PMS, it always gets the best of me...

PMS always gets the best of me, especially when I am trying to lose weight. And I certainly know I am not the only one. But I'm sure there are some that have found ways of controlling those hormonal urges during that time of the month. So any tips, or advice would be awesome! Please share, much appreciated! ^___^

I make sure to have some low-cal choco ice cream on hand, and allow myself an additional 100 cals or so each day. I know i'll be hungrier, and if I plan for it, I can stay in a reasonable range. I allow more fats too, sorta switch up my ratios. That kind of appeases the PMS gods. Kind of.

That is a good idea! I'll have to try that.

skinny cow
sweatpants
and a piece of raw hide to bite to avoid biting someone's head off

You got a laugh from me...."piece of rawhide"...lol    My emotions are so out of whack a week before my period...........I am liable to chew on someone's elses leg..not so much out of hunger but of "attitude out-of-control" issues.   Danni, I suggest......finding a low fat treat that covers the need for sweet and salty needs.

I forgot the skinny cow brand. That is a great idea! They are so tasty for being low calorie for ice cream!

"cow hide" lol. I think my fiance would laugh at that one, and probably agree with you. He is just very thankful for Midol believe me. In fact, he'll offer to go buy for me. lol

The sweet doesn't actually get me at all during PMS, but salt oh yeah. I get so bloated, and I feel so miserable if that happens. I mean anything I can think of seems so high in sodium.  So any ideas would be great! Nuts? Pretzels? I guess there isn't anyway around bloatation. ;(

Ugh, over the past couple days I've gained 3 pounds.  I'm just praying it's water weight from PMS and it'll disappear!

Same here! I had just joined this site, and lost a pound. A pound finally! I was so happy! Then all of sudden got all the miserable signs of PMS, and that pound was back! ;( I am not even going to bother with weighing myself! I just hope that if I stay with my caloire target during it, I'll have maybe 2 pounds gone, or even that one! ^__^ HOPE HOPE HOPE!

Heh.  If there were a way to control the crazy hormones we'd all be rich biochemists! 

For me it's not necessarily sweet that gets me, it's carbs. I crave breads & muffins but not cookies or chocolate.  If someone would invent blueberry muffin flavored chewing gum I'd be okay.  I just need something to keep my mouth busy.

I do the zig-zag calorie planning and since you can set the world atomic clock by my biological one, I plan my "cheat" days to coincide with any PMS-ing.

Good luck everyone and don't bite off any legs!

-jen

Yeah, your right we would be rich! lol

Every month tends to be a little different. But this month I am craving sugar, and cheese. lol The cheese maybe isn't such a bad thing though since it is loaded with calcium, and the calcium actually minimizes PMS symptoms, but the sugar...ha ha yeah. I been wanting chocolate way more! The gum idea sounds great, the gum makers should invent gum for us! lol

"Cheat" days, I haven't really tried that idea. I don't know if it would work for me. It'll become an excuse for me I think to let myself slip. But however, I ate a brownie last night that ruined my calorie target, but I'm not going to beat myself up for it. I just know I have better control away from my period, ha ha. So I just promised to drink lots of water! ^_~

Ahh the dreaded issue!

I really struggled with this at first but after a lots of tears and far tomuch restraint realised that its more about listening to your body. Women crave food especially fatty food at this time because our bodies really REALLY need them! I found the best way of getting over the inevitable fact that during that lovely pre menstral week I would put on weight was to not weigh myself during that week! Although the scales will say your have put on weight it generally will have disappeared by the time your period starts because your body uses the calories. So I say do all the people around you a favour and answer thoughs urges for the couple of days befor you start.

It has definately worked for me (8 pounds to go!) and my friends and familey are much happier now the dragon has left the buildings!

Good luck!

Original Post by brambly_hedge:

Ahh the dreaded issue!

I really struggled with this at first but after a lots of tears and far tomuch restraint realised that its more about listening to your body. Women crave food especially fatty food at this time because our bodies really REALLY need them! I found the best way of getting over the inevitable fact that during that lovely pre menstral week I would put on weight was to not weigh myself during that week! Although the scales will say your have put on weight it generally will have disappeared by the time your period starts because your body uses the calories. So I say do all the people around you a favour and answer thoughs urges for the couple of days befor you start.

It has definately worked for me (8 pounds to go!) and my friends and familey are much happier now the dragon has left the buildings!

Good luck!

That is exactly what I have decided to do. I would rather feel pleased than miserable. Right now CC is saying my food log is  C+ right now since I had a bottle of Nesquik chocolate milk. Yep. The fat, and the sugar. But hey it took care of my chocolate craving, and I got the calcium which helps during this time. And I ate a brownie yesterday. But I'm not going to beat myself up for it. It'll just worson PMS. I'm not weighing myself. I know better that once my period shows itself, all those symptoms go away. As long as I don't go over board with my cravings, everything will be ok. The worse that I have done is go over by 150 cals...that isn't that bad. At least I don't think so. It can be if I decide to dwell on it, and blow it out of proportion, but I'm not!

You guys are all going to think I'm weird, but I have found exercise does wonders for my PMS.  In my case, I find it helps alleviate cramps, bloating, irritability AND cravings.  The best thing for me is to go for a run, or even play a long game of tennis... I get a good sweat that way, and become a much happier person. 

Also, I try to stay away from starchy carbs during TTOM because I find it makes the bloating, cramping and irritability worse.  And I find that when I exercise, I can actually control my cravings - maybe it has something to do with hormones released during exercise??  No idea.  It works for me, though! 

Original Post by cc31:

You guys are all going to think I'm weird, but I have found exercise does wonders for my PMS.  In my case, I find it helps alleviate cramps, bloating, irritability AND cravings.  The best thing for me is to go for a run, or even play a long game of tennis... I get a good sweat that way, and become a much happier person. 

Also, I try to stay away from starchy carbs during TTOM because I find it makes the bloating, cramping and irritability worse.  And I find that when I exercise, I can actually control my cravings - maybe it has something to do with hormones released during exercise??  No idea.  It works for me, though! 

I can certainly see this working as well. I would do actually, but I'm not a runner, and I am in the process of finding balance with my job. I am trying to figure out an excersise that I will stick too, while still being able to get other tasks done after work. I think I may start doing yoga again. Not sure! But I certainly believe excersise makes a person happy. If I have some tampons, I'm all for it sometimes. But usually towards the end. I'm too heavy in the beginning. ;(