Question for female board members

[kara]

Pre-ov thru ovulation I feel great. Usually a bit of cramping but increased energy and general well being.

About 4ish days before menstruation: moodiness/weepiness, increased fatigue, restless sleep (probably ties into the fatigue), low level aches and pains, massive water retention (up to 8lbs), mild constipation, and cravings like you wouldn't believe (mostly for anything salty).

During menstruation: increased sex drive, decreased appetite, and feeling much better again. About once every 4-6 cycles I get really really really bad cramps - like stay in bed with a heating pad and tylenol with codeine cramps. But not more than 2x a year on average.

I never really understood any of this until about 4 years ago when I started seriously tracking my cycle. Now I know I'm extremely regular - between 25-27 days on average - and the above tends to be like clockwork.

I've never tracked my gym performance in conjunction with my cycle, but now I'm curious. I might have to start doing that.

[schleicher]

I am still on birth control so I don't truly ovulate, but I still have symptoms. My symptoms however are inconsistent month to month.

About a week before I menstruate I feel fatigued, irritable, easily annoyed, and mood swings in general. The world listless comes to mind. Some months I'm more angry and stressed out and others I'm more weepy .

My cravings have decreased in the past few months due ( I assume) supplementation with magnesium. I find I still do 'think' about food like cookies, or chips, but I don't always find the need to go and have any.

Some months I can retain up to 6 pounds of fluid. However for example this month, I have not retained any.

I have a decrease in appetite for at least one day, usually 3-4 days before menstruation begins.

I hope these symptoms do not exacerbate when I go off BC in mid june.

[Lwica]

I'm on Birth Control pills so don't ovulate as well. I think I still have symptoms though as hormones change and drop:

1. decreased motivation:
--Never really a problem. Though I do get extremely tired in the first few days of my period (and the last if it's gone on too long) I missed two pills about a week before my period and had a twice-as-long-period and I felt I had to take naps every night at 8pm for an hour or two. I was super tired. This normally happens to a lesser degree at the start.

2. increased fatigue
-See above.

3. decreaesd performance in the gym (esp. for those who do heavy/low rep stuff)
-do heavy/low rep stuff, but don't have much noticeable change that I've paid attention to at least. Sometimes I feel even a bit stronger during this time, but it could be all in my head.

4. changes in appetite (up or down)
--appetite? never changes. Desire to eat for boredom or irritability however does increase directly beforehand.

5. changes in sex drive (up or down)
--Post period HUGE upkick in sex drive.

6. increased emotional fragility/moodiness
--My boyfriend and I have a fight every month exactly 5-6 days before day one of my period. That's the third to last Birth Control pill. Now that I've realized this I try to stay away from him on that day.

7. anything else that changes during the cycle/at either of those two time points
-WATER RETENTION. Few days beforehand to about the end of the cycle I'm up a few pounds. Like, two days before the first day of period I'm 158 then over the next two days up to 161. Will hold there until fourth day or so of the cycle then there's a drop. I'm still on my way down after this one expecting to see some of my hard-earned fat loss show up on the scale as well.

Hope that helps.

[lylemcd]

Ladies, just so you know I am not ignoring your responses, just tryin to collate the data. I appreciate all that took the time to provide feedback. Thank you.

[Morgan]

Originally Posted by lylemcd

Ladies, just so you know I am not ignoring your responses, just tryin to collate the data. I appreciate all that took the time to provide feedback. Thank you.

you may want to post this over on 02, I think you might get a lot more data. Whether it is reliable...?