Do you experience cravings during your period??? You are not alone…It’s not that you are “lacking will power”…it’s that you’re experiencing the brain’s normal responses to changes throughout the body during ovulation! You might hear these lines from other people:
- “It’s just hormones.”
- “Women get cravings. It is what it is.”
- “You need to be more disciplined.”
BYEEEEEEE 👋
That can seem super frustrating and ambiguous. The menstrual cycle changes how quickly you feel full and how rewarding you find food! It would be nice to know specifics like which parts of your brain and which appetite hormones are affected by your sex hormones.
During our the "prep" stage (days 6-14) called "follicular", our estrogen is high. We tend to eat less when our estrogen is high.
During our the "in it" stage (~day 22) called "luteal", our estrogen is low. We tend to eat and crave more when our estrogen is low….aka cravings are stronger and happen more frequently with lower estradiol.
There’s usually no difference in how often you eat…but rather your meal size. When estrogen drops and progesterone increases, we eat more and experience more cravings for chocolate, sweets, and salty foods (and food in general). Some prefer more protein-rich foods, some more fat-rich foods, and some more carbs carbs carbs baby!
The Hormones Involved
There are two noteworthy hormones associated with hunger - ghrelin and CCk.
- Ghrelin is a hunger hormone. Estradiol (estrogen's robin/partner in crime) decreases ghrelin’s hunger cue partly in your brain and partly by suppressing how much ghrelin your body makes. More estradiol = less ghrelin = less hungry = less food consumed.
- CCK makes you feel full and satiated after you eat. Estradiol helps you feel fuller faster by increasing the potency of CCK. When more estradiol is present, you will feel full and satisfied sooner, so you're likely to eat smaller meals during this time.
(It’s important to note that food cravings can indeed happen at any time throughout the cycle).
In Summary...
The more estrogen (in this case, estradiol - aka estrogen's robin/partner in crime), the less you eat and the lower your appetite. Lower estradiol has a direct effect on your brain. You’re not lacking discipline or being “bad” when you have stronger cravings and eat more food. What you’re experiencing is a very real response to neurological signals.
Want Some Tips?
TIPS TO FROM GIRLS GONE STRONG on coming up with some strategies for dealing with the monthly appetite fluctuations you'll likely experience.
#1. Eat slowly. Really slowly. Set a timer and take 20 minutes or more. This will feel painfully slow, but it takes a while for ghrelin to decrease and for CCK to get to your brain. Slowing down will help you manage how much you eat at a meal so you can eat enough for your needs. (This is a good habit to practice regularly, not just during that time of the month!)
#2. Keep track of what you want to eat during the first 14 days of your cycle! CRAVING CHOCOLATE? Eat the sweets - but ensure it’s super high quality ingredient chocolate ◡̈ Trying to restrict cravings usually does not end well. I love imlakesh, Hu Chocolate, and
#3. Prepare your week! Make sure you plan for what you know is coming. Things like planning meals, mapping out what your week, meals, and social events might look like those first 1-14 days of the cycle.
References
