Ladies Only PMS Symptoms worsening with weight loss?

bowties_r_cool · June 2012

I just wanted to ask a few quick questions.

But first, what prompted me to ask. Recently I have noticed that my ‘monthly curse’, you know period, symptoms have seemed more sever. I know that they can get worse with age but I have definitely noticed a sharp increase in PMS symptoms since I have really been steadily losing weight. (I log all my symptoms and menses in an online tracker.)

Looking back to over a year ago when I was not actively trying to lose weight I had very mild symptoms. You know general cramping, bloating, and cravings, and little to no emotional/mood swings.

Compared to the last several last rounds of menstrual cycles I had sever cramps, bloating up to 7 pounds higher. Bloating started almost a whole WEEK before my period was actually due to start, and took even longer to get back to pre-period weight. Headaches / migraines that are debilitating, and wild mood swings the week prior and during my period. The cravings and calories consumed were generally within my calorie range but definitely not my healthiest choices. It seems almost impossible that I am within my range with the way my hormones make me feel crazed and cannot think of anything but food.

With my period little more than a week away I feel like I can already feel the change coming on. I am trying to prepare this time. Not to let my weight flux as much. Stocked up on high fiber healthy food and healthy carbohydrates to satisfy that ravenous hunger cravings. Also, I packed up on foods that have been shown to reduce the severity of PMS symptoms. Broccoli, Asparagus, Sweet Potatoes, Nut Butter and nuts, Lima beans, eggs, peas, and bananas.

So my questions are these two…

When you were losing weight did you notice an sever increase in your PMS symptoms? AND What natural ways and foods do you eat/use to combat PMS symptoms?

English1Mac · June 2012

I have noticed some increase in symptom severity as well, such as cramping and mood swings. As a trade-off, though, I've also noticed more regular, predictable periods (which haven't been predictable and regular for several years). I think I'd rather have my cycle be more predictable and take the more severe symptoms.
I haven't really paid much attention to possible remedies, especially with food. I don't tend to have food cravings with my cycle, so I can't really speak to that.
I hope everything works out as you continue on your journey to better health.

theartichoke · June 2012

Mine are actually improving as I've lost weight. My hormone levels are becoming more balanced as opposed to less. In my opinion, going to see a dietician or your Gyn is the best thing to do. You don't have to suffer through this. I totally believe in food cures and I hope ladies here have great advice for you regarding that. If it keeps up after dietary changes please see a professional. I dealt with that craziness for 11 years and truly regret not getting the medical help. *hugs*

bowties_r_cool · June 2012

I am glad someone else knows what I am talking about. When I search the web there are not many articles about pms symptoms increasing with age, but not associated with weight loss. I believe I will still aim for my healthy goal weight. I think it is an OK trade off. If the symptoms get much worse though, I feel that they will be truly debilitating, and then I will have to do something. You are very lucky with no food cravings!! I am glad to know that others have experienced a similar trend. Good luck on your own journey!

bowties_r_cool · June 2012

Thank you theartichoke!

diannethegeek · June 2012

My mood swings and general fatigue around my period have been so much worse while I'm dieting. I find that I have to be sure and eat some extra carbs when it's approaching to help my mood and other than that I just try to take it easy on the exercise for a day or two and try to keep my mouth from saying anything I'll regret later. It's not ideal, but I can work around it if I have to.

Meg_78 · June 2012

It's funny, cause I am here on a gaining journey, and my periods though regular have been increasing painful esp since I had kids, but I so surprised to say that now that I'm gaining a little and exercising and eating better I have almost painless periods now, I still have bloat, but even my moods feel a little more stabilized, I have a few days right before when I am monster hungry, but on the day I get it I tend to have no apatite at all. I'm not complaining, but it is a perk I wasn't expecting...

I know that say food can have a big impact on TOM pain and bloat, esp the things we generally crave like sugar, carbs, caffeine, chocolate, dairy etc, I have heard it recommended to eat really clean at the time but I personally never tied it..But I believe that exercises are a good thing for pain too..And also its ok to eat a little more at your TOM, I have heard that the body needs it. And try not to take weight gain on your period to heart, it's generally not real gain anyway.

Maybe its just because your body is going through changes, and it might get better when you reach goal and can maintain...but if it continues, maybe speak to a OB/Gyn. Severe period pain is awful!!

Duck_Puddle · June 2012

I had an increase in PMS symptoms when I was trying to "net" 1200 calories. I also had an overall decrease in energy throughout the month. Now that I've upped my goal to 1400-1500-ish a day, I'm feeling better overall and the PMS symptoms have lessened again. I think I was just extra b!tchy & miserable because I was hungry (even though I didn't "feel" hungry). I don't log PMS symptoms, but I do have comments in my running log-and at 1200-the comment was consistently "rough getting going....". Now it's "felt good today-could have gone longer...". I just feel more human now-and since my PMS symptoms have gone back to "normal" along with that-I am attributing the previous increase in symptoms to lack of food (even though I didn't really feel like I had a lack of food). So idk-but I don't think it is weight loss per se, in my experience it was just general malaise-ish manifesting itself in some whopper PMS symptoms.

christenwypy · June 2012

Mine is worse as well My gyno just told me to try evening primrose oil. We'll see if it works. I also have to get an ultrasound because my lining is too heavy. No idea if that could be related to weight loss or not.

bowties_r_cool · June 2012

Hmmm...I have never heard of primrose oil. Thanks christenwypy! I will have to look into using Primrose oil!

christenwypy · June 2012

I just started it so I will let you know if it works for me or not. Honestly, I could really use a valium to get me through PMS LOL

saustin201 · June 2012

My symptoms are worse too.

kalynn06 · June 2012

For me, some the physical symptoms get worse, especially the cramping. The water retention is actually a little better. The emotional ones are about the same

Scribetoo · June 2012

I had it explained to me this way:

Fat Cells are storage cells. You don't LOSE fat cells.. you have the same amount today as you did yesterday.. but they SHRINK. That means everything they are storing is getting released back into your system.

Fat Cells don't care what they store. They store everything. Nutrition, fluid and..... *dun dun duuunnnn* hormones!!

So as you lose weight, those stored up hormones are also being released back into your system.. so not only are you at risk for becoming a raving lunatic during your PMS.. you're ALSO slightly more likely to get pregnant..

Now, if you aren't losing weight at an extremely rapid pace, you probably wouldn't normally notice much difference.. BUT.. if your PMS symptoms are already pretty profound, any small hormonal increase would be noticable.

So I guess.. my answer to your question is.. YES.. your PMS symptoms could intensify during weight loss.. but that when you reach goal and level out, that should balance out as well.

Hope that helps!
Stef

Mandanbil · June 2012

Thanks Stef that explains things. This last month I had horrendous cramps and my pms symptoms were much worse than previously and I just thought it was my age but now I am thinking it is perhaps my weight loss not helping. Will try some evening primrose as well I think. Thanks for starting this topic, I thought it was just me ..

urasweethart · June 2012

:explode: SO MUCH WORSE ... I talked to a nurse friend and she explained it like someone had said above that fat cells are storage cells and how they hold hormones. but she swore that things would get better lol and said to keep working at it also suggested walking more during the cramps said that staying seditary will actually make your body hurt the whole thought that a Body in Motion stays in Motion.
Heres to more pissy cramppy bloated days & too the days that our hormones level out and we look great lol. :explode:

murphy612 · June 2012

I'm so glad I saw this post! Wow, this last one has been murder and I was really getting concerned. So was my boyfriend, poor guy, lol. I'm sorry we all have to go through this but glad I'm not the only one.

bowties_r_cool · June 2012

thank you so much for explaining this! That fat storage makes a lot of sense. It gives me hope that when I finally level out that my PMS will go back to normal.

I wanted to cry :sad: thinking I was the only one. Glad at one moment that I am not alone in this and sad at the next that so many of us are having these terrible hormone over-load while trying to do something better for ourselves. thank you everyone for your responses!:happy:

obum88 · June 2012

Mine are going back to waht they were before i gained weight, predictable and crampless.

whatthedeuce23 · June 2012

As I gained weight, my 'symptoms' - emotional, cramps, weepy-ness, *****y, etc, all surfaced and got worse as I got bigger...whereas before I'd never had cramps in my life! (slightly uncomfortable on the first day, which is to be expected, but I wouldn't ever have called them cramps! As I've been losing they've been slowly dissipating - hopefully they'll disappear completely as I get back to what I was!

zaithyr · June 2012

I have PCOS so when not on birth control I have pretty bad pms/periods. This last month I happened to be off birth control and it was horrific! I made sure to keep up with my eating and went for walks and it seemed to alleviate the symptoms some. Part of the reason I'm trying to lose weight is to bring those symptoms under control so hopefully once all the weight is off it will be better!

Ittybitty22 · June 2012

glad im not the only one being a woman omg

judith3 · June 2012

Mine have worsened also i thought maybe it was just me

Leimaro · June 2012

Oh wow, you ladies just put me on an emotional roller coaster for a minute. I have a bad case of PMS everything except the cramps. Water retention, mood swings, irritability, headaches and some other physical problems are the worse. And, it is common for me to have PMS symptoms for 2 1/2 weeks. That's half of my existing life ! Always had this problem but it's worse now that I am in my 40's.

After extensive research I realized that overweight, lack of exercise, and certain foods can escalate the problem. So, my whole motivation to lose weight was to take back that half of my life. Now you saying that losing weight can escalate the problem too. Aye yayae! Well, I don't drink caffeine except during one time a month. I drink more than eight glasses of water a day. I take a cocktail of Vitamin E, fish oil with omega3, magnesium and B-6; all said to help ease the symptoms, as well as exercising more and drinking plenty of water. I have done all of this since my last period.

As of Monday, I can feel PMS sneaking up on me. So, I hope what I am doing will help.

P.S. I read that Dark Chocolate (over 60%) can help to alleviate symptoms, but chocolate of any kind I'm afraid to eat because I can't just eat one. Caffeine is like a vampire sucking out all of your defenses. I even stopped drinking Green Tea during PMS time. Bummer though, since it helps me relieve a lot of retained water.

Thanks for posting this question though! Don't know if I helped you any, but you sure have helped me. Looks like I need to do some more research and tweaking!

acfkaren · June 2012

I thought I was the only one too! I was hell on earth last week and then it's as if someone flicked a switch and I cried my eyes out and was all weepy and pathetic - in the loo at work...................fortunataly got it under control and my workmates know I can suffer so just turned a blind eye thankfully.

What we go through eh...............and I have worse symptons to look forward to.....sigh

emshair · June 2012

My PMS is a lot worse this month, I thought I was over doing things, so I haven't been on the exercise bike today, I had been on the bike for a whole hour every day for the last 4 days, I normally do 30-40 mins but upped it to an hour as I felt like I needed it!! but now because i feel like i'm so nervous, frustrated and most of all feeling starving and tired!! in fact I think its feeling hungry that is agitating me more, I normally have sundays and mondays off from exercise but the way I feel i thought i better take an extra day, Its good to know that i'm not alone too.

I hope i'm better than this next month otherwise I may have a nervous breakdown lol

Betrbleave · June 2012

mine are better. It only lasted for 2 days last time

chi18 · June 2012

I also thought I was the only one! So many women on here post about how they feel SO much better during that time with more exercise. A week ago I was beyond cranky and I described myself to a friend as, "a ravenous she-beast." For dinner the first night I wanted pizza, nachos, french fries, and peanut butter cup ice cream. It was really hard to resist all of that and keep myself on target during those few days because it just felt like there was not enough food on earth - I was so much more hungry than usual. I did wonder if the dieting and not just letting myself fall face-first into an ocean of carbohydrates was contributing to my extra crankiness.

Ladies Only PMS Symptoms worsening with weight loss?

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