I am due to start my cycle any day now and last night I could not stop eating chocolate. I ate 2 big bars in like 2 minutes. I feel so sick this morning. Does anyone know how to control chocolate cravings. I am usually good about it but right before I start I can't control it.

I am always super-hungry the week before TOM. I could eat non-stop and still have that empty stomach feeling. What I try to do is to allow portioned controlled snacks in small intervals, like every hour or two. This results in me eating more calories that I'd like by the end of the day, but at least it's not in a crazy binging style.

I also tell myself it is OK to maintain or have a slight gain that week. Having this mindset really helps me not feel defeated and just give up after those few bad days. Instead I feel empowered that I was in control and limited the damage a lot.

YES. I just started TOM last night and after dinner I still wanted more food. I've been pretty good about not bingeing and making good choices though. Last night, I took some frozen fruit and blended it until it was like sorbet, then redirected myself to my bedroom to put away clothes.

I have the same issue, right before my TOM, I don't crave chocolate...I crave salt. Specifically, Sour Cream and Onion potato chip salt. Before I was dieting, I could always tell when I was going to start cause I would go...buy a small (ok, a large...)bag of Herr's chip. I would say I would eat one but in a few hours the entire bag would be gone and I would be both mournful and terribly sick.

There are two strategies, in my opinion, you can take. Other people may have other suggestions!

1.) Refuse any and all chocolate at this time. If you know it is a weak point, say to yourself "It's not an option. I will go over board"

or, the better way,

2.) Down grade. The best thing I ever discovered was the Hershey's Milk/Dark chocolate snack size 10 packs. Each bar is around 67 calories and just enough to satisfy a craving. If you build them into your weight loss plan for your TOM, you won't feel deprived of chocolate AND they don't back a big calorie punch (unlike regular size bars).

If you find that it wasn't enough, have a second one. I find that these smaller servings come with an added bonus. I find that I usually stop after two because I SEE the physical wrappers and go "Woah, Sarah...what are you doing?"

Good Luck!

I get hungrier, and I get WAY more cravings right before my TOM.

My best advice is to RUN AWAY. Don't stay around the food, don't think about the food, don't look at the food. If you're like me, you can't have a little bit and be okay - the best thing is to get the heck out. Trying to fight it isn't worth the bloodshed.

I'm getting to the point where I can tell if I can have just a little and be satisfied. Doesn't happen often, though.

I'm going through the same thing right now.

Good luck! You CAN do this!

Yes! I'm always overwhelmed with cravings during that time of the month, my cravings are really extreme. I go from wanting really salty chips to caramel ice cream the next minute. It's so frustrating. I try to fight them, but I always end up indulging and having either some chocolate or a few extra white carbs. I don't even feel guilty about it anymore, it's something I'm accepting.

This, only for me the increased hunger lasts almost 2 weeks. It is natural I think for females to eat slightly more pre-TOM and shouldn't result in long term weight gain. I'm sure cavewomen did the same thing and were fine.

I read once that before TOM many women crave chocolate, sweets and fatty food. I does happen to me too, and I also get depressed those days. But as soon as I understand it is my TOM calling, I just wave those food thoughts and the sadness and move on.

It varies between being before TOM or during TOM when my stomach turns into a black hole and can never feel full.

thanks everyone for your ideas and now I don't feel so bad giving in a little. Well this evening I actually ate horribly and then I felt so guilty I cried. I to get depressed and emotional around TOM. I set my alarm earlier so I can work out (which has actually been helping me with my cramping).

I'm a mess either before my period or during it. I usually want to crawl under a rock. I NEVER cry and am a really happy person. Yet, around TOM I want to cry about everything, I hate everyone and I am super super negative about myself... It sucks. I was put on YAZ to help with it and it did help alot, but with all the negative things that YAZ has done to woman, I have stopped taking it.

It was suggested that I take it as well, but I have always been afraid to take any type of oral bc. I knew a young women in her twenties as well that ended up with a blood clot in her leg. She is pretty sure it was from BC.

My circle of family and friends know how I am around TOM so they know just to ignore any of my emotional breakdowns or temper tantrums LOL

I've read that you need an extra 200 calories every day for a week before TOM. So, I use those. I stopped buying big bars of chocolate long ago. The ones I get have up to 250 calories. I also take a day off so I can have a hamburger and fries and chips while PMSing. I try not to overeat, though. I'm afraid that if I don't allow myself that, I'll end up feeling repressed and I'll get mad and eat everything.

I get emotional breakdowns and temper tantrums, too. I also get headaches and my back, tummy, bones, legs and lower back hurt, too. It's awesome!

If it weren't for the five days before and three days into my period, I might not have had a weight problem at all. For most of my life, just to maintain my (very obese) weight, I had to diet drastically the rest of the month to keep from gaining.

I've found that keeping track of my cycle (literally highlighting the upcoming "problem" days on the calendar) AND eating very low-carb those days, helps minimize the urge to binge (and minimizes the damage. If I binge on low-carb foods, I tend to gain less than if I binge on carbs).

It's not a perfect system, because I still crave carbs, especially chocolate and other fatty sweets. Finding low or at least lower carb ways to indulge the cravings is a challenge (cocoa powder covered almonds and Jello chocolate fudge sugar free pudding made with almond milk or greek yogurt, are among my favorites).

Ok so most of us have craving right before and during TOM. I also get hungrier when I ovulate. It blows. I feel like half my month is spent warding off the munchies, but it makes me love those days when my hunger is not affected by my cycle. They are a breeeeeze!

I tend to give in with little items because for me if I don't have a piece of chocolate - it leads to me doing much more damage later down the road. I'm still trying to decipher the difference between a craving I can ignore and one that needs to be taken care of. I try to do it with time. If the craving goes away after a couple of hours, forget it. If it hangs around for days - then I should take care of it within my calories.

But I am far from perfect and still experience binges.