Ugh! Can I just tell you how horrible this weekend has been for my eating and exercise! First I went out and spent the day with a friend touring. Innocent enough, when it was time for dinner I was starving. I ate nearly a whole basket of bread w/ oil at this Italian rest. which was amazing, but how horrible is that. I don't even think I've ever done that. I eat nearly 4 pieces of bread, and didn't even hesitate on adding that oil. Then I ordered a personal pizza, it was delicious but not that good. I didn't even particularly enjoy eating it, but it didn't stop me from finishing the whole thing and I was hungry, but definitely not THAT hungry. But I just couldn't stop
Then came Superbowl Sunday, which is a big event at my house. I had not only cake, but I had cake as the first thing I ate today. Probably 3 slices. Then I had a hot dog, too many BBQ/ and Buffalo wings, a slice of pizza and more soda than I should've.
I haven't worked out, at all either. I've been doing so great for the past two weeks, I don't know why I just went crazy these past two days. I was totally conscious of it to. It was just like I didn't care. My mom and female friends said, oh is because the time of the month. But, I don't know. Is that true? Does our period really cause us to turn into garbage disposals, or is it is mind over matter? I probably have about 2-3 more days of this beautiful "gift" us ladies get, and I'm determined to not repeat that last two days!
I tend to crave a lot more (and eat more) around that time -- I think it's the hormonal change triggering reactions, personally. Maybe temporary shifts in nutritional needs, I don't know. But I definitely notice it. I'm at the tail-end of PMS right now (due to start in a day or two) and having a heck of a time tonight.
Thanks for your response! Good luck, don't let it through you off like it totally did me! Blah, stupid periods. Although I typically don't mind it. Just isn't the most fun with dieting and a busy schedule.
I think that we could blame all our weight gain on our body chemistry if we wanted. We are built for survival in times of starvation and that means that we crave food even in times of plenty. Sure, it might be a bit more intense during our periods. But in the end it does boil down to willpower. I try to think of TOM or any other tempting time as a trial or test. I need to overcome those times especially. I strive to have healthy alternatives, so if I do "over do" it's with food that won't kill me to have extra. And if I fall I try not to beat myself up and use it as an excuse to give in. I've done that too many times. If I'm going to be fit I need to move on from each failure and build up more successes.
I only get that way when somthing has really bother me and I felt out of control. I went out of control in Oct 2005. Actually it started in Augest.
Work became a strain and political. A lot of things was getting changed up at the place I worked at for 2 years, For one whole month I had to deal with a coworker that didn't want to work and I was the one that got buddy up with him, he would play around, ask me why I wouldn't talk, the rates per hour had went up an extra 100 per hour to meet quta and I had put all my energy to working where it belong, but this guy would play around, take my box cutter and keep it, go play on the forklift, exc, I had turn this stuff into management and HR, it didn't do any good, my nerves where getting all tied up and the next thing I knew is I was craving candy bars out of the machine (which I didn't need)
I had ended up in the hospital for 3 days for emergency gallbladder surgery in the middle of Aug., I had went home from the hospital and was off from work for a week, came back to work with a note for restrictions for a month of not lifting a certain pounds and the first week I was there they didn't honor it, and had moved me to a shift that I hate to another area and told me I had 45 days to prove that I can do the work or I will be out of there.
Well, I did the best I could, according to their computer I was 50 lights per hour off to the number they want me to do, My diet got changed up around this time where everything was thrown off cause I was going in at 9pm getting off at 5 or 6 am. instead of 4pm to 12 midnight. i just wasn't fuctioning right , the lead gets behind me and times me every day and tells me I am picking the rate but I need to do 100 more to cover break. Now this concept had never made any sense to me. It just got on my nerves even more. I'm picking the rate, but need a 100 more to cover break. They told my team members on the same line the same thing, they stayed through their breaks and still never made rate according to the computer.
They were moving people all over the building and walking people out really bad at this time of the year. I had decided by the 30th day that I was there in that area I just wasn't going to make it and had resign from the job. I hated the fact I was there for 2 years and was able to do the work for the most of the time I was there and then all of the sudden say I am not making rate no longer. Then again to what I gather from other people, this place only has kept a handful of people that has been there since the place open and not very many pass their 2 year mark. Very strange.
Well after I resign, I went on a donut binge , it seems it is all i could crave and the first bite would taste really good but finishing that first one should of been it, the second one went down just like the third. I think I did this about two weeks and you know, just eatting your regular diet you don't need no 3 donuts on top of it. I had finely stop on this, and moved to little debbies and living at Taco Bell with 3 or 4 little debbies, and of course I was just as abuseive around thankgiving. I had slow down by Dec. It has really sunked in how I was on a wreckless road. the sad thing is, I knew I busted out of two sizes. You would think busting out of one size would of been enough.
Dec, I slowed down. I hardly had anything sweet around christmas.
I had not been on my scale since Augest 2005 and I was scared to go weigh my self I knew I gain. I knew I didn't gain it all back though but I knew when I walked my feet was beeting a heavier sound and my dresser mirror would shake, a sound I haven't heard for a while.
I told myself I needed to face my greatest fear. "Get on that scale!"
I needed to know how wreckless I had gotten. Lets see how much I have wreck myself and how close am I back up to the highest I ever been.
It was bad, but not real bad. I didn't gain it all back, but it was bad.
Some how I got my displine back with in myself. started a new start weight and have lost 9LB in Jan.
I feel good. I feel in control now but I do have a small fear and it's something I need to take control and I hope I don't fail to take control
and that would be, keep from feeding my emotion ever again.
I hope I have the will power to instead of eatting my emotion
that I will go for a run!
It's also normal for me to wanna eat junk food when it's that time of the month. I'm not sure why, maybe because we're losing fluids?? Don't think that's the answer but that's reason enough for me to break my diet for a couple of days. Just make sure that you use that as an excuse to go off your diet and excercise regimen all together. A couple of days isn't too bad. Just think of them as a reward to all the hard work you are putting in!
I don't think I can pinpoint one thing thats bothering me, sometimes it feels like there is always something. Don't get me wrong, I've learned or experienced rather that I'm quite the emotional eater. I think I've felt out of control the past 2 years of my life. I'm trying to take control by the diet and exercise as well as trying to work out other things in my life. Thank you for sharing your experience FiestyRoo! Its very helpful to read.
Feisty - the soapbox is a better way of getting it all out than the donuts, so well done!
I have PCOS so no regular cycles, and one of the few warning signs that TOM is on the way, for me, is the sudden urge to eat choclate - lots of it. It's worse with PCOS as not only are all your hormones going crazy (sometimes I've had a 'TOY', time of the YEAR, forget months!), but also you're never quite sure if it is really about to happen. Since losing some weight, I'm now getting a *TOESW* (Time of Every Six Weeks), which for me is great! It's not entirely regular or reliable, even so. But even when I start to get that urge to eat rubbish, I'm never sure if I can put it down to that - which makes it worse. So console yourselves at least with a recognisable cycle, you know it's just your body doing what it does! With PCOS, you cvan get all the symptoms (including cravings), only for the thing to then go away again, so the water retention continues another month or two....
I'm also finding the more weight I lost, the longer I stall now and that there really is NO chance of losing any weight in the final 2-3 weeks of a cycle. But it's only the last few days that I really want to binge. I've found eating little and often, and with some regard to the GI of foods helps with cravings. I've also found a few low cal/low fat treats (see other thread!) Also, I do ease up on myself so the day before and the first day, although I broadly stick to my way of eating, I do allow myself a few more treats. A little bit can prevent a binge. If nothing is *banned* then it has less allure! At this time I've also found having one glass of wine in the evening good as it relaxes me, and I'm less likely to binge.
Exercise is great too as that gives your brain the dopamine rush without having to eat food. It does it more efficiently and you're losing not gaining, weight by doing it!
Don't ever blame yourself, though, it's normal to get the munchies. Be kind to yourself and as someone else said, give yourself a day or two off, if necessary. Trust yourself to get back on track!
We all fall off the wagon. The only losers in this situation are those of us who don't hop back on fast!
Its not my periods fault... Its mine... isn't it?
Blah, stupid periods. Although I typically don't mind it. Just isn't the most fun with dieting and a busy schedule.
