Most women know their cycle changes how they eat. As a female, you may have cravings or feel hungry all the time and you feel BAD about it! Instead of seeing these eating changes as a normal part of your cycle, you may instead think of it as a personal shortcoming or lack of willpower. You are not worthy; not strong enough; not disciplined enough…
The reality is that hormones have a very real impact on how our bodies feel, what they crave, and how many calories we’re eating. They change our point of satiety, making us more or less likely to eat big meals during certain parts of our cycles.
I am here to tell you that there is NOTHING WRONG with your body if you experience fluctuations in cravings, eating habits, and hunger signals throughout your cycle. In fact, these “signals” provide valuable data for us to work with as I help you shift away from a good-or-bad, pass-or-fail, all-or-nothing narrative with food!
I encourage clients to see all food as just food, neither good nor bad, and when we work on this together, I’ve noticed their change in language and attitude if they’ve had a “free for all” food weekend. They no longer seem to try to apologize for what they used to view as being bad.
That said, if you are concerned about overeating at certain times during your cycle, here are some recommendations that may help you manage your hormonal changes:
- Eat slowly to help increase the feeling of fullness and avoid overeating.
- Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
- Be prepared for hunger and cravings by planning meals and having nutritious food on hand. Also prepare by having some of your favorite delicious foods on hand and plan to eat them slowly and savor them.
- Track morning body temperature regularly; a jump in temperature signals the phase in which women tend to eat more calories, which can help her feel better about her increased appetite and understand her body actually needs the extra energy.
As your Wellness Coach, the best thing I can do for you is to simply acknowledge this information and we talk about it! No judgement. No criticism. I reassure you that this is the normal flow of being a woman and there is nothing wrong with your body if you experiences fluctuations in cravings, eating habits, and hunger signals throughout her cycle.
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