What do you do to tame the PMS monster?

I really struggle every month for at least 3 days and sometimes even 5 days. I know when it will be, I see it coming. I make a real effort to eat healthy and exercise regardless. But man is it hard. Today all I wanted to do was snack. I ended up snacking on healthy foods like steamed asparagus (with some salt, as I was craving salt terribly). I actually feel real hunger more often for these few days. I feed my hunger things like almonds and fat free yogurt.

Today was rough but I hung on. I was within a hair's breadth of going over calories but I stuck with it and managed to stay about 2 calories below my limit.

I do take vitamin supplements and have had a physical, etc, recently and everything looked good.

Suggestions?

Well, your BMR does run about 10% higher in the week before your period...studies have actually been done on this. So you do need SOME additional calories...if your BMR is 1500 a day, you burn an extra 150 calories during that week. So you WILL be more hungry, and fueling that hunger with healthy foods is a good idea.

Studies have also estimated that women eat, on average an extra 500 calories a day in the week before their periods, which is clearly more than most people need. I allow myself a little extra in that week, but make sure not to let the extra go above 200 calories a day. I also try to eat extra high volume for the calories I have...high fiber, high-water veggies, etc. This allows me to eat a lot without blowing my calories.

If I tried to stay to my general calorie level, I'd get into hungry-binge-mode. Eat high volume, feed the actual hunger, and wait it out!

I struggle with this, too - it's tough. I get migraines anyways, but always a whopper in the days before my period, and with my migraines come carb cravings....it's odd, but when I have a migraine it's like I can't get enough carbs. I don't know if it's the medication that drives the cravings, or just the hormonal shift, or both.

I do what Mandalinn does, and allow myself some wiggle room. I push myself to stay true to my way of eating - the carbs come from extra oatmeal, mostly, because I find it fills me up, takes care of the carb craving, and with a little honey or berries, it hits that sweet spot at the same time. Yes, sometimes dark chocolate gets picked instead , but it's all good - there's room for that in moderation. Staying away from the empty carbs like chips, cookies, etc. is easy because I just don't have them in the house - that's probably my best tip right there, 'cause you can't eat what you don't have!!

Hey, I have a new little secret against my PMS monster...about 5 months ago I started taking an herbal tincture called Wild Yam. It is amazing!!!
You can buy it at any health food store. I got mine at Whole Foods. It is a liquid and I put 40 drops in a little water once or twice a day starting about a week before I start my cycle. And then I continue for about 3 days into it.
No more moodiness, cravings, bloating ,even clotting. And my cramps are almost non-existant! This past month I barely even knew I had it! Now I have my daughter on it and it works just as well for her! Hope that helps!

I don't have TOM's anymore, but they used to be horrible. I was diagnosed with PMDD. My daugher (12!) has horrible PMS. Her doctor recommended that she start taking calcium supplements for 3-4 days before her TOM and that she avoid all refined sugar and fruits before her TOM. Also, she must make sure to get plenty of rest.

Works like a charm! Her headaches are now minimal. No more missing a full day of school because she's in bed with a migraine. And, she's just such a nicer person now. Believe me, she was getting pretty tough to live with!

Lesnicjoe - glad to hear that the wild yam is working well for you and your daughter. Wild yam is a great anti-inflamatory so it helps with the swelling that accompanies TOM for so many women.

tom just need to go away lol tom always makes me gain 5 pounds in fluid and i hate it .. you can garetee the day tom leaves so to does that 5 pounds but it doesnt make me feel any better to know its gonna go lol .. I seem to want salt to when i have pms .. i wonder if that has something to do with iron level .. i read somewhere once when you crave salt your body needs iron.. maybe next tinme i have a craving for salt ill have some lean meat and see if it goes away.. lol just a thought.. im gonna try it

I definitely do get hungrier and I do allow myself to go with the hunger and eat more, but not snack more or eat junk. I allow myself to eat more food during my meals, slightly bigger portions etc.

I will generally go ahead and plan in two extra snacks during the day. I've found now that I actually plan them in I don't need them as much and if I do then I eat them and I don't worry about if I've gone over. I figure my body needed the extra calories.

I am going through the pre-TOM annoyance right now. The week before my scale just stops moving, it doesn't really go up but there is no movement down at all not even an ounce or 2. Then a few days into my TOM I finally get a downward movement on the scale, usually a pretty good one. It can just be hard to stay motivated when you are hungrier, craving bad food, and the scale doesn't move when you eat well.

Rhonda, I'm sorry for your DD that she suffers so badly! I'm very interested in what she's doing, though, especially since it seems to be helping - I haven't found anything that helps with that dreaded hormonal migraine, so I think I might give these same suggestions a try. Can't hurt, right? So, thank you for sharing!!

Thank you for all the great replies. I, too, had really bad PMS as a kid and stayed home from school with terrible cramps, nausea and migraines. They backed off for awhile until I had my fourth child. Then I was dx'ed with PMDD also. It's gotten much better since then BUT the cravings and hunger KILL. I get stuff in my head (certain unhealthy foods) and they hound me.

I think extra veggie servings may be in order. And hot tea.