How to not overeat like a heathen during my period?

Y'all I have a serious problem. When I'm on my period, I just can't stop eating. Like I will find chocolate and salty foods and I'll eat them. And I know chocolate isn't like bad or anything, but I just go waaay over my caloric goal and it's just a mess. Any tips?
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Agree, eat at maintenance.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Work those things into your plan. Hunger at PMS/TOM is a physiological response. I'm not saying fully give in to it, but I do think working with it instead of against it is sensible. Some people just schedule a few maintenance days around that time, either reducing slightly or exercising more on other days to make up the lost deficit, or just going with it (you do actually burn more calories in the week leading up to TOM, but it's variable between people, so difficult to judge how much it affects you personally).

    Many people find they can satisfy their chocolate cravings with a lesser amount of dark chocolate.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Note the thing about chocolate and magnesium. I cover my bases by having both every day :p
  • ADeCapua
    ADeCapua Posts: 35 Member
    edited October 2017
    I think just try not to buy snacks beforehand, and don't keep them in the house. If you really want a snack, you'll have to go out to get it. I can relate, I crave milk chocolate, steak, and red/pink wine during my time. Also, Walmart sells 100 calorie chocolate bars in the checkout lanes for 44 cents around here. Limiting your portions could help.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited October 2017
    Older study showing it's been known for awhile now.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7124662

    Basal metabolic rate varied significantly with the menstrual cycle. Basal metabolic rate decreased at menstruation and fell to its lowest point approximately 1 wk before ovulation subsequently rising until the beginning of the next menstrual period.

    And application of a more recent study (that Lyle has referenced and in fact is in the comments section) for weight loss, perhaps can help the hunger side.
    http://sciencedrivennutrition.com/unlocking-the-female-cycle/

    Undoubtedly - this will likely be a decent factor in workout methods and diet breaks/refeeds of high carbs - when you put it all together.

    You can start getting an idea of what will likely appear in a future book much waited for by many.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Women actually burn a couple hundred more calories a day during their periods. If you find it difficult to diet at that time, try eating more in a controlled fashion by eating maintenance calories for a few days.

    Do you have a source for that? All the work of creating a pint or so of additional blood is done between periods. Beyond a few small muscle contractions, unless you're having hellacious cramping, I don't see what work is occuring to burn calories during the shedding of the uterine lining.

    Yes, but if she's held out during the BMR increase from ovulation down to her period, eating during it won't matter, will it?

    I was simplifying. Should have typed out the pedantic lengthy response.

    Don't calorie calculators assume that adult women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are ovulating and menstruating? I saw a drop in estimates at hitting 50 that seemed more than just the yearly assumption of lowered activity and decreased muscle, as though they stop accounting for menstruation when a woman hits 50. It seems like "double dipping" to count the calories needed for the menstrual cycle.

    Also, can you clarify how many days of eating a "couple hundred more calories a day" would be accounted for by the calorie requirements of the menstrual cycle? My understanding is that, over the entire month, we're talking about 400 to 500 calories required for the menstrual cycle. If someone's flow lasts three or four days (and some women refer to a full week of hunger cravings associated with their period), 200 calories a day is going to be more than what they've expended for their menstrual cycle.

    Read the papers linked, they will answer your questions.

    Notice that I only told her to eat at maintenance.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Women actually burn a couple hundred more calories a day during their periods. If you find it difficult to diet at that time, try eating more in a controlled fashion by eating maintenance calories for a few days.

    Do you have a source for that? All the work of creating a pint or so of additional blood is done between periods. Beyond a few small muscle contractions, unless you're having hellacious cramping, I don't see what work is occuring to burn calories during the shedding of the uterine lining.

    Yes, but if she's held out during the BMR increase from ovulation down to her period, eating during it won't matter, will it?

    I was simplifying. Should have typed out the pedantic lengthy response.

    Don't calorie calculators assume that adult women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are ovulating and menstruating? I saw a drop in estimates at hitting 50 that seemed more than just the yearly assumption of lowered activity and decreased muscle, as though they stop accounting for menstruation when a woman hits 50. It seems like "double dipping" to count the calories needed for the menstrual cycle.

    BMR calc's don't ramp differently at some age. (CW is current weight in kg, height in cm, age in .... )

    Mifflin -
    gender="m",(10*CW)+(6.25*height)-(5*age)+5
    gender="f", (10*CW)+(6.25*height)-(5*age)-161)

    Harris -
    gender="m",(13.7516*CW)+(5.0033*height)-(6.755*age)+66.473
    gender="f",(9.5634*CW)+(1.8496*height)-(4.6756*age)+655.0955
  • cynthiabickham
    cynthiabickham Posts: 1,009 Member
    One of the things I noticed is having a piece of dark chocolate every day during my cycle actually helps with cravings. But increase how much water you drink, and add some extra iron and potassium in your diet it’ll help with cramps. And some extra walking helps, not running or jogging. But when cramps hit really hard, do some stretches. I have to and it gets my mind off the cramps and help alleviate the pains.
    Stay away from sodas and heavy sugars!! They make it worse
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    As to the difference between phases - here is side reference in one study when they were going for something totally different as research.

    24 hr Energy Expenditure

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1522233

    Since adjusted 24EE was 106 +/- 39 kcal/d (P less than 0.01) higher in females during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle compared with females during the follicular phase ... (their results were removed from this study)
  • Pepsab
    Pepsab Posts: 168 Member
    You just need to find something that works for you. Some months i am crazy starving for any food. Other months its a sweet craving that gets me. If i go slightly over so be it. Ive found im better off to have those extra few snacks or bigger meals that ive needed because if i dont i will end up binging by night time. Likewise when i want the sweet. I have a chocolate cookie with my coffee at lunch and it is enough of a treat to keep me going.