I think my biggest problem has been not planning ahead, so the sudden appetite increase seems to come out of the blue. This month (the past 10 days) has been better for me, journaling like mad has helped. This has been the first period week that I can ever remember (at lest in a very, very long time) in which I actually LOST weight. 3 lbs!
I also don't keep sweets in the house, and don't even like chocolate the rest of the month. My husband tends to be a bit of an enabler when it comes to this though, as when my mood gets nasty, he will bring home chocolate and fatty fast food to "make me feel better," and unfortunately I can't really blame him as it does - termporarily.
We had a long talk this month and he agreed not to bring home "surprise" treats to drug me with food. When I was feeling rotten and moody, he did offer to go on a burger run "if I needed him to" several times during the week (and I was tempted) but managed to resist. I can tell the danger is over for this month, as I have absolutely no interest in chocolate or fast food of any kind.
It isn't that dieting is easy the rest of the month (except in comparison), but my entire diet strategy has to be different. The rest of the month, I lose weight best by finding ways to indulge my cravings in moderation. This doesn't work during period week because during that time I could care less about moderation.
I also realized that part of my hunger during that week is actually a response to increased fatigue. Instead of fighting the fatigue, I gave in. I took long naps and went to bed early.
I've highlighted next month's danger days, and am including a count down in my daily journal to keep me aware and prepared for next month.
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