Ladies, how do you deal with pms cravings?

gfchica
gfchica Posts: 54 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
I'll do great with my eating until the week before my period, then bam! I'm craving sugar like crazy, I'm constantly hungry, and have very little to no control over caving to my cravings and over eating. Does anyone have any tips or ideas that they use to help counteract pms cravings? I used to get extremely moody and emotional, now I want to go on junk food binges.

Replies

  • Iwillshyne
    Iwillshyne Posts: 245
    Most of the time I fight it, but if I give in I trick my body by eating sugar free chocolate... I find it yummy and satisfying!
  • superhippiechik
    superhippiechik Posts: 1,044 Member
    Eat everything in sight.
  • kbach75
    kbach75 Posts: 10
    i drink a cup of hot cocoa. or if it's hot outside, i make the cocoa, let it cool, put it in the blender with some ice cubes, and make a "malt". usually helps keep me in check. :)
  • Hanna82
    Hanna82 Posts: 138 Member
    I just give in knowing that I will have the next three weeks to work on it. I've always ended up ahead so far. I know it's probably bad but honestly after nearly 8 months of this I know that my body has those cravings for a reason.
  • Nichole90
    Nichole90 Posts: 118
    I'll do great with my eating until the week before my period, then bam! I'm craving sugar like crazy, I'm constantly hungry, and have very little to no control over caving to my cravings and over eating. Does anyone have any tips or ideas that they use to help counteract pms cravings? I used to get extremely moody and emotional, now I want to go on junk food binges.
    im the same way and i give into it alot! its hard!
  • cat3nv
    cat3nv Posts: 389 Member
    Today I ate everything in sight. It does not help, I am hormonal, emotional, tired, hungry, craving salty and chocolate things; but they keep talking about 9-11 on TV and that makes me cry, and I am studying for a Zoology test.

    Where did I put my ice cream?? Think I will cover it with peanut butter and chocolate =]]
  • gfchica
    gfchica Posts: 54 Member
    I just give in knowing that I will have the next three weeks to work on it. I've always ended up ahead so far. I know it's probably bad but honestly after nearly 8 months of this I know that my body has those cravings for a reason.
    That's what I was hoping. If I stayed on track for three out of every four weeks then I'm ahead overall. I just started losing weight after my last period and am a bit disappointed in how badly I did with eating this week. I guess I won't worry about it too much. It's not always chocolate that I crave and rarely salty things but I'll get cravings for very specific things and it'll last for days and nothing else will do. I want to go back to being younger when I didn't really have any pms symptoms and I could maintain a healthy weight without effort. Yeah, like that's ever going to happen. I guess I just really need to suck it up, buttercup. Thanks everyone!
  • MrsSmith1112
    MrsSmith1112 Posts: 169 Member
    Today I ate everything in sight. It does not help, I am hormonal, emotional, tired, hungry, craving salty and chocolate things; but they keep talking about 9-11 on TV and that makes me cry, and I am studying for a Zoology test.

    Where did I put my ice cream?? Think I will cover it with peanut butter and chocolate =]]

    Oh God!!! We just had the same day....minus the Zoology stuff....find that ice cream....i'm coming over!
  • Leola2011
    Leola2011 Posts: 192
    I eat!!!!
    And I don't care what anybody has to say about it.............:tongue:
    And then I go hard with the exercise after day 2 of my period.
  • cat3nv
    cat3nv Posts: 389 Member
    Today I ate everything in sight. It does not help, I am hormonal, emotional, tired, hungry, craving salty and chocolate things; but they keep talking about 9-11 on TV and that makes me cry, and I am studying for a Zoology test.

    Where did I put my ice cream?? Think I will cover it with peanut butter and chocolate =]]

    Oh God!!! We just had the same day....minus the Zoology stuff....find that ice cream....i'm coming over!

    LOL!!! Come on over! My peanut butter is healthy :happy:
  • Ashonym
    Ashonym Posts: 172 Member
    Today I caved. I figure like most before me here that it's TOM, not me, and I will be good afterwards. It will be easier when TOM is over. Not fun stuff though. Cannot seem to satisfy cravings even AFTER I cave... My body is BEGGING for 'treats'. Tisk tisk I tell myself. But I've stopped it enough that I haven't eaten my entire house yet or anything. But today I definitely indulged. AND it was a birthday. Double threat oh well.
  • medangel06
    medangel06 Posts: 25
    My trick is drinking 8 oz of water before I can eat anything. I up my water intake (helps with cramps and bloating) and it gives my stomach more time to register I am FULL. If water isn't your cup of tea, like if you are craving something sweet: add grapefruit juice or orange juice to your water. Half and half. Hope it helps.
  • MissB0949
    MissB0949 Posts: 142 Member
    I feed my chocolate cravings. For 200 calories I can have 4 of my go-to pms favorite, hershey nuggets with toffee and almonds. The calories are worth it if it keeps me from totally breaking my diet. Hot chocolate is great too.
  • pinkita
    pinkita Posts: 779 Member
    1. I drink a LOT of water--like 20 cups a day. Aside from my morning coffee, I only drink water anyways.
    2. I take 1000mg of chromium picolinate (only during that week of crazy cravings.
    3. I try to keep my sodium intake under 1500mg.
    4. Keep exercising.

    What I do doesn't make the cravings disappear completely, but they're dramatically reduced when I do the above.
  • msgz1
    msgz1 Posts: 2
    4 squares of dark chocolate is what I was told you could have.....honestly, I don't think that would do it for me!!! I'm with you guys...indulge the craving and move on! BTW you ladies have done AWESOME in your weight losses......very inspirational for the new 'kid'! My problem's gonna be at the office where the donuts, cookies and candy flow freely.....how do you guys deal with that?
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Honestly? I usually just go ahead and eat. I know that the scale will go up from the water retention, so I tend to stay away from the scale during that week. I've found that I can go ahead and make my grumpy PMS self happy during that week and go right back to "normal" afterward. It never affects me long term - so, I just go ahead and indulge. (Granted, my biggest craving is usually chocolate almonds).
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    bc pills
  • ElementalEscapee
    ElementalEscapee Posts: 552 Member
    Hmmm...honestly I didn't know that we got cravings from that xD if anything I want LESS food because of pain....but then again, this year I skipped mine for SEVEN MONTHS even though I wasn't restricting my diet much or exercising that much......so yeah only once this year lol ^^ I guess I'm just screwed up from who knows what :/
  • messyinthekitchen
    messyinthekitchen Posts: 662 Member
    I eat more fruit, and more whole grains. It works!
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    I read an article once that taking Magnesium supplements during cycle can help relieve chocolate cravings. Chocolate is one of very few foods which are rich in Magnesium. According to that study, when our bodies are deficient in Magnesium we crave chocolate, therefore the study suggested taking Magnesium supplements to reduce chocolate cravings.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    I feed my chocolate cravings. For 200 calories I can have 4 of my go-to pms favorite, hershey nuggets with toffee and almonds. The calories are worth it if it keeps me from totally breaking my diet. Hot chocolate is great too.

    I usually do something similar, I will actually plan in 200-400 calories of "crap" food. Like a whole Hershey bar. Every so often I can trick my body with things like sugar free puddings, sugar free jellos (topped with whipped cream!), or sugar free hard candies. I like having stuff on hand that will calm the craving without totally killing my calories. But honestly, I still end up blowing it about 50% of the time, there just comes a point where the PMS kicks in and its like "Give me the ben and jerry's or I will stab you with something"....
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    Oh and brushing your teeth and mouth wash. I know that sounds... weird...but its helped me a few times.
  • Felesina1
    Felesina1 Posts: 142
    I read an article once that taking Magnesium supplements during cycle can help relieve chocolate cravings. Chocolate is one of very few foods which are rich in Magnesium. According to that study, when our bodies are deficient in Magnesium we crave chocolate, therefore the study suggested taking Magnesium supplements to reduce chocolate cravings.

    This is quite interesting. I have a jar of Calm (Mag supplement) on my counter; and for some reason I decided to use it this week out of the blue instead of my normal occassional use for constipation. Now I know why!
  • rolliepollie087
    rolliepollie087 Posts: 251 Member
    Oh yea. There is nothing like eating food after you just cleaned your mouth. Blech! =)
    Oh and brushing your teeth and mouth wash. I know that sounds... weird...but its helped me a few times.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I'll do great with my eating until the week before my period, then bam! I'm craving sugar like crazy, I'm constantly hungry, and have very little to no control over caving to my cravings and over eating. Does anyone have any tips or ideas that they use to help counteract pms cravings? I used to get extremely moody and emotional, now I want to go on junk food binges.

    You DO have control.... its just an excuse where you tell yourself its TOM and that you cant control the craving... if you had a craving at any other time would you just give in?
  • gogonunubean
    gogonunubean Posts: 160 Member
    I have a stash of things I keep just for days like that!

    For sweet cravings:
    - Frozen grapes
    - Frozen raisens (you could almost think they are chocolate)
    - smoothy made of strawberry, almond milk and frozen banana, so yummy and taste just like a milkshake.

    For salty cravings:
    - roasted chickpeas with a touch of salt
    - veggie chips
  • EliRob
    EliRob Posts: 53 Member
    I have a stash of things I keep just for days like that!

    For sweet cravings:
    - Frozen grapes
    - Frozen raisens (you could almost think they are chocolate)
    - smoothy made of strawberry, almond milk and frozen banana, so yummy and taste just like a milkshake.

    For salty cravings:
    - roasted chickpeas with a touch of salt
    - veggie chips

    I really like your ideas! I think I will try them this week!!!! I really like how they seem like they would satisfy my cravings, without blowing my calories.
    I am just starting MFP and have found that of course my cycle starts two days in! I really appreciate everyone’s great ideas as well, thank you ladies!
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