How to Lose weight for women - Mitigate cycle cravings & diet smart!
You may have tried warm baths/showers or Advil or even hot tea…BUT, have you ever considered trying to manage your cycle with nutrition?
If you get cravings during your menstrual cycle & you want 2 step-by-step plans for how you can diet smart to mitigate those cravings or even give in to those cravings AND STILL LOSE FAT…this article & video (CLICK HERE TO WATCH) is for you.
If you’re trying to lose weight then you know you have to be in a calorie deficit to do that & it’s the only way to lose fat. But, is it hard for you to stay within your calorie budget when you get cycle cravings? If so what usually happens?
I’m guessing one of these 2 scenarios:
1 - Either you fight through it and grind it out with your mental grit & willpower. Making sure to stay within your calorie budget & not go over it.
OR
2 - You give in to your cravings and eat all the treats & sweets your heart desires. Then when the cravings subside you feel terrible & guilty about giving in, leading to you either continuing to go off track or getting back on track but feeling like trash about it.
In this article we will go over exactly how you can give in to those cravings in a controlled way so you can do 2 things: 1 = continue making fat loss progress & 2 = give in to those cravings & eat more food.
Now before we hop into the plan you need to know this. Because this is what you should not do:
When you start getting cravings don’t ignore them until they build up to the point of no return, aka a massive binge-fest.
A slight craving or desire to eat can be managed by…you guessed it, eating. But when you are already full or have already reached your calorie limit for the day & still have cravings DO NOT IGNORE IT. If you ignore it there’s a good chance it’s going to lead to you smashing your face with food.
Now let's go over the 2 phases of the menstrual cycle:
Follicular Phase - Starts when you get your period & ends the day you start ovulation.
Luteal Phase - Starts the day after ovulation & ends on the first day of your period.
When do you get cravings? Cravings will most likely happen during the Luteal Phase & multiple studies back this up showing in the 1-2 weeks before you get your period (The Luteal Phase) you’re more likely to eat around 300 more calories per day.
Sugary, high-fat foods sound good AF & you might crave them & have a larger appetite.
So by tracking your cycle with an app like Flo, Period Calendar, or Clue you can better prepare for cravings, increased appetite, & then plan your nutrition to allow more calories for when you get cravings.
But how do I plan that in?
Plan 1 - Giving in but also still in a calorie deficit.
Allow yourself to have 100-350 more calories on the days you have cravings. This will give you much more flexibility within your diet & allow you to eat more in a controlled way rather than not planning for the inevitable cravings & then bingeing or overeating. I promise if you plan for the cravings you consistently get & make your nutrition plan fit YOUR life rather than fitting your life into a nutrition plan you will be so much happier & you’ll enjoy the process more.
Plan 2 - Diet Break @ Maintenance Calories.
The second way you can plan for this from a nutrition aspect is by taking a diet break & eating at your maintenance calories. So if you get INTENSE cravings every single month for 1-2 weeks this would be a very smart plan for long-term sustainable weight loss. So every month you would be eating in a calorie deficit for 2-3 weeks & eating at maintenance for 1-2 weeks.
I don’t think one plan is better than the other. It’s completely dependent on YOU as an individual. I believe a great question to ask yourself to help you decide is this: “Do I get small cravings for extra snacks? OR… Do I get an insatiable hunger & become a bottomless pit that can’t be satisfied?”
If you just need extra snacks Plan #1 will work great for you.
If you become a bottomless void… Plan #2 is going to do you wonders!
What’s Next Week?
I hope this helps you! If you need help please feel free to DM me on Instagram @tedshredss or email me: tedgormanpt@gmail.com. I’d love to give you free tips/advice or help clear up anything we talked about today.
Next week’s article/video is for anyone who wants to get toned, defined, & strong shoulders.
You & I will go over the BEST exercises to grow/tone your shoulders.
Thank you for reading or watching!
I hope this has helped you and if it has…
Please let me know via email! tedgormanpt@gmail.com
Also, if you have any questions about what we talked about today…
Email me, I’d love to answer your questions and give you some advice 🤝
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Talk soon,
-Ted :)
