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menstrual cycle vs hunger

Pepsab
Pepsab Posts: 169 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
A question for other ladies. Have you noticed a time during your cycle where you are a lot hungrier? Not necessarily for junk or choc etc but just needing to consume more calories.

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I feel the same all through my cycle.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Yep. The day before my period arrives I am hungry, all day. I did read that your body requires more food during this time but not as much as I eat.
  • khemanichatly
    khemanichatly Posts: 1 Member
    edited August 2017
  • Bluebell2325
    Bluebell2325 Posts: 103 Member
    Week before I am always hungrier, but then I have more energy and determination too. That week I am more crazings than hunger and I have zero energy and determination.
  • Lebatsirk
    Lebatsirk Posts: 27 Member
    Week before for me, but then the week itself my appetite goes so I think it generally balances out. If I feel I need to eat more, I do so, but I try and make reasonably sensible choices where possible. If I try to ignore the extra hunger, I just end up getting stressed then eating rubbish so I think I do much better when I listen to what my body needs.
  • LisaEatSleepRun
    LisaEatSleepRun Posts: 159 Member
    Yes, sometimes insatiably so! I try to increase my exercise a bit during my pre-menstrual week so I can eat a bit more & also manage the moodiness and crankiness!!
  • Ameliegr
    Ameliegr Posts: 15 Member
    absolutely yes! A week before my period starts I become the cookie monster! it lasts almost 3 days and I eat at least 700 to 1000 more kcal than the rest of the month. once my period does come, my appetite goes way down and all food tastes bland.
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
    Yes. A few days before I can eat anything in sight, and sometimes I do. It evens out because I usually have no appetite during the cycle. The water weight though..ugh
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    I become insatiable ravenous before/at the start of my period, and the hunger can last from one day to five days. I don't have a specific food target, and I have learned to go to sleep feeling slightly hungry but if it's so bad I can't sleep then I will eat something.
  • ashbabe25
    ashbabe25 Posts: 173 Member
    A day or so before and the first day at least I'm crazy hungry but I crave things like a glass of milk or lentils and rice. I keep emergency chocolate on hand if those cravings hit but they're rare.
  • CrazyComicLady
    CrazyComicLady Posts: 98 Member
    Up to 10 days before the start of mine I'm constantly hungry and fighting food impulses, then when the dreaded thing starts my appetite vanished for a few days. Always such a giant struggle though.
  • SisepuedeLinda
    SisepuedeLinda Posts: 132 Member
    Yes! Me and my friend used to say "the hunger is here" lol because we literally just wanted to eat everything and anything!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,055 Member
    A few days before my period starts, my appetite spikes. It feels like I crave carbs, but if I just eat at maintenance, the cravings go away.
  • ChiliPepperLifter
    ChiliPepperLifter Posts: 279 Member
    I am very sensitive to my hormonal fluctuations, and have no issue eating at maintenance a few days a month. Over the long term it really won't slow my weight loss down too much, and it makes those few days a lot more tolerable. Like others, my appetite dimishes after the start of my cycle, so it might even out.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I am usually filled with energy the week before my period and a lot LESS hungry/fewer cravings than any other time of the month. During my period, my energy is much lower but my appetite is pretty normal. Usually around the time I ovulate I have some cravings. A lot of this seems to be opposite/different from other ladies. I am glad that I don't have big hunger and cravings right before my period though because I usually drop a couple of pounds that week and then it helps me with period "bloat" during.
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
    This is why I have Korean BBQ about once a month. :smile:
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    I am. I eat a lot of salty low-cal snacks at that point (like Skinny Pop popcorn and veggie dogs). Basically, I snack more, but stick to my calories. I also find that exercising more cuts back on cramping and other TOM effects, so I have more of a cushion for snacking.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    I usually get an attack of intense hunger the same day, right before my period starts these days, but nothing that noticeable in the days before.
  • Pepsab
    Pepsab Posts: 169 Member
    Yah so it's not just me. I have been going over my calories as well as the ones from excercise but choosing healthy opitons so don't feel too bad. Being a women huh
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
    I have experienced absolutely no correlation for hunger or cravings at any specific time in my cycle. I don't experience any changes in appetite relating to my cycle. I'm roughly the same amount of hungry every day.
  • 92joann
    92joann Posts: 67 Member
    I am an insatiable beast for about 2 days before, then the first 2 days I have no appetite because the pain makes me nauseated so it balances out. I used to just eat junk to make it more bearable, periods seem 10X worse when I can't just shove sugar and salt in my face haha
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