R2D29 - STARVING

[RandiW]

Hi friends,

I started my period yesterday and I find no matter how much protein or fat I eat (and adding in a bit of extra carbs), I'M SO HUNGRY. I know it's just hormones and it'll fade, but it's ramping up my sugar cravings too. Which I think I didn't help because I made pot roast the other night and it was pretty carb dense - I had it for dinner, then lunch and dinner the next day and I feel like it might have played a little havoc with my blood sugar. I was debating pushing back reintros (even though I'm thinking slow roll for this round) and doing another strict few days because right now I was ice cream SO badly. I'm sure being 1 day away is also screwing with me right now.

Words of advice? Thoughts on extra days? Ways to kick period cravings?

[SugarcubeOD]

2 minutes ago, RandiW said:

Hi friends,

I started my period yesterday and I find no matter how much protein or fat I eat (and adding in a bit of extra carbs), I'M SO HUNGRY. I know it's just hormones and it'll fade, but it's ramping up my sugar cravings too. Which I think I didn't help because I made pot roast the other night and it was pretty carb dense - I had it for dinner, then lunch and dinner the next day and I feel like it might have played a little havoc with my blood sugar. I was debating pushing back reintros (even though I'm thinking slow roll for this round) and doing another strict few days because right now I was ice cream SO badly. I'm sure being 1 day away is also screwing with me right now.

Words of advice? Thoughts on extra days? Ways to kick period cravings?

Eat more... really, your body asks for extra food during your period because it thinks you could be making a baby and the sugar/carb cravings go up because it knows that's easy access to fuel. Some of our advanced members and moderators eat a full fourth or fifth meal in the week leading up to and of their period and some just eat the three meals to the upside of the template.  I ended up having second dinner this weekend because it's my time of the month and I would have eaten fish and broccoli quite happily. Add in more than 'a bit' of extra carbs... you could even increase to carbs at every meal in order to help... altho I don't understand how pot roast is carb heavy... isn't that a piece of meat?

 

[RandiW]

2 minutes ago, SugarcubeOD said:

Eat more... really, your body asks for extra food during your period because it thinks you could be making a baby and the sugar/carb cravings go up because it knows that's easy access to fuel. Some of our advanced members and moderators eat a full fourth or fifth meal in the week leading up to and of their period and some just eat the three meals to the upside of the template.  I ended up having second dinner this weekend because it's my time of the month and I would have eaten fish and broccoli quite happily. Add in more than 'a bit' of extra carbs... you could even increase to carbs at every meal in order to help... altho I don't understand how pot roast is carb heavy... isn't that a piece of meat?

 

Oh sorry, I cooked it with a heafty portion of potatoes and carrots, and it has balsamic and tomato paste in it (all compliant, but tend to be on the sweeter side).

I will eat a second lunch before going out tonight because dinner will be a bit later than usual and eat something carby again with dinner and see how I do.

[chichi]

@RandiW As far as pushing back reintro, if it were me, I would. I feel like a completely different body is attached to me during that time, and listening to your body's signals is really hard. Reintro is so much more chill and low-stakes feeling, less emotional, less stressful, everything. I tried keeping a bit of a journal this round, and looking back at the three-five days where I was in period zone, it is incredible how much more stressed out I was about food, and in general. I didn't plan it, but I luckily ended my Whole 30 two days after coming out of that, and am on a super slow roll reintro, and am not even mildly stressed about it.

And if you did already start reintro, just remind yourself that sometimes your reactions (emotional and physical) to the foods might be complicated by the fact of your hormones and digestive changes during menstruation, etc, so they might seem a little out of proportion. BUT it's kind of a good experiment, you find out what benefits you or doesn't during that time.