I Can't Stop Eating Before My Period
Every month Jennifer has the same problem.
She can't control her eating in the days before her period.
Every time she starts a diet, she is fine for 3 weeks, then disaster!
In the fourth week she eats everything she can lay her hands on.
Result? She feels so bloated and fat that she gives up.
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JENNIFER IS PERFECTLY NORMAL
Jennifer's body is only doing what it was designed to do.
As she approaches her period, her hormones change and this causes
a natural increase in her calorie requirements.
In addition, her changing hormone levels often triggers PMS which
in turn triggers her desire to comfort eat.
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TAKE CONTROL
Don't be a Jennifer!
Don't be taken by surprise when your body goes walkabout!
Keep a note of when you are due, and allow yourself an extra 350-400
calories per day.
If you feel bloated, you are likely to be retaining extra water.
This can be helped by avoiding salt, plus stimulants like tea or coffee,
by drinking extra water and by snacking on cucumber and celery.
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HOW JENNIFER GOES WRONG
3-4 days before her period is due she starts to get picky
She finds herself craving a candy bar
She can't think of anything accept tucking into the cookie jar
She was doing fine on her diet
But now she's lost it - is she going crazy?
She eats the cookies but they don't satisfy her
She wants something else
She eats the candy but it doesn't work
She wants something else
She eat the bag of potato chips
She feels sick......
This goes on for 5 days
THE DAMAGE
10 cookies (650)
1 candy bar (260)
2 oz bag pretzels/crisps (300)
TOTAL (1 day) = 1210 calories
TOTAL (5 days) = 6050 calories
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WHAT MISS PATTI-PERFECT DOES
Patti Perfect is the sort of girl who does everything right.
The sort you want to hose down with fire-hose!
Patti knows her body
She knows that her body changes in the run-up to her period
She knows that she needs to eat extra calories during this time
She knows that this is when she blows her diet
She knows this need not happen
So she plans ahead and decides how she is going to eat extra calories
She makes sure she has plenty of healthy snacks
She keeps dried fruit in her pocket (she would!)
She keeps a supply of crispy vegetables and fresh fruit to hand
She keeps individual packs of cereal handy
Every day she plans to eat an extra 350-400 calories
She takes control.
THE DAMAGE
Bowl cereal with skimmed milk (155)
1 slice wholegrain toast with 1 tsp peanut butter (100)
2 cups air-popped popcorn (60)
1/2 cup fat-free yogurt (60)
TOTAL (1 day) = 375 calories
TOTAL (5 days) = 1875 calories
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THE DIFFERENCE IN WEIGHT BETWEEN JENNIFER AND PATTI
By planning ahead and keeping a good supply of snacks to hand,
Patti eats 4,175 fewer calories than Jennifer, every month.
Result?
At the end of the year, she weighs 14.3 pounds less than Jennifer
Unfortunately, the following day, Patti is run over by a truck.
MORAL
There's more to life than losing weight.
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BOTTOM LINE
Eat good carbs
Don't be afraid of bread and potatoes
Be careful about adding fat to your food
Watch out for trucks
By Anne Collins
http://www.annecollins.com
Somedays I am Teri the terrible - and somedays I'm Teri the terrific!!