Sugar cravings before periods

I used to have this problem, not necessarily for sugar but just hunger in general. I fought my way through it and did not go over my calories, but I was miserable the whole time.

I have since had a hysterectomy, but still have ovaries, and now I do start to wonder whenever I have cravings and extra hunger if I would've been starting my period soon if I still had all the relevant parts. (No point in keeping track of cycles anymore for me, really.)

kshama2001 wrote: »

I used to think I was craving ice cream too. Turned out I was just hungrier - for many of us, our metabolism revs up premenstrually in preparation. For me, the increased hunger is the first and sometimes only sign that my period is imminent.

Try eating regular balanced meals and snacks at maintenance calorie levels and see if that helps.

I second this, increasing my calories a couple of days before my period really helps me from going completely off the rails.

I crave salty food at that time of the month. Put me in a room with potato chips, and they will be gone.

I've not found a great way to alleviate the hunger and to manage the specific cravings. I know in my head that it's not true hunger (not to the extent that I end up overeating), and that the cravings are caused by hormones. I've had limited success eating baked chips instead of regular chips, or getting in a baked potato. I think my body specifically wants the potassium and magnesium in those foods. The good news is that the overeating for those few days hasn't slowed my rate of loss as long as I'm pretty diligent the other three and a half weeks.

It's always so much better when my period starts and the hunger and cravings dissipate. I find that I am naturally less hungry and often can't reach my calorie allotment on the days right afterward, so it does balance out. But for sure, it's a roller coaster while it happens.

Yes, started about a 12-18 months ago; the two days preceding menses onset.

Like other, if I try to fight it by restriction and denial I never win that war. The whole goal now is to find what satisfies it without (A), eating thousands and thousands and sometimes more thousands (not figuratively) of calories over even maintenance, and (B), NOT succumbing to the notorious dieting "all or nothing" mindset and blowing up a day or days or weeks because of it if I can't successfully accomplish (A).

quiksylver296 wrote: »

I eat at maintenance calories on those couple of days, and allow myself to eat whatever I'm craving.

Same here! I inevitably eat at maintenance during my period. On day 1 of my period and before my period, I don't really get sugar cravings. But when day 2 hits, I feel such an intense sugar craving and cravings generally for larger portions of food because of the abdominal cramps. I can't tell from those pains whether hungry in pain or whatever, and all I want to do is feel better and eat at least one Green Black Organic milk chocolate bar. So this time around, I explored a lot on from friends online (Thank you myfitnesspal.com friends and community!) and offline and learned more about the calming and feel-good stimulating concoction that is L-theanine powder mixed with cocoa powder and coffee with or without some heavy cream and got through my period without eating over ~1800 calories on average each day. So, I was 124 pounds on Wednesday last week when my period started, and I checked my weight this morning, and I am still 124 pounds. So the drink worked. I sooo needed some chocolate in my life especially during my period, and I found a way to enjoy it without tipping the scale. Yay!

I’m an oldster, Post menopause. But to help validate your instincts, about 35 years ago, I did a study for one of my university courses logging cravings as they related to menstruation of my five roommates. They either craved sweets or salts depending on their hormonal phase. I’m sure there is lots of evidence on medical sites about this you can check on this subject. I haven’t kept up with the research, but it may help to know most women have this issue. It does stop after menopause. Hang in there ladies!

I craved sugar like a crazy person every single month since I started my period. The last 5 months are the first time ever I haven’t, since starting keto.