Eating and periods

craziirabbit
craziirabbit Posts: 103 Member
edited December 21 in Food and Nutrition
Ladies...the first couple of days on my period, food is at best, non desirable. This leads to weakness and deficiency. Do y'all go through this?

Replies

  • MidwestAndHappy
    MidwestAndHappy Posts: 28 Member
    I have the opposite problem: I crave lots of carbs.
  • fesimo34197
    fesimo34197 Posts: 94 Member
    I’m the same as MidwestandHappy I crave so much carb and sweets. It’s awful. It’s how I know it’s about to come because I literally want to eat all day for the 2 days before it. Lol that makes calorie counting tough 🤦🏻‍♀️
  • ChoseMyChains
    ChoseMyChains Posts: 116 Member
    I have that problem on a typical day. I mostly have to force myself to eat and when I do it is typically junk (which I am trying to get over and change my outlook on food in general). However, about two days before I crave protein like no other - rare steak, peanut butter, meatballs....
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    If you're carefully tracking calories (i.e. using a food scale) and know you aren't eating enough, then you can add calorie dense foods. Depending on what you can stomach, nut butters and "premium" (not low calorie) ice cream are common calorie dense foods you might enjoy.

    If you aren't using a food scale, then you may or may not be undereating. The vast majority of people who don't use a food scale are eating more calories than they think they are.

    If you have a diagnosed deficiency or are worried that you might have one, you need to see your doctor. Undereating for a few days does not automatically mean you have any deficiencies, unless you have been diagnosed with other relevant medical issues.
  • craziirabbit
    craziirabbit Posts: 103 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    If you're carefully tracking calories (i.e. using a food scale) and know you aren't eating enough, then you can add calorie dense foods. Depending on what you can stomach, nut butters and "premium" (not low calorie) ice cream are common calorie dense foods you might enjoy.

    If you aren't using a food scale, then you may or may not be undereating. The vast majority of people who don't use a food scale are eating more calories than they think they are.

    If you have a diagnosed deficiency or are worried that you might have one, you need to see your doctor. Undereating for a few days does not automatically mean you have any deficiencies, unless you have been diagnosed with other relevant medical issues.

    Yes they are diagnosed. I have been fighting anemia all my life and my protien levels are always low
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    craziirabbit wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you're carefully tracking calories (i.e. using a food scale) and know you aren't eating enough, then you can add calorie dense foods. Depending on what you can stomach, nut butters and "premium" (not low calorie) ice cream are common calorie dense foods you might enjoy.

    If you aren't using a food scale, then you may or may not be undereating. The vast majority of people who don't use a food scale are eating more calories than they think they are.

    If you have a diagnosed deficiency or are worried that you might have one, you need to see your doctor. Undereating for a few days does not automatically mean you have any deficiencies, unless you have been diagnosed with other relevant medical issues.

    Yes they are diagnosed. I have been fighting anemia all my life and my protien levels are always low

    Then you need to talk to your doctor about your anemia and see if a couple days of undereating would harm you. It may depend on exactly what and how much you eat on those days. If you aren't already on an iron supplement, your doctor might want you to try one.

    Protein depends on what you mean by protein levels. Is this the amount of protein that you eat per day, or the blood protein level that is reported on your lab work?

    If it's the amount of protein you eat in a day, then you don't necessarily have to hit your MFP protein target exactly every single day unless your doctor has told you that you must do that. Some days might be a bit higher on protein and some days might be a bit lower. Also, ice cream and nut butter both have protein, just not a whole lot of it :)

    But if it's your blood protein level, there are several reasons why that could be low, including but not limited to eating too little protein. Your doctor would need to advise you on what the cause of it could be.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    craziirabbit wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you're carefully tracking calories (i.e. using a food scale) and know you aren't eating enough, then you can add calorie dense foods. Depending on what you can stomach, nut butters and "premium" (not low calorie) ice cream are common calorie dense foods you might enjoy.

    If you aren't using a food scale, then you may or may not be undereating. The vast majority of people who don't use a food scale are eating more calories than they think they are.

    If you have a diagnosed deficiency or are worried that you might have one, you need to see your doctor. Undereating for a few days does not automatically mean you have any deficiencies, unless you have been diagnosed with other relevant medical issues.

    Yes they are diagnosed. I have been fighting anemia all my life and my protien levels are always low

    Can't help you on the lack of appetite but I do have a lot to say about iron :)

    I'm anemic as well and have very heavy periods. I usually have a few days of lead time before I'm too debilitated to feel like cooking, so make sure I have even more high iron foods around.

    Here is my new go-to dinner for the week of my period: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/186691/lisas-favorite-carne-asada-marinade/

    I use chuck stew beef and have some marinating right now. I am going to cook it on Low in my crock pot tomorrow for @ 8 hours.

    For lunch during my period I eat Wellshire Liverwurst; 2 oz = 35% RDA iron. If I can't make it to Whole Foods I get Boar's Head Liverwurst, 2 oz = 25% RDA iron.

    (For people who want more iron but don't like liver - neither do I; can't stand the stuff, but I do like liverwurst. Wellshire also makes turkey liverwurst. Less iron, but also less fat and calories. Last I checked this brand was exclusive to Whole Foods.)

    I'm going to try making chicken liver pate one of these times.

    Iron rich foods: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/before-during-after/iron-blood-donation/iron-rich-foods.html (I discount foods that were fortified with iron as presumably the food manufacturers use cheap and potentially ineffective forms of iron.)

    I am currently taking iron bisglycinate. This doesn't give me the constipation or upset stomach side effects that other forms of iron can cause. The first two forms of iron I got from the VA were ineffective at getting both my iron and energy levels back up.

    I also mix 1 T of blackstrap molasses into a cup of warm water every morning. That gives me 20% RDA. Here's what I order https://smile.amazon.com/Wholesome-Sweeteners-Organic-Molasses-Pack/dp/B001M0G2PO/ but caution - this brand can leak, so best to not get anything else with that order. It was the cheapest, so I continued to put up with it. (Plus last time Amazon just credited me for the whole thing.) However, I see the price has almost doubled since I last ordered so maybe try to get locally instead. Old price was $21 for three 32 oz bottles.

    Last time I ordered it was cheaper here: https://www.iherb.com/pr/Wholesome-Sweeteners-Inc-Organic-Molasses-Unsulphured-32-fl-oz-944-ml/34616 (Note: this comes in 16 oz and 32 oz.)

    Vitamin C helps with iron absorption and I mix powdered, buffered vitamin C into the molasses "tea" to create a dreadful concoction. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I4AIUA/
  • craziirabbit
    craziirabbit Posts: 103 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »

    I'm anemic as well and have very heavy periods. I usually have a few days of lead time before I'm too debilitated to feel like cooking, so make sure I have even more high iron foods around.

    /

    Girl i hear yah on the heavy periods...the first three days...compete hell. I can't even work, get out of bed, walk my dogs....
  • craziirabbit
    craziirabbit Posts: 103 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    craziirabbit wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you're carefully tracking calories (i.e. using a food scale) and know you aren't eating enough, then you can add calorie dense foods. Depending on what you can stomach, nut butters and "premium" (not low calorie) ice cream are common calorie dense foods you might enjoy.

    If you aren't using a food scale, then you may or may not be undereating. The vast majority of people who don't use a food scale are eating more calories than they think they are.

    If you have a diagnosed deficiency or are worried that you might have one, you need to see your doctor. Undereating for a few days does not automatically mean you have any deficiencies, unless you have been diagnosed with other relevant medical issues.

    Yes they are diagnosed. I have been fighting anemia all my life and my protien levels are always low

    Then you need to talk to your doctor about your anemia and see if a couple days of undereating would harm you. It may depend on exactly what and how much you eat on those days. If you aren't already on an iron supplement, your doctor might want you to try one.

    Protein depends on what you mean by protein levels. Is this the amount of protein that you eat per day, or the blood protein level that is reported on your lab work?

    If it's the amount of protein you eat in a day, then you don't necessarily have to hit your MFP protein target exactly every single day unless your doctor has told you that you must do that. Some days might be a bit higher on protein and some days might be a bit lower. Also, ice cream and nut butter both have protein, just not a whole lot of it :)

    But if it's your blood protein level, there are several reasons why that could be low, including but not limited to eating too little protein. Your doctor would need to advise you on what the cause of it could be.

    I'm talking about blood protein. I get my blood checked a couple times a week. I have dealt with anemia my whole life, and since i was about 18 it came with syncope and debilitating migraines. I ignored it for a long time and it always got worse.

    So i started seeing a doctor and my blood pressure is chronically low 90/50 and my iron and protein levels are always low. So now i eat to fulfill these needs. Even though a lot of the foods i can't stand.

    But i do love peanut butter.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I haven't had a period for a while but I would find that for a day or so leading up to my period I'd be a bottomless pit, while the first few days of a period I'd have very little appetite. A simple way around this is to eat at maintenance for those bottomless pit days and have a larger deficit on the next few days. This way the calories still average out the same over the course of a week.
  • NadNight
    NadNight Posts: 794 Member
    I’ve found that on my period I crave chocolate and carbs but mostly chocolate. Can tell I’m due on by when I go to shops and buy chocolate ice cream, chocolate biscuits, chocolate muffins and a massive block of galaxy....dessert after a gigantic bowl of pasta 😂 I have a big appetite normally but on my period it’s monstrous
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    craziirabbit wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »

    I'm anemic as well and have very heavy periods. I usually have a few days of lead time before I'm too debilitated to feel like cooking, so make sure I have even more high iron foods around.

    /

    Girl i hear yah on the heavy periods...the first three days...compete hell. I can't even work, get out of bed, walk my dogs....

    Fortunately, I work from home, so can manage rolling out of bed and shuffling across the hall to my home office. When I lived in an apartment and had a FitBit, there were days I didn't break 1,000 steps.

    I've been taking tranexamic acid for a year or so and it has helped considerably, although my periods are still much heavier than normal. But I'm able to sleep for longer stretches at night and bounce back much faster.

    I'm with the VA and it took months to get it approved, but it was worth the headache, as it has reduced my bleeding 33 - 50%.

    I showed this to my doctors: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/1015/p883.html
  • quarterhorseygirl
    quarterhorseygirl Posts: 18 Member
    A good thing to consider, as I've just dived back into my journey and haven't hit this point yet. Usually, for the day before and maybe the first day I'm craving all the things, especially the comfort foods I don't need...and then the next day or two I realize I've hardly been hungry beyond regular meals, and even at those I'm not having heaping portions by any means. Gonna have to pay attention next round.
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