How to stay on track while on your period?

I perfectly understand. My problem with my period is serious bloating and cramps, it makes me feel terrible and not want to work out, especially ones where I have to jump around. So when I'm on my period, I don't go and workout around people, I follow youtube videos usually. But I'm guessing you're paying for those classes so don't want to miss them. A trick I do so people don't see my pad, wear two pairs of pants (that are both dark, of course). I wear my gym shorts under my leggings and you can't even tell. Also, could try to go towards the back of the pilates class so not many people will notice. If your period really is bothering you so much, which I know it can, you can always give yourself a rest day. I do it sometimes when my period gets the best of me and it's just what I need to get right back to work the next day.

AutumLeaf wrote: »

@running2fit, thank you I was thinking of eating at maintence but felt bad about it but feel a lil bit better having someone suggest it .
@LovelySavannah thank you for the tips I didn't think of wearing shorts above the leggings. I'll try YouTube vids. I find though I procrastinate them and never do them so I'm hoping paying for classes will motivate me. Although I have skipped on classes while I've paid for them 🙈. Spent my life doing anything to avoid exercise lol. I spent so much time in dentition in school for refusing to do PE

Glad that helped

I'm sorry... is there a rule that people have to wear tight leggings to an exercise class?

I like to encourage people to know their maintenance number. You can adjust your settings to "maintain current weight" to see it, and then change it right back. Any day you are under this number, you are making progress towards your goal. On the occasional day you are over it, you will likely see that you are doing very little damage in the grand scheme of things. A person can still be "on track", but may just slow down a little to allow for adverse conditions.

I've noticed that when I'm on my period, I tend to crave salt and starch. Mostly, I substitute lower-calorie options. Popcorn and roasted chickpeas instead of potato chips. Fiber One bars (while I don't get intense chocolate cravings, the fudge brownie variety is MOST welcome at this time) and dry cereal. All weighed, measured, and pre-logged.

The other thing is that as I've stepped up my fitness, especially core-strengthening exercises, I've found that my symptoms have been much less intense. Less cramping, less bloating, less hunger, fewer cravings. That's probably not going to do you much good now when you're facing an immediate issue, but consider it for down the road as a long-term measure.

I just fit in more sweets with my calories, don't exercise during the heavy/painful days, and will eat maintenance on the one extra hungry day I know I'm going to have.

The first one after starting I had was in December, days before the holidays, so I ended up eating at maintenance for like 4 days because.. chocolate. It was fine though. I didn't gain anything (the bloat weight goes back down).

Just take care of yourself and take it easy!

There are leggings with skirts that might help you feel more comfortable.

You use reusable menstrual products? Me too!! I love cloth pads so much.

Without a doubt! I have bought a bunch on Etsy but I’ve also sewn my own, which I find super fun 😂

I think Thinx makes a legging with a pad built right in. Or Dear Kate.

the most wonderful invention since sliced bread is PERIOD UNDIES. If you're in USA www.shethinx.com - not sure that www.modibodi.com (australian) does posting but they are the ones I have.

Anyway - they are gym proof. I now happily lift away in these undies that look and feel just like normal undies, not like i'm wearing a nappy and doesn't leak and no need for tampons or those cup things.

I have found that when I am more active I get less symptoms of PMT/cramps etc. the more active I am the less symptoms. I still get a ravenous beast day when I do want to eat the kitchen sink - so I do. For one day. And it's now enough for me, it doesn't keep going on and on for ages.

Did take time though to get so much better.

Have you tried Pamprin? Discovering an OTC medicine for PMS saved me. I could eat 4k calories and still eat more during the week before my period. Like my stomach becomes a black hole and my mood switches around pretty quickly, too. I also gain 8-10 lbs of water weight. Not fun. Pamprin helped aaallll of that.