Hello! I am new here again. I lost my last name/password so I had to start over. Back in 2008 I lost 72 pounds but unfortunately, after a knee cap dislocation, I eventually gained it all back. It took me a while to get the drive to start over and so I did on January 6th of this year. So far I have lost 29 pounds and I am feeling really good about it!

So here is my question. This time around I have noticed a pattern that about 2 weeks before my period, I start feeling like I don't want to do my exercise and I don't want to eat right. I get really hungry!! This lasts about 4 days. I normally make it through but it's such a crappy way to feel. I make myself eat right those days and I exercise anyways because I know I will come out of it and feel disappointed with myself. I just this month put it together that it's 2 weeks before my period. Does anyone get this way 2 weeks before? I could understand better if it was a week before. Does it have anything to do with my TOM or something else? I can't stand when it gets like this because I feel so unmotivated!! Any suggestions on how to make it stop?

Also, I gain about 5 pounds during these days even though I am doing everything I am supposed to. It comes back off just a few days before my TOM along with whatever pounds I have lost.

Yeah I'd say fairly normal. TOM can really mess with you.

2 weeks before your period you are ovulating. For those women who have tried to get pregnant for a long time we have tracked our periods and cycles and sought information on what to do. So I remember that I wasn't allowed to exercise much during that time. Your body has a natural resistance to exercise during ovulation because the hormonal shifts are trying to remain aligned for conception, and exercise messes with that. In other words it's biologically normal for you to feel this way. I find that it's easier to follow your body's cues than to fight against them. If you want to continue exercising during that time just tone it down a bit, maybe just walk for lesiure, don't push yourself too hard.

I never thought about this but it makes total sense. Thanks for letting me know. It's been driving me crazy for months now. It makes me feel like I am not doing well even though I am.

Interesting info, Wannabeskinny. I also am hungriest during ovulation and often see a gain that week (it's like clockwork, every 4 weeks I gain a little or at least stay the same). And like Samcrokitty said, I don't feel like exercising that week. Now I know why!

As a very old midwife (in every sense of the word 'old') I can tell you that this is very normal. Our bodies have a way of telling us what is needed and when. Two weeks prior is the time you are ovulating, and the hormones are preparing themselves for pregnancy. Your body is telling you to slow down, eat sensibly... no starvation diets, ready for the coming pregnancy. Too much exercise can really confuse the body at this time, so the urge to slow down and do nothing is a very strong one.
If more of us listened to our bodies we wouldn't be needing diets. But there you are we push ourselves more each day don't we? If you feel like it, have a walk and wait for the ovulation time to pass.

I never noticed the time of the month when that exact feeling comes over me, like you I try to power through it and like WannabeSkinny said when my body really tells me no I listen.

I always thought it was a factor of working my program for a period of time, never even considered that the cycle might be a factor.

Thanks for the topic and thanks for the enlightening responses.