Weight gain a week before period. Weight gain before menstruation: causes, norms and deviations, reviews

Women who follow their figure noticed an interesting feature: the weight before menstruation suddenly increases by 1.5-2 kg. There is nothing unnatural in this.

Features of the menstrual cycle

The main reason for weight gain before menstruation is hormonal changes. The menstrual cycle consists of two phases lasting 14-16 days. During the first phase of the cycle, the level of hormones - estrogens - increases. At its final stage, a mature egg is released from the follicle (ovulation). If the egg is not fertilized in 2-3 days, at the end of the second phase of the menstrual cycle, menstruation will begin. From the moment of ovulation, the amount of estrogen decreases, and the level of the hormone progesterone increases. Progesterone is responsible for preparing the body for pregnancy. It is the intended pregnancy that makes a woman eat intensely after ovulation, accumulate useful microelements for the growth of the embryo.

Such an appetite can overcome two weeks and a few days before the onset of menstruation. Food preferences converge on one thing, namely, in the desire for sweets: cakes, pastries, sweets, chocolate and muffins. Someone has a craving for sweets combined with a need for meat dishes. This is where the weight gain begins.

In the second phase of the female cycle, there is a drop in the level of serotonin (the hormone of good mood), which, together with the manifestations of premenstrual syndrome (aggression, irritability and poor health), causes women to crave chocolate. Thus, the girls are trying to cheer themselves up. This method, of course, works, since dark chocolate and sweets increase serotonin, but not for long. As a result, an addiction to sweets is formed: any grief or stress a woman tries to seize with cakes. This should increase the weight.

In the second phase of the cycle, the inner lining of the uterus grows and fluid accumulates in the tissues. In addition, the bust and waist are enlarged. Normally, the increase is insignificant (up to 1 kg). It is believed that this is the amount of fluid a woman will lose during menstruation. Although this figure is individual, it happens that the 2-3-kg weight gain after menstruation disappears without a trace.

The action of the hormones of the second phase helps to relax the muscles of the large intestine, and this leads to constipation and increased gas formation. Infrequent bowel movements before menstruation can also cause the scale to increase.

What to do if food cravings are incredibly strong?

If you notice that you are eating too much, take control of the situation:

Avoid pickles and minimize the use of salt, it provokes swelling.
Temporarily forget about the existence of bacon, pork, smoked meats, various sausages, mayonnaise, fried potatoes, etc.
Instead of sweets, give preference to foods with complex carbohydrates. Switch to vegetables, fruits, and fiber-rich foods. Durum wheat pasta, cereals from various cereals, wholemeal bread and bran are always recommended for those who want to lose weight. Instead of buns and cakes, eat apples, grapefruits, kiwi and apricots. By the way, fiber will relieve constipation, and complex carbohydrates will take away the body's strength for digestion.
If your mood is worse than ever and you crave sweets unbearably, eat a banana, a slice of dark chocolate, a handful of nuts or a tomato salad. These foods promote the production of serotonin. Stock up on dried fruits, low-fat yogurt and fruit jelly to improve your mood. Weight increases not from the food itself, but from its quantity.
During the day, do not try to starve, otherwise you will break loose in the evening or at night and immediately eat a huge amount of food. It is better to eat more often, but in small portions. To do this, take a saucer or a small plate. It will fit a little, but it will seem that you do not limit yourself.
Increase intake of foods containing calcium (fermented milk products, wheat bran, nuts, halva, mung beans, chickpeas and others) and magnesium (rice bran, dark green leafy vegetables, basil, coriander, dark chocolate, brown rice, beans, yogurt, cheese etc.). Magnesium helps the body absorb calcium, an essential mineral for healthy bones, teeth, hair, and nails. Magnesium normalizes mood and relieves irritability during PMS. By the way, one of the symptoms of calcium deficiency is sugar cravings. After making up for the deficiency, it will become easier.
During menstruation, a woman loses a lot of hemoglobin, so it is important to take care of its accumulation. Symptoms of anemia: headache, dizziness and weakness - largely repeat the signs of PMS. In this regard, include in the diet of lean red meat, liver, tuna, salmon, mussels, shellfish, shrimp, eggs, cocoa, dark green vegetables, beans, peas, parsley, nuts and seeds. A lot of iron is found in wheat bran.
If you are actively losing weight, put increased physical activity in the first phase of the cycle so that in the second phase you can simply maintain the weight at the achieved level by controlling your calorie intake.
In order not to be upset, postpone the weight check for 7-10 days after your period. The scale readings will be accurate. Weight before menstruation increases 100%. It is impossible to understand which of the accumulated is water and which is fat deposits.
Pay more attention to physical activities that you enjoy: dancing, walking or cycling. They contribute to the production of hormones of joy, and in addition burn calories.

What to do if nothing helps?

Some may say that it is easy to advise but difficult to implement. In some cases it is. It happens that the symptoms of PMS are too strong and cannot be controlled by the woman herself. We are talking here not only about uncontrollable appetite (a consequence - weight gain), aggression, irritability, tearfulness, swelling, pain in the head and other parts of the body, disorders of the digestive system. After menstruation, a woman becomes a completely different person: it is easier to communicate with her, and she feels much better. How to be in this case?

If you cannot cope with yourself, consult an experienced gynecologist. Treatment of PMS is symptomatic. The doctor prescribes medications that relieve one or another manifestation of PMS. They will start with drugs that compensate for the lack of vitamins and trace elements. Increased appetite and fluid retention reduces daily intake of calcium carbonate. Magnesium orotate reduces swelling and bloating. B vitamins reduce the psycho-emotional manifestations of PMS. Pain in the mammary glands decreases after taking vitamin E.

Nervous manifestations are treated with mild sedatives, severe edema with diuretics or diuretic herbal teas. Veroshpiron is prescribed as a chemical diuretic from the 16th to the 25th day of the cycle. It does not flush out calcium from the body and has a positive effect on irritability and mood swings. Side effects include increased drowsiness, low blood pressure, and irregular periods.

If severe mental manifestations of PMS prevail, antidepressants are prescribed: Prozac, Zoloft, Cipramil. They reduce swelling and engorgement of the mammary glands before menstruation.

Another treatment option for PMS is taking combined oral contraceptives (for example, Yarina). Hormonal drugs relieve many of the severe manifestations of PMS.

Most often, drug therapy does not relieve the symptoms of PMS forever, but only for a while.

Individual characteristics, tolerance and the reaction of the body should be monitored by a specialist.

Self-medication is not an option here, only a qualified doctor can know all the nuances of therapy.

Weight gain before menstruation has many features. The main thing here is not to get upset and keep the situation under control. Having understood the peculiarities of the menstrual cycle and her body, a woman will be able to correctly respond to changes in mood and well-being. Understanding and the desire to change is already half the way.

Olya Likhacheva

Beauty is like a precious stone: the simpler it is, the more precious :)

Content

Many ladies, who have just recently declared a brutal war on excess fat, sometimes come to a stupor - the arrows of the scales sharply shift forward a couple of divisions, although there were no special nutritional disorders or training before that. The answer to the important question of why during menstruation weight increases even on a strict diet or other effective weight loss technique lies in the physiology of the female body - body weight always increases before menstruation. The reason for such a distressing phenomenon for women and girls is a sharp fluctuation in hormonal levels.

Does weight increase during menstruation

A unique creation of nature - a well-coordinated mechanism called the "female body" - is arranged in such a way that every month, under the influence of special female hormones, cyclic changes occur in it, associated with the function of procreation. Moreover, these periodic metamorphoses affect the operation of absolutely all systems. Such changes become more noticeable a few days before the appearance of menstrual flow - this is a familiar premenstrual syndrome for most women.

Unpleasant symptoms of PMS are not only the appearance of physical and emotional discomfort - before the start of critical days, a few extra pounds are instantly gained. During menstruation, weight always increases, regardless of what diet you follow and how actively you train to lose weight. You can also gain one or two kilograms during ovulation.

How much weight increases during menstruation

Weight gain during menstruation is initially due to a genetic predisposition. Since birth, every woman's body has an individual program for the passage of the monthly menstrual cycle and all the ailments that accompany it. One kilogram or as many as three you will gain during women's days - it depends solely on the characteristics of your body.

However, it is wrong to consider genetics the only reason for weight gain before KD - weight gain during menstruation is directly due to the amount of food and fluid consumed on the eve of the onset of menstruation. Therefore, it is so important during the period of menstruation not to deviate from the usual diet and constantly monitor the amount of food absorbed so as not to get better.

Why do you gain weight before your period?

Normally, the main sex hormones of the female body - estrogen and progesterone - have certain values. Before the onset of menstruation, their level changes dramatically - the amount of progesterone begins to decrease to critically low numbers, and estrogen - to grow. This process provokes uncontrolled weight gain before menstruation: hormones make the body store fluid, which it loses so much along with menstrual blood. From excess water, the body begins to swell, but menstrual swelling disappears a couple of days after the start of the KD.

However, there is a second problem associated with fluctuations in hormonal levels and causing rapid weight gain during menstruation: such jumps in hormone levels do not have the best effect on appetite. Sometimes it becomes just brutal - uncontrollable, obsessive, indomitable. Metabolism during this period slows down, so all excess calories are instantly processed into body fat.

Is it possible to lose weight during menstruation

Since the female body experiences a considerable load during menstrual bleeding, a strict diet, as well as active wear training, can greatly harm. They are not only ineffective in the process of losing weight during menstruation, but are often fraught with unpleasant consequences for the hormonal system, which, with this approach, can give a serious failure. Losing weight during menstruation is unlikely to succeed, the main thing during this period is not to get better. To do this, it is reasonable to limit your diet and monitor nutrition.

There are days when everything seems to be against us! Physical activity is hard, the scale needle is treacherously off scale, your favorite skirt, which you put on just yesterday, does not fit today! What is going on? The secret lies in the peculiarities of the menstrual cycle, on which the appetite, metabolism, and physical endurance of a woman depend.

First phase of the cycle(menstruation).

Diet and weight loss. At the beginning of the cycle, any diet is contraindicated. During this period, the level of progesterone drops and the production of a large amount of prostaglandins begins - substances that irritate the uterine mucosa and provoke the onset of menstruation. At the same time, estrogen levels plummet. But this hormone is involved in the production of serotonin - the hormone of good mood. Not surprisingly, at the beginning of the cycle, many women become depressed and try to compensate for the lack of good emotions through sweets, which, as you know, do not contribute to weight loss. There is only one way out - to replace harmful carbohydrates with useful ones: fruits, vegetables, cereals, honey. But it is better to refrain from strong meat broths, tea, coffee and chocolate during this period, since they all enhance the action of prostaglandins. True, if you really want something sweet, you can afford a couple of slices of chocolate, but nothing more.

Not the best time to weigh in. Under the influence of hormones, fluid is very poorly excreted from the body, and therefore a woman is gaining extra pounds. But not due to fat, but due to water, which accumulates in all tissues. Do not be discouraged, after 5-7 days, the metabolism will return to normal again, and excess water will leave your body.

Physical activity. In the first days of the cycle (1-7 days of menstruation), physical activity is difficult. Women with painful periods are generally not up to sports. However, experts do not advise lying on the couch all the time, since passive rest in a horizontal position reduces the tone of the uterus, thereby increasing pain. If you feel the strength to get out of bed, go for a walk. After wandering through the park or city streets for at least half an hour, you will improve the blood supply to the pelvic organs and relieve uterine spasm.

Getty Images/Fotobank

mid-cycle (ovulation).

Diet and weight loss. During this period, nature planned the onset of pregnancy, and therefore the woman's body produces a large amount of androgens - male sex hormones. Under their influence, metabolism increases, and therefore all diets bring excellent results. However, doctors do not recommend too zealous. Remember, during menstruation a lot of blood is lost, and therefore the transition to a strict diet will only exacerbate iron deficiency. To prevent this from happening, eat a balanced diet, not forgetting iron-rich foods (beef, apples, buckwheat, pomegranates, veal, liver).

Weight. Ideal time to weigh in. After the end of menstruation, the hormonal background of a woman changes in the direction of estrogens. All excess fluid is excreted in the urine, and the weight returns to normal.

Physical activity. During ovulation, a woman becomes more resilient. She is active and resistant to stress. That is why on the 12th-14th day of the cycle (plus two days before and after) any physical activity, including extreme ones, is easy to do.

The second phase of the cycle (destruction of the egg)

Diet and weight loss. If pregnancy does not occur during ovulation, then in the second phase of the menstrual cycle, the death of an unfertilized egg begins. That is, if in the first phase of the cycle the female body was set up for creation (maturation of the follicle), then in the second - for destruction. That is why the period from 15 to 20 days of the cycle is considered ideal for "destroying" body fat. Feel free to arrange fasting days for yourself or go on a diet. However, a week before the onset of menstruation, you can feel a brutal appetite. This happens due to an increase in the level of luteinizing hormone (LH), which stimulates the exit of the corpus luteum from the ovary. It is under its influence that mood and appetite change. Losing weight during this period will be especially painful, and the effectiveness of the diet promises to be very low. So you don't need to beat yourself up. It is better to refrain from simple carbohydrates (sweets and flour products) in favor of complex (whole cereals, wholemeal bread) and proteins (lean meat, fish). This will help maintain harmony even without a diet.

Weight. During this period, the weight is still normal, and therefore you can safely stand on the scales. But at the end of the cycle, many women begin to complain of engorgement and soreness of the mammary glands, sweating. Often there is an increase in weight (1-1.5 kg). If you are prone to edema, try to reduce the amount of water and salt you drink. Drink diuretic teas (birch buds, hibiscus, raspberry or linden). You can eat watermelons, strawberries, apples.

Physical activity. The hormonal background remains stable, the woman is cheerful and active, physical activity goes off with a bang. But towards the end of the cycle, under the influence of hormones, physical activity is given more and more difficult. You should not break yourself by forcing you to play sports, as this can result in increased pressure or a headache.

Irina Chernaya

We thank Natalia Lelyukh, a gynecologist, for her help in preparing the material.

In fact, such a harbinger of menstruation as weight gain is due to the internal processes taking place in the body, its preparation for the days that are called “critical” for a reason.

The menstrual cycle of a woman, repeating every month, prepares her body for a future pregnancy: the hormonal background and metabolism change.

The increase in body weight during this period is caused by a combination of several factors:

Fluid retention in tissues.

Menstruation, especially heavy, is primarily a loss of fluid. If the picture is repeated monthly, the stressed body begins to perceive bleeding as a threat of dehydration, a signal to store moisture. In such cases, ladies often complain of swelling of the arms, legs, face. This phenomenon goes along with menstruation, but if the swelling increases or is observed for a long time, you can drink diuretic herbs, and if there is no result, consult a doctor;

Digestive disorders.

On the eve of menstruation in women, the level of progesterone rises sharply, which relaxes the muscles of the uterus. The reproductive organ presses on the intestines, where gases begin to accumulate. That is why the tummy begins to grow. In addition, constipation is a frequent sign of approaching menstruation: feces accumulate in the intestines, which can significantly change the figure on the scales. One thing pleases - the weight increases only until the first critical day, then digestive problems usually pass quickly;

Run into the refrigerator.

Even a mild premenstrual syndrome creates a psychological imbalance, which ladies seize on harmful carbohydrates - buns, chocolate. Growing progesterone aggravates the situation, attacks of hunger become more frequent, breakdowns occur that border on gluttony. Of course, the weight during menstruation increases because of this, and then it will not go anywhere. It is impossible to relax, justifying the need of the body: extra pounds will stick every month, which threatens with early obesity;

Anemia.

She is a companion of the martyrs, constantly sitting on rigid unbalanced diets that cause a decrease in hemoglobin. During menstruation, 30 mg of iron is lost daily with blood, which finally undermines the health of a woman: bouts of hunger are accompanied by nausea, dizziness. Feeling a growing appetite, you should quench it with fish, liver, eggs - such food will not cause a jump in weight;

It is difficult to argue with nature, but it is worth considering this information, it will help to control your eating behavior at critical moments, to avoid weight gain.

Psychological factors

You can not blame the weight gain that occurs before menstruation, only on physiology. Premenstrual syndrome, expressed by the instability of the psychological state, concerns 90% of the fairer sex. The mood changes dramatically in a matter of minutes, everything is annoying - these symptoms are familiar to many. And if you still constantly think about how to lose weight, observing such an undesirable weight gain, you can bring yourself to serious stress. So, psychological reasons:

subconscious fear of pain. In some ladies, periodic pains reach such strength that the mere thought of the imminent repetition of a nightmare is terrifying. Superimposed on the lack of self-control, a bad mood causes a craving to treat yourself to something tasty and high-calorie. Others add fuel to the fire, noticing the state of the lady, they often present chocolate and other sweets as a gift - then weight gain is inevitable;

There is also a reverse side of the coin: having learned about the naturalness of the changes occurring with weight, a woman deliberately begins to overeat so as not to force the body. The problem is that the period of such relaxation often drags on for a couple of weeks, and then a completely sincere question arises: “Why am I gaining weight?”.

Of course, you can negotiate with loved ones, ask them not to bring flour and sweets, not to provoke breakdowns. But coping with prolonged overeating is much more difficult: perhaps menstruation is only an external cause of eating disorders, which over time risk increasing and leading to excess weight. If necessary, to solve the problem, it is better to contact a good psychotherapist.

Sweets and weight gain

No matter how much you want to lose weight during menstruation is quite difficult. Not only does the appetite increase, but it also draws on the most harmful - all kinds of sweets, especially chocolate. Many, due to their illiteracy, explain such a craving by a decrease in hemoglobin and try to compensate for the lack of a couple of tidbits in the body. Few people remember that it is better to support hemoglobin with iron-containing preparations.

In fact, hormonal swings are to blame for everything: with the onset of menstruation, a fairly grown progesterone suddenly begins to fall, but prostaglandins are intensively produced. The purpose of these substances is to ensure the exfoliation of the mucous membranes of the uterus. The amount of female estrogen hormones that support the release of serotonin, the hormone of happiness, is also rapidly decreasing. Against the background of such metamorphoses, the mood inevitably deteriorates. In an effort to make up for the deficiency of serotonin through sweets, the body pushes a woman to the next candy. It is very easy, succumbing to temptation, to forget about weight gain, to gain a couple of kilograms.

Limiting yourself completely is not the best solution. You will crave more and more sweets. A couple of slices of dark chocolate will not cause significant damage, but it will kill an obsessive desire. Otherwise, fast carbohydrates should be replaced with slow ones: cereals, vegetables.

Diet during menstruation

For overweight girls, the fight against excess weight is sometimes delayed for many months of sports efforts and diets. However, doctors strongly do not recommend reducing the calorie content of the diet during. I don’t want to interrupt the process - what can I do, is it possible to lose weight during menstruation?

The answer is simple: weight loss and menstruation are quite compatible, just nutrition should be balanced.

Here are some simple tips to help you plan your diet:

A week before menstruation, you should increase your fiber intake, it will relieve puffiness. Source - legumes, vegetables, apples;
Do not drink water for an hour after eating, so as not to stretch the stomach, adjust it to small portions;
Increase serotonin with the right foods: bananas, tomatoes, corn;
Separate sour-milk and iron-containing products: together they are poorly absorbed, causing a breakdown and a desire to interrupt the diet.

Losing weight during menstruation should be comfortable, bring pleasure, not suffering. It's no secret that losing weight is painful for both weight gain and fading, the plateau effect.

Therefore, you need to establish a strict rule for yourself - do not weigh yourself during menstruation.

Regardless of why weight increases on the eve or during menstruation, the rules for its reduction are the same:

Temporarily remove from the menu all fatty, fried, salty and mayonnaise. Minimize the amount of vegetable oil. And forget about alcohol, canned vegetables, pastries. All this retains water, which means it increases weight;
Replace the excluded products with more useful ones: vegetables, grain bread, fish;
Limit fluid intake, especially in the evening. After dinner, tea, coffee, just mineral water run the risk of turning into edema;
It is noticed that the appetite increases markedly due to the lack of nutrients. Significantly relieve the symptoms of PMS calcium and magnesium, taking drugs containing them reduces swelling, swelling of the chest and abdomen. The pharmacy chain offers special vitamin and mineral complexes that help normalize the work of all body systems, reduce weight: do not neglect the advice of a doctor to drink one of them;
Do not forget that weight loss is faster in the first half of the cycle, slowing down or stopping in the second. Decreased performance is not a reason to quit what you started, just the task is changing: now the main goal is not to get better;
Don't forget about physical activity. It is not necessary to perform unbearable feats, it is better to leave marathon races for later. But gymnastics, swimming, dancing during menstruation will bring a lot of pleasant sensations, relieve stress. Moderate exercise increases adrenaline, which is involved in the breakdown of fats, and reduces appetite. If your health does not allow even light workouts, you can just take a walk in the park;
It would be useful to discuss the diet with your beloved man: let him give apples and dried fruits instead of chocolates. Such a sign of attention will not be deposited on the hips;

Efforts aimed at health and weight control should be constant, then menstruation will cease to be a critical period, it will become much easier to endure them.

Yes, it is normal to gain a few extra pounds during this period of the month. In fact, it is more correct to call it not a set, but a fluctuation in weight. The "pendant" will go away when a new cycle comes. This fluctuation in weight is caused by hormonal changes associated with the change of phases, which is why kilograms suddenly come from nowhere and go nowhere.

The amplitude of these fluctuations is different for all women. Not much attention has been paid to this problem in the medical literature. There are references to an increase in weight of about one and a half kilograms. But some women complain that they gain before menstruation and drop three kilograms after them. It all depends on the characteristics of your body.

If you followed the usual diet and the same physical activity as always, and suddenly, standing on the scales, found that they show more than you expected, do not rush to get scared. Remember how soon you are waiting for the onset of menstruation. If there are a few days left before them - most likely, that's the reason. The hormone progesterone, which is intensively produced during this period, is to blame for the appearance of these kilograms.

A slight increase in weight, also associated with hormonal activity, can be observed around the time of ovulation.

Where do those extra pounds come from?

This is water. Ordinary water! Because of all these hormonal changes before menstruation, she is reluctant to leave your body. The most unfair thing about this is that the very substances that you especially crave during PMS: salt, sugar and caffeine retain water.

During PMS, we feel a lack of energy, and therefore we want more coffee and less exercise. Irritability and discomfort make us crave something tasty to comfort us, either salty chips or a whole box of brownies, even though we know it's not healthy at all.

There is also such a psychological moment as dissatisfaction with oneself. During PMS, we look at ourselves in the mirror and think: “God, how fat I am.” Gynecologists have noticed that this is common for many women at the end of the cycle. At this time, we believe that we have gained weight, even if we didn’t actually gain it - simply because of a more critical attitude towards ourselves.

Another possible reason for weight gain during this period is constipation. Progesterone negatively affects intestinal motility. Therefore, some women have difficulty with stools before menstruation. This results in bloating and a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

What to do?

If you have found all these unpleasant symptoms in yourself, and your female calendar suggests that menstruation is on the threshold, know that you are not alone. A mass of women in the same days suffers from the same phenomena. Stop weighing yourself every hour and wait a bit: in the process of menstruation, everything should return to normal.

Better control over how much sugar, salt, and caffeine you consume may or may not help. The human body is a complex device. Other things being equal (that is, if you don’t start eating cake for dinner these days), the weight gained during PMS will go away on its own.

In no case do not deny yourself the useful pleasure of drinking water! If you drink less water, this will not solve the problem of fluid retention in the body.

If this phenomenon bothers you too much, or if the weight comes on before each menstruation, but does not go away with its end, talk to your doctor about it.

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