PMSing and MUNCHY! Help!
 

I could eat just about anything and everything that I can put my hands on right now! How do you all handle the munchies that happen once a month or so?

Gum, and brushing my teeth. I am less likely to eat when I do either of those things.

I try to have good "snacks" in the house. Lots of low cal options and plenty of veggie and good filling food.

I try to pick the ONE thing I want most... and then eat it. I have found if I continue to eat healthier options or something other than what I am craving I am never satisfied...

It will pass!!!

Iced coffee helps me stop craving chocolate for some reason, which is my biggest problem during TOM.

I use Fiberlover's gum idea, and also Marathon Mom's, as well. When the cravings get to be too much, I have to give in a little or else I'll give in a LOT. If I'm craving chocolate I'll have a little Hershey mini bar, or if it's salty I'll have a small, kid-lunch size bag of chips.

I feel for you, BoiseShan. I'm having the same problem right now. Now I really want iced coffee. aahhh! lol

I just drank the biggest iced coffee I could get my hands on. Better than eating the biggest chocolate bar I could get my hands on, I suppose!

Me too! When I hit a really hardcore craving during TOM I allow myself to have some (but I don't go overboard with it) by working it into my daily calories. It works for me!

I can never seem to figure out what it is that I am craving. Just food, food, food.

Well, right now to solve that problem I'm eating frozen grapes. Healthy, sweet, and take a while since they're frozen. First I try diversionary tactics - keep myself busy. Clean the house, the bathroom, do laundry, weed my garden, knit or needlepoint, file bills, clean off my desk... if I'm at work I go clean the boats or the lab (I work in marine biology research), or do anything so that I'm not sitting at my desk. I also make plans with friends to go DO something that doesn't involve sitting near food... you get the idea.

I also try brushing my teeth or chewing gum as mentioned already. Hot herbal tea helps sometimes. If I end up eating anyway, I try to eat something munchy that is high volume and low cal - popcorn for salty, fiber one cereal (you can't eat too much of that!), or today, there were grapes sitting in the office, so I froze some.

I also try to make sure I'm doing everything else that I can to maintain my health and minimize PMS symptoms. I make sure I get enough sleep, work out regularly, and try to avoid particular foods I know might trigger me to want sweets, etc.

Good luck!

Yes.....always go with quality over quantity! Letting yourself eat one piece of chocolate or cake or something is better than inhaling an entire box of so-so cookies. Also, don't eat mindlessly; keeping yourself focused on chewing slowly and keeping track of how much you're eating really helps.

All of the above (except for the coffee) here. :) And I also will paint my fingernails if I need to keep myself from having anything. (That's especially useful when I do the "let myself have the thing I'm craving" thing and have a small portion of it--which I KNOW will do the trick--and immediately want more. Can't have more while my nails are wet and by the time they dry, I'm satisfied with what I already ate.)

:D

Full of Grace, what a good trick :)

Thanks! Hope it helps!

:D