Ugh PMS

[Littel_Urchin 24]

Fair warning, this post is part rant about period but also, I'm genuinely looking for advice / suggestions.

First of all, can I just say I hate it that as a woman who's trying to lose weight (in my case, at least), I only get 2 good weeks out of every month where my body and my weight loss can be quite predictable and reliable. I hate it that even if I can find the motivation to get my weight loss momentum going psychologically, physically my body can only sustain that momentum for 2 weeks before PMS hits and everything goes haywire that makes it very hard to stay on top of things.

I am currently in the middle of one of my worst PMS weeks ever especially when it comes to weight loss. It's the kind that induces fatigue, bloating, Constipation, and cravings, so it's a quadruple whammy. A week ago when the PMS set in, I was knocked out for 2 days due to the fatigue, which was unusually extreme. And I have been very constipated and bloated ever since, the kind that even laxatives don't help as much (I've been taking the maximum allowable daily dose of senna every day since the constipation set in and I only have one bowel movement every other day). On top of that, my appetite has increased and I just want to cry every night because of how much I want to eat even though I've already met my daily caloric goals.

It has been very discouraging because it throws my exercise and diet for a loop, not to mention all the bloating and constipation make you feel fat as hell. And the most frustrating part is, it seems like there is nothing you can do to ensure that your next cycle will be a good one. You just have to roll with the punches and ride it.

I'm sure many women can attest to this but you'll never know what kind of PMS you'll get each month. PMS and period can be very arbitrary. I've had months where my PMS was literally non-existent and the period was a breeze, and there were months where the PMS set in a full week and a half before the period with a vengeance, and for the life of me, I can't seem to see any correlation between my PMS and my eating habits / lifestyle choices.

I've been doing a lot of research and I know all this is due to hormonal changes but none of the articles says anything about how to prevent / at least keep the hormonal changes in check so your PMS won't cause much disturbance.

Anybody has any advice? Please help, this is horrible.

[GreenTealael 25,579]

I completely understand!

I've noticed that certain times of the month I need to eat more than others. This usually coincides with PM's/menstrual cycle. So instead of letting all my good choices count for nothing, I start eating alot of super low calorie foods as fillers along side my main dish if I need it like Salads, or have seaweed snack slips like they are chips (your taste may vary from mine), and I drink a ton more.

I keep reminding myself that it's not me being ridiculous, it's a biological response and I will work (smartly) with it instead of punishing myself.

Edited September 14, 2018 by GreenTealael

[Biddy zz 🏳️🌈 1,004]

And if it is any help - losing weight does, for many women, even this out. Our stored fat containers a lot of hormones (which are fat-soluble) and when we lose, those hormones are released. That can play havoc with our emotions, but as you lose and your body’s fat stores reduce, so does that hormone store, so your swings may well get much less extreme.

Isn’t true for everyone, of course, but there seems to be evidence that this is a trend.

Filler food - find things you can eat with lower calories. Mine - watermelon. A coffee/protein slush is for Breakfast at 150 calories (25g protein) instead of Cereal, or bacon and eggs at 250 calories. And with a bit of training, things that are OK seem to turn into things I like to eat, in time!

[Lrorrio 8]

I totally feel your pain. Since sept my cycles have been very short & periods lasting longer than normal. I feel like I am constantly eating. I have a gyno appt but they couldn’t get me in until Jan so I will be counting down the days

[ummyasmin 1,603]

I had the worst, heaviest period this time round, really, painful and crampy. It hasn't been this bad since my fibroid days. I figure it's the estrogen from my fat sending me for a loop.

I know what you mean about wanting to eat. Can you save some calories from your normal eating so that if you want to snack you've got some spare? And try and figure out what exactly it is you're craving? Protein? Fat? Carbs? Specific food? So that you can see whether allowing yourself some of it will satisfy the urge?

Seeing the gynae is important, you might have other stuff going on and/or they might put you on the pill to see if it evens the hormones out. I feel ya!

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