Period cravings Topic
Anna1i3e
02/25/23
Anyone have any tips on suppressing unhealthy cravings when their period comes around? Thanks :)
StrugglingPoet
02/25/23
i’m not very good at explaining things, so sorry if this doesn’t make sense or is lacking. i find drinking water or distracting myself to work! playing an intense video game or watching a thriller could get your mind off things. take a small walk around your block or down your street, or try a small self-maintenance routine like a face mask or painting your nails, and if all else fails than you could simply snack on something healthier! strawberries or watermelon are usually very sweet, blueberries and raspberries tend to be sour, crackers and cheese or pretzels are salty, etc. hope this helps! :)
Dietician
02/27/23
replied to Anna1i3e
Hi Anna1i3e-
Welcome to MyNetDiary! I hope your tracking is going well~
In addition to the awesome tips StrugglingPoet provided- these might also help:
https://www.mynetdiary.com/what-to-do-instead-of-eating.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/crave-healthy-foods.html
Please let us know which ones resonate with you:)
Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)
Anna1i3e
02/27/23
Thank you Joanna and StrugglingPoet :)!
Anna1i3e
02/27/23
Loved the what to do instead of eating and water tip ☺️
U1194011479
03/16/23
I am in the same boat! A few days before my period my stomach feels like a bottomless pit. TBH doing other things has never helped me. I’ve learned to be honest and track everything I eat and keep it healthy, I just increase the portion size- like having a full banana with peanut butter and a few chocolate chips instead of half. With tracking I’ve never gone over 2k calories- my norm is 1,560 a day. At the most this ‘bottomless pit’ feeling has lasted me two days. I view it as an accomplishment for honestly and not eating the junk food I think I really want. 😊
U1195005163
03/29/23
Tea — boosted teas ect
MintBasil
08/07/23
The Moon Cycle cookbook has a lot of recipe ideas for each phase of your cycle, including your period and the days leading up to it. It’s natural to crave extra carbs during this time, but focus on whole grains and complex carbs (like fruit) to get that serotonin boost, and you’ll feel better afterwards then if you’d gone for simple carbs (like a doughnut). Avoiding sugary foods and fried foods can be helpful for reducing cramps on your period. I also find that I am hungrier on my period, and these days I still track my food but I don’t hold myself to my calorie limit as strictly when I’m on my period. We are cyclical creatures; it’s normal to be hungrier at certain points in the cycle than others. Hope this helps. :)
Jazzycox
Feb 13
Hi, I'm new to this site. I have a special occasion to go to April 2023 , therefore, I' trying to lose 10 -15 lbs. I'm off to a great start (diet & exercising)! My problem is sticking with it, especially during the weweekends. I desperately looking for suggestions not to cheat on myself during those times - LOL! Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you.
U1196195634
Feb 14
I generally take a few days up to the whole week "off" from calory restriction while I'm on my period - I've found I'm way more likely to fall prey to weakening willpower at the end of the day and overeat if I try to restrict while on my period than if I eat at maintenance. Sometimes I'll even leave off tracking altogether and just try to eat mindfully, depending on how I'm feeling on a particular day.
What I've found really helps with cravings is not to try to ignore them, but to pair them with something healthy, especially if I'm also hungry - e.g., if I'm really craving cookies, I'll eat a piece of fruit and THEN have one cookie rather than jumping straight to eating several cookies.
It might not work for everyone, but I am the type of person whose cravings don't simply "go away" with distractions or trying to eat lesser-but-healthier substitute and tend to get stronger the longer I try to resist. Eating something healthy first (to make sure I'm not hungry) and then indulging the craving (rather than satisfying my hunger with the food I'm craving) has been what works best for me :)
Period cravings
