Topic of the Day: PMS
What does PMS have to do with weight loss, you may ask? Well, considering my flist is nothing BUT women, I'm sure you can all relate to several things about PMS that can affect weight loss goals. One is bloating, two is cravings for naughty things and three is a day or two of "I can't get enough food into me!"
I think the last of the three is not terribly common, but I do know of at least one other woman who has this effect around the time she ovulates.
Bloating is nuts. I have enough problems with bloating and swelling when I have too much salt (it's a weird little inherited trait - my mother and brother can't have salt at all while I can tolerate small amounts of it), but if I'm PMSing, it's insane. My feet and hands especially swell to little balloons and of course I bloat up in other places too. My clothes become too tight and uncomfortable and clothing irritates me to no end. I just want to crawl out of it and be freeeee! But I can easily put on at least five to ten lbs just with the bloating alone. It's annoying and awful. It also doesn't help that I crave chips, loaded with salt, and it makes the bloating even worse!
Oh yes, I crave chips and chocolate like nobody's business. I usually can take a very large bag of chips and make it last me three or four days. When I'm PMSing, that large bag lasts less than an hour. Same with chocolate. I can't eat chocolate bars like I used to, even a small one can last me two days, but PMS time, those large ones, five minutes tops. It makes me nuts. I know I shouldn't want it, but it's like being addicted to crystal meth or something...I will KILL to get that bar/bag of chips. I will stomp on little old ladies with blue hair and mothers with babies in strollers to get that last bar/bag of chips. I turn into Truly Evil Teri when I'm PMSing. Along with Cravings from hell comes the Bitch from Hell Day. Look at them the wrong way and I'll bite your head off. Hell, walk past me and I'll rip you a new one. I can be a sarcastic little cunt too. I swear past employers had Bitch Day radar because they'd tread on eggshells on that day and be so very nice to me.
Around the time I ovulate and usually the first day of my period, yours truly also has the I Can't Get Enough Food Into Me. I am hungry...constantly. And food is food, whatever is handy is fine by me. I don't even taste it I eat it so fast and folks who know me also know I usually take for friggin' ever to eat a meal. In fact, while everyone else is at dessert, I'm still eating the main course. Not so on Piggy Teri Day. I just, man, it's embarassing. I have a pretty big appetite to begin with (fat or skinny I've always had one since day one) but this makes growing teenage boys amazed at how much I can pack away. I'm marvelled at how much I can pack away.
So, really, PMS is a challenge for me. It's just a load of crap packed into one big food frenzy. I hate it.
But today, one of the I Can't Get Enough Food Into Me days I just accepted it and tried very hard to eat decent foods. I did have some icecream after my job interview, but I really tried to eat food that was filling but not that bad for me. I think I succeeded. I even passed the chips in the grocery store when I was getting stuff for the office potluck tomorrow. I applauded myself!
This is something I plan to work on over the next few months. Finding ways to cope through the cravings and the extreme hunger days and get the bloating under control.
Now to live through the office potluck. I'm bringing a dessert but will not be having any.
Man, I need an icon for this journal. I was trying to find a picture of an opera singer all decked out Wagnerian style, but so far, no such luck.
:P
I think the last of the three is not terribly common, but I do know of at least one other woman who has this effect around the time she ovulates.
Bloating is nuts. I have enough problems with bloating and swelling when I have too much salt (it's a weird little inherited trait - my mother and brother can't have salt at all while I can tolerate small amounts of it), but if I'm PMSing, it's insane. My feet and hands especially swell to little balloons and of course I bloat up in other places too. My clothes become too tight and uncomfortable and clothing irritates me to no end. I just want to crawl out of it and be freeeee! But I can easily put on at least five to ten lbs just with the bloating alone. It's annoying and awful. It also doesn't help that I crave chips, loaded with salt, and it makes the bloating even worse!
Oh yes, I crave chips and chocolate like nobody's business. I usually can take a very large bag of chips and make it last me three or four days. When I'm PMSing, that large bag lasts less than an hour. Same with chocolate. I can't eat chocolate bars like I used to, even a small one can last me two days, but PMS time, those large ones, five minutes tops. It makes me nuts. I know I shouldn't want it, but it's like being addicted to crystal meth or something...I will KILL to get that bar/bag of chips. I will stomp on little old ladies with blue hair and mothers with babies in strollers to get that last bar/bag of chips. I turn into Truly Evil Teri when I'm PMSing. Along with Cravings from hell comes the Bitch from Hell Day. Look at them the wrong way and I'll bite your head off. Hell, walk past me and I'll rip you a new one. I can be a sarcastic little cunt too. I swear past employers had Bitch Day radar because they'd tread on eggshells on that day and be so very nice to me.
Around the time I ovulate and usually the first day of my period, yours truly also has the I Can't Get Enough Food Into Me. I am hungry...constantly. And food is food, whatever is handy is fine by me. I don't even taste it I eat it so fast and folks who know me also know I usually take for friggin' ever to eat a meal. In fact, while everyone else is at dessert, I'm still eating the main course. Not so on Piggy Teri Day. I just, man, it's embarassing. I have a pretty big appetite to begin with (fat or skinny I've always had one since day one) but this makes growing teenage boys amazed at how much I can pack away. I'm marvelled at how much I can pack away.
So, really, PMS is a challenge for me. It's just a load of crap packed into one big food frenzy. I hate it.
But today, one of the I Can't Get Enough Food Into Me days I just accepted it and tried very hard to eat decent foods. I did have some icecream after my job interview, but I really tried to eat food that was filling but not that bad for me. I think I succeeded. I even passed the chips in the grocery store when I was getting stuff for the office potluck tomorrow. I applauded myself!
This is something I plan to work on over the next few months. Finding ways to cope through the cravings and the extreme hunger days and get the bloating under control.
Now to live through the office potluck. I'm bringing a dessert but will not be having any.
Man, I need an icon for this journal. I was trying to find a picture of an opera singer all decked out Wagnerian style, but so far, no such luck.
:P