This may sound like a stupid question, but for someone that has almost never paid attention to weight fluctuations, I'm curious:

Do you usually experience more water weight before or during TOM? I honestly feel like I get it before AND during - which just doesn't seem fair!

Thanks!

I've always been very in tune with my body. I knew when I was pregnant all three times (two successfully) before my period was due. I can tell the day before my period is going to start by the sensations, without looking at a calendar, when I'm fertile and so on. So, yes, I can feel the water weight retention and I notice that I'm wanting saltier things to eat.

I too hold the water well into my TOM. And I start to hold the water a couple days before.

I also notice (now and always) that the first two weeks of my cycle, I hardly ever lose weight and I don't feel very hungry. The second half of my cycle, I'm so much hungrier and that also when I see most of the month's weight loss. And it makes sense. If you've ever temped for getting pregnant, the first half of the cycle your temps are low (lower metabolism), second half temps go up, higher metabolism.

By learning how my body works, I get less frustrated for the couple of weeks I don't seem to lose despite eating and exercising great and then I try to be REALLLY good the last two weeks of teh cycle as I know that's when I'll see the best results on the scale.

Logically, you would think that I eat X calories a week and exercise X times a week, I should see X on the scale, but our bodies are not robots, so we get surprises all the time - good and bad.

I typically weigh anywhere between 3-5lbs more right before and through my TOM. You just have to hang tough and follow your plan and see the numbers go back to normal once you are all through!!

I typically weigh the most about 2 weeks before and then kinda hold onto that for a bit, with it sloooowly coming off. Whooshes were I lose weight usually come after my period but oddly, my lowest weight day is almost always the day I start my period. I have no idea why, and I've always wondered because I know that is not the norm.

Also, I tend to weigh the most when I feel the thinnest and I conversely I weigh less on days where I feel a tad pudgier. I'm also odd in that my morning weight tends to run the highest and it's my afternoon weight (around 1pm) that is typically lower.

I am in tune with my body as far as knowing what day I'm gonna start my period without checking the calender, and I'm regular as clockwork, usually even starting at the same time of day.

Also I never have small fluctuations like 1/2 pound. The scale changes a minimum of a full pound either way each time. Yesterday, for example, I weighed 148.5. I exercised and was below 1400 calories yesterday (with no salty foods) and today I'm up to 150.5 again for no obvious reason.

Whatcha gonna do?

Ok, I feel better now... I think! LOL It's been so weird, I have been teetering between 205 and 206 for about two weeks now (except for those exciting two days at 204) - and it's so frustrating! I haven't done any "I should just give up" thinking yet, but I get so frustrated. I know it's a journey, and it will eventually come off. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive.

A week before I notice bloating (and cravings) I don't usually gain but I won't lose for about 8 days

I just started tracking my weight and calories on January 1st, and I noticed that my weight went up 2 pounds about two weeks before my period, but then it dropped a few days after. I liked being able to track it because now I know what to expect in the upcoming months.

I notice a day or so before until a few days in a water bloat. But I make sure to chug that water!

ive just started to notice, but the few days before i start i retain/get bloated. i stay that way during, and at the end (last couple days) is when the bloating goes away and i retain less..hope that helps

I usually stop losing weight or experience very little weight loss in the week prior to my period and then I gain as much as 6-8 pounds during and then it all comes off and then some shortly after.

Ugh, sometimes it sucks being a woman... LOL

Thanks, ladies!

Well, yes,there are downfalls, but if you know what to expect, then it won't bother you. Plus, I wouldn't give up anything being a female. There's something very special about being mom (if you ever are) and even if you aren't, girls are awesome!

Yup. <shrug> It's not fair--most things in life aren't. It's just water weight. It'll pee off when your period ends.

That's why I love this place. I just had the same question and issue at the beginning of this week and now I'm going to pay more attention to my body than I used to. I weigh every day and I love to watch the numbers even if they frustrate me sometimes but mostly I really do love the weeks where I loose a pound a day after having bounced around gone up and down and been a little annoyed.

Now I see that those are more TOM related which I just started to notice this past Monday when last Sunday I was 201 up from normally seeing 196 and no major change in diet or exercise. Today I am 193.2 I'm about to tune in. Thanks!!

I was suffering from TOM this week but I still lost 5 pounds! What I did was take a Diurex (sp?) every morning with a full bottle of water. I made sure I drank a TON of water. It kept me running to the bathroom lol but I didn't retain all that water. I did this for about 3 days.