Question for female board members

[PlankIt]

Sorry I can't help - I don't get any major swings with my cycle...my mood/motivation/energy etc changes are more of a daily experience than a weekly/monthly one.

[Weib]

just asking some question -

how about cravings?
It seems there is some kind of cravings during this period for a certain kind of food.
Is it normal to have stress eating?

Will recovery be affected during this period?

[penobscot]

Originally Posted by lylemcd

Esp those of you who deal with major mood swings, energy, perforamnce shifts etc. through the menstrual cycle.

Based on this graphic
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...le2_en.svg.png

With ovulation as the midpoint (with the main focus being pre-menstruation and pre-ovulation since those seem to be the big times for everyone), can you tell me where you have issues with any and/or all of the following

1. decreased motivation
2. increased fatigue
3. decreaesd performance in the gym (esp. for those who do heavy/low rep stuff)
4. changes in appetite (up or down)
5. changes in sex drive (up or down)
6. increased emotional fragility/moodiness
7. anything else that changes during the cycle/at either of those two time points

thank you.

And fair warning to the guys: no shenanigans in this thread. I am very serious.

I'm not sure if this is helpful, but when I menstruate, starting from 10 or so before menstruation, I experience increased sex drive for just a couple days. 3-4 days before menstruating, I have a hard time sleeping for 1 night. 2-3 days or so before menstruating, I feel super energetic and increase performance in exercise. Also an increase in hunger (and chocolate cravings).

(Haven't had a cycle since March '08 due to pregnancy and then breastfeeding. I'm actually seeing a doctor today to find out what's going on with the hormones (I weaned a month ago).

[LuckyDog]

I haven't menstruated since late May 09, thanks to contest dieting, but I know very well my own patterns and am happy to share

A couple of days before menstruation

Increased appetite
Increased lower back and hip pain (I have an old lateral posterior bulge)
Increased sense of foreboding and irritability
1 or 2 nights before significant trouble sleeping
Mid Luteal a increase in sex drive
1 or 2 days into menstruation a improved sense of well being
I also "nest" like its my job - If my back hurts, I'm cleaning the house like "its my job" and being a primal nightmare I know I'm due for my period.

[Morkai]

Nothing of any regularity right now to take notes on but back before I started depo a work colleague could pinpoint almost to the day my period started. Not because of any mood swings but he said about 5-7 days before hand my chocolate consumption would skyrocket

[Morgan]

I will have to go back and look at records when I get a chance, but off the top of my head I know that pre-menstrual I would get a lot more hungry and crave carbohydrates and chocolate. Seems to be a pattern. It was a bitch when dieting though. I am not sure about how sex drive was, I do recall though it being high during menstration, however that wasn't going to work

[ebird]

Motivation: feeling heavy and crabby can either spur me on or keep me home

Fatigue: relates to hunger (see below)

Performance: strength remains the same but cramping and bloating can make running uncomfortable (side stitches inevitable)

Appetite: hunger increases 2-3 days before period is due

Sex drive: up as period is ending and for the next week or two; down only when feeling especially crummy from PMS

Mood: irritable a day or two before period starts

Other: cravings for carbs a good week before period; mild constipation during PMS; 1-5 lbs water retention; cramps occasionally severe enough to make me extremely ill (vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, fainting)

[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.

[inshapeforeverfit]

Originally Posted by lylemcd

Esp those of you who deal with major mood swings, energy, perforamnce shifts etc. through the menstrual cycle.

Based on this graphic
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...le2_en.svg.png

With ovulation as the midpoint (with the main focus being pre-menstruation and pre-ovulation since those seem to be the big times for everyone), can you tell me where you have issues with any and/or all of the following

1. decreased motivation
2. increased fatigue
3. decreaesd performance in the gym (esp. for those who do heavy/low rep stuff)
4. changes in appetite (up or down)
5. changes in sex drive (up or down)
6. increased emotional fragility/moodiness
7. anything else that changes during the cycle/at either of those two time points

thank you.

And fair warning to the guys: no shenanigans in this thread. I am very serious.

Let's see, I experience decreased motivation, increased fatigue, my appetite goes up, my sex drive goes up and I experience increased emotional fragility.

The good news is I don't experience menstrual cramps anymore!