Does your period affect weight loss?
 

I noticed I was losing weight slower this week than last week and feeling very bloated. I finally got my period today and I am wondering how this will affect my weight loss efforts. Should I cut back my calories while on my period?

I wouldn't. In my experience I found that when I was losing weight, the week before my period, (PMS) I would almost always lose very little weight or in a few cases, maintain. The week after it started (end of TOM) I would almost always have a pretty big "whoosh" This would all happen eating the same amount of calories throughout.

Now that I'm maintaining I am usually up a few pounds during PMS and at the end of TOM I'll be back down to normal, (that is if I don't feed my hormones! :)) If I give into cravings it takes a few more day to get back to normal.

I am often bloated the week before TOM. My weight loss usually is minimal (or slight gain). Everything usually evens out afterward though.

You don't need to change what your doing. You could stop eating completely and STILL gain weight - why? Because it's water weight and would you stop drinking to avoid a temporary gain on the scale? I sure hope not!

Funny you should say this... Today is day three of TTOM for me and I'm up 2 pounds of water weight. I know it's water weight because I've been burning more calories than consuming, but that doesn't mean my body can't find ways to gain weight. But I also know that the water weigh will be peed away in a few days.

I've never had any TOM-related bloating or PMS, which (judging from this board) seems to be unusual.

F.

I was bloat and struggle with cravings. But I try to just stay the course because the bloat weight will whoosh right back off. Cravings are harder to ignore, but even if I eat to maintain, I'm losing the rest of the time. So really riding it out shouldn't bother overall weight loss even if things seem wiggy that week.

A.

Mine has always affected my efforts, but it's my own darn fault.
I definitely have the bloat and have seen myself go up as much as 5 pounds the day before it starts. I also have 2 days in the middle of the month during ovulation that the same thing happens.
But like everyone else says it does take care of itself after the fact.
My issue is I used to get so frustrated by it that I would sabotage myself with the attitude of... if it's that easy to jump up 5 pounds I am just going to eat what I want. My cravings were always horrible at these two times of the month and I 9 times out of 10 gave into them. In that case the weight didn't fix itself and I spent a month getting it off, only to play the same game 4 weeks later.

This time since I've started I've been through one TOM and having a more positive outlook and knowing not to give into the cravings made all the difference. The weight just adjusted after a couple of days. So I would just stay the course of what you're doing and it should change back up on its own.

Sometimes I "gain" as much as 5 pounds the week of TOM. -- I used to get so depressed over it, now I know how my body reacts to TOM and I don't worry about it. It is just extra water. same happens to me during ovulation, I usually go up pound or two. -- Our bodies are wonderlands :D

your period should in no way affect your OVERALL weightloss efforts.... Yes, you might experience a stall during whatever phase of your cycle causes you to bloat up like a water balloon (for some its during ovulation, for some during teir period itself, for others, the week before). This has NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER on your FAT LOSS... it merely MASKS the fat loss during that period (pardon the pun) ;) Fat loss will/can still continue within your body even if the opposite isshowing up on the scale for a few days, as long as you continue to be in a caloric deficit.

HOWEVER, keep in mind that FAT LOSS CAN AFFECT YOUR PERIOD.
Women whoa re hormonally more sensitive, or doing a more aggressive deficit--esspecially when coupled with aggressive exercising-- can lose their periods. Some feel its a blessing, but a woman's menstrual cycle is a vital sign of sorts. If it starts acting wonky its a sign that your body is TOO STRESSED. So keep a watchful eye and take note if your cycle starts to change in any way...... lighter, more frequent, less frequent, etc.
I lost my period for over 2 years. Every doctor i saw (OB/GYN, GP, Endocrinologist) they all wrote me off and told me i had forced my body into menopause (at 30!!) and would never have children again......

i know thats not what you asked about, but i saw an opportunity to bring up an important issue

I bloat only if I give into my PMS cravings, and I usually do. I eat more-not enough to gain a ton, but they are usually refined carbs which already bloats me.
But even without eating those things, I will have "slower loss" (but no bloating if I stick to my diet)

When I first lost weight years ago, I lost my period, while I was actually overweight. Now I am lighter than that and have never lost my period. I used to think it was because I ate too little or lost too much or something, but it was really (I think) because I was such a stress-prone person. I panicked about everything. Now its better, but I have to be mindful not to freak out all the time!

I agree with most of the others.

Having your period will likely bump you up a couple of pounds due to water weight. Don't let that discourage you into cheating on your eating plan, or you WILL gain weight.

Also, I get cravings for sugar and carbs on my period. If you do too, don't give in and you won't gain weight.

After your period ends, your body drops the water weight (sometimes it takes me a couple days to ditch it all, don't worry).

The week of my period my waist was 27-28 inches and my hips 38 and that was less than a week ago. I mean the tape measure could barely meet at 28 inches one night. This week, my waist is back down to 26 inches so water retention seems to have been the problem. My doc says that around the TMI the body goes through so many changes that weight loss the days immediately preceding the TMI and those immediately after will see the body holding on to a lot of fluids. Like other PP's I find a whoosh in weight loss after the TMI have passed

Don't change your calories, just be patient. It is very common to retain water or even gain during TOM and for me, the week leading up to it. Just stay on plan and you'll balance out.

It's different for everyone but my cycle definitely effects my weight loss. I eat intuitively so my average calories are higher during the times I'm starving and lower when I'm not hungry. Even when I was eating a stable number of calories daily my weight loss followed the same pattern that it does now.

Week 1/period: Moderately hungry, weight stable
Week 2: Not hungry at all, weight loss woosh.
Week 3: Moderately hungry, small loss.
Week 4: Starving, 1-2lb gain (water, i'm sure)

So it looks like my eating patterns correlate with my weight loss/gain but my previous calorie counting experience tells me it doesn't really matter how I arrange my monthly calories... I lose in the same way :).

I always show a slight gain a few days before I'm about to start and then as soon as I start I have a whoosh, if I've been good and drink all my water. Like last Thursday I stepped on the scale and it was almost 212. Today I got on and I was at 208.

Thanks for the replies :)

I'll keep my calories the same but I'm not exercising for the first 2 days. I haven't gained weight but I'm losing at a slower rate I can't wait for my cycle to be over!

UGH yes. Not the actual number. Somehow that stays the same. But the water BLOAT that suddenly appears out of nowhere drives me up the wall! Logically I know it's just water weight and that it always goes away the next week, but it's so annoying:mad: I'm also EXTRA THIRSTY and could literally drink gallons of water. UGH.

I've noticed that the first day is obvious water weight, but then it seems to die down around day two, and then BAM day four brings it all back and I bloat up again! Then it slowly goes away until about a week after my period has ended and I notice a weight loss (if any took place). Yay for the ONE week out of the month I get to be 100% normal. I hate being female sometime for this reason. It's gross.

I also get extra hungry the week before. I eat intuitively so I follow my body's signals. It needs more energy for a reason. Usually when my actual period starts my appetite is DEAD anyway. Between the cramps, bloating, and fatigue, I can't be bothered with food that much the first two days.

in TOM, your weight may increase slightly or vice versa .. depending on everyone but what is important is to keep your diet.

"The menstrual cycle isn't the cause of weight changes, it's just a bystander," explains Arias. The menstrual cycle does not directly impact weight loss or gain, but there may be some secondary connections.