Weight Loss

 

Hi!

I notice right before my time, I get the "hungries". It seems as if I am more hungry than usual and have more intense cravings... and lets not even talk about sweet and salty! Any advise on how to stay on track during this time?

Thanks

Oooooh, I experience that every month!  But then it seems like I magically drop a couple of pounds right after even if I have a few setbacks.  During that week "before" I am hungry or even ravenous.  I have a huge craving for CRUNCHY and SALTY.  That's so dangerous for me - think Super-Butter-Loaded Movie Theater Popcorn...  I think my advice would be small portions of things that will satisfy, like a Laughing Cow Light cheese wedge (35 calories) with All-Bran Multi-Grain crackers (130 calories in 18) or a Laughing Cow Light Mini Babybel cheese (50 calories) with a cup of grapes.  Apple slices with crunchy peanut butter work, too.  I eat a lot of Orville Redenbacher SmartPop mini bags of popcorn and when I dump the popcorn into a bowl, I spray a few sprays of Butter-Flavored PAM and toss the popcorn in the bowl.  I know it might sound weird, but these different strategies hit the spot for me, vs heading to the nearest Long John Silver or something else I'll regret the next morning.   (LOL)

Also, if I drink plenty of water (esp flavored with Crystal Light To Go packets) things go much, much better during that week.  Good luck!

I'm fighting those PMS hungries right now! I have been for almost a week. But, for me, it's chocolate that I crave. The best thing I know to do is run to the store, buy ONE chocolate bar, and then account for the calories if the craving won't go away any other way. Luckily, I live in a rural area and it's not worth the drive to the store for one chocolate bar and I don't need anything else from the store right now. LOL

You could try exercising, drinking water, reading, anything to take your mind off the craving for the chocolate. I just find myself walking to the fridge and looking several times a day, even though I know chocolate hasn't magically appeared in there since the last time I looked. And, like Tina said, try other things that are healthy alternatives to what you are craving and see if it helps. Like a 60 calorie sugar free chocolate pudding cup or those 60 calorie hershey sticks. If salty is your thing, try sunflower kernels. A 1/4 cup serving of them has 180 calories (a little high) but if you are like me, I can't eat that many at once. I usually have 1/2 a serving if I'm craving salty foods. They also take care of the crunchy craving, too. 

I am in the same boat right now - my thing is sweets.  It can be real sugar, splenda - whatever, my PMS doesn't discriminate. ha!  I just try to eat things that taste sweet but aren't - like sugar free jello - I might end up eating the whole "box" myself but at least that is still only 40cal.

I have a question about this subject though: does anyone else get craving headaches?  I know it sounds crazy but it seems like when I get a craving and I don't give in, 5 minutes later I get a nasty headache that nothing fixes - not excederine, not asprin - nothing...

I am in the same boat right now - my thing is sweets.  It can be real sugar, splenda - whatever, my PMS doesn't discriminate. ha!  I just try to eat things that taste sweet but aren't - like sugar free jello - I might end up eating the whole "box" myself but at least that is still only 40cal.

I have a question about this subject though: does anyone else get craving headaches?  I know it sounds crazy but it seems like when I get a craving and I don't give in, 5 minutes later I get a nasty headache that nothing fixes - not excederine, not asprin - nothing...

In the premier issue of Clean Eating magazine they talk about PMS cravings, and explained that what your body is actually craving is magnesium, which is found in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (especially dark-green, leafy vegetables) and chocolate - so *fingers crossed* when my cravings start in the next couple days.. I'm gonna give it a shot...  Good Luck!

I get really bad cravings for chocolate, anything with sugar and salty things like chips.  I'm just ravenous.  I find I do better if I eat more complex carbs and beans because they make me feel full for longer.  And I try to eat the complex carbs with breakfast or lunch, not dinner.  If I'm not really hungry I know the cravings are in my head only and can do something like drinking a glass of water or an activity (anything!) until the craving passes.

I was getting my harcut yesterday and was reading Glamour at the salon (Feb or Mar I think) and they had a big article on weight loss/healthy eating and it talked about what you should do with certain types of PMS cravings (to prevent them or not blow your diet altogether when they happen).

EVERY MONTH!!!  And I typically give in...I just try to make sure I don't go ridiculously overboard... mine is chocolate.  I HAVE TO HAVE IT...but I already know this is going to happen, so I will allow my self a candy bar or something...

i get cravings for chocolate. it is ok to give in if you eat it in little quantities.

like one of those mini hersheys or something (only about 50 calories). but NOT a whole giant hershey's bar.

if you want it, go for it. just watch your portions and you will be fine. :)

i could NEVER live without chocolate. i eat it almost everyday and have still managed to lose 5-10 lbs in 2-3 weeks.

indulge yoursef a little. you will be much happier in the end :)

Oh yeah... the worst time of the month for sure.

There is an alternative to chocolate that Ive heard good things about but havent tried yet myself.  Its called 'carob'.

The following info is from associatedcontent.com:

Many consumers are likely unfamiliar with the carob, but this sweet, almost candy-like food is more commonplace than you might think. According to chocolate purists, carob holds no candle to chocolate, but it is nonetheless often used in its place, due to a subtle flavor reminiscent of chocolate. Many never know the difference.

Carob is the pulp harvested from the pods of the tropical carob tree. The pulp is edible directly off the tree, but for retail use, it is often roasted and then ground into a carob powder, and then used extensively to flavor a variety of goods, the majority being candy and some baked goods.

Carob is also healthier than chocolate, and so can often be found in health food stores and supermarkets that sell a large selection of healthy goods. Carob can be purchased in both a fresh or dried form, in bars or in pieces, and is often packaged as a snack. It also makes an appearance in many varieties of trail mix and acts as a nice sweetener to health bars and other nutritious snack products. You can also purchase carob chips for use in baking.

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Even though some say it isnt near as good as chocolate, I think its worth a try- definitely for baking.

Oh and as a substitution for crunchy/salty foods like chips- Ive always liked pork rinds (hot & spicy!).  0 carbs and low cal- they usually hit the spot.  And of course theres always bite-sized flavored rice cakes- but if youre like me you have to buy the smallest bags of these snacks possible... or before you know it youre binging like a madwoman.

Seeing as I don't eat much processed refined sugar stuff when I have pms I crave fruit instead, especially bananas. So I just munch and munch on fruit and it doesn't do much damage.

yes!  But I just want to eat everything and anything.  eek.  Luckily, most of the time, my weight does not increase.  Also-  just dont weigh yourself for that week.

The PMS hit me yesterday.  It's been a couple months since I had chocolate, but I honestly thought I would DIE if I didn't get some.  So, instead of my usual, more nutritious 300-calorie afternoon snack, I got a Dagoba Organic Chocolate bar and ate the whole thing. Total calories? 310. Plus, it was dark chocolate, so not horrible for me. It more than fulfilled the craving, and now I'm back on track.

that's usually what alrets me in the first place that I'm PMSing, if I haven't been keeping track - I keep wanting to eat, and constantly thinking about what I'm going to eat, and craving salt, sugar, fat, grease, chips, fries, etc.  I really could eat and eat if I let myself, and never get full, like a bottomless pit...

thank god it's only for a few days, and acknowledging that it's just PMS is really half the battle of not going hog wild and pigging out.  I think you do have to let yourself have a bit of what you're craving though, just portion control it, eat it and be done with it- 

PMS going on right now.. ya yesterday i was cravvving sweets.. mostly chocolate..and peanut butter.. i crave peanut butter alot i think its cuz my body wants the protein since i dont eat red meats..soo i was craving a bad of the Chocolate Turtle chex mix...not bad 2/3 cup for 150 cals.. satisfys the craving great. but i bought chocolate peanut butter chex mix instead. its amazing, i crave it tho.. but now im having edy's no sugar added chocolate ice cream..100 cals.. not bad. and my cravings are going away..for now. :( lol