What do you do to avoid binging at that time of the month?

Sojo15
Sojo15 Posts: 87 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have logged for over three weeks now, and I lost 4 lbs, and a couple of inches on my hips and waist. I think it is good but slow progress? Usually, I keep my goal of 1200, or 1300 or so. Now it is the week before my period, and I am so hungry. Fantasizing about baked goods. How do you keep from eating badly during that time?? I don't want to fall of the wagon now.

Replies

  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    You could figure out your maintenance calories, and eat to that until it passes. You won't lose, but you won't gain either. Some people also find they benefit from diet breaks.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Often our metabolism goes up premenstrually and we do need to eat more. I and many others eat at maintenance for a few days during this time. My body thinks it wants baked goods, but I'm really just truly hungry.

    I eat the same things for breakfast and lunch, and premenstrually I get hungry for lunch much earlier. It's the first sign that my period is imminent.
  • sabal20
    sabal20 Posts: 39 Member
    I just try to eat at maintenance. Feels like loads because I've been eating at a deficit.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Yep. Eat maintenance calories for a couple days, then go back to the deficit after.
  • kagenw
    kagenw Posts: 260 Member
    Here are a few that I use:

    1. Planning your eating for the rest of the day: choose deliberate snacks that you look forward to. You'll know exactly when you can have them and they'll satisfy your craving.
    2. Drink: Water, diet soda, crystal light. Anything non-caloric.
    3. Chew gum: It's a stop-gap measure that lasts anywhere between 15-45 minutes for me. Long enough to line up a healthy snack or get past bagels or doughnuts.
    4. Stay busy: Work, exercise, draw, whatever. Keep your mind off food.
    5. Call out your impulses to munch: Assess whether you're really hungry or just bored, tired, stressed, etc. Call them what they are helps to recognize your coping through eating.
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    Sometimes I allow myself what I'm craving, but in moderation. If I'm dreaming of a croissant I will tell myself that I can have one, but only one, this week. And if I have that, I can't have chocolate after dinner or biscuits with my afternoon coffee, because they won't fit in my calories. So I have to choose wisely and when I choose to have it, I enjoy it.
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    I have logged for over three weeks now, and I lost 4 lbs, and a couple of inches on my hips and waist. I think it is good but slow progress?

    I also just wanted to say, 4lbs in roughly 3 weeks is definitely not slow progress. Well done!
  • murp4069
    murp4069 Posts: 494 Member
    Same - I get hungry the week before my period. I eat at maintenance and drink a lot of water.
  • JaxonDemarco
    JaxonDemarco Posts: 2 Member
    Ive heard a bit of dark chocolate can help you not crave it as much.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I'm past that, but here are my thoughts:
    I ate more. I knew my metabolism was higher, so I allowed myself more food.
    I tried to eat what I craved, because if I didn't I wouldn't feel satisfied. Dark Chocolate usually did the trick.
    I knew that when my period finally came, I would have no appetite at all for a few days, and I did NOT force myself to "eat all my calories" when that happened. And it all worked out fine, I ate more, then I ate less. Then I ate like normal.
  • shannonprovenzano2812
    shannonprovenzano2812 Posts: 60 Member
    JaxonDemarco wrote: »
    Ive heard a bit of dark chocolate can help you not crave it as much.

    This DOES work! It was getting close to my TOM and I couldn't stop thinking about warm chocolate chip cookies...So I pulled out my emergency dark chocolate (Hershey's special dark bar) and ate half of it. It was 100 calories, and so satisfying! I didn't even think about the cookies for the rest of the night.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    edited January 2018
    I usually try and eat at maintenance for a couple of days and eat more carbs than normal, I found trying to stay at a deficit and my usual macro split doesn't satiate me and I end up all out bingeing if I don't give myself a bit of leeway.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
    I eat at maintenance, but I always also make a big pot of those super low calorie soups you see on pinterest and stuff, it might be labeled "cabbage soup diet" im not telling you to only eat that and actually do the diet, but sometimes I just want to eat a bunch of food around my TOM and you can eat a giant serving of these soups for few calories
  • orionaimee
    orionaimee Posts: 89 Member
    I bought a bag of dark chocolate with raspberries from Costco. I opened it and got out my trusty food scale. Weighed and measured 1 oz portions and put them in snack baggies and then loaded them all back in the original bag. Now I can grab a pre-portioned amount and satisfy my sweet tooth without the temptation of eating extra and it is easy to log. For me I find that the more that I prepare the more I stay on plan. You are doing great work, keep it up!
  • Eire228
    Eire228 Posts: 238 Member
    This is a great post! And explains why I've also been eating more this week... I didn't post the original question, but I very much appreciate all of the replies. :)
  • Cheesy567
    Cheesy567 Posts: 1,186 Member
    1- make sure you’re getting enough protein to stay satiated.
    2- I plan on eating a couple squares of Lindt 85% dark chocolate the days leading up to my period, and the days that I’m ovulating. It satisfies the chocolate craving, but there isn’t enough sugar in it to trigger more eating.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Cheesy567 wrote: »
    1- make sure you’re getting enough protein to stay satiated.
    2- I plan on eating a couple squares of Lindt 85% dark chocolate the days leading up to my period, and the days that I’m ovulating. It satisfies the chocolate craving, but there isn’t enough sugar in it to trigger more eating.

    Good reminder that ovulation can trigger cravings as well (and water weight gain).
  • netitheyeti
    netitheyeti Posts: 539 Member
    I tend to eat closer to maintenance for a day or two, I am STARVING 1-2 days before my time of month... trying to stick to my normal deficit usually ends with me eating way too much chocolate/junk
  • Sojo15
    Sojo15 Posts: 87 Member
    Since it is my TOM now, I can absolutely say that this was the reason I was so hungry. Really good advice everyone, thank you. I also lost more weight on the scale now that the witch arrived. Is it that water weight that people talk about.... my scale was almost still when I started three weeks ago, but I did lose 4.5 lbs, yay!
  • orionaimee
    orionaimee Posts: 89 Member
    Sojo15 wrote: »
    Since it is my TOM now, I can absolutely say that this was the reason I was so hungry. Really good advice everyone, thank you. I also lost more weight on the scale now that the witch arrived. Is it that water weight that people talk about.... my scale was almost still when I started three weeks ago, but I did lose 4.5 lbs, yay!

    I always inch up a bit the week before I start and then it all comes off once I do.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Are we all grinning at the one male response? I am. I hope he is. B)
  • IcelandicBlonde27
    IcelandicBlonde27 Posts: 26 Member
    Me right now!!! I’m eating “maintenance” I can tell I’m still losing but the scale doesn’t show it. I lose 5-6lb overnight at the end of my period last month ( my first month on myfitnesspal) so I’m hoping for the same thing to happen this month. And it should since I followed my diet and have no loss while I’m on my period due to water retention
  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
    MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »
    You could figure out your maintenance calories, and eat to that until it passes. You won't lose, but you won't gain either. Some people also find they benefit from diet breaks.

    This. This is what I do. I give myself 1-2 days/month to eat maintenance to allow for the munchies.
  • Toria718
    Toria718 Posts: 396 Member
    I get really hungry a day or 2 beforehand and eat almost nothing most of the week unless i force myself to eat the minimum 1200 ( i usually eat 1500) and then for 2 days after i eat at maintenance. I know its triggering when i want to eat cake frosting that has been chilling in the fridge lol

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