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i workout, i drink 4l of water, i eat high protein and healthy.
i am currently at luteal phase and that always throws me off and on top of looking bloated and having worsened self-image, i have terrible cravings.
so please guys if you have some tips that make you feel better during this phase, or foods that help with hormone regulations, or anything really, please comment 💕
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What’s your fibre intake like? I started eating more fibre alongside a decent water intake and my stomach was so much flatter.
Would you please mind sharing What foods specifically?
Berries, flax, chia!
Grab a bag of dried, pitted prunes and eat a serving a day. Your body will thank you.
I take probiotics every day! I love how regular they make me and they help with bloating.
thats great! have you got any specific ones you like using?
Mostly mine come from my diet! Lots of yogurt, fermented foods. I drink a Yakult every morning with breakfast. But I tend to get super backed up when I travel and so I look for supplements with L. acidophilus to bring with me! Not sure I have a favorite, I just buy whatever is available
Acidophilus is great for the hoo-ha too! Keeps everything balanced.
Kefir soda with turmeric or ginger if you can find it. helps with inflammation
Kefir soda? What is that?
it’s a probiotic drink similar to regular kefir but it doesn’t have dairy in it
Look for spore-based probiotics. They don’t need to be refrigerated and stay effective unlike most shelf-products
when looking for a brand go with something that is third party tested, i personally like garden of life, physicians choice, and renew life. I typically get whatever i find the cheapest
I have IBS. It always upsets my stomach. My doctor suggested for a probiotics. What kind of Probiotic helps you? Please suggest the name/brand. Thank you for your time.
Why didn’t your doctor make recommendations? That seems weird. Look into Visbiome.
Thank you for your time . My doctor gave me Metamucil. I couldn't drink it
I don’t use any specific brand, I feel like I buy different ones every time based on whats on sale🥲 but I always always look for L. Acidophilus probiotic in the ingredients!
Tbh, just acceptance. I’m very thin but I still have days where my sensitive stomach acts up and I look a few months pregnant. And that’s ok. I have my snatched days and my non-snatched days. It’s normal
For your sensitive stomach, are you a coffee drinker? Have you done an allergy test? Just asking because I’m a fellow sensitive stomach sufferer and when I did an allergy test I discovered I was lactose and in the few recent days have switch coffee out for tea and have noticed a massive difference
I am a coffee drinker, if I have more than one cup a day it does upset my stomach. But I drink it black, no milk. I’ve been curious to try an allergy test, for now I just assume I probably have IBS or something similar.
My husband did a test called FOD maps which is for people like him who have IBS. Since then he learned he's sensitive to a specific kind of sugar found in a few types of food and he almost never gets bloated. He worked with a nutritionist but perhaps if you think you have ibs... Perhaps it's something you should investigate
Try the allergy test if it available to you. They take your blood and examine it and let you know. It changed my life for the better and eliminated the guessing game on what bothers my stomach.
I drink it black too and still had problems. Having it on an empty stomach will spike your cortisol levels which can make you go to washroom but lead to bloating and discomfort. Apparently putting milk/ milk substitute or coconut oil/olive oil is supposed to help but I have not tried it.
Hopefully some of this information helps!
I don’t think coffee is likely the culprit but you should always do tests and not assume. Also worth keeping a food diary and monitoring what you ate before a flare up.
It could be but yes there is a possibility and it’s worth a try. It’s not like it will hurt to cut it out for a day or two. Yes, the test is the sure fire way to see what’s causing the issue, however, the test said nothing about coffee but this was just MY experience and was just giving advice on that.
I agree with you about a food journal. I downloaded My Fitness Pal it’s a great way to see what you’ve eaten and as you mentioned, take note of what bothers the stomach.
Girl same. I can be 99 lbs. Which for my height is underweight but I can still have a bulging tummy. Obviously I don’t like it but whatever. Doesn’t help that I have small boobs so the tummy can really protrude but I love my body
my hormones completely throw my mental off though and i know ill be better and i didnt gain any weight but its extremely hard to see that on myself in such days 🙂↕️
Those are the days when you need to give yourself the most grace. Hormones and luteal are a bitch.
I'm not sure how bad it is but you should look into pmdd if it's really bad.
All women have lower serotonin at this time so it's normal to feel a little bad but if you feel really bad a low dose SSRI during the luteal phase can help with high physical and psychological symptoms.
Just remember how you’re feeling now when you see yourself in the mirror in a couple weeks and think “dayum gurrl!”. It’s the same body, realize the role your hormones are playing in your opinion of yourself and adopt the “I’m fine all the time!” mentality. Then when you’re on the bloat you’ll know this isn’t the “real” you and it won’t affect your mood so much. Give it a try!
I go for a massage and I feel you - I have terrible cravings too and I workout and I’m pescetarian and I just feel like I have a “fat” body type like I’m not slim or skinny no matter what I do.
I do things like get a facial and get my eyebrows and lashes tinted and lifted. It helps also I dress up well even when I’m just going to the supermarket and I feel a lot better also tea helps with bloating
Have you ever tried an anti inflammatory diet??
Please tell me more - is this when I avoid foods like anything with hot sauce, curry, and spices?
It is avoiding foods that cause inflammation in the body and choosing foods that help quell the existing inflammation. You can google it for great references. I have been trying to adhere by it as best as I can because I was tired of looking 8mo pregnant plus my face and arms and legs and feet ballooning up after eating any bread or dairy. I stick to sourdough and oatmilk only now. Also been trying to heal my gut; There is a new documentary on Netflix that is very good! The Science of Your Gut. I highly recommend. Also I try to get as much fiber and protein as possible & drink kombucha, eat sauerkraut, and yogurt as regularly as I can.
Thank you! I’ve been reading on it too and yes I’m going to follow the list of foods recommended online. I eat clean 7/10 of the time and I’m pescetarian so this won’t be a hard switch for me. I’ll check out the documentary too
Yoga helps. I don't just 'work out' I train hard, and the vast majority of exercise kind of compresses you down a bit. There is something about the yoga positions that makes my midsection look leaner and more balanced in a way that all the steps and weightlifting in the world does not.
I agree.
I agree with this so much
I totally understand. I feel so bloated/heavy/ugly that I don´t even feel like stepping out of the house. However, for my mental wellbeing I try to get some exercise or take a walk if only for 30 minutes.
I have terrible cravings as well. :( I try to curb my cravings by drinking soda or keeping myself busy.
its so comforting seeing people feeling the same way honestly!
❤️
the period cravings kill any type of calorie deficit i was doing before so been looking for substitutes. rice cakes with peanut butter i like the pb2 powder and chocolate chips, the yasso ice cream bars are super good, melting some chocolate chips and adding on fruit and sometimes a hot chocolate with oatmilk. i just try to give myself grace and not feel guilty about being lazy. try to focus on other things i can control with my appearance like doing my nails and extra care into my skincare
It’s really important to consume carbs before your period. Your body needs them. Sweet potatoes, Japanese potato, quinoa, carrots, white rice etc are some of the better ones.
You can do IF before ovulation to balance things out but as women we do need more around our period and we should listen or that hunger signal to properly support the body.
You got a source for the carb part? When I went keto my periods got 1000% better.
You mean endocrinology?
Your periods got better when you went keto because your inflammation went down but long term keto is bad for hormone support in women of childbearing age.
Again, I would love a source for that. My experiences with keto aside, because of course I’m just one person, “It’s really important to consume carbs before your period” and also “long term keto is bad for hormone support” are bold claims that if true must have some studies and sources to back up, no? I’d love to see them.
Psyllium husk daily, and cut out alcohol altogether if you can!!! Biggest thing for me was giving up drinking, thru all phases it has completely removed my bloat.
Also this one is a hack - I make a large amount of brown rice 1x per week and have a bunch of different sauce options that I’ll add to it. It’s perfect for when I have a craving but want to put in zero effort to making food. The flavor of the sauces hit like chips or some other salty junk food but the rice fills you up with a small quantity! And the fiber helps with digestion. Personal fav sauce for this is Bitchin Sauce.
What format do you take psyllium husk in?
I find that drinking lots of water and doing a bit more cardio than usual helps on days where I feel bloated & uncomfortable. Even just walking helps.
The biggest trick I can pass on is to dress for your body type and not for what's trendy. Those big booty shorts everyone loves accentuates my fupa ESPECIALLY during my luteal phase. They make me feel bad about my body so I don't wear them.
Personally I like how super flared yoga pants and a cropped hoodie look on me during my incredibly bloated days. It creates an appearance of having a flat tummy without needing to do any extra work.
Two winters ago I gained 30 lbs in 3 months and no one noticed/knew because of the way I dressed and styled my clothes.
For the first week of my period I’m eating everything and anything after the first week I go back to normal and try to eat clean. I give myself a break because I feel like I deserve it and my body craves it
For me its the week running up to my period, I eat myself out of house and home. Then once my period hits my appetite completely disappears. Then towards the end my appetite will go back to normal. Its crazy how much impact hormones have!
Running on an incline for 45 minutes once a day helped me lose fat while maintaining a strong, toned body
Could I please ask what level of incline you do? I’ve started running recently to lose fat and would like to up the intensity
Yes! I split my walk, jog, run/sprint and I go in that order for 45 mins. Depending on how my body is feeling, I’ll reduce or increase the walk, jog, run time. On average, I’ll do 3-5 mins for each movement. I set the incline anywhere from 6.0-12.0. Walk speed: 3-3.5 Jog speed: 5-6.5 Run/sprint: 7.0-11.0
I leave the treadmill looking like I came out of a pool. So much sweat.
Ah this is so helpful, thank you!
I leave the treadmill looking like a giant beef tomato so some solidarity there :)
You got this! 💪
fasting doesn’t work for me personally, just makes me binge eat or bloat even worse when i do eat anything, i like to eat probiotic loaded stuff like kimchi and lassi. healthy fats like avocados, nuts, eggs. fruits especially watermelon and raspberries. one of the big things for me is less gluten and absolutely no corn syrups. some ppl have intolerance to things like dairy or gluten and won’t even notice bc their only symptom is bloating or tiredness.
peppermint tea also helps with digestion!
Coconut Water!!!! Sweet potatoes, kale, black beans, spinach, kombucha, red lentils, cherries, papaya, frozen blueberries, spearmint tea(amazing benefits for women skinwise and hormonewise!!), dark chocolate, açaí, omega 3s, brown rice, quinoa, oats, vit d, vit k, Spirulina & chorella, magnesium, red light therapy wand. Take an epsom salt bath with some baking soda in there as well and soak for at least 20 mins. Always works wonders for my bloating, skin, & overall well being. The salt helps balance and detox you. I love the dr teals pink Himalayan salt. Smells amazzzinggg 🙂
i love how no one is giving real answers
There also really is no "answer." Most women aren't going to be super snatched all the time. I'm super fit and have no GI issues ever but those period hormones nail me every month and I look about 4 months pregnant a few days. Just life lol. I feel for OP tho I wish there was a way
Because it’s common sense - eating a reasonable diet and regular exercise. Diet especially, but no one ever really wants to hear that.
That and the idea most people have in their head of snatched isn’t even a real thing, it’s actually achieved using shape wear.
Whatever your current step count is, increase by 3K - stick to that for six weeks and you'll see a difference.
i average 18k daily :) i was thinking something that specifically helps the mental side of things during these pre period days :)
Therapist here - the mental side of things is a long game. Start every evening or morning with the things you’re grateful for. Work on looking at yourself in the mirror and telling yourself the good things you see.
Try to remember these are phases and telling yourself so. We are at the whim of a lot of marketing, society shaming, and disgusting messaging that is hard to undo with just one psyche.
The more you say the good things, the better your brain gets at believing them.
You can also use Socratic questioning: What’s the best case scenario? - I’m actually thin and my brain is just playing tricks on me.
What’s the worst case scenario? I could stand to lose some pounds. I’ve gained weight/I’ve stop being motivated/I feel fat
What’s the most realistic? I can be thin and want to be more toned - and that’s something I can work on.
Or, I am thin and I’m actually experiencing the best case scenario
And sometimes it’s okay to just wallow and let the feelings pass. We all succumb to them one time or another. If it’s just something time needs to take care of, and it isn’t something that bothers you the entire month and all the time, then it’ll be alright and it’s just about bringing a mindful effort to not feeding into it. Guided meditation can help in that aspect.
Edit: am a therapist but not your therapist
Something I am working on as well. It is very slow progress as everything feels wrong during this time. But simply being aware of what's going on in your body can help so much.
Walking more is just generic, overdone advice at this point that isn’t needed by every being
Sorry you feel that way.
Walking has been a true game changer for me, so I am quick to suggest it and advocate for it.
Do t know how you feel about this, but I use damiana tea a few times a week to balance out my hormones and I think it actually makes me prettier.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad day if I drank damiana.
Less salt and more fruit during that time helps a little, but really there’s only so much you can do. Sometimes you gotta lean into it and make enjoying cravings and feeling tired the ritual of its own with the best treat and softest blanket and a face mask.
Intermittent fasting is what I needed as the final push to get rid of my bloating.
Yes! Fasting or even Intermittent fasting have been the most effective first me.
I think eating early and stopping consuming after a certain time is great for bloating and easy “dieting” I put dieting in quotes cause nothing is changing with portion sizes or calories but giving your body time to digest and burn off glucose before you fall asleep means less glucose gets turned into fat. I think it’s the most simple and stress free way to lose weight, I try to stop eating at least 4 hours before I’m going to bed. If I fall asleep with food in my stomach within 1-1 1/2 hours of eating) I can see the water weight on me the next day
To do this seriously start with blood work. Figure out any difficiencies and fix them.
Then add in sleep as a foundation, water fiber protein and cycle sync your carbs.
I also totally cut out refined sugar and wheat.
Mat Pilates not reformer. But do it with an instructor in a supervised environment. Form is everything.
And finally walk everywhere you can.
Omg me too girl I bloat with anything. Just pick up your back straighten up and you’ll still look amazing Don’t worry about the small shit
iced coffee usually does the trick for me; gives me energy boosts, makes me poop, and curbs appetite
Being in a calorie deficit is the only way to lose body fat and get a "snatched" waist.
Self love. You’re not gonna be feeling it all the time and that’s normal and perfectly okay too. I understand that during luteal phase, that might be even harder, but you’re doing all you need to be doing otherwise my dear.
Even just mentally acknowledging that you’re in luteal phase like ‘okay, I’m at this stage right now where things are happening that I can’t control and even though that makes it harder for me to practise self love or feel okay within myself, I’ll get through this and be feeling more like myself again very soon’.
Loose clothes and not wearing undies while asleep can help keep the stomach area free of restriction
I’ve started taking psyllium husk pills (basically fiber) and noticed a big difference in how bloated I look and feel. I’ve also lost a few pounds and I’m not as hungry anymore.
Where are you getting your protein from? Are you eating mostly plants or do you eat meat? Do you eat mushrooms? Theres a great new netflix doc on healthy gut I recommend you watch.
THE LUTEAL PHASE!! so glad I learned about this cause now when I randomly look in the mirror and question why i suddenly look absolutely horrible i realize it’s that. i don’t have a period due to my BC so it’s always a toss up.
If it helps pre period, every month, I become convinced I’m really overweight. My entire body stores loads of water and I literally feel horrendous PLUS I’m starving. Then, a few days after my period, it’s like it all just disappears !! I try to wear baggy clothing, eat healthy, drink greens powder sometimes and just ignore it tbh.
Don't snack during the day or at night and exercise on a regular basis and not just two times a week. Ive felt more skinny recently I think it's the body step class I do
Cut out the highly processed sugars and don't drink calories. That always helps me cut the puffyness/bloat.
Consistency! I get caught up in not being where I want to be but I just remind myself that I look way better than I did six months ago and that if I stay consistent, I’ll look even better in six months. I’m not fat by any means but I also struggle with not always being snatched. There’s still some body fat I want to burn and tone, and sometimes I’m just more bloated than others which amplifies it.