Cycle sync

JanelleJacobs2000
JanelleJacobs2000 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss

Hi everyone!

Does anyone have some knowledge on hormonal cycle syncing- I know what a huge impact my hormones have on my body. For example- one week before menstruation I tend to have cravings for bread and chocolate. I have no energy to exercise ect.

Did anyone find a "cheat" code or have a better understanding regarding HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR CYCLE and not against it.

I am tired of trying to go against my innate self.

Answers

  • Fursian
    Fursian Posts: 604 Member

    Hi Janelle, I wonder if eating up to maintenance calories on those weeks might help? So you are able to eat a bit more during this time.

  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,977 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10937721/cycle-sync

    If you're insistent on it, buy one of the many programs that sell you on the idea of "balancing your hormones". It's all a BS money grab and the whole idea was come up with by the companies that sell these programs as another money making scheme. No diet or exercise program is going to modulate your estrogen and progesterone. Your body does that. Unless you become anorexic and drop your body fat to the point that you force your body to stop menstruating in a desperate bid to survive. I'd recommend talking to your gynocologist about ways to help your symptoms.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,546 Member

    Different feelings with hormone cycling is normal. For someone who really struggles with that, I think the advice to eat more - up to maintenance calories - during the cravings is good advice. Some of those calories can be spent on bread and chocolate, if you can eat those within reason.

    BTW, I hope you're not putting bread and chocolate totally off limits during any part of your weight loss routine, if those are things you could eat in moderation successfully. I fell like that's a common pitfall in weight loss plans. IMO, the big goal is to learn/practice new routine habits we can stick with forever to stay at a healthy weight once we get there. Giving up bread and chocolate forever isn't in the realm of possibility for me, but eating them moderately is.

    I'm a little more on the fence about how to handle lack of energy for exercise, since for some women exercise is energizing and/or relieves some of the symptoms. Maybe that takes some personal experimenting?

    I would say that exercise doesn't necessarily need to be the usual routine, if that feels truly punitive. Something less intense or stressful might be OK, maybe?

    I admit I'm in menopause now, so I'm no longer in your situation, but I was there for decades. I do exercise that I usually love, don't struggle to do, but there are phases where I'm less enthusiastic (Winter, when I can't do the most fun things, mostly.) One thing that helps me is treating exercise as a thing I just do, fun or not, rather than a decision to make each time. It's like washing the dishes or laundry: Not entertaining, just has to be done. If it's Monday, I'm on the stationary bike - not a decision on Monday.

    If there's any way you can get more or better sleep during those difficult phases, there's a chance that might help. Both cravings and reduced energy are more likely when under-rested. The needs for that rest can also increase during parts of the cycle, so that might be an experiment to try. Sub-ideal nutrition can also be a factor, so tune-ups there might help, too, if applicable.

    It may take some experimenting. Experiments don't always succeed, and that's OK. I think that if you learn from what doesn't work, but keep working at it, you can find a solution(s) that helps you.

    I do agree with Sollyn's point that marketers/influencers will be super-pushy about selling you a solution . . . but that their solutions are usually BS.

    Best wishes!

  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 984 Member
    edited May 4

    Have you tried looking at your weekly calories instead of daily calories? It’s called banking. I eat a little more during the week I need the calories, and a little less on the week after when I don’t. You don’t need a cheat code or to spend money on something complicated. It really is just like a bank account, you can use the calories you’re given however you want. Find what works best for you.

  • xxslim_pickinsxx
    xxslim_pickinsxx Posts: 13 Member

    I hear you! Right before my period, I predictably want cozy high-carb grandma food--roasted potatoes, rice porridge, quiche with the crust--and tbh, I just kind of roll with it. I figure if I'm going to be retaining a little water that week anyway, I may as well enjoy some carbs. In for a penny, in for a pound.

    I support trusting and indulging one's cravings. Plus you have a little metabolic wiggle room during certain times in your cycle when your metabolism is elevated; enjoy!

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 15,102 Member
    edited May 24

    Thoughts of food and being actually hungry (whether this results in unwanted undereating, a correctly compensated increase in Caloric intake, or whether it results in overeating) and the possibility of feeling under energized in a temporarily extreme (for you) deficit… are not inconceivable.

    The first experiment would be to try and add a reasonable amount of calories to the time frame in question and to see if this would reduce the food ideation and lack of energy.

    As with everything in life, some people can be in the low end and some people can be at the high end of a spectrum. If someone is running a 500 Cal deficit and adds another 500 and doesn't have the adipose tissue to support it… the results are not going to be optimal!

    With some prompting to TRY to exclude evidence of increased intake and to mostly concentrate on studies that show an increased caloric NEED and not double checked…. here is a quick AI search using Perplexity:

    Increase in Caloric Need (TDEE) During the Menstrual Cycle

    **Summary of Evidence**

    - The increase in caloric need (i.e., total daily energy expenditure, TDEE) during the menstrual cycle is primarily observed in the luteal phase, after ovulation and before menstruation, and is linked to hormonal changes, especially increased progesterone[^5][^7].

    - The rise in TDEE is due to a measurable increase in basal metabolic rate (BMR) and resting metabolic rate (RMR), not just increased appetite or caloric intake[^1][^2][^5][^7].

    ### Quantitative Estimates- Most studies indicate that BMR or RMR increases by approximately **2–10%** during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase[^1][^4][^6][^7].

    - In absolute terms, this translates to an additional **100–300 kcal per day** for most women[^4][^5][^6].

    - Some studies report the increase in BMR can be as much as 8% (about 164 kcal/day), but the average is usually at the lower end of this range[^4][^6].

    ### Study Highlights- A systematic review found that the effect of the menstrual cycle on RMR is small but statistically significant, with the greatest increase during the luteal phase[^3][^5][^6].

    - The increase in BMR is not due to stress or increased activity, but rather to hormonal changes, mainly progesterone[^7].

    - Some studies found the overall increase in 24-hour energy expenditure across the cycle is about 1.5–6%, with the highest values in the late luteal phase[^6].

    ### Conclusion

    The increase in caloric need (not just intake) during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle is typically **100–300 kcal per day**, representing a **2–10% rise in TDEE** for most women, with the effect peaking in the late luteal phase due to hormonal influences[^4][^5][^6][^7].

    This increase is modest but measurable and is supported by multiple studies using controlled metabolic measurements.

    [^1]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523158321

    [^2]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7124662/

    [^3]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7357764/

    [^4]: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health/do-we-actually-need-eat-more-calories-when-menstruating

    [^5]: https://www.rbscan.com.au/resting-metabolic-rate-rmr-during-the-female-menstrual-cycle-understanding-the-bodys-energy-needs/

    [^6]: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/4B8AB364FDDDEC95D2CDC943E580B67B/S0007114589000279a.pdf/changes_in_energy_expenditure_during_the_menstrual_cycle.pdf

    [^7]: https://journalgrid.com/view/article/rjms/600

    [^8]: https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/do-you-burn-more-calories-on-your-period

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