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Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle affect psychological well-being, food cravings, and body composition. It is known that the female body is more resistant to changes than the male. Women lose weight more slowly, gain less muscle mass, and are more likely to be obese than men. The female body tolerates restrictions in the diet worse, reacting to them by slowing down the metabolism and hormonal disorders.
Therefore, it is especially important for women to make the diet comfortable and effective, and for this you will have to take into account the peculiarities of the female cycle.
Phases of the female cycle
The average cycle duration is 28 days and is divided into four phases. The countdown starts from the first day of your monthly period.
- day 1-4-early follicular (menstrual);
- day 5-11-late follicular;
- day 12-15-ovulatory;
- day 16-28-luteal.
During menstruation, estrogen and progesterone are at low levels. Every day, estrogen increases, reaching its peak before ovulation. At this time, progesterone increases. Both hormones reach their highest levels in the middle of the fourth phase, and then decline again.
Hormones and hunger
Against the background of hormonal fluctuations, the body temperature changes. An increase in temperature during the luteal phase increases the basic calorie consumption by 2.5-11.5%, which is 90-280 kcal, but women compensate for this by unconsciously overeating. Reducing estrogen at the end of the luteal phase increases appetite (calorizer). Some studies confirm that at this time, women overeat an average of 90-500 kcal. It is believed that estrogen interferes with weight loss, although according to scientists, it allows you to burn more fat due to the regulation of appetite.
Against the background of the cycle, the sensitivity to insulin changes. In the luteal phase, resistance to it appears, so many women feel weak and irresistible cravings for sweet and fatty foods. Nutritionists recommend adding a moderate amount of fruit to the diet to maintain normal blood sugar levels and prevent symptoms of hypoglycemia.
It’s not just a decrease in estrogen and insulin sensitivity that affects appetite. Since most women tend to limit themselves in their diet, they experience a lack of nutrients. In particular, magnesium deficiency can lead to overeating.
Make sure you’re getting enough magnesium with your meals. According to the famous American nutritionist Lyle McDonald, magnesium supplements will eliminate food cravings in the premenstrual period and cope with other symptoms of PMS. However, before you take any supplements, get your doctor’s permission.
The reason for weight gain
Body weight may change during different periods of the cycle. Many people observe a weight gain of 500-900 g before the start of menstruation, although its fluctuations can be noticed before ovulation. This is due to estrogen, the increased content of which causes fluid retention.
Many women fall into a real panic when they see weight gain, begin to restrict food more and drive themselves in training, which is completely logical. The scale weighs the entire body weight, including bones, muscles, water, organs, and food in the intestine. Daily and even weekly weightings do not reflect fat loss. Analysis of the body composition on special equipment will tell you much more about the success of the chosen weight loss strategy.
If you control the weight, then compare the same days of the cycle in different months. For example, the weight of the 5th day of the follicular phase in January and the weight of the 5th day of the same cycle period in February.
Rules of nutrition in different phases of the cycle
From this article, we learned that high levels of estrogen help to better control your appetite. Therefore, it is advisable to start a diet when it begins to grow-after menstruation in the follicular phase. This will allow you not to fight with yourself and to acquire the right habits before the beginning of strong hormonal fluctuations (calorizator). During this phase, you should not cut down on carbohydrates too much, because carbohydrate metabolism increases, and carbohydrates will serve as an excellent fuel for training. Of course, we are talking about complex carbohydrates, not simple ones.
After ovulation, your body begins to consume more calories, but along with this, the craving for food increases. Increased hunger may be associated with both decreased estrogen and magnesium deficiency. Therefore, provide yourself with a good vitamin and mineral complex. This will help control your appetite.
During the luteal phase, many women experience symptoms of hypoglycemia and low insulin sensitivity. Carbohydrate metabolism decreases, but fat metabolism increases. This means that in the luteal phase of the cycle, it is advisable to eat more protein, get enough fat, but it is reasonable to reduce carbohydrates in the diet. Let it contain less cereals and bread, but more vegetables and a moderate amount of fruit. This will help maintain normal blood sugar levels. Remember that the amount of carbohydrates in the diet should not fall below 100 g / day. And since the calorie consumption increases, you can increase the total caloric intake in the range of 200 kcal, which will also help to avoid a food breakdown.
Most women tend to limit themselves to fat, red meat, and dairy products when the hormonal background increases their needs for calcium, magnesium, and iron. Reducing carbohydrates automatically causes you to eat more foods rich in these substances. Also, do not forget about Omega-3 fatty acids, which have a beneficial effect on the metabolism and increase resistance to stress. If you are experiencing PMS, then you should definitely eat fish more often or include a fish oil supplement in your diet.