe a day and I'm so grateful.
And my best advice if you don't want to gain weight from that - eat less on the easier days. It sucks, but that's pretty much how I've managed not to gain back the weight in 2.5 years (I've gained back a couple pounds when Holidays and special events fell on usually 'normal' days and I wasn't able to keep a deficit that 'easy' week, but that's pretty much it and my clothes still fit the same).
Yeah, the suggestion is a put off to some degree. I guess sometimes it's hard for people to believe that something can be real for others, if they don't experience it themselves.
It is real for sure!!
It's definitely real. No one is saying you're not experiencing what you say you're experiencing.But I see this all the time at my work. Women go crazy when you suggest that your brain can affect what you feel physically. I used to have terrible period pains until I saw an endocrinologist and realized my hormones were normal and I was very depressed. And once I went on anti depressants the symptoms improved dramatically. It still hurts but not the way it used to.
People with amputated limbs still feel pain in them. The mind is an amazing thing and to discount the idea that some of this could be mental rather than physical is doing yourself a disservice .
No disservice to me. I accept it as a part of my life and don't over analyze. It's only a few days out of a month. If I overeat I have developed mechanisms to counter it.
I'm just not one to discount what people feel by chalking it up to it's just mental. That's my opinion. We just disagree. I won't say you are doing yourself a disservice just because our opinions differ.1 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I guess i'm a bit jaded when i hear the word pms. It makes me think of my ex sister in-law Every month for 2 weeks she would moan about pms, she would be parked on the couch with her chips and chocolate and was a total B*tch.
Except she was like this every other day of the month too! But for 2 weeks she had an "excuse" for being like that..
Lol.
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leejoyce31 wrote: »Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »Oh you're so not alone. You described me completely. It's awful and unfortunately a lot of people really don't get it... And the last few months my cycles have one lasted 3 weeks, so it's pretty much non stop hell.
First, medicate. I pretty much have to alternate Advil and Tylenol (or store brands, but it has to be soft gels or it takes too long to work) every 2-3 hours for days. I start as soon as I get up. Once the pain is gone, it's much easier to get moving.
Exercise more. Seriously. My last bad PMS day was bad, but I try to stay active and end up burning off a big chunk of the surplus (I laugh at the 'eat at maintenance' posts. Maintenance doesn't even get close to cutting it for me). I've increased my activity and walk whenever I have 30 minutes to kill (instead of just sitting down and watching TV or browsing the web or something - exceptions being in the morning while I drink my coffee and at night when the kids are in bed).
Find what foods REALLY satisfy you. That horrible hunger feeling... what can you eat in reasonable quantities to make it go away? For me, I've found that just a plain English muffin will work much better than ice cream or cookies (I might crave them but they really don't satisfy me and I can't stop eating them if I start at that time). The key is to eat as little as possible of the thing that will satisfy you, and avoid the stuff that won't, no matter how tempting.
The whole mental thing... I know it's not it for me because sometimes I skip a period and it doesn't happen to me at all. I always kinda feel insulted when people suggest it though! And yeah, some cycles it doesn't happen more than maybe a day and I'm so grateful.
And my best advice if you don't want to gain weight from that - eat less on the easier days. It sucks, but that's pretty much how I've managed not to gain back the weight in 2.5 years (I've gained back a couple pounds when Holidays and special events fell on usually 'normal' days and I wasn't able to keep a deficit that 'easy' week, but that's pretty much it and my clothes still fit the same).
Yeah, the suggestion is a put off to some degree. I guess sometimes it's hard for people to believe that something can be real for others, if they don't experience it themselves.
It is real for sure!!
It's definitely real. No one is saying you're not experiencing what you say you're experiencing.But I see this all the time at my work. Women go crazy when you suggest that your brain can affect what you feel physically. I used to have terrible period pains until I saw an endocrinologist and realized my hormones were normal and I was very depressed. And once I went on anti depressants the symptoms improved dramatically. It still hurts but not the way it used to.
People with amputated limbs still feel pain in them. The mind is an amazing thing and to discount the idea that some of this could be mental rather than physical is doing yourself a disservice .Heartisalonelyhunter wrote: »leejoyce31 wrote: »Oh you're so not alone. You described me completely. It's awful and unfortunately a lot of people really don't get it... And the last few months my cycles have one lasted 3 weeks, so it's pretty much non stop hell.
First, medicate. I pretty much have to alternate Advil and Tylenol (or store brands, but it has to be soft gels or it takes too long to work) every 2-3 hours for days. I start as soon as I get up. Once the pain is gone, it's much easier to get moving.
Exercise more. Seriously. My last bad PMS day was bad, but I try to stay active and end up burning off a big chunk of the surplus (I laugh at the 'eat at maintenance' posts. Maintenance doesn't even get close to cutting it for me). I've increased my activity and walk whenever I have 30 minutes to kill (instead of just sitting down and watching TV or browsing the web or something - exceptions being in the morning while I drink my coffee and at night when the kids are in bed).
Find what foods REALLY satisfy you. That horrible hunger feeling... what can you eat in reasonable quantities to make it go away? For me, I've found that just a plain English muffin will work much better than ice cream or cookies (I might crave them but they really don't satisfy me and I can't stop eating them if I start at that time). The key is to eat as little as possible of the thing that will satisfy you, and avoid the stuff that won't, no matter how tempting.
The whole mental thing... I know it's not it for me because sometimes I skip a period and it doesn't happen to me at all. I always kinda feel insulted when people suggest it though! And yeah, some cycles it doesn't happen more than maybe a day and I'm so grateful.
And my best advice if you don't want to gain weight from that - eat less on the easier days. It sucks, but that's pretty much how I've managed not to gain back the weight in 2.5 years (I've gained back a couple pounds when Holidays and special events fell on usually 'normal' days and I wasn't able to keep a deficit that 'easy' week, but that's pretty much it and my clothes still fit the same).
Yeah, the suggestion is a put off to some degree. I guess sometimes it's hard for people to believe that something can be real for others, if they don't experience it themselves.
It is real for sure!!
It's definitely real. No one is saying you're not experiencing what you say you're experiencing.But I see this all the time at my work. Women go crazy when you suggest that your brain can affect what you feel physically. I used to have terrible period pains until I saw an endocrinologist and realized my hormones were normal and I was very depressed. And once I went on anti depressants the symptoms improved dramatically. It still hurts but not the way it used to.
People with amputated limbs still feel pain in them. The mind is an amazing thing and to discount the idea that some of this could be mental rather than physical is doing yourself a disservice .
No disservice to me. I accept it as a part of my life and don't over analyze. It's only a few days out of a month. If I overeat I have developed mechanisms to counter it.
I'm just not one to discount what people feel by chalking it up to it's just mental. That's my opinion. We just disagree. I won't say you are doing yourself a disservice just because our opinions differ.
Did you actually read what I said? I never said 'it's just mental'. But you carry on disagreeing with imaginary arguments. Obviously whatever you're doing is working out well for you.0
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