Primal women- advice on PMS/ not slipping during that week page

[Horsewoman]

Hi,
I've been primal since August and have been going on and off the program, I have realised it matches with my cycle. This surprises me as I have very minimal PMS generally (tho I do have all month low mood especially in winter).

It's always just after my period starts that I get it together to go clean, then after ovulation I start to slip into more fruit etc and by the time I am at about day 21 I am bingeing on sugar again.

I'm trying to make sure I get plenty of fat and eat regular good primal meals but I just haven't been able to break though this.

[lolov]

Well, the first step in any process of change is identifying *what* you want to change, right? Before you didn't know why you were slipping and now you do! That's a great start

So, now, you need to put a reminder on your calendar right before the time you ovulate. Depending on how you prefer to address it, you can write something cheerleadery "YOU CAN DO IT!!! STAY STRONG!" or something more clinical "ovulation is happening, watch for sugar cravings and add fats!" just to remind yourself that it's happening. Make a list of the WHYs you're doing primal and re-read it during those two difficult weeks. Plan a couple of really amazing meals during those two weeks. If you think it will help, plan your food out a little more during that time and for the love of Mike get EVERYTHING out of the house that's a temptation. Then, if you want sugar, you have to get dressed, into the car, and GO somewhere to get it and it might be less tempting or at least easier to put off.

Lastly, remember, most intense cravings last just a few minutes. I know most of us try to deny the craving, ignore it, etc. but I'm finding that if I have a craving, if I then let myself fully experience the craving, it goes away much faster than if I fight it.

I hope that helps

[Primalvore]

Lol...you COULD eat 500-900 extra calories of almond butter and dark chocolate, like the menstrual a-hole that lives in my brain made me do last night .

I hear you. I get such intense cravings that I become literally fixated on sugar. I can't think about anything else - it consumes me. This is really lame, but brushing my teeth early in the evening (an flossing, even) helps me decide not to eat, even if my brain keeps telling me otherwise. Chewing a piece of sugar free mint gum ( I know, not primal but certainly better than a thousand calorie binge IMO) or putting something pepperminty in my mouth and drinking water kind of reinforces that DON'T EAT SUGAR mentality. Sometimes I even have to go to another floor (if I'm in the Living Room, next to the Kitchen) to just get away from the food. That helps.

So that's what I've found helps get me through the night, which is when my body goes crazy wanting sugar. If I do this, I generally tend not to eat anything but it doesn't shut off the insanity in my brain. If anyone knows how to stop the drug-addict like mental cravings I'd also appreciate a response to that

[Primalvore]

Lastly, remember, most intense cravings last just a few minutes. I know most of us try to deny the craving, ignore it, etc. but I'm finding that if I have a craving, if I then let myself fully experience the craving, it goes away much faster than if I fight it.

This is really interesting to hear, because when I have a craving it literally consumes me for hours. Maybe it's because all I can focus on is "NO, DON'T EAT X and Y and Z!" I think I'll let myself really feel it next time and hopefully that will give me back some of my sanity

[sneezingstardust]

Well, I'm going through my PMS cycle at the moment, and all I've really craved was chocolate, haha! A couple squares of really dark chocolate fixes more things.

Also, fruit with Greek yogurt. I don't know why. But anyway, it's bomb.

[jesslikesstuff]

I dealt with this during my FIRST WEEK of eating 100% primal. I asked for advice and was told to go get som very dark chocolate, so I got an 86% bar and had a few squares a night and insisted that no 'bad' foods be brought into the house. I also enjoyed my one cheat meal per week (that I plan to allow myself indefinitely) during that time.

It sucks. SUCKS! But I found my cramping was much less intense than normal and i hope my PMS symptoms continue to improve as my body adapts to primal living!

[Horsewoman]

Thanks for the ideas so far. I do eat 90% choc, in fact the first sign is usually me not being happy with my usual 2 squares. Next it is the melon and pineapple! I used to eat berries and cream but dairy really messes with my tummy, especially cheese, after experimentation I concluded I am casein intolerant and with all my physical issues I think I really need to stay off it. Course, there was dairy in the ice cream I ate last night .

Being aware is something I hadn't thought of. I'd notice the pattern but be powerless to stop it. And it's an interesting thought to increase fat. I had found an optimum level that works best but maybe after ovulation I need more. I also know I need to find more meals I love because that does help. I was crazy for steak at the beginning but now it seems kind of gross so I must have satisfied that need for a while! I ate liver for breakfast today though lol!!

I have been wondering about allowing a cheat once a week (my kinds have "Saturday treat" so I could join in with a gluten free version of that). I wasn't in favour of that approach to begin with but what I'm doing now isn't working- 2 weeks primal followed by 2 weeks of bingeing including dairy and things with traces of starches including cornflour which I am intolerant to, is not going to bring me the healing I am looking for!

Alternatively I could go more strict and cut out my dark choc and wine. But I can't really imagine doing that right now.

I try to keep fruit to meals as otherwise it can drop my blood sugar and destabilise me.

Breakfast is an issue as I am so tired at the moment and also have SAD, so getting up and cooking a big meal before school is hard. I have been considering eating after taking the kids to school, if I'm not eating carbs then I am not starving in the morning like I used to be .

I am really overtired at the moment, I think prioritising rest is essential for me right now. Not easy with 4 kids, house, part time job, exercise, and hubby working evenings and weekends for a work deadline plus a seriously ill close relative though!!

[Phere]

Hello! New here, first post, and new to primal. Still doing waaayyy too much dairy, but mostly out of convenience, not cravings. Anyhow, I wonder if there is a biological necessity for more carbs during PMS? I haven't seen (read: haven't bothered to research) any studies regarding this. It just seems to me to be a universal struggle for women. For me it's not necessarily sweets, just an increased abundance of food. I wonder if denying this strong "primal" urge sets us up for binges in the future? Any ideas?

[healthy11]

Hello! New here, first post, and new to primal. Still doing waaayyy too much dairy, but mostly out of convenience, not cravings. Anyhow, I wonder if there is a biological necessity for more carbs during PMS? I haven't seen (read: haven't bothered to research) any studies regarding this. It just seems to me to be a universal struggle for women. For me it's not necessarily sweets, just an increased abundance of food. I wonder if denying this strong "primal" urge sets us up for binges in the future? Any ideas?

In reading these posts I have to think that your body is strongly trying to tell you something if you have such severe cravings that it is all you think about for hours. Listen to your body!! Maybe eating more fruit and potatoes during this time would help. I have to agree with Phere that not eating in unison with our cycles can definitely set us up for future binges. Besides the possibility of needing more carbs your body is also burning more calories and probably crying out for more fuel. So, adding more calories can help with cravings, too. I have monitored by cycle for years because of how it affects what I eat. I think it would be a good idea increase carbs and calories during this time and then cut back after you start your period...maybe that will help balance things out.

[grokina]

just to chime in on the cravings issue, I stock up on almond butter and also cashew butter, sometimes. The latter has quite a bit of
sweetness to it if you haven't had sugar in a while. I also stock up on the sugar free chocolate from trader joe's, because I don't like
eating any amount of sugar, even in the 85%+ regular bars. For some this will cause increased cravings and digestive issues. For
me, this hasn't been an issue, especially if I stick to the dark chocolate version, which is more satisfying.

You could do worse, metabolically speaking, than a nut butter binge. Fruit and real sugar, for example.

ETA: my cravings have gotten measurably more controllable since adding regular doses of magnesium, vitamin d, multi
and fish oil. I seem to recall cillakat pointing to magnesium deficiency as a partial culprit in pms cravings.