Between therapy, CICO, and 16:8, I’ve stuck with my improved eating regimen for a month.
And now hit with period cravings 😬 I’ve been thinking about food all night, it’s getting intrusive! Physically I’m not hungry but mentally I’m eating EVERYTHING! I know once I start my period, I’ll be back to normal.
Till then, what’s your top tips to silence the noise?
I up my carb intake in my eating window. Still try to keep it mostly whole food but adding some brown rice and/or some roast pumpkin helps. Also am a bit more flexible with my window, usually do 18:6 but drop it to 16:8. I am halfway through my second period on IF and haven’t had the mad sugar cravings I normally do. Also, way less period pain. Too soon to tell if it is a consequence of fasting but it’s nice lol.
I try having a cup of this Orange tea I like before I go and eat something sweet. It’s herbal and I make it a little ritual of preparing it and waiting for it to cool down enough to drink. It smells nice… so it distracts me from wanting to eat for a while. Plus smelling citrus is supposed to help control your appetite and reduce cravings.
It’s probably ok to take a day off. The day my period starts I usually just eat whatever. Period Day = Period Food Day! everything and anything, fast food, desert, snaking. It’s my day to treat myself, and then back to the grind.
I try to stick to my eating hours but when my period approaches I get more lax with what I eat and just gives my body what it wants. Like last night I had half the pan of cornbread alongside my bowl of chili and it was amazing (and somehow still lost half a pound…)
The pre-period hunger is real.
Thanks for sharing your tips! I didn’t fast today and stuck to my max calorie budget. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow, seems like the danger has passed!
Stocking up on some orange tea tomorrow so I’m ready for next month.