During your period, you may notice that your weight fluctuates. In fact, it is very normal to feel like you are holding onto water and feel cravings during this time of the month.
These changes may cause you to gain up to two kilograms in weight, but they will generally go away after the bleeding has finished. Exercise is usually the last thing on your mind when you are on your period.
In fact, for the majority of us, we tend to feel bloated and reach for chocolate, chips, and all the other unhealthy foods.
We share how moms keep up Healthy Mummy 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge Handling their period without hampering all their hard work…
Why do we gain weight during this period?
Scientists believe that elevated hormone levels during the first part of the menstrual cycle cause an increase in insulin in the body.
Insulin regulates blood glucose levels, and a high level of insulin in the body can lead to low blood sugar. This is why most women crave something sweet, as chocolate is usually the snack.
“Women also need to eat and train differently throughout our menstrual cycle,” says health nutritionist Sherry Sheldon.
“During our menstrual cycle is a good time to eat more nutritious, slowly cooked foods and do light exercise.
“While in the middle of the month we have the energy and motivation to do more intense exercise, we need to eat more snacks.”
How do you prevent yourself from overeating during your period?
The best way to prevent yourself from overeating during your period is to record everything you eat in your life Health mummy application. This will help you keep track of your calories.
Also, if you’re craving sugary foods, stick to fruits — a natural sweetener — and eat them regularly to help maintain your blood sugar levels.
If you can, try to sleep more during your period and eat more food to help keep you active.
How our healthy mummies stay in check during that time of the month
Shelly Moore lost 6.5 kg
Shelly lost 6.5 kg and says she listens to her body during her period.
“If I don’t want to undo all my hard work eating healthy and exercising, I need to be prepared for the inevitable belly pain and chocolate cravings,” she says.
“To manage this, I like to keep exercising until the day my period starts, then have a rest day on day one and walk gently on day two.
“I find that walking also helps relieve cramps. I’m trying to prepare a file A healthy snack based on chocolate In the days leading up to my period I don’t even tend to buy a chocolate block or knock down a bowl of ice cream when those cravings flare up! “
Some of my favorite chile snacks are:
To manage the drop in energy, I swear by Super Greens. It picks me up like coffee, but with all the extra iron and vitamins my body really needs at that time of the month.”
Nicole Bradshaw lost 15.9 kg and over 50 cm
Nicole says she feels bloated three to five days earlier.
“I like to try to get two Healthy mummy juices a day during this time to try to relieve some of the feeling of bloating,” she says.
“I try not to listen too much to the scale during this time because I know hormones play tricks on me.
“When my period comes I have severe cramps in my lower abdomen and lower back pain as well during these two days I tend to see if I can do some kind of exercise I usually feel a little better after that and if my body is not at least my mind is in the right place “.
During this time of the month, Nicole walks on the treadmill, does a dance workout, or is in anything that isn’t intense.
“I try to focus more on my daily steps instead of focusing on burning calories,” she says.
“Before and during my period, I always crave sweets, I like to be ready for some healthy mummy snacks, and sometimes a few bars of dark chocolate can curb my cravings.
“I get hungrier when I’m on my period, so I choose snacks that are larger, for example rice cakes with ham and cheese.”
On top of that, Nicole admits she gets quite moody when she’s on her period, so a boxing session or a brisk walk will help relieve some of the stress.
Gemma Currie lost 25 kg
Gemma admits that her period was derailing her because she was eating more junk food, because she was too tired to cook and she was eating lumps of chocolate.
“All that caffeine and chocolate before bed means I haven’t slept well, so the sugar cravings and fatigue will continue,” she says.
“Not to mention the unbridled mood swings!!! It will be very difficult to break these unhealthy habits when my period is over, too! As a healthy mummy, I’m better prepared to deal with it. I have fibromyalgia – so the onset of my period usually causes a flare-up of pain and I always crave comfort foods during this time.
“To quell my cravings for comfort foods, I like to make easy dinners like Beef burger, one bowl spaghetti bolognese, Healthier Hot Dog And the Creamy bacon and mushroom ravioli. These are all carb-heavy meals so make sure to eat them Carp X pre.
“To deal with my cravings for chocolate, I make a chocolate bar snack like the Weet-Bix Slice. This way I can indulge without feeling guilty. I also make sure to have my X . control Before lunch and dinner to prevent me from eating too many extra snacks! “
Gemma’s top tip for staying on track is not to be afraid to switch things up rather than move on.
“If you are very sore and tired, don’t force yourself to do a high impact exercise. I like picking weights or a boxing exercise that gets me moving but feels strong” she says.
A gentle walk makes a big difference too! Getting some fresh air always helps! Switch up your meal plan so you can enjoy the foods you love!
“If you really feel like a bar of chocolate, grab it, score with the in-app barcode scanner and go! Some food cravings are hard to shake, and if you’re going to eat everything in sight until you get it – you better enjoy what you really want!” “
Courtney Harradine lost 16 kg
Kourtney thinks her periods got worse after having three kids because they’re heavier than before.
“Obviously I don’t want to undo all the hard work I’ve put into myself in the past few weeks, so sticking to a calorie deficit is key,” she says.
“I’ll have a chocolate-flavored smoothie for breakfast. Peanut butter toast for lunch. Maybe a banana as well.”
“Usually, some kind of healthy mummy chocolate for an afternoon snack. Bliss Chocolate Balls It has low calories so I can usually take 2 a day and can usually put one in my mouth on the go.
“I also try to do more walking instead of full workouts. But I try to do whatever I’m comfortable doing. Just listen to my body. If I get hungry but just ate. I’ll get some water and go clean something, that’s a good distraction.”
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