hunger and my period

[sportyhp]

okay so i'm not sure if anyone has any advice for me, but i've really been noticing lately that without fail, the week before my period, i become RAVENOUS. im still eating all my fiber, my veggies, my protein, etc., but i think its the hormones that make these cravings so strong and i really cant ignore them. is there anything i can do to control them or should i just kind of let it go and work hard once it's all over?

edit: im not really annoyed by any of the weight gain i see in the few days that i eat a higher volume...im MORE annoyed by the uncomfortable bloaty feeling that is coupled with a too full stomach lol

[nacersusaf]

Ah one of the many joys of womanhood... :rolleyes:

I don't think you should just give in totally and resume your diet after your period though. A bit here and there is fine, but not going all out of course. (Then again, you didn't really specify what the cravings were for. If you meant a Hershey's Kiss... go for it! If you meant a pint of Chunky Monkey... well that's another story!)

I would suggest if you don't want to over indulge, get your mind off of it. Go for a walk, go lift, read a book outside. I would try to avoid food places all together until the cravings pass, including your own kitchen.

Personally I have noticed a definate link between stress and eating for me. The other day was particularly bad, and all I wanted to do was eat. I struggled with it for a while and decided to just go for a walk (without my wallet ;) ) and it really helped. I ended up getting a chance to not only clear my head, stretch my legs and get my mind off of the cravings, but it ended up being good for my body instead of detrimental.

[sportyhp]

ya very helpful advice nacersauf!
.....ok so the cravings i didnt specify are basically carbs and fats. last night i really kept it limited to healthier choices (i ate granola, some pb on an english muffin) but still i know it was more than i truly needed to be satiated ya know? i mean, i dont usually even like cheeses but i start to crave them before my period haha

[nacersusaf]

...ok so the cravings i didnt specify are basically carbs and fats. last night i really kept it limited to healthier choices (i ate granola, some pb on an english muffin) but still i know it was more than i truly needed to be satiated ya know?

I think that the key here is that you know it isn't your body telling you that you need more food, but rather your hormones and emotions, which is good. Being able to distinguish between the two can be difficult sometimes! :eek:

People recommend not eating in front of the television because when you aren't, sometimes watching TV triggers those habits and makes you want to snack when you aren't even hungry. I use that sort of habit-making mentality to my advantage and take a walk (as I stated in my previous post) so I would offer you the same advice. Just find something you like to do that is completely unrelated to food and then keep it separate, you know? Use it as your secret weapon against the cravings! ;)

[sportyhp]

People recommend not eating in front of the television because when you aren't, sometimes watching TV triggers those habits and makes you want to snack when you aren't even hungry. I use that sort of habit-making mentality to my advantage and take a walk (as I stated in my previous post) so I would offer you the same advice. Just find something you like to do that is completely unrelated to food and then keep it separate, you know? Use it as your secret weapon against the cravings! ;)

ya TV is the devil for me haha. i think what i may do next time is go for a walk if its daytime, or take a bath/read a book if its at night.

[gfundaro]

Haha THAT must be my problem today!!! I am so hungry!! And not mentally hungry, I mean physically, head-achy, hungry. :-\ I'm never like this on keto, but that TOM is starting today or tomorrow.
Thanks for posting this, I was worried hehe :D

[terracotta]

You can add in a couple hundred calories a day if you need to. It isn't "going backwards" then, just putting the dieting on hold for a couple days. If you have chocolate cravings I strongly recommend the Lindt 85% Cocoa chocolate bar. 20 g of it (100 cals) is all I need to quiet the cravings as it is very rich. I have it with coffee. It is also pretty good for you as it is very low in sugar.