Bloated and weight gain with my period

Alright, I am getting really frustrated and discouraged. I have gained 5 pounds since Sunday and have been eating 1200 to 1300 calories a day. I am 5'1", I have been logging my food, drinks and exercise. I should start next week but it seems that I'm gaining too much weight with my period (and I'm sure there's more weight gain to come when I start).

Does this happen to everyone? What is the average weight gain and time it is kept before, during and after your period? What can I do to help this besides staying away from salt???? Help?!?!?

Omg Yes!! This is currently happening to me..lol, so I am not able to get an accurate weigh-in. I heard people gaining from 2 - 6 lbs during their period. Don't get discouraged! Just look forward to your next weigh in.

Drink lots of water and all of that business...there isn't much you can do though.

Oh I'm so glad you responded to me! How often do you weigh yourself? I weigh myself everyday. I found that doing that helps me stay on track. Not weighing myself is almost like saying "calories don't count".

Anyway, is there anything else you can do besides drink water and take Midol? Usually Midol works but not this month.

Seriosuly, dont even get on the scale when you have your period. you will just upset yourself. I never listen to my own advice and always get upset. a few days ago i was mid period and got on the scale. i have been busting my tushy and the scale said i gained weight! i was so upset. I got back on the scale today and i am down all the gained weight and also lost one pound!

I completely agree. Wait until your period is done! Then you'll feel a lot better. But still get in your exercise and eat well while you're in the midst of it. I don't know how long the gained weight lasts though.

Ok I will try desperately not to get on the scale until after my period ends but I can't promise anything. I will take your advise though and bust my behind by exercising and eating right.

I usually gain between 5 and 7 pounds the week prior and the week of.  It drives me NUTS!  I'm in the middle right now....so far since last Monday I've put on 4.5 pounds!  pretty depressing I know.  The problem is that I physically can't get out of bed when I start (for 2 days usually...sometimes less...sometimes more) because I get such terrible cramps.  I take Midol, pamprin, IBU, ANYTHING! but nothing seems to help.  Terrible cramps run in my family though.  My grandmother actually told me once that when she gave birth to her first son she laughed later when someone asked how bad it hurt.  her response "It was no more than my monthly."
I wanted to cry at those words lol...sounds like no fun at all, I know...I live it.

I give up for 2 or 3 days at the start of my monthly because I can't physically get out of bed.  After that I do 2 a days for the rest lol...I know catchup isn't good but if I don't I fell worse

Anyways, I drink tons of water and have cut salt out of my diet as much as possible...still no help!  I guess everyone's different.  Give it a try :)

I have to say that for some people sweets are their weakness during the time of the month but my weakness is salt...and I've cut way back compared to what I used to eat but I just can't resist it during my time of the month. I cut it back this month though and I seem to be more bloated. Very weird. Now I have started drinking Oolong Tea - 4 cups a day everyday and cut out coffee. I wonder?

I usually have the same problem, but for the last couple of months my weight hasnt changed at all... i started my period yesterday, and i was on the scales this morning as soon as i woke up and i weigh 1 lb lighter than what i've been weighing in over the last few days! (i also weigh everday,like to see how it fluctuates). Its really weird that i havn't gone up,i too usualy increase by a good few lbs...!! :S but hey im not complaining... :P

Well kks I'm super jealous! I just need to get through the next week and a half then I will be back on track as far as what I really weigh. Its not fair for us that  1 to 2 weeks of each month we are completely off!!

I am in the midst of the red storm right now and I will not weigh in until Friday, although I am anxious to see where I am.  I used to NOT gain weight with my period and ovulation, but now I gain 2-3 pounds each month.  Sweets are my weakness at this time.  I just had a small cup of Edy's chocolate chip cookie dough and a half PBJ sandwich.  Still I am just at 670 calories and can still have a light lunch.

Well when it comes to the time of the month I'm like a jar left out in the rain. I will retain everything and it sucks!  Well one more week to go and I'll be back to normal. I'm still sticking to the diet....now exercise is something esle...

I do not get on the scale three days prior to the beginning and three days after it is completely over. I mean completely over, not when I am about to hit the pantyliner stage, but three days after it is all the way over. I crave sweets, salt, and red meat. I can gain anywhere from 3-7 pounds during my period. The thing I have to stay away from is any type of cured meat, no matter what variety, I swell up like a whale. Once I ate some salami while I was on my period a gained 10 pounds in a week. I thought my boobs were gonna explode. So, drink plenty of water, stay away from the salt and anything cured or containing nitrates, and have some dark chocolate before bed, I find it really does help. Also potassium rich foods, as well as spicy foods can mitigate the water gain. Even a light beer can act as a diuretic. Good luck.

I am really thankful for this site!

I swear, I have gone up ten pounds in about six days...and I am about to start my period, too. Even though my brain tells me it is my body retaining water....I can't help but freak out a little :)

Makettle Any time I eat red meat I swell up. It is crazy!! But having food allergies in a way that just causes me to bloat and have "issues" can throw me off anytime but its worse at my time of the month. I'm allergic to soy (which is in EVERYtHING) and fish (which I eat anyways because its good for me and I love it).

Where I notice the swelling is around my butt and and stomach. No swelling in the boobs but maybe that's why I got fake ones!  Anyway, never heard the dark chocolate thing but I'm probably one of the only women out there that really doesn't care for chocolate. Every now and then I'll have some M & M's but that's it.

Yeah, the boob swelling wouldn't be so bad if they didn't hurt so much. My hubby sure likes that part tho, but he can be a pig. Sorry to hear about your allergies. I prescribe one light beer for you, it will make you pee, and thus feel better.

makettle how did you know a Bud Light is the cure?! I keep them stocked! Well after having the enhancement, a little boob swelling is nothing for me. The pain of going through the surgery and not being able to sit up by myself for 2 weeks was bad enough not to mention the PAIN!

I only weigh myself once a week; however, I have never seen a gain in weight from my period since I started this journey.  I make sure to drink enough water EVERYDAY, not just during my period and I have read in other posts that this helps too.  Just a suggestion!

You're only going to make yourself crazy if you weigh yourself every day.  Between water weight and weight from uh...digested food that has yet to make an exit...you'll probably always be fluctuating in pounds.  And unless you've got a super expensive scale, it's probably innaccurate anyway.  I've stepped on my scale 3 times in a row for sh*ts & giggles and each time it told me something different.

my advice is to just not weight yourself during your period. and even wait a few days after it ends to weigh yourself. I'm sure its allllllll water weight, 1200-1300 calories would definitely NOT make you gain weight.

 

I think I'm the only weirdo who loses weight during that time of the month...